A Jewish Shopkeeper Hears the Gospel
Recently, two of our Brooklyn staff members were doing outreach in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. As they were walking, they turned to see a middle-aged Orthodox Jewish man smiling and motioning to them to come inside his shop, “Hey, would you like to come out of the hot sun to rest and have a drink?” They both agreed and went into the store where Aaron* made them a refreshing drink and engaged them in conversation. Aaron’s phone began to ring, and other people wanted his attention. Not wishing to get in the way of his work, the workers thanked him for his hospitality and proceeded out the door. But as they walked away, they thought, “This is the opportunity of a lifetime.” Aaron was a bit perplexed as to why the men returned, but the conversation opened up when they apologized for not sharing the gospel earlier. For the next hour, the three of them had a rich discussion about religion, philosophy, and the Messianic claims of Yeshua. They spoke of how the Jewish people missed the time of Messiah’s visitation (Luke 19:41-44) resulting in the destruction of the Temple, the loss of the priesthood, their kippur (blood atonement), and the expulsion from their homeland for nearly 2,000 years, ultimately leading to terrible persecution. Aaron listened. While he did not agree, he understood the cases being made and their importance. Aaron agreed to meet with our staff again to discuss the Messiah.
Orthodox Jewish man Searches for Jesus Online
During the Jewish holiday season, our staff members are busy with special services and outreaches that the Lord continually blesses. One of our staff members met Yonatan,* an Orthodox Jewish man. They had an amazing conversation and our missionary came away from it with a heavy burden for him. Yonatan is open and searching for the truth about the Messiah. Even though he lives and works in a strict Orthodox community, he has been searching and studying, primarily through the internet. During the conversation, the two men discussed pop culture, joked a bit about politics, and discussed Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. Our missionary posited that Jesus is the only one who could ever fulfill these prophecies, and, to his amazement, Yonatan was nodding in agreement. Finally, he just asked Yonatan who he thinks Jesus is. Yonatan’s entire tone and countenance changed, and with a humble sincerity he said, “I don’t know.” This was huge—he did not outright reject Jesus, he did not scoff at the mention of His name. Instead, he showed a genuine uncertainty. Our worker told him how Jesus changed his life and he encouraged him to pray and ask God to reveal the truth. Please pray that the Lord will reveal Himself to Yonatan and that he will come to know with confidence who Jesus is.
Jewish Woman Comes to Faith at Rosh Hashanah Service
“I have always had a love for Yeshua (Jesus),” said Shira,* a Jewish woman who attended a Jewish New Year service with her Christian friends. The congregational leader asked her if she liked the services and if she had any objections. Surprisingly, Shira had none! She said she loved the prayers, the music, the worshipful dancing, and the message. He asked her if she had ever invited Yeshua into her heart as her Messiah and Savior, and she said, “No.” Then he asked if she wanted to pray right then to receive Yeshua. She said YES! Shira prayed and asked Yeshua to come into her heart and be her Messiah and Savior! Since then, she has been coming out to services every week. Recently, after the service, she asked if she could pray again just like when she accepted the Lord. When he told her that it counted last time and that God had saved her, she said she believed, but wanted to do a video recording to send to her family, so they could see it happen. What a blessing!
*names changed
Erev Rosh Hashanah Service
Friday, September 18, 2020
4:00 PM and 7:00 PM EDT
Erev Yom Kippur Service
Sunday, September 27, 2020
4:00 PM and 7:00 PM EDT
Erev Sukkot Service
Friday, October 2, 2020
4:00 PM and 7:00 PM EDT
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2019 December Newsletter – Celebrate Messiah