February 2024

The Chosen People Newsletter

Conversations in Israel go deep very quickly these days. The war leaves people with many big life questions. One of our Israeli staff was talking to her neighbors Yossi* and Chaya.* As they spoke of the difficulties of the war and global antisemitism, the conversation turned to internal peace and hope in the midst of it all. They know about her faith and have had short conversations about Jesus before, but now they are more interested.

“So, it’s not just that being a Jewish follower of Jesus is a religion, but it somehow affects your daily life?” they asked. Our missionary talked about having a relationship with God, praying, reading His Word, and knowing He is with us in a personal way. Then she spoke about forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life through Jesus our Messiah. They asked how our staff member came to believe this. After telling her testimony and reading Isaiah 53, they said it was really interesting. They seem open in a new way!

As we serve God’s people in Israel, our staff is seeing how He grants us many moments to present the gospel. Our ministry is helping people practically and—most importantly—spiritually. Many people in Israel are spiritually thirsty now, and they are asking many questions about the events in the Middle East. Our staff uses Bible prophecy to explain what is happening and God’s plan for the Jewish people and the world. As followers of the Messiah, we are messengers of the living God, Jesus, who was born into this world to save humankind. As His messengers, we bring His light, love, and hope, especially in times of distress.

Recently, one of our staff received a call from a family who lived in Israel for less than a year. This family arrived from Ukraine after fleeing the war there. But when the war in Israel began, they had many questions about why, what to do, and whether they should go somewhere else. Their friends, who came to believe in Jesus (Yeshua) through our ministry, advised them to talk to our staff. They met several times, and our staff explained to them through Scripture how the time would come when Israel would be the safest place. They told them it is very important in this time not to run from problems, but to trust Jesus by opening their hearts to Him—and they did! Now they are overcoming their doubts, and the more they trust God, the stronger their faith and deeper their love is for Israel.

“But Jesus died for all our sins long ago. Why has nothing changed?” Gili,* a Jewish woman, asked one of our missionaries.

“Because most people have not accepted Him,” he explained. “Have you personally invited Him into your life?”

It turns out Gili knew a lot about the Messiah and His sacrifice for our sins. But she had no clue He was waiting for a personal petition from her. “Maybe you can help me make this step soon?” she asked. Our staff agreed to start meeting regularly with Gili to study Scripture together. Please pray for Gili and her family.

A couple of months ago, one of our staff in Germany was working part-time as a counselor for a refugee center in Munich. Her supervisor explained she could talk about her faith if clients would be open to it. When Kemal,* a young Turkish man, first came into the office, he was deeply troubled. “So, do you believe in God at all?” our staff member eventually asked him.

“Actually, I am so interested in Christianity! But I cannot find any information on it around here,” Kemal responded. Imagine Kemal’s surprise when he found out our staff member was a follower of Jesus and the wife of a congregational leader!

The very next day, Kemal was holding his first New Testament (Incil in Turkish) in his hands, which he finished reading the following week! “How can I thank you? You’ve changed my life!” Kemal exclaimed to our staff member.

Only the Jewish Messiah can turn the hearts of all nations to God and to each other!