Ministry in Israel

Gracious and peaceful greetings to you in the name of the Son of the Most High God. Without the Savior, no good thing is lasting. With Him, all things take on eternal significance. It was such a wonderful experience to be back in Israel this summer. It was a very fruitful month. Trying to anticipate what God has in mind is like anticipating a mystery. He often has new things planned for His servants.

"And everyone who calls on the name the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance… whom the LORD calls."  (Joel 2:32 NIV). While salvation and deliverance from sin and death are secured in Jerusalem and Zion, the appeal is to "everyone" who calls upon the Savior, including you and me.  As the celebration of Thanksgiving nears, this wonderful provision for us is at the heart of our gratitude to God. We are so grateful to Him. We clearly cannot thank Him enough!

Something I have never done in Israel is data processing. This summer I was able to assist the Jerusalem Bible Society "digitally." This seemingly insignificant service was a big contribution to their overall ministry. They produce quality Biblical materials in Hebrew, Russian, Arabic, English, as well as other languages.

Another ministry that was new to me was singing and testifying at a believer's funeral. While I was in Israel, a Jewish believer died. His wife was a member of the Jerusalem theatrical group. Many unbelievers attended the funeral, as well as many neighbors. The funeral was very somber; it lasted about 10 to 15 minutes.  Dirt was thrown into the grave, the "paid" mourners started wailing; and then it was over. To those in attendance, there is no hope. Death equals annihilation. 

Yet during the funeral, my good friend gave a wonderful message. He focused on the believer's presence with the Lord and the joy he was experiencing now in heaven. Many of those attending had never seen such a "positive" funeral and a clear testimony of the hope that believers have in the Messiah. It was a blessing to participate in such a wonderful atmosphere!

New ministry for me also included distributing videos publicly. On Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one couple had been listening to the music that I was singing and playing on the guitar. After talking with the couple, I gave them a video of an Israeli pianist who states at the end of his performances that the greatest thing that ever happened in His life was when he came to faith in Jesus the Messiah.

On another occasion, I approached a tour bus that was visiting the well-known sight where the Apostle Paul's teacher, Gamaliel, lived and was buried. Also, it is where Steven's body, a believer in Jesus, was brought for burial. 

There in the chapel is wonderful art work depicting the life and death of Steven, the first Christian martyr mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. The whole bus was filled with Russians!  (Remember that there are over a million Russian Jews in Israel.) 

After the tour guide told me that she didn't speak in English, I turned to the group and began speaking to them in Russian. It flowed smoothly! They accepted DVD gifts from me that speak about the land of Israel and the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. They all appreciated the gift.