The Chosen People | APRIL 2019 3
Paul summarized forever the heart of the gospel message to
the believers in Corinth when he wrote, “For I delivered to you
as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried,
and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
I know you might be reading quietly, but feel free to give a
shout of Hallelujah! I just did!
My Spiritual Forefather:
Rabbi Leopold Cohn
When I first came to faith, I thought I was the only Jewish
person in the world who believed in Jesus, aside from my two
best friends who were Jewish and led
me to the Lord. After a few months,
I met representatives of Chosen People
Ministries (then called the American
Board of Missions to the Jews) and
they discipled me.
For a long time, I did not know that
Messianic Jews had a history beyond
my own generation! It was then that
I was introduced to the written
testimony and legacy of Rabbi Leopold
Cohn, the founder of the Mission I
now have the privilege of leading.
Leopold Cohn was a Jewish immigrant
from Hungary who came to faith in
Jesus the Messiah in 1892. According to
his story, while walking the streets of the Lower East Side of
Manhattan on his way to visit his rabbi, he noticed a sign outside
a Dutch Reformed church that piqued his curiosity. The sign
welcomed Jewish people to a meeting inside the building. He
listened from outside and was intrigued. Afterwards, he spoke
with the fiery young Polish Jewish preacher who gave him a
copy of the New Testament. Rabbi Cohn then came to faith and
was immediately burdened with reaching his people. He began
Chosen People Ministries in 1894.
God has sustained Chosen People Ministries. But the real
story of the Mission is a story of God’s grace, mercy, and
faithfulness.
There is a story behind the story!
I believe that reaching Jewish people for Jesus is at the very
heart of God’s plan for the ages. He never rescinded the
Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1–3) in which He promised
to create a people and grant this people a land. God promised
He would one day have a vital personal relationship with His
people and that the Jewish people would become His vehicle
of blessing to the nations.
We must remember the events that are still to come, as one
day God will turn the eyes of the Jewish people to Jesus the
Messiah and then the Lord will return. This is the promise in
Zechariah 12:10 and described in Romans 11:11–15. In that
day, I believe wholeheartedly that our Chosen People Global
Ministries family will joyfully be “out of work.”
I believe the reason God is faithful to our ministry is because
the Jewish people are critical to His strategic plan for
accomplishing His holy purposes. The glorious future
promised to Israel will one day produce great blessings for the
entire world (Genesis 12:3).
Our Future Is Settled…
But, What About Today?
We believe what God said in the Bible will come to pass. Yet,
we also have the joy of helping to make it happen! We are
called to bring the good news of the gospel to both Jews and
Gentiles. As Paul pens, “For I am not
ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power
of God for salvation to everyone who
believes, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek” (Romans 1:16).
This is the “life verse” of our ministry,
and we will continue to proclaim His
Word until He returns! I especially
hope you will pray for our ministries in
New York City, which still has more
Jewish people than anywhere else in the
world. This is why our international
headquarters is in Manhattan, and we
have more staff based in the greater
New York area than anywhere else.
Israel is a close second, of course.
This summer, we are hoping and praying to recruit 125 staff
members and volunteers for two weeks of front line
evangelism in New York City. It is not too late for you to come!
All you need to do is indicate your interest on the enclosed
card or visit www.shalomnyoutreach.com. We will get in touch
with you and tell you how you can apply to join us!
Thank you for your love for the Jewish Messiah and His people.
Your prayers and support mean so much to us. We could not do
this work without you. I hope you enjoy this newsletter as you
learn more about our work in New York City.
He is Risen!
Your brother,
Mitch
P.S. Please consider sending a $125
gift of support to Chosen
People Ministries this month
in honor of our 125th
anniversary. For your generous
$125 contribution or more, I
would like to send you a beautiful
l
medallion you can display as a
reminder to pray for our ministry
among the Jewish people.
/www.shalomnyoutreach.com
