Rich and Michelle, serving in Brooklyn
The Chosen People | MAY 2020 7
ISRAELI CAB DRIVER READS ISAIAH 53
Recently, Robin, one of our Israel staff members, took a taxi home after
a staff meeting. Usually she walks, but since it was raining hard, and
she and her intern Rebecca were carrying a large tray of food, it made
sense to call a cab. Daniel (not his real name) was their driver. It was a
pleasant drive, with easy conversation, and a lot of laughter and fun.
However, the tone shifted when Robin shared what she does for work.
Daniel firmly told Robin that she should not read the New Testament
and went on for some time about why she should not believe in Jesus.
The conversation continued when they arrived at their destination.
Daniel began to speak about Moses and the laws Jewish people must
obey. Robin said that she believes Moses and the prophets spoke of the
Messiah and that things they told us point to Jesus. Daniel responded
by bringing up the history of the Crusades and other terrible things
done in the name of Jesus. They spoke at length about religion and
politics. Robin encouraged him to look at the Torah (Pentateuch)
and the Prophets and see what they say about Messiah and how the
specifics point only to Jesus. She showed him Isaiah 53 on her phone.
He read and then stopped and said, “Well, yes, this is Jesus—it is the
New Testament.” When Robin shared that it is from the Tanakh’s (Old
Testament) book of Isaiah, Daniel did not know what to say. This
same realization is what brought Robin to faith. Robin and Rebecca
encouraged him to read Isaiah 53 again and pointed him to the Chosen
People Ministries website.
JEWISH MAN COMES TO FAITH IN BROOKLYN
Anna and Jake (not their real names) are a Jewish couple from
Massachusetts who reached out to our Brooklyn congregation, Beth
Sar Shalom, in order to meet with a Jewish staff member. Rich, our
staff member, responded immediately and set up a meeting. Anna and
Jake have been married for about eleven years. Anna is a believer in
Jesus, but Jake, while spiritually searching, is not; together they have a
small martial arts business. They began to share their life and spiritual
journeys with Rich. Jake was confused and tormented by his sin. He
had tried to be a religious Jew but, in his mind, he failed miserably. He
experimented with eastern religions but was left feeling empty and
unsatisfied. In his despair, Jake turned to drugs, alcohol, and partying—
his guilt and shame increased. Jake looked at Rich with tears in his eyes
and asked, “How do I get rid of my sin?” Rich smiled and said, “Jake,
you have come to the right place. I just happen to know a sin-bearing
Messiah that came to rescue broken people like you and me.” Rich then
proceeded to explain the gospel of God’s grace (Acts 20:24) to him in a
Jewish way. As Rich shared, the Spirit’s presence was evident, moving
both him and Jake. It was hard to speak through the emotions of the
moment, but Jake indicated that he understood and wanted to repent
of his sin and receive Yeshua as Israel’s Messiah and the Savior of the
world. Praise God!
JEWISH BUDDHIST PRIESTESS HEARS THE GOSPEL
A few weeks ago, the Lord orchestrated a divine encounter for our
Canadian director, Jorge. On a flight home from Vancouver, Jorge met
Joni (not her real name), who was sitting next to him. She tapped
him on the shoulder and pointed to the snowy mountain peaks. Joni
commented on the beauty of nature, and Jorge replied that God’s
creation is really magnificent. He told her about his work, and Joni
shared that she found out a few months earlier that her family was
Jewish. When Jorge asked her about her spiritual life, Joni said her
parents were Christian and she had even sung gospel music with
her dad, but she had left the church—and the faith—and was now a
Buddhist priestess! Jorge thought to himself, “This is going to be an
interesting flight!” They talked for the rest of the trip and read Isaiah 53,
verse by verse, with Jorge explaining how the prophet described the
events in Jesus’ life seven hundred years before they happened! Joni
was really intrigued and wanted to know more; she even emailed her
mother right then from the plane to share some of the Scriptures that
were read. They exchanged contact information, Jorge promised to
send her a copy of Isaiah 53 Explained, and as they were getting off
the plane, Joni promised she would read the Bible her mother had
given her as well as the Isaiah 53 Explained book.
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