POWERFUL VIDEO REACHING ARABS IN ISRAEL WITH THE GOSPEL
We have just launched a new series of evangelistic videos to reach Arabs in Israel and the surrounding area - both those who have grown up as Muslims, and those from Christian traditions who have never come to know the Lord for themselves. Watch as Carlos, an Israeli Arab member of our staff, shares a simple yet powerful gospel message to an Arab audience.
AN INTENSIVE WEEK AT ISRAEL COLLEGE OF THE BIBLE
With the Spring semester almost completed, we now have students in for two intensive courses this week: Church History and Spiritual Formation. Our foundation program, "Bikurim" (Firstfruits) students are looking at spiritual formation through the disciplines of prayer, fasting, giving, worship, Bible study, solitude and so on, in order to grow as disciples of Yeshua. Those who are pursuing studies at a higher level are taking the parallel course on Church history with a focus on the Reformation, 500 years after the main event!
Just as many Christians aren't too clear about what happened to the Jewish people after the time of Yeshua, many Jewish believers know very little about how God has been active through his church throughout history. The dominant fact that is widely known is that Christians have persecuted Jews (and Luther was particularly known for his anti-Semitic views) but the important movements started by God's Spirit, often not so much. Discovering God's hand at work through the ages is an important aspect of getting to know God himself.
The students all meet for lunch and fellowship in the middle of the day, coming from different backgrounds and places in Israel. One Russian Jewish girl was asking an Arab friend to teach her to say "I praise God" in Arabic. The learning is not just in the classroom!
UPGRADE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE
Have you ever found yourself reading the Bible and come across a city, mountain, river, or region and realized, "I have no idea what they're talking about!" You're not alone! For Vickie, a faithful student of the Word from Texas, our Biblical Geography course was just what she needed to get a better sense of the biblical landscape and, consequently, a better understanding of the Bible:
"Sheila (the instructor) explains things so well! And when she is talking about the various sites, she shows you what she is talking about through high-definition aerial footage and engaging maps...I now understand the places I'm reading about in the Bible so much better!"
"When I read a phrase in the Bible such as '...and all Israel from Dan to Beersheva knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD' (1 Samuel 3:20), I now have a good sense of what the author was meaning to convey. In the case of the phrase I just mentioned, the author didn't just pick two random cities, but rather chose those two specific cities because they represented the northern and southern borders of ancient Israel. So the author of 1 Samuel is making explicit that everyone in Israel knew that Samuel was a prophet. It's information like this that I gained from the Biblical Geography course that has greatly enhanced my reading of Scripture."
BEING GOOD TO THE SAMARITAN
It is challenging to see how Yeshua interacts with the Samaritans, who had a wildly different version of events and theology than the Jews. In John chapter 4 he avoids the argument without avoiding the Samaritan woman as a person. He offers her what her soul is longing for. The Water of Life. Acceptance, forgiveness of sin, and a loving relationship with the Messiah. Continue reading...
REFUTING THE FABLES ABOUT JESUS IN THE TALMUD
There is a fable in the rabbinic Talmud, according to which, Jesus was allegedly a disciple of Rabbi Joshua Ben Perachiah, had an altercation with him and, for revenge, decided to learn the Satanic Witchcraft Arts in Egypt for the purpose of leading the people of Israel to sin. This bizarre rabbinic legend has just as much evidence and historical credibility as the claim that Santa Claus hands out gifts by sliding down chimneys on Christmas Eve. But it's easy to show our Jewish friends that there is no truth in this story, and that Yeshua's authority to do miracles came from God. Continue reading...
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