Report for Thursday, April 24th
12 pamphlets, 5 comfort cards, 3 sets (2 English, 1 French) and 1 Tanakh were given out.
Team #1
A team of two women were out at a local shopping mall when they met a woman who was in a hurry, but she accepted the gift set and was very thankful.
Then a Tanakh was given to a Jewish woman and a conversation was started about Yeshua being the Messiah and that He will return to reign in Jerusalem. She mentioned Donald Trump and things of this world but they told her not to put her hope in man but in God and Yeshua the Messiah. She told them she had a New Testament and although they wanted to question her more on this, she avoided answering them and left. She was thankful for the Tanakh.
An English set was given to a young Jewish woman who they had met before. She said that she recognized them and had also met one of the other team members at a restaurant. They spoke to her about Yeshua and during the conversation they asked her if she wanted to receive Yeshua as her Messiah. She said yes and then explained that she had visited different churches like the Mormon congregation and a Pentecostal church. She said she had been baptized at a Pentecostal church and had received Yeshua after. The team then spoke to her about the sufficiency of the Tav (the cross). They told her about the plan of redemption and that sin separated man from God. They read Isaiah 53 to her and at that point she said yes and received Yeshua as her Saviour. She shared about her father being sick and it was her desire to see her father come to faith before he dies. The team said they will try to have a visit with him and the woman on the following Sunday if God permitted. They felt it necessary to tell her it was important to read the Word of God and invited her to attend Beth Ariel. They spoke for about 40 minutes with this woman about topics such as the current persecution, her father’s anxiety, that God was in control, and they read part of Psalm 83 to her along with Romans 8:1. The team member stated that she saw a change in the woman’s countenance and that she had more peace. They stated that they observed the work of the Holy Spirit and thanked Him for His great work of salvation (or confirmation of salvation).
A French set was given to a woman who lived in Israel. She stated that she would return that week and did not want to take the set but after hearing that there was no donation and it was fully paid, she took it with gratefulness. They showed her the Brit Chadashah and told her it was about the Messiah who came and will come back. They told her how the Messiah could remove her sins and make her white as snow. She was happy to hear that and smiled. They quoted Habakkuk to her, that the just shall live by faith and asked her to trust in Yeshua, her Messiah. They again quoted Psalm 83 regarding the coming persecution and His protection.
Team #2
5 sets, 2 Tanakh, 1 French Bible and several Passover pamphlets were given.
Another team of two, out on the same day were also at a local mall. The team spoke with an outgoing Jewish woman who spoke highly of her Jewish family and yet was grieving over the fact that a stepdaughter was not following in the faith. She said she tried to influence her in small ways. She was offered the set and shown the Brit Chadashah and told that it was a Jewish book by Jewish authors who believed Yeshua was the Messiah. She refused to take it but at that moment the other team member approached them and after a short exchange about trusting God’s Word, she accepted the set. She also received the bookmark and the contact card.
A second encounter was with a Jewish lady who exclaimed, “It is a beautiful thing what you are doing!” and “God sent you to me”. She had not had a good night but felt that God was answering her prayer to bring her more light. She was very thankful and received the Scriptures. A team member asked if she could pray to Yeshua, the Messiah for her and she agreed and afterwards she asked for further prayer for her daughter. The team then brought her groceries to the car.
They met a Jewish gentleman who took the set and the pamphlet with the pearl.
Another man was standing at his car and when the member approached him, he said he would not take the New Testament but did receive the Tanakh.
The team then witnessed to a Jewish lady who came from Israel. They explained that they were believers in Yeshua the Messiah. They explained that His coming was foretold in Isaiah 53. She did take the anti-Semitism pamphlet, the Passover pamphlet and then left.
A set was given at another shopping mall to a man who was standing at the trunk of his car. He was offered a Passover pamphlet and he gruffly said, “What are you giving out now?” She explained that the pamphlet was for Passover and showed him the list of Scriptures inside. At this point she offered him the Tanakh and he said, “Oh, thank you, I’ll take that”, and then she added the Brit to his pile of gifts and explained that the smaller book spoke about the fulfilment of the prophesies concerning the Messiah. He quickly said, “I’ll take that too”, and kissed it and put it in the trunk of his car and with a quick “thank you”, he walked towards the mall.
A Jewish lady was sitting in her car but opened the window to receive the Passover pamphlet. She was then offered the Tanakh, and she took it and kissed it and put it on the seat beside her. Though the team was overwhelmed by her response, they offered her the Brit and told her why they were giving it out as well. She then took that book and kissed it as well! She had a big smile as she drove off.
A bookmark was given to a religious man who was with his wife and child. He took it and entered the mall but later stopped his car and handed the bookmark back saying that Jews do not believe in that and that they should not be handing the literature out. As he was driving off in his car, the team replied that they had a messianic heart and that they believed in Yeshua.
The team then met a French woman who was putting her groceries in the car. A Passover pamphlet was offered, and she asked for an explanation. She said she was not Jewish. They explained Yeshua to this Gentile woman and how He came for sinners. Speaking of salvation, the team later asked if the woman wanted to confess and pray asking for forgiveness for her sins. She was then asked if she wanted to receive Yeshua, Jesus as her Saviour and she said she wanted to do this and taking the pamphlet The Steps to Peace, she did not wait for the member to read first, but went ahead and read it out loud and said “Amen”. Then the team prayed for this woman that she would understand what was meant by this prayer and why her salvation was necessary. The member explained that man was created in the image of God, but sin broke the relationship and that this relationship had to be reconnected. They spoke about Nicodemus, a teacher of the Jews at the time of Jesus and how he could not understand the meaning of being born again, but that by faith, one could be reconnected to the Father. The woman agreed and accepted a French Bible and a contact card. It is noted that her email was taken down. She was encouraged to listen to the teachings at Beth Ariel and was invited to visit the congregation.
A Jewish lady took a pamphlet and was asked if she believed if Yeshua was the Messiah. She replied that she believed in the Messiah but that it wasn’t Yeshua. She was thankful for the work the team was doing.
Both teams were thankful to God for the blessings and conversations on that day and again wanted to express their gratitude to the prayer warriors.
Report from Calgary
Wednesday, April 24
We could call this outreach APPRECIATION DAY, because all respondents were deeply touched by our support for Israel. Three full sets were received, 7 Passover pamphlets and one comfort card was accepted, one Isaiah 53 book was received.
One lady was so impressed by our support for Israel, that we ended up having a 40 minute exchange where the topic of the Jewish Messiah was shared through the prophetic words of the Tanakh.
Another man they met spoke of how he had served as an IFD soldier. He was an agnostic. He heard us explain how it was wise to take the cover (Proverbs 22:3) provided by God through Yeshua the Lamb of God as we will one day be standing before our Creator.
A female librarian heard us speak for over 15 minutes concerning atonement through blood sacrifice (Lev 17:11). She thanked us for sharing this with her.
A young couple was so grateful for our support. They listened with great interest concerning the Jewish Messiah and took all we gave them. They appreciated our invitation to come and visit us at Bethany Chapel.
Many thanks to all who supported us in prayer, your prayers really made a difference in making this outreach a success.