Report for Tuesday, April 15th
5 gift sets and 2 Tanakh were given.
On this day a team of two ladies were at a local shopping mall. The team had just arrived when they met their first couple who were from Lebanon. They accepted the Tanakh but would not take the Brit Chadashah. They said they were amazed at what the team was doing and were very grateful for the gift. The team spoke briefly about the Messiah and how sin separates man from God, but the good news was that the Messiah who had come could make man tsadik.
Another Tanakh was given to a mother who was with her two daughters. As they appeared to be more on the religious side, the team offered her the Tanakh only, which she took. The team told the mother that they were Messianic and believed that Yeshua was the Messiah. She was given the Beth Ariel contact card and they pointed her to the website where she could listen to the pastor’s teachings. They informed her that their pastor was from Casablanca and the woman was happily surprised.
A set was given to a Jewish woman from Ukraine and due to her accent they offered her the set in the language of her choice. She accepted the Russian/Hebrew set but upon viewing the set she stated that she was going to get in trouble with her rabbi. Hearing this, the team told her that it was important for her to seek the scriptures for herself so she could see the truth about who the Messiah was and they told her that the scriptures tell the truth. They told her that when she dies, her rabbi won’t be with her, that she will stand before the Messiah alone and that He will be there to judge her. They then spoke about sin and how only Yeshua, the Messiah can make her tsadik. She was given the Isaiah 53 leaflet so she could read more concerning the Messiah. Despite her telling the team that she was not religious, she was grateful for the gift and the team told her that God wanted to have a personal relationship with her.
A set was given to an elderly couple. The team spoke to the wife first but then the husband joined them and they accepted the set. They were smiling all the while as they were talking to the team and even as they left. The team thought that they were very sweet.
A set was then given to a Jewish woman who was from Israel. She had been in Montreal for 11 years but did not like it and wanted to return home. She said she had family there and they discussed how things had changed. She took the set and then the team spoke to her about how she could be saved by grace through faith and she replied that she went to do her mitzvah and attended a synagogue. Here, they told her that it was important to be reconciled with God and that offering sacrifices to Him before being reconciled with Him was not acceptable. The woman looked tired and sad and this touched the team’s hearts. They invited her to the Passover gathering and all she needed to do was call the office to register or if she wanted to have a visit from the team she could do so by calling as well. The woman was very thankful and touched by the gift and encounter.
A set was given to a Jewish woman and her son who was over eighteen. She took the set and when the team offered another for her son she declined saying that they lived together. She was thankful for the gift.
Another set was given to a woman from Morocco who was out shopping with another family member. She accepted the set and they showed her the Isaiah 53 leaflet and told her that it spoke of the Messiah and how only He could make someone righteous and tsadik before God (she smiled when she heard this). She was told that no mitzvah could make her righteous and the team offered to pray with her. She was very appreciative. The team was thankful for the prayers of protection and thankful for the many gift sets and Tanakhs that were given.
Report for Wednesday, April 16th
4 sets (2 English, 2 French) and 1 Tanakh were given.
A team of two, consisting of a woman and man were out on this snowy day at a local mall. They stayed for a short while when they decided to go to another mall that had an overhang where they could stand out of the wet snow. Here, a Tanakh was given to a woman who was standing in the parking lot and her husband had already entered their car. The woman took the Tanakh but told the team she would have to ask her husband if she could take it and so the husband got out of the car and came to them. Looking over the pages, he was informed that the book came from the Society that Distributes Hebrew Scriptures. He approved the book and the woman was very thankful to take it.
A set in French was given to a man from France. He said that he was not religious and told them that he already had a Tanakh. Surprisingly they had a long conversation and spoke about the Messiah and how the team had a relationship with Him and how this was not about religion but a relationship with God. They also told him about the differences between rabbinical and biblical Judaism. They asked him, “Who should be considered a Jew?” and then followed with the fact that a Jew is one by birth and not just by religion. They talked about sin and how it was important to be reconciled with God as the man had mentioned good works to them. They told him that one could only do good works that would be accepted by God after he had reconciled himself before Him. They offered him the Brit Chadashah and he took that and then they offered the Tanakh which he took. They then stressed the importance of being reconciled with God so that he could have peace for eternity. The team was touched by the conversation.
A couple from Morocco received a set in French and had a long conversation, about 20 minutes, with the team. The husband offered that he had been in the Israeli military for six years and the team thanked him for his service. He told them he read Hebrew but would take the set in French so his wife could benefit also. They showed him in the Tanakh where he could read about the Messiah in Isaiah 53 in Hebrew. They said it tells how the Messiah can make him tsadik and righteous before God. The couple spoke about Israel being a small country yet there was so much persecution. The team referenced Gideon and spoke of how God had allowed a small number of men to bring glory to Him. They said that God wanted the glory so that man could not boast in their own strength and that God had placed Israel at the centre among the nations for that purpose. This, they said, could be learned in the book of Ezekiel and how now all the biblical news is focused on Israel. He agreed. The conversation took a personal note when the man spoke about his niece in Israel. Her husband, a police officer, had died on October 7th and had his birthday on October 5th but that weekend he had been called up to duty and his birthday cake had remained in the fridge untouched. He said that his niece was now alone with two little girls and the couple then showed the team a few pictures of the family. The team gave the couple two yellow ribbon pins so they could wear them in support of Israel. The couple took the set and the team spoke to them about Yeshua, the Messiah and how He can make people tsadik and receive reconciliation with God and forgiveness of their sins. They pointed out how in Isaiah 53 it tells how their sins can become white as snow when they accept the Messiah. The couple was very touched by the encounter and the man said that his father was a rabbi. The team then told them that their pastor came from a long line of rabbis and how he could listen to his teachings online. They happily received the contact card and were invited to call the office.
A set was then given to an elderly man who said his brother belonged to the Lubavitch community. He said he would show the set to his brother. They spoke then of sin and how it was important for him to come to Yeshua, the Messiah. They gave him a contact card.
A set was then given to an elderly woman who was grateful and surprised to hear that she could listen to messages regarding the Messiah on the website. She was thankful and said she would listen.
The team was thankful that they were able to continue their outreach despite the weather and for the many pamphlets they gave out, for the prayers that were offered and for those they met. They thanked the Lord for always doing His utmost to save people and for His love.
Report for Thursday, April 17th
3 sets (2 English and 1 Russian), 1 Russian Bible, 3 Tanakh, and 3 Bibles
A team of two ladies were out at a local, large mall on a windy and cold day. Many pamphlets were given on this day. Two sets were given to a couple from Czechoslovakia who said they had a daughter-in-law who was also Jewish. They were given one set in Russian and one in English and then they requested a Russian bible as well! There was a short conversation due to the wind but they accepted prayer and left saying they were thankful for the gift.
A Tanakh was given to a Jewish man who was dressed casually and had a black jacket on. They presented the Tanakh and he took it appreciatively. When he first saw that it was the scriptures being given, the team explained that it was the Torah, the Nevi’im and the Ketuvim (the first five books, the prophets and the writings). He told the ladies that he would place it on his table that night and would speak to his rabbi about it. He was in a great rush when they first met him but they were able to give him the Beth Ariel contact card and tell him that they were Messianic and believed that Yeshua was the Messiah. They also told him that their pastor came from a long line of rabbis and he returned this news with a Jewish blessing for them. As he turned and left, the team noticed that he was wearing tzitzit but he was across the parking lot in a flash leaving the team to their thoughts.
They then met a Jewish lady who was very happy to take the Tanakh but there was no conversation.
A set was then given to a man who was kind to them and accepted the set willingly. They told him the history of the Brit Chadashah and how the Jewish authors during the first century believed that Yeshua was the Messiah. They first offered him the Tanakh and then feeling he would take the Brit, they offered it to him as well. They told him that they were Messianic and believed that Yeshua was the Messiah. They showed him the Isaiah 53 leaflet and where he could read about the Messiah being able to make man tsadik. It was cold out and the man was not wearing a coat and one of the team members scolded him asking him what he was doing outside without a coat. He laughed and said he would be quick.
The team decided to leave this mall and went to a second spot where they had visited many times before. As it was cold they stayed only a short time but they knew at the end of the visit there that the reason they were out that day was because of one conversation they had.
First, they met a Filipino lady who received an anti-Semitism pamphlet and then wanted to have a bible. She accepted this with joy and gave a blessing to the team.
It was then that the team met a young, Filipino father with his two young boys who were already in the car. He was putting his groceries in the back of the car as the team approached him. They offered him the anti-Semitism pamphlet and a bible. He was so happy to accept it and then confided in them that he was a born-again believer in Jesus and that his oldest son, seven, loved Jesus very much. Through the conversation he told them that he had stage 4 sarcoma and had only a few months left to live. He told them that Jesus gave him strength and that he was filled with light and joy. He said he had courage and peace to carry him through and that he was ready to be with Jesus. The team had heavy hearts upon hearing this and asked if they could pray for him. Here a very special prayer was offered up to Jesus by the two ladies and he hugged them with thankfulness. He told them the name of his church and how they were a great support to him. They gave him a Beth Ariel card where he could listen to their pastor’s teachings and he was smiling and thankful as he got into his car. Please pray for “M” as he endures this trial and that he receives healing from the Messiah, Yeshua and for his young family and wife as well.
The team then met a Jewish lady and offered her a Tanakh and as she received it she said that she could never have enough Tanakh. They told her that they believed Yeshua was the Messiah as mentioned in Isaiah 53 and then offered her the Brit Chadashah as well. She declined this but was happy to take the Tanakh.
The team was so grateful that they were out on this day and were able to pray for several people and especially the young father. They thank everyone who prayed for them and praise God for His faithfulness and direction.