Thursday, May 1st
3 sets, 3 Tanakh, 3 Bibles and 2 prayers of salvation were reported on this day.
There were three team members who were out on this beautiful day which happened to be Israel’s Independence Day, and so there was celebration in various neighborhoods. The team had difficulty driving in their usual local shopping areas. There were many cars with Israeli flags flying high, cars honking, voices lifted in song and the team found themselves waving and throwing kisses to several of the cars driving past them on the road.
Prior to meeting up with the 3rd member of their team, the two ladies had stopped at a mall and were able to hand out some anti-Semitism pamphlets. There they met a young man who grew up in a border town near Morocco. His Muslim parents, he said, did not live in Canada. As the conversation progressed, they spoke about religion, and he mentioned that he had not chosen a religion as of yet. The team member stressed the importance of having a relationship with God and that he would find the truth written in the Bible. She told him that the Bible spoke of the creation of the world, what would take place in the future, man’s sin and how anti-Semitism began. She told him that sin separated man from God and his eternal state. He mentioned that he believed that there was no truth and so she corrected him saying again that he would find the truth in the Bible. She advised him that it was important to have reconciliation with God so that he could know true peace and rest. She continued saying that if he did that, he would become a child of God. She commented that it was a wonderful time they had discussing God, the conversation lasting for about 15 minutes.
The team then connected with their third member, and it was then when they ran into traffic with people shouting, “Am Yisrael Chai”. They had difficulty getting out of the traffic and noticed that there was a Palestinian demonstration and a police presence on the street as well, so they decided to go to another area that they frequented.
This team handed out 1 Set, 1 Tanakh and 1 Bible.
The three members broke into two teams when they arrived at their destination. The team of one man and one woman began by meeting a couple who accepted a Tanakh from them. The lady spoke French and said that she was from Morocco. The team offered the Tanakh in French and they exclaimed that they had been looking for one in French for some time. They were extremely thankful saying that God had sent them there to meet the team. They were offered the Brit Chadashah but they chose to take only the Tanakh.
They then met a lady who was not Jewish but did have Jewish friends. They shared the salvation message with her and offered a set to give to her Jewish friends as well as other literature. She was very thankful.
They then met a young man who said he lived outside of Montreal. The male team member shared the salvation message. He said that he was already attending an evangelical church with a friend but that he had not accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. The time was right for this man, and he said the prayer of salvation along with the team member. This man said that he had a Bible and so they told him that it was very important to read the Bible each day and to soak in the Word.
Next, they met a man in his sixties. He was offered the Bible which he took and being convicted in his heart he too said the prayer of salvation. He was asked by the other team member if he was sincere as he prayed the prayer and he responded that he was very sincere. They advised him that it was very important to read the Bible and to let the words sink into his heart so that he would come to know Jesus more fully. They then spoke for a few moments about John 3:16 and he was very grateful for the gift.
There was also a conversation with a religious man who wore a kippa and had tzitzit. They approached him with a comfort card and affirmed their position that being part of the chosen people, he was truly the apple of God’s eye and along with their strong conviction for the Word, the team shared how they helped non-Jewish people have the Hebrew Scriptures. They also pointed out that their knowledge of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob came through Jewish labor of love and their guarding of the Word. Hearing this, the man thanked the team for saying that. They then spoke of Yeshua being the Messiah, the Prince of Peace who would come back a second time to rule and reign in Jerusalem and establish His kingdom. With respect, they spoke about Yeshua and the man listened kindly and quietly and then thanked them for taking time to speak with him. The conversation lasted about 10 minutes.
The other single member gave out 2 sets, 2 Tanakhs and 1 Bible.
Her first Tanakh was given to a French speaking man who did not want the Brit but, with gratitude, took the Tanakh and some other literature.
Then a set was given to a couple who was very surprised to receive a whole set as a gift. The man said he could read Hebrew so the team member told him that he could look up Isaiah 53 and read where the Messiah could make him tsadik (righteous). They thanked her and took the set.
A gift set in English was offered to a woman who said she loved the Jewish people. She gladly took that and the anti-Semitism pamphlet after commenting that she did not agree with what was going on in the world. The member reminded her that everything that will happen was already written in the Bible, and she could read about it there.
Then a set was given to a woman who received everything that was offered to her. She said that she did not have any money but was reassured that it was free. She was also given a yellow ribbon pin and told that it was to suport and pray for the hostages in Israel.
A woman from Morocco was offered a Tanakh but she was hesitant in taking it, asking first if it was the real Tanakh and not the New Testament. The member confirmed that it was the real Tanakh and so she accepted that as well as the anti-Semitism pamphlet and comfort card. She expressed her thankfulness.
The member then gave an account of two memorable conversations that took place. The first conversation was with a woman who said that she had a Tanakh but stayed to listen intently as the member spoke to her about sin. Unfortunately she did not comment or open up about her own thoughts on the subject. The member told the woman that she herself had at one time never read the Tanakh and how God had called her one day to read the Scriptures that convicted her of her own sin. She was quiet, probably deep in thought but did take the Beth Ariel contact card and other literature offered.
Then the member met a couple who took a set. The wife accepted a comfort card, and they spoke about the anti-Semitism in the world and how it was written about in the Tanakh. They discussed the coming Messiah, and the couple admitted that they had to pray. The member told them that she was a Messianic believer, and that Yeshua was the Messiah. She told them that He fulfilled the prophecies of the coming Messiah and mentioned the difference between false Christianity and those that followed the true Word of God concerning the Messiah. She stated that many churches now and before had distorted the Word, claiming that the promises of God are for the church and not for Israel. The man nodded in understanding and although he said he had a Tanakh, he took the Isaiah 53 leaflet which spoke of the Messiah. The member told them that the rabbis during the first century believed that this particular passage was messianic in nature. The couple then received a bookmark that listed the prophetic verses about the coming Messiah. They were grateful for the conversation. Reflecting later, the member commented that she was seeing a change in the religious community’s response to the team because of the kindness and openness she was now observing.
The team praised God for their protection and for the two people who had committed themselves before the Lord and were saved for His kingdom. They also thanked everyone who prayed for them on that day.