A total of nine sets and one Tanakh were received during the evening’s outreach.
Team One’s Report:
We met a man, *S, at the door who at first hesitated to take the set but finally opened his heart to us. He was in despair for losing so many people in his life (they passed away), and for all the anguish that children in the world endure. He questioned why God would allow so many innocent people to suffer while so many guilty ones were still alive. It was very touching. We told him that we understood his pain, that God was suffering with us. We shared concerning God’s love and brought him back to Genesis chapter three and how sin entered the world and how judgment needs to come from a righteous judge. We pointed out God’s love through His atonement, by blood, and how that protects us from the judgment. Though we are what seems to be a vapor in eternity, God looks on every man and woman as one who He knitted in the womb, and to each one, salvation is offered. S.* accepted the books with gratitude, saying he was going to read Isaiah 53. We also left him a tract on anti-Semitism. We asked if we could pray for him and he said yes.
May the Lord heal *S.’ wounds and give clear answers to all his questions. Lord, we ask for mercy and salvation for this tender-hearted man. Amen.
At the very next door we met a man who said that the one thing he hates, are missionaries. We thank the Lord that we are able to receive with joy what this man thought was an insult to us. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”(Matthew 5:11) What a contrast between these two men, though standing back to back and right next door to each other, they are worlds apart.
Two sets (English/ Russian) were given to a couple (the English set was for their grandson). At first, they closed their door after we offered the set, but then they re-opened it. They wanted to give us money but of course we refused, saying it was a gift to bless Jewish people. We began sharing that we believed Messiah had to come twice and we directed them to the messianic prophecies on the bookmark we offered. We also encouraged them to read Isaiah 53 in relationship to His two comings. They thanked us many times and warmly blessed us as we were leaving.
At another door, a woman explained that though she is not Jewish she left the mezuzah as a sign of respect. She shared about her personal search for truth among different religions. We quoted John 3:16 and explained that while all religions profess access God, according to Scripture there is only one way for true reconciliation and that is to accept what Yeshua (Jesus) has done for us.
A woman opened her door, just wide enough so that we could tell her we were there to offer her a Tanakh. She went on to accept the full set, preferring to have the Russian/Hebrew version. We are so grateful to have these publications available in languages apart from English and French. In spite of Babel’s consequences, the love of God overrides the obstacles through His language of love.
A man in his 30’s also took a set. We told him about Messiah’s two comings. We invited him to read the bookmark of messianic prophecies and pointed to the chapter of Isaiah 53, where we strategically place the bookmarks to give the seeker ready access to that chapter. He thanked us for the gift.
Report from Team Two.
For one member of this team, it was a return to this ministry which he had been absent from for quite a while. He was so blessed to be back at the doors once again.
The first door we knocked on opened and a woman in her thirties accepted the set, but after inquiring whether Russian was preferred, she gladly switched for the Russian/Hebrew version of both the Tanakh and the New Testament. During our conversation she twice mentioned that it was a miracle we came with this gift! And what an example of the blind leading the blind. Since neither member of our outreach team speaks or reads Hebrew or Russian, we needed to ask this young lady’s assistance to find Isaiah 53 for us so that we could insert the bookmark there for her later reference. Together we succeeded. She was all smiles when we left and so were we! What a great start to the night!
We then met a young lady in her twenties who gladly took a French set. We had a chance to talk with her for about our need for God’s reconciliation and how He provided that through His atoning sacrifice. Inadvertently, one of the team members addressed the Messiah as Jesus instead of Yeshua but the young woman didn’t at all react negatively, and we praise God for that! She told us: Bonne continuation! (translation: Continued success!)
We gave one set to a Filipino woman whose husband is Jewish and we spoke about the hope we have in Messiah.
Another woman accepted only the Tanakh, saying, “I’m Jewish” and therefore refused the Brit Chadasha.
A man in his 50’s answered his door while eating. This did not lend itself to much talk but he did take the set.
Each one we spoke with also received the Isaiah 53 pamphlet which includes Talmudic comments on the suffering Messiah.
Personal note from the member who just returned after a long sabbatical from the door to door ministry. As for me, it was a joy to participate again in the blessing of reaching and preaching the gospel of peace to God’s Chosen people. What a wonderful night it was!
*S His first name protected for privacy