Report for Thursday, March 30
Team #1
14 pamphlets, 1 French and 1 Hebrew gift set were given
On this pleasant day there were two teams of women who went to separate shopping malls. One team met with a man who said he was Catholic and through a conversation with him, he came to faith stating his repentance and turning to Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of his life. He said he would attend the congregation. .
There was a conversation with a woman who came from Chabad. She said she was from a low-income family and could not afford to go to the synagogue. She said that she did not want the Tanakh as she already had many books and goes on the internet instead. She received the pamphlet and was shown the contact information so she could listen to Pastor Jacques. The team invited her to the congregation and told her that she could attend at any time and would not have to pay for anything and there would be no demands made on her.
A French set was given to a man. They offered him a leaflet on Isaiah 53 as well as a bookmark and showed him how the literature spoke of the prophesies of the coming Messiah. He also received the Brit Chadashah and was told it was a Jewish book. They told him that they believed Yeshua is the Messiah who had come and will come back to reign as King in Jerusalem. They pointed out that the Brit Chadashah contained fulfillment of prophecy concerning the Messiah.
There was a conversation with a couple who did not receive the set but took the pamphlet and bookmark. The team spoke about Isaiah 53 and the revealing of the Messiah, and as well as Daniel (9:26) where it tells of how the Messiah had to be cut off and that he had to die. The man said that he knew about that and so he was then asked if he believed that the Messiah had already come. He said no, and so the team told him that they believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and that He fulfilled the prophesy of His first coming and that He would return to Jerusalem to reign. Before leaving, he was referred to the radio station and internet website.
They had a long conversation with a man who took a Hebrew set. They talked about the Messiah and how only He could make man sinless. They also told him about Isaiah 53, that salvation was received by faith only, and they pointed to Abraham as the man whose faith made him righteous. They read: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Is. 53:1) Here they testified that many believed in the truth, that Yeshua was the Messiah even though many were killed by the civil leaders and religious leaders. At this point they spoke of the necessity for repentance and a return to God. The man said that he would read the Brit Chadashah and they told him that if he really seeks the truth that God will reveal it to him. It was a blessed encounter.
Team #2
5 gift sets, and approximately 15 Passover pamphlets were given.
The second team arrived at a different area of the city and immediately one of the ladies gave a set to a Jewish woman and then quickly was joined by a Chinese man. The team member had stated earlier that she had made a quick prayer to the Lord asking Him to give her someone who wanted prayer and she saw this gentleman. He was happy to listen to the Jewish viewpoint of the scripture and she spoke to him about salvation and how Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and how one must be born again. After explaining this he asked about the Holy Spirit and if He was part of God. She explained the trinity to him and how the Spirit was present in the beginning when He moved over the waters and how the light was the Messiah. She explained that people are not saved by the law but by grace through faith and then she quoted John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name”. She asked if she could pray for him and included the prayer of salvation within the prayer. He was given the business card to contact the congregation. Afterwards, a set was given to a Jewish lady who was very touched to receive it.
One of the ladies approached an elderly Jewish Orthodox gentleman dressed in the traditional attire. She offered the Passover pamphlet to him and taking it from her, he opened it and casually perused the wording. He told her that it was Messianic literature and asked her if she believed in Jesus. The lady gave an emphatic yes and pondering her answer, he asked if he could have a second pamphlet for his wife. Furthering the conversation, he asked her if she was married, how many children and grandchildren she had. He stated that his brother, father and grandfather were rabbis but that he chose a different life. As he was leaving, he thanked her for taking time to offer the pamphlet. The team member sensed that he wanted to talk more just as she wished she could offer him a hug because his conversation had touched her so much. Tradition however, would not allow for the fellowship embrace and so the two parted ways.
The team then left to do a visitation with a gentleman who is a new believer in Yeshua. This man, a shut-in, needed to be encouraged to read the scriptures and was given a business card to keep in touch with the congregation. Afterwards they met a woman outside who was previously inside the building we had just visited. This woman turned to one team members and recognizing her , she asked if the team member used to be involved with the Jewish community. The team member said she had a connection through dancing. This woman was asked about her faith. She confessed she had an encounter with Jesus when she was young and that she listened to Dr. David Jeremiah often. They asked her if she wanted to commit her life to Yeshua. She said that she was not ready and so there was a brief prayer time with her.
The teams had rejoiced together at the beginning of their outing before splitting up for the day and testified of God’s hand over their encounters with those they would meet that day. At the end of the day each team was touched by the precious moments they had and gave the Lord all the glory. They again want to convey to all those praying for them how important it is to do so because of people’s salvations and the turning of hearts to God that take place.