Wednesday, October 16th
5 English sets, 1 English Tanakh and 1 French Bible were given.
A team of two ladies were at a local mall on a bright and sunny day when they met two men who were standing near their car as they had just parked at the mall. Getting out from their car, the team offered the two men a comfort card. The men seemed to be surprised by this and smiled. It was the beginning to a great outing.
A set was given to a couple who was asked if they were from the Jewish community. They were then offered a gift set. The couple was happy and grateful while accepting this gift.
Another set was given to an elderly man who wanted to give them a donation. He began to search his pocket but they told him that this gift was already paid for. He was very appreciative.
A set was then given to a man who said he was not religious. They told him that it was not about religion but about having a relationship with God, also mentioning that because of sin, it was important for man to be reconciled with God through Yeshua. Then the man confessed that he was Buddhist and so they told him that they were giving him the Word of God and that he needed to read it. He smiled as he took the set and they told him that if he searched for the truth, God would reveal it to him. He was thankful for the gift.
A set was given to a woman who said she was twenty-one. She was very grateful to receive the set and said it was nice of the ladies to give her such a beautiful gift. As they spoke to her, another woman who was nearby heard the team say Chag Sameach (happy holiday) and came to see what they were offering. She was given the anti-Semitism pamphlet and comfort card.
They then spoke with a religious man who was wearing a kippa and had his young son with him. This man was gentle in spirit and received the pamphlet and comfort card which touched him.
A set was then given to a woman. They told her about their pastor’s teachings and that he came from Morocco. They were able to connect with her and so she took everything they offered and thanked the ladies.
A woman was given a Tanakh. She told them that she was in a hurry but wished the team “Happy Holidays”.
A French bible was given to a young Muslim man from Morocco. He took the bible and they were able to speak to him about Jesus and that He was the only way to God. They first spoke about the situation in Israel and then asked him if he knew what it meant for someone to be Jewish. He said it was a religion, but they corrected him saying that this referred to someone who was a descendent of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. They told him that Jacob’s name was changed to Israel and that is how the nation came to be called Israel. They then spoke about the Abrahamic Covenant and how the Messiah came through the line of Judah and how man could be blessed if he comes to the Messiah and puts his personal faith in Him. They told him that if someone did this, they would become a son of God by faith. The young man said his faith was similar, but they did not believe that Yeshua was the Son of God. The team showed him some verses to read, Isaiah 9:6 and Psalm 22. They spoke about the trinity and how man was made up of the body, soul and spirit. They told him it was important to know the truth and encouraged him to listen to the messages and read the scriptures.
They then offered a pamphlet to a woman from Portugal. She said she had a niece who was married to a Jewish man and told the team she believed that there was only one God and mentioned the name of Jesus, to which the team replied that yes that was true. They told her she could read about Jesus in the Word and gave her the contact card with the website where she could listen to the pastor’s teaching on Jesus. She was invited to visit Beth Ariel and encouraged to read the messages. She became sorrowful about the situation in the world and said she longed for peace and so they said that peace would only happen when the Messiah will return. They prayed with her for this.
A woman waved to them as she drove by and said, “Thank you for the books!” to which the team returned the wave saying, “Chag Sameach”. It was a beautiful day and the team gave out many anti-Semitism pamphlets and praised God for such a successful outing and praised Him, giving Him all the glory.
Monday, October 21st
A team of two were out this evening, door to door, in a residential neighborhood. One English set was given to a young man who was over 18. He was surprised at the beautiful set and took it with a “Thank you”. They spoke to him about good works and asked him if good works could justify people with God. They shared how in Habakkuk it states that the just will live by faith and they told him that there are no good works that could justify man before God. They then referred him to Isaiah 53 where it speaks of the Messiah who was to come and would make man right before God. He was grateful for the conversation and thanked them.
At the next door, they spoke with a man for about twenty minutes. He said that he did not grow up having a religion as his parents allowed him to choose his own way. The team told him that there was only one way to have eternal life and that was through Yeshua, the Messiah and that only He could make man righteous before God. They told him that this was very important to know as they sensed he was not aware of eternity and what would happen to the soul after death. They explained about eternal life and eternal shame but he would not accept the scriptures from them as he said he could not read. They gave him the contact card and told him he could listen to the teachings of their pastor and hear more about the Messiah. He became more attentive as they talked with him and he told them he would listen. After leaving this man, the team prayed for the salvation of this gentleman.
A pamphlet was given to a woman just as she was coming home from work. She told them she already had a Tanakh and did not want the Brit Chadashah.
The team went to a door where a Chinese woman welcomed them and as she was offered the Tanakh, she said she would have to ask her husband to come. When the man saw the Tanakh, the team explained that it was a gift from the Society that Distributes Hebrew Scriptures. He asked them if they were Messianic and so they shared that they believed that Yeshua was the Messiah to which he replied that they had the complete opposite view. They wanted to share more with him but he was not willing to listen and so they thanked them for their time and left.
As they approached the next door, the team spotted a car approaching them. This car turned out to be the borough’s security and the security guard told them that they were not authorized to ring doorbells in that neighbourhood and were not to solicit at the doors. They told the man that they were not soliciting but giving the scriptures for free. He told them that they had received many complaints but when the team asked him if that was true, he said it was only one complaint that they had and told them again that it was forbidden to ring the doorbells. They ended the conversation politely. Returning to their car, the team sought the Lord’s direction. On further conversation with the pastor, it was noted that he would check the laws to see what they could do about this situation.
The team thanks everyone for their prayers as they certainly needed the covering that evening and prayed for direction from God.
Tuesday, October 22nd
A team of two were out on this day at a local mall. The day was sunny and warm but there were not too many people out. At this mall there were many ethnic groups doing their shopping but the team decided to leave and go to another mall. At this new mall, the team met a woman who had a baby in a stroller with her. She said she had received a Tanakh previously but had given it to her daughter and so she took a new Tanakh from them to give to her other daughter. They spoke briefly about the situation in Israel and about God’s promises and covenants with Israel and about the Messianic times. They told her that at that time, in the Millenium, it would be peaceful. The woman thanked them.
The team saw two security cars arrive at that moment and so they went inside the mall for a short while to wait for them to leave. When they returned outside, they met a woman from Iran. She told them she was born a Muslim and that she was Iranian. They informed her that she was not born Muslim but that one chooses faith. They told her that Yeshua was the Christ, the Messiah who came for the Jewish people but also for all the nations. The woman then shared that she had given her daughter that choice and that this daughter had tried different religions but had come to believe and worship Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. The mother went on to share that the daughter attends a church and reads the bible. They gave her a contact card and invited her and her daughter to visit Beth Ariel; however, the woman said that her daughter is studying outside of Montreal and that when she returns for a visit, perhaps they will visit the congregation. The team encouraged this woman to come for a visit and to also listen to the messages on the website. The team said it was a wonderful visit.
They then met a man who took the set in English. They spoke about Isaiah 53 and gave him the bookmark that showed verses he could look up that explain about Yeshua. They told him that the Brit Chadashah would tell him about the fulfillment of the prophecies written about the Messiah in the Old Testament. They were just finishing up their conversation when a security guard driving by stopped and looked directly at them. The man they were speaking with whispered to them that they better be careful. At that point, the team decided to leave the centre.
The team thanks all the prayer warriors who kept them covered in prayer.