Every time we climb up the steps to knock on someone’s door, we pray that these people would take their first steps by bringing the Scriptures into their home, and then by a leap of faith, receive the Word in their hearts.
Monday May 15th:
It was a beautiful evening, with clear skies coupled with a gentle breeze. We had one team with two people. We had a difficult start as we had some rejections. Some did not even allow for the full explanation of who we were before shutting their door. Some others looked down at the book itself and upon just seeing it, closed both their hearts and their doors.
In an age of relative truth where we have freedom to explore and express outside the boundaries of our preconceptions, it is amazing to witness the hostility and fear so ingrained in some Jewish peoples’ hearts concerning Yeshua. So we recognize, once again, that this must be the work of the Spirit for only He can steer the sinner past the strongholds of traditions, convict them of a deep sense of unrighteousness, and then lead them to the solution.
We began with one box of T’nachs, each box containing ten Bibles. We gave out all ten sets so we are thrilled to report that as the evening went on, the responses of the people changed. As was noted in earlier reports, we remark how certain streets respond better while other sections of homes appear to have a thicker veil over them. Many were very pleased to receive the free sets, touched by the generosity of the publishing company (and prayerfully the Lord’s generosity as well!) and claimed that this gift was a blessing for them. We were especially surprised by one woman who was so stern at the onset yet then seemingly out of nowhere, changed her mind and accepted the set after all. What brings about this kind of changed response?
Only the Spirit knows the secrets thoughts of men and women.
We would like to share about one particular meeting we had. There was a young lady sitting on her porch as we came up the steps to greet her. She welcomed us as we explained what the more immediate future holds for the Jew, in terms of the upcoming Tribulation. She listened intently as we pointed out the Scriptures. But it appeared that we needed to give her a Bible 101 course about what the T’nach actually is and what it contains. We explained it was a covenant between her and her God and that it contained prophecies about the Messiah. The New Testament, we went on, contained the proofs that many of those prophecies were accomplished. We told her to read Isaiah 53 and the early chapters of the Book of John. Every time we climb up the steps to knock on someone’s door, we pray that these people would take their first steps by bringing the Scriptures into their home, and then by a leap of faith, receive the Word in their hearts.
The week of May 8th.
Again, we had one team of 2 persons. Four full sets and three T’nachs were given out that night. We began on one of those “tougher” streets with the man at the first door being rude and aggressive, demanding to know who we were and where we were from but not acknowledging our attempts to explain. Sometimes people just don’t want to hear. In front of the second home, hanging from their fully-grown maple tree, hung a large Israeli flag. Nevertheless, this did not deter the leader of the team from ringing the doorbell. The man who answered was defiant and angry, claiming that we had no right to bring this literature to Jewish homes. “Do not come on our streets. We are Jews”. It is interesting that many homes on that street were not interested in receiving the sets. However, perseverance pays off. We were not deterred and continued on. Those who did receive the sets were grateful. At the last home, the leader of the group began sharing while the other team member immediately noticed a cross hanging from the gentleman’s neck. With a quick glance at the doorpost, it was confirmed that this was indeed a Jewish home.
The young man finally admitted that yes, he was “Christian” but that his wife is Jewish and perhaps he would give the set to her. It was apparent that his own identity as a true believer was doubtful, so we prayed afterwards that both he and his wife would be blessed by the set.
Please continue to pray for the outreach over the summer months and that people who have received the sets would open those books.
Thanks!