Jewish Voice Today - Jan/Feb/Mar 2015

JEWISH VOICE TODAY MAGAZINE

AN EXPANDED

VISION

FOR CRITICAL TIMES IS PEACE Possible?

Good Report From Our Friends & Partners

How to PARTNER with JEWISH VOICE

Anti-Semitism: The New Face of a Primitive Hatred

Standing in the Gap in Zimbabwe

January/February/March 2015

M]L[ SHALOM Greetings in the name of Yeshua!

It’s my privilege to present this issue of JVT magazine with a mixture of excitement and concern.

I’m excited because, as you’ll see on the pages that follow, God is moving in amazing ways around the world, stirring Jewish hearts and opening their eyes to the truth that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah. And He is opening extraordinary doors of opportunity to Jewish Voice in strategic points of need in Israel and around the world.

Of course, my concern stems from the troubling trends we are witnessing around the world and right here in North America. Raw, ugly anti-Semitism is openly showing itself everywhere. And Israel seemingly grows more isolated and friendless with each passing week.

In this issue of the magazine, and in the issues to come in 2015, we’ll do our best to bring you the very best in teaching and the most insightful analysis of current, prophetically important events.

Enjoy. And may God prosper and protect you in the year to come.

Jonathan Bernis, President & CEO Jewish Voice Ministries International

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CONTENTS 4

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Jewish Voice Core 4 An Expanded Vision for Critical Times

By Jonathan Bernis

6 Is Peace Possible?

By Jonathan Bernis

8

9

8 Standing in the Gap in Zimbabwe

By Tim Kearns

9 Bethlehem in Ethiopia

By Evie Kriegbaum

/JewishVoice /jewishvoicetoday

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@jewish_voice

Jewish Voice Ministries International P.O. Box 31998 Phoenix, AZ 85046-1998 USA 602-971-8501 1-800-299-9374 www.jewishvoice.org Jewish Voice Ministries Canada P.O. Box 476 Maple Ridge, BC V2X 3P2 1-855-793-7482 www.jewishvoice.ca Jewish Voice Ministries UK Admail 4224 London W2 4UN 1-855-993-7482 www.jvmi.co.uk Magazine questions or comments: magazine@jewishvoice.org

10 The Art of Serving

By Dr. Art Missirlian, DDS

12 Answer the Call 14 How to Partner with Jewish Voice

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15

15 Good Report From Our Friends & Partners 16 How and Why We Stand with Israel

By Jonathan Bernis

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18 Anti-Semitism: The New Face of a Primitive Hatred

By Jonathan Bernis

20 The Lost Tribes of Israel

By Gerald Gotzen

22 A Celebration of Jewish Culture: Birth of a Vision

By Jonathan Bernis

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New International Version.

ON THE COVER:

Jonathan Bernis, President & CEO, Jewish Voice Ministries International

January/February/March 2015 | 3

An Expanded

VISION for Critical Times

By Jonathan Bernis

I

can scarcely believe it, but I am now in my 31st year of working in Jewish ministry. I have seen many noteworthy developments unfold over these three eventful decades. I have seen biblical prophecies fulfilled before my eyes. It’s been remarkable.

Nevertheless, I have never seen a time like the one we are experiencing at this moment in history.

We truly are living in an extraordinary season — for followers of Yeshua ( Jesus), for Israel, and for the world as a whole. I’m absolutely convinced of that.

And as President and CEO of Jewish Voice Ministries International I feel a sobering, yet exhilarating burden of responsibility to make sure we’re closely following God’s direction and fully carrying out His role for us, here in what may be the final days of this era.

This is why I am particularly excited to give you a glimpse of what the Lord has been speaking to us about 2015. Of course, your gracious seeds of investment — both in prayer and with your financial support — make you a key part of all God wants to do through us.

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Some of these are already in progress. Others will take some time to plan, coordinate, and launch. The following is a brief overview of the goals, initiatives, and challenges we’re prayerfully embarking on in the months and years ahead.

1. Increase the Scope of Our Outreaches to Holocaust Survivors in Israel Today there are roughly 180,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel.

Many of these frail, elderly Jews are from the Former Soviet Union and made aliyah in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They have little means, do not qualify for survivor benefits, and live far below the poverty line.

They are passing away at a rate of 1,000 a month and will all be gone in the next 15 years.

Jewish Voice is uniquely positioned to help these survivors with greatly needed dental care, eye glasses, and other medical issues. We are also currently exploring the production and

operation of mobile dialysis units.

The needs are great. Unfortunately, our current partners on the ground in Israel simply don’t have the infrastructure to handle the volume of needs I believe God is calling us to meet.

In order to facilitate the meeting of the needs of these remarkable but suffering people, we feel that now may be the time to establish a full-time Israel office and Jewish Voice Israeli staff.

Prayer Point: Please join us in praying that we’ll find the right place in Israel and for all the resources necessary to acquire and equip it.

2. Grow and Strengthen the Congregations and the National Messianic Movements in the U.S., Israel, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, India, Uruguay, Ukraine, Argentina, and Russia Quietly but powerfully, a Messianic revival is underway in key points across the globe.

Over the years, Jewish Voice has been

instrumental in establishing numerous new Messianic congregations in these areas, and helped nurture many others.

Many of these congregations are thriving, but some are struggling. That is why we must invest significant resources in the development of these congregations as we train and equip leaders.

In response to these needs, we are organizationally adapting to focus on follow-up, congregational planting, and leadership development in key nations.

Prayer Point: The harvest is ripening but the laborers are few. Pray for the leadership of these fledgling congregations and that Jewish Voice will be able to provide all they need to flourish.

3. Create a U.S. College Outreach Network in U.S. A majority of those who come to faith are between the ages of 16-25. If we truly want to reach, teach, and equip a new generation of Jewish Believers in Yeshua ( Jesus), we must reach these college and university students.

Currently, there are only a handful

involved in any sort of outreach to students, and these efforts, though well-intentioned, are, for the most part, isolated and ineffective. God is calling us to major impact in this arena.

Prayer Point: Join us in praying for the right strategies, people, and partners to reach this vital group of Jewish People for Yeshua.

4. Large-Scale Educational Conferences in U.S. Cities Something powerful happens when like-minded and like-hearted people gather together. We have an emerging vision for large-scale conferences in select U.S. cities.

These conferences would serve to build and deepen relationships between Messianic Believers and non-Jewish believers who love the Jewish People and love to honor the Jewish roots of their faith.

These events could also serve to educate, inspire, and mobilize believers.

Prayer Point: Please pray that we’ll know God’s best timing and locations for the first of these Jewish Voice conferences.

5. Establish 24/7 Prayer Centers to pray for Israel, Messianic Jewish Ministries, Jewish People, our Nation, and Jewish Voice Operations and Outreaches One cannot overstate the importance and power of prayer. While we can undertake activity out of faith and obedience, only God can touch and change hearts and lives.

Given the urgency of the hour and the dark nature of the forces that oppose us, we must increase prayer coverage for our activities. We must engage an army of intercessors to join us in this thrust.

Prayer Point: Please ask God to raise up intercessors and prayer warriors with a heart to participate in this vital ministry.

Yes, the vision God has given us is big and bold. But these are critical times.

And I’m profoundly encouraged that God is raising up friends (like you) who will stand with us, pray for us, minister with us, and give as the Lord leads.

January/February/March 2015 | 5

IS PEACE POSSIBLE?

By Jonathan Bernis

O

ne of Israel’s greatest Prime Ministers, Golda Meir, once said, “Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.”

Since Israel’s statehood in 1948, they have endured repeated wars and attacks.

They have constantly faced the threat of a hostile Muslim world that wants them wiped off the map. Thousands of their young soldiers have been killed in this struggle for their survival, and thousands of civilians have perished in terrorist attacks and suicide bombings.

Despite decades of negotiations and numerous accords and agreements, things have not changed all that much between Israel and the Palestinians over the last 40-plus years. In fact, the prospect of peace today seems further away than ever. Israel presently has no viable partner with whom they can seriously negotiate. A Hamas-led Palestinian government is a threat to Israel’s future. Washington politicians are clearly no longer able to play the role of “impartial” mediators in this conflict since a demand to return to the pre-1967 borders was announced, an option that is indefensible and places Israel in peril.

The rise to power of radical Islamic groups like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the growing anti-Israel position of Turkey, and, of course, the looming threat of Iran launching nuclear weapons against Israel have cumulatively created the greatest threat to Israel’s continued

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“

As you hear and see Israel being pressed to make concessions of land for peace, keep in mind that all of the concessions made to date have only been met with demands for more, and have resulted not in peace but in continued hostility.

existence since the Yom Kippur War of 1973. In addition, long-time allies such as Great Britain and the United States have shifted positions and taken a more adversarial role toward Israel.

Clearly, Europe is not going to intervene beyond their anemic sanctions imposed on Iran, and the U.S. Administration has sent a final warning to Israel that they are on their own if they attack Iran. The White House has refused missile backup — both operationally and to cover Israel defensively in the event of a counter strike. Still, Israel will be forced to strike to prevent Iran from launching a nuclear warhead if something doesn’t change. And time is running out!

Israel is a tiny nation — the entire country could fit inside the borders of Lake Michigan with room to spare.

Surrounded by enemies on every side

”

and greatly outnumbered by her Arab neighbors, the survival of Israel from 1948 to the present is surely a result of Divine Providence and staggering sacrifice on the part of generation after generation of Israelis.

As you hear and see Israel being pressed to make concessions of land for peace, keep in mind that all of the concessions made to date have only been met with demands for more, and have resulted not in peace but in continued hostility. If the Palestinians truly wanted to live in peaceful co-existence with Israel, then Gaza — turned over to them in 2005 — would today be engaged in trade with Israel and living in friendship side by side. Instead, Gaza has become a staging ground for almost daily missile attacks launched against nearby Israeli towns. Why would we expect anything different if Israel gives

over the entire West Bank?

The lessons of the last century should have taught us that appeasement never works, but it appears that our generation is intent on relearning that lesson at Israel’s expense. Truth be told, it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, that any plan for peace engineered or imposed by man will succeed. The only viable plan for peace that will succeed is God’s peace plan, and that plan is through the Prince of Peace, Yeshua — Jesus, the Messiah. Only when He is invited in and hearts are changed can Arab and Jew, Israeli and Palestinian live in true peace with one another.

How Should We Respond?

It is important as Bible Believers that we always remember that this is a spiritual issue, not a political issue. Our understanding of this conflict and how we should respond must be rooted in the Word of God. What God says matters far more than what man says or thinks.

We must turn to the Scriptures and align ourselves with God’s perspectives on such issues. In Genesis 15:8, God promised the Land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants as an everlasting possession. God confirmed that promise through Moses in Deuteronomy 1:8 when the Children of Israel were ready to enter the Promised Land.

Support for Israel does not mean we believe God loves Jews more than Arabs

or Israelis more than Palestinians. It is simply a recognition that God, in His sovereignty, chose to give this land to the Children of Israel. It is their inheritance, regardless of their spiritual condition.

Psalm 122:6 in the KJV exhorts us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”

We should pray for those who hate Israel and the Jewish People to be thwarted in their efforts to bring death and destruction.

We should pray that God opens the eyes of world leaders to understand the Word of God and to stand with Israel. We should pray for Israel’s leaders, for wisdom and divine revelation. We should pray for their salvation and the salvation of all Israel.

Is peace possible in the Middle East? Yes, it is possible and will surely come. But only through God’s peace plan, Yeshua, the Prince of Peace. Only through Him will this troubled land dwell in true peace and security.

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Adonai Hoo Shalom contains beautiful pictures and a compilation of peace Scriptures for meditation and confession.

Each verse is written in English, Hebrew, and the transliteration from Hebrew. A companion CD including each Scripture spoken in Hebrew by a native Israeli enables you to learn pronunciation and begin confessing the Hebrew Scriptures in your own meditation time with God. Discover the powerful promises of God and watch your faith grow as you confess His Word in the holy tongue of Hebrew. You will also receive the Is Peace Possible? Booklet.

January/February/March 2015 | 7

Standing in the Gap

in Zimbabwe

By Tim Kearns

I

n the afternoon, I was starting to feel pretty tired. My compassion level for patients was dropping, and all of a sudden the nurse came into my room and said, “Can you see this patient outside?”

Feeling tired, I said, “Can’t they carry the patient into my room?”

She said, “Well, she does look pretty sick.”

So I went outside and I went up to this cart that was being drawn by two donkeys, and I see a near-death look on this young female who is dying from AIDS. I find out that she (Loveness) has come five miles to seek help.

It was kind of like a slap upside my head, because two minutes before that, I was in my room feeling sorry for myself. That was God saying, “How do you feel now?”

I didn’t know what to do. I see a dying woman, and I can’t help her. But as a man of God, I can share love and I can show compassion. That’s not easy for me to do, but God working through me made it very easy.

ZIMBABWE, AFRICA

Timothy Kearns, PA-C is a graduate from Touro College’s Physician Assistant program at Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, New York. Mr. Kearns has practiced Emergency Medicine in Hampton Roads since 1996 with an additional 3 years of occupational medicine. Since 2006, he has volunteered with Jewish Voice on a dozen mission trips to Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and India.

NOTE: Loveness did make it that day. The 24-year-old woman who only had hours to live received prayer from our intercessory team. Within minutes after their prayers began, she sat up and began to eat and drink.

Because of faithful prayer warriors and compassionate medical personnel willingly standing in the gap, this young lady was saved from the brink of certain death.

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Bethlehem in Ethiopia

By Evie Kriegbaum

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

W

orking in the Distribution Center of our five-day Addis Ababa medical clinic in Ethiopia wasn't a job for the faint of heart. Okay, so, I wasn’t working with sick patients all day; I was giving clothing and shoes to patients after their medical needs had been attended to. But seeing these desperate people — with no shoes and barely-wearable clothing — was heartbreaking.

One woman came into the room needing clothing for her toddler and newborn baby — who couldn’t have been more than six weeks old. Our team worked together to outfit them with new shoes and clothes the best we could. Her baby was beautiful. My heart couldn’t help but ache as I looked into her sweet face. My husband and I had been trying to get pregnant for a year and suffered a miscarriage in the process. Babies were always on my radar.

“Konjo,” I said to the mother, telling her in Amharic that her baby is beautiful.

She smiled . . . and then she started weeping. She held her baby out to us, speaking through her tears. “What is she saying?” I asked our translator.

“She wants you to take her baby home with you to America,” he said. “She can’t care for both children. Her husband left her and now she’s alone.” Then he added, “The infant still has no name.”

It wrenched our hearts. All of us were in tears, even our translator, weeping with this dear woman who was so desperate. Oh, how I would have loved to take her baby home! We had to tell her, even as we cried, that it just wasn’t possible. The law does not allow it. With heaviness filling all of us, we watched her leave.

Later that week we learned from our translator that after she left us, she stopped by the prayer room. We don’t know what happened there, but we do know she was prayed for by loving counselors who could share with her the Good News of Yeshua ( Jesus). One more thing we know about her, thanks to our translator: she named her baby “Bethlehem.” We pray that God is making a way for them, guiding them with the light and love of Yeshua — the Messiah of the world born in Bethlehem for all of us.

Evie Kriegbaum is a graphic designer and served as Art Director of Jewish Voice for three and a half years. Before that, she worked in the Global Ministries department at Jewish Voice as an International Coordinator. She lives in Pismo Beach, CA with her husband and two children.

January/February/March 2015 | 9

By Dr. Art Missirlian, DDS Jewish Voice Ministries International Dental Director

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INDIA

The Expanding Kingdom CD & Book

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Dr. Art Missirlian first fell in love with Jewish Voice 11 years ago at a President’s Forum event and has since participated on many Jewish Voice outreaches in Ethiopia and India as a volunteer. Having owned a dental practice for almost 30 years, his heart is to use his profession as a way to serve the “hard to reach places” in the world where no one wants to go.

S

eventeen years ago, with tears running down my cheeks, my life as a follower of the living God started.

Now as a dentist, I’m called to go with Jewish Voice to the outermost parts of the world.

India sure feels like the outermost parts, but once you are there, wow! This people group was by far the one that touched my heart the most. They are so giving, caring, thoughtful, and considerate. I know I’m the one who is supposed to give and to help, but I couldn’t have out-given these people. They let us into their lives, their culture, and their way of caring. I can’t wait to go again.

The conditions for us Westerners were tough — sleeping in tents on hard floors; cold washes with a pitcher and bucket for a shower; reconstituted, freeze-dried food; bus rides that went on forever over bumpy, twisty roads.

Let’s not forget the 48 hours of travel to get there. And did I mention all the needs? It was overwhelming.

The dental need in every child that I saw was incomprehensible for a Western trained dentist. All children older than 18 months had all or nearly all of their teeth rotted out beyond recognition. I asked the Lord with each patient which tooth or teeth I should

remove, and He was faithful to answer.

For those we saw, it was a relief from infection and pain.

We need more medical and dental professionals to help. How can we as Believers not want to go out and reach the lost, as well as help our fellow brothers and sisters in Messiah? The Lord will talk to you more clearly than you will imagine — so loudly, in fact, that even the deaf will hear and the mute will speak!

January/February/March 2015 | 11

after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”—Matthew 25:35-36

ANSWER Call -the-

me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked

VISIT WWW.PLEASEANSWERTHECALL.ORG TO SEE OUR UPCOMING JEWISH VOICE MINISTRIES 2015 OUTREACH SCHEDULE FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN ALSO CALL: 1-800-299-9374

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and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty

!

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It’s an eye-opening journey that empowers you to re-imagine Heaven and get a clearer vision of the glorious eternity that awaits all Believers. When the afterlife becomes more real, you will live every moment in the light of eternity. And it will fuel your passion for sharing the key to eternal life with others.

CONFESSING THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES ON PROVISION BOOK AND CD Gift of $40 or more | ITEM #8687 This brand-new hardcover guidebook and companion audio CD will lead you stepby-step into proclaiming — in the original Hebrew language — God’s wonderful promises concerning provision. It is Rabbi Bernis’ hope and prayer that this book will prove to be a rich blessing of provision in your life. Through the process of confessing and hearing the Word, many have been healed, delivered, and transformed. Proverbs 18:21 declares, death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Confession can bring about blessings in your life and those you love. And it is God’s desire that you use your tongue to produce blessing, life, and faith according to His Word.

MESSIANIC JEWISH FAMILY BIBLE Gift of $100 or more | ITEM #8600 The Messianic Jewish Family Bible is an exciting new Bible that you’ll treasure. It’s the first and only of its kind, translated directly from the original Greek and Hebrew texts and vetted by some of the best and brightest Messianic theologians and scholars. And this unique translation is true to its original Hebraic roots and idiom. This exclusive Jewish Voice edition includes study guides personally written

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More than a historically important work, it represents the fulfillment of the prophetic, Last Days restoration and reestablishment of the Jewish Remnant to their unique and important leadership role in the Body of Messiah.

January/February/March 2015 | 13

How to Partner

with Jewish Voice There are many ways you can get involved.

Prayerfully consider what role God has for you!

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JEWISH VOICE TODAY MAGAZINE AND CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER Jewish Voice Today is a quarterly magazine that seeks to stir the hearts of both Christian and Messianic Jewish Believers alike through an examination of Bible prophecy, the Jewish roots of our faith in Yeshua (Jesus), and much more! It’s a great way to learn about the Lost Tribes of Israel, understand the spiritual importance of the nation and people of Israel, and discover new ways to share Yeshua with your Jewish loved ones. When you signup, you will also receive our quarterly Connections newsletter, a fantastic resource that details all of our outreaches. To signup, go to the web address below: jewishvoice.org/publications

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PRAY FOR ISRAEL Psalm 122:6 says to Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee (KJV). In these challenging times, Israel needs friends, and we as Believers need to stand with God’s Chosen People. As we do, God promises to take care of our needs.

GOOD REPORT FROM OUR FRIENDS & PARTNERS We love to hear amazing stories from our partners of how God came through for them during their time of need. We hope these stories encourage you of God’s forever faithfulness, grace, and mercy.

Ethiopian Mission Trip Changes Life of 8-Year-Old

By Sophia Cutler

I went to Ethiopia, Africa. I woke up early in the morning, and when the airplane ride was finally over, I couldn’t wait to see everything. But when I looked out the window, I didn’t see a skyscraper, nice stores, or nice restaurants. All I saw were poor people begging for food. I was so puzzled and shocked I asked my dad if this was right. He told me that this is why we were here, to help the poor. I looked out the window again and I started to get sad. I felt pity for all the poor people.

The next day our work began. We got to the schoolhouse and I helped the Prayer Team and Medical Team. One of the best things I encountered on my journey was when I was with the Prayer Team. A man came in and told us that his knees had been hurting him. The first time we prayed, he said his legs felt 80% better. He said something went through him. It was the most miraculous thing I had ever seen. My life has changed since the time I went to Ethiopia. I can’t wait to go again some day!

This is Sophia’s personal experience as a first-time outreach participant. Her parents, Douglas and Julie Cutler, are not only faithful Jewish Voice partners, but they also joined us as participants on the medical outreach to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Forgiveness for Holocaust Atrocities

By Jutta Nuss-Wilkins

My maternal grandfather was a hero. He put his life on the line by hiding German Jews in his cellar. They gave him silverware as a way of saying thank you, and as far as I know, my brother still has them today.

However, my paternal grandfather was high up in the Hitler regime. He subsequently became advisor to the chancellor of Austria in the 1980s. He died at the age of 87 of Alzheimer’s.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the atrocities caused against the Jewish People. Thank you for your program and what you are doing to help the Jewish People.

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January/February/March 2015 | 15

How and Why We Stand with Israel

By Jonathan Bernis

W

e are facing the greatest challenges the world has ever known. The dangers of radical Islamic terrorism, the nuclear threat posed by Iran and North Korea, economic meltdown, and the disintegration of Judeo-Christian values make this the most critical time in the history of our nation.

In the midst of rising food prices, a current housing crisis, rumors of wars, and numerous other domestic challenges, it is easy to overlook another, seemingly unimportant issue — America’s support of Israel. Why should we be concerned about this tiny nation that has supposedly brought us nothing but heartache? Many believe that our support of Israel was the reason for the terrible attack against our nation on 9/11.

If we simply drop our support of Israel, they argue, all of our problems with terrorism will disappear. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM Contrary to what may be “politically correct,” fundamentalist Islam is not a religion of peace and love, as we are led to believe. History has testified that Islam is ultimately committed to one thing — world domination. They worship jihad, holy war. Yes, one of their immediate goals is the destruction of Israel, but it does not end there. America is not the only problem standing in their way — anyone who is not a Muslim is an infidel, and either needs to be converted, dominated, or destroyed.

As one noted author observed, “The persecution or elimination of non-Muslims has been a cornerstone of Islamic

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conquests and rule for centuries. The Koran provides ample evidence that Islam encourages violence in order to win converts and to reach the ultimate goal of an Islamic world.

Conversions from Islam to any other faith are often punishable by death.”

Politician John Ashcroft made this powerful and revealing comment contrasting Islam to Christianity: “Islam is a religion in which god requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends His Son to die for you.” So true!

WHY SHOULD WE STAND WITH ISRAEL? In Genesis 12, God declared that He would bless those who bless the descendants of Abraham, and curse the one who curses them. History has demonstrated that this decree is just as true today as it was when first promised some 4,000 years ago. The Amalekites, Jebusites, Canaanites . . . all the “ites” of history that persecuted Israel have vanished. Only the Israelites remain. America has experienced the unprecedented blessing of God over our nearly 240-year history, in part, because of our treatment of the Jewish People. The Lord refers to Israel as “the apple of His eye” and warns that anyone who touches her will be punished (see Zechariah 2:8-9). Bill Koenig, in his book Israel: Blessing or Curse, has documented case after case of God’s judgment on America each time our government has attempted to force Israel to give up Land to the Palestinians.

As Bible Believers, we need to look at Israel through God’s eyes, and understand that God gave the Land of Israel to the Jewish People as an “eternal possession.” Regardless of what the United Nations decides today or decided some 68 years ago, it is the Scriptures that determine who the land belongs to. Beginning with Genesis 12, and again in Genesis 15, there are dozens of Scriptures that clearly give the land to Abraham and his offspring (through Isaac and Jacob). Despite what any government decides, this is the bottom line: The Bible is the Jewish People’s Land deed to Israel. God said it and that settles it. As Believers, we must believe, accept, and set ourselves in agreement with what the Scriptures teach. God, in His sovereignty, gave this Land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — who are we to question His decision? While this does not mean that we should condone all that Israel does, we must understand that this is an unconditional promise in God’s Word and support this divine decision.

PRAYING FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

Most Christians are familiar with the exhortation to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). I end every one of our Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis television programs with this exhortation. But how do we pray? How can there ever be peace? The Bible says many will say “peace, peace,” but there is no peace (see Jeremiah 6:14). The word in Hebrew translated “peace” is shalom and literally means, “to bring to completion.”

God has a plan for this Land and People that will come to pass, and that plan ultimately includes the return of Yeshua ( Jesus) to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. We must pray for God’s plan to be fulfilled in this troubled Land, for the Messiah to be revealed in the hearts of Jew and Palestinian alike, and for His plan to be brought to completion, culminating in the Lord’s return to the Earth. Only then will true peace be realized. The only peace plan that can succeed is God’s peace plan — the revelation of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah, the Prince of Peace. He is God’s true peace plan. Only when Jew and Arab embrace Him and experience a changed heart can there be true peace in this troubled Land.

God’s Plan for Israel CD

GIFT OF $15 OR MORE | ITEM #8009

For anyone who doubts that God still has a plan for Israel and the Jewish People, this CD, God’s Plan for Israel, is a must! Even for those who already believe that God's plan for Israel is eternal, it will provide a strong scriptural argument to support your stand.

8" to 11" Color, texture, and finish may vary.

Jacob Becomes Israel DVD & Small Shofar and Stand & CD GIFT OF $120 OR MORE | ITEM #1638

In addition to the CD, you will also receive Rabbi Jonathan Bernis’ teaching on DVD, Jacob Becomes Israel. Jonathan will take you back to Genesis and the story of Jacob to reveal the steps to praying through, persevering in the face of discouraging odds, and holding fast to receive God’s answer. You will also receive the shofar and stand, which was traditionally used during the biblical Holy Days.

The shofar reminds us of Yeshua's coming again! The beautifully crafted wooden stand will display your shofar as a special keepsake and conversational piece.

How Jewish Voice Supports Israel Giving is God’s expression of love. For God so loved the world that HE GAVE . . . (John 3:16).

Throughout His Word, Messiah Yeshua entreats, teaches, and inspires us to follow His example and be extravagant givers in His Name. With your help, we send the sowers and the harvesters into the fields the Lord has appointed unto salvation! We currently support about 50 ministries, organizations, congregations, and outreaches from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and to the most remote parts of the Earth . . . good and lasting fruit, planted and nurtured for the sake of the Gospel.

January/February/March 2015 | 17

ANTI-SEMITISM: The New Face of a Primitive Hatred

By Jonathan Bernis

S

it down with Márton Gyöngyösi, the highly educated, well-spoken leader of Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party and you’ll see the clean-cut, sophisticated face of 21st-century European fascism.

“The most frightening thing about him is that he does not look the least bit like a neo-Nazi,” remarked one commentator. And yet it is Gyöngyösi’s own Jobbik party — the third largest in Hungary — that has not only unabashedly allied itself with the Islamic Republic (while calling itself a “radically patriotic Christian party”), but recently the party called for lists of prominent Jews to be drawn up in order to “protect national security.”

The resurgence of such an overtly anti-Semitic party in a European country is evidence of a much larger global trend: The rapid rise of anti-Semitism. The conclusions of a recent report produced by the Anti Defamation League (ADL) are chilling: Since 2009, the levels of anti-Semitic attitudes throughout Europe have increased by upwards of 70 percent in countries like Hungary and the United Kingdom. This percentage is higher than it’s been since World War II. Ironically, while anti-Semitism has become acceptable in Europe, at the

18 | JewishVoiceToday.org

Even though the Bible tells us that we are to proclaim the Good News to the Jew first and then to the Gentile (see Romans 1:16), unfortunately, Church history has shown that the Jewish People have been the most “unreached people group” in the world! same time, it has become taboo to criticize Islam — even as Islamic terrorism menaces Europe. According to a 2012 FBI report here in America, out of the 1,318 religiously motivated incidences that were reported in 2011, 62.2 percent were targeted toward Jewish People. Compare this to the 13.3 percent that were anti-Islam motivated.

Another disturbing trend is where anti-Semitic incidences are now taking place: Our colleges and universities. A recent study by the Institute for Jewish & Community Research reveals that since January 2012, 40 percent of Jewish American college students report that they have witnessed or experienced more than 100 anti-Semitic on-campus incidents — including graffiti, vandalism, hate speeches, and violence.

Anti-Semitism, of course, is nothing new. Besides the more recent Holocaust of Nazi Germany, there were other holocausts, or attempted holocausts, throughout history: Egypt during 400 years of slavery; the planned destruc-

tion of the Jews by Haman as told in the book of Esther; the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles; Herod’s edict at the time of Yeshua’s ( Jesus') birth to kill all Jewish male children; the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. . . . the list goes on.

The question is: Why? What could cause such hatred, vitriolic rhetoric, and acts of despicable violence . . . including mass extermination? And why, even in educated and technologically advanced societies, does such irrational hatred seem to be escalating?

The reality is that although anti-Semitism has taken on a more veiled form in the 21st century, it’s still a “primitive hatred” . . . as old as Satan himself. And with good reason: Satan hates God; he hates God’s Word, he hates God’s Plan, and he hates God’s People. He knows that the restoration of the Jewish People plays a central role in the return of the Messiah to this Earth, world redemption, and Satan’s ultimate destruction (see Genesis 3:15).

This leads us to another thinly disguised form of anti-Semitism: Anti-Zionism. Martin Luther King Jr., who knew a little something about discrimination and persecution, once said, “When people criticize Zionists they mean Jews; you are talking anti-Semitism.”

I believe anti-Zionism is really the neo-anti-Semitism of our day and is as dangerous a threat as Nazism was to the Jewish People in the 1930s and 1940s.

Dennis Prager, a radio host and political commentator states in his book Why the Jews: “The contention that anti-Zionists are not enemies of Jews, despite the advocacy of policies that would lead to the mass murder of Jews, is, to put it as generously as possible, disingenuous. If anti-Zionism realized its goal, another Jewish holocaust would take place . . . therefore attempts to draw distinctions between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are simply meant to fool the naïve.”

But as important as it is to stress the obvious symbiotic relationship between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, there’s an even more subtle form of anti-Semitism. And it’s alive and well in the Church today.

This form of anti-Semitism has nothing to do with the Land of Israel or blatant hatred against the Jewish People; rather, it has to do with the salvation of Jewish People. The fact that God’s

covenant Land, Israel, is populated with anywhere from 96-99 percent of Jewish People who do not believe that Yeshua was — and is — the Messiah should be of deep concern for every Believer.

Jewish People everywhere need to know that Yeshua is their promised Messiah.

Yet even though the Bible tells us that we are to proclaim the Good News to the Jew first and then to the Gentile (see Romans 1:16), unfortunately, Church history has shown that the Jewish People have been the most “unreached people group” in the world! This is despite the fact that it was the Jewish People who brought forth the Messiah and Savior to the whole world. All 12 of Yeshua’s disciples were Jewish, as well as the first 3,000 Believers. God’s Word even tells us for salvation is from the Jews ( John 4:22).

Consider this: If Paul, an apostle to the Gentiles by God’s design, was willing to give up his own eternal salvation in order to see his Jewish brethren saved, shouldn’t we demonstrate at least a modicum of that commitment?

How will you respond to anti-Semitism . . . in whatever form it takes? Are you committed to stand with Israel and the Jewish People as things intensify?

Will you speak out against anti-Semitism wherever you encounter it? Will you be faithful to pray, preach, and demonstrate the message of salvation to the Jew first — in season and out of season — so that the people of Israel

will open their hearts and believe in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach . . . their longawaited Messiah?

If so, then rejoice, for great will be your reward in Heaven for God has promised that “He who blesses Israel will himself be blessed” (see Genesis 12:3).

Unlocking the Prophetic Mysteries of Israel DVD

GIFT OF $20 OR MORE | ITEM #6800

What pivotal role does Israel play in the return of the Messiah? Why is anti-Semitism on the rise worldwide and what is at its root? What profound promise did God make to Abraham that applies to you today? Explore these mysteries and many more in this exciting DVD! Unlock a greater knowledge about the Last Days with crucial keys provided in more than four hours of fascinating presentations from Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Bernis and others.

A Rabbi Looks at Jesus of Nazareth Book & DVD GIFT OF $50 OR MORE | ITEM #1639

With warmth and transparency, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis shares a compelling case — with overwhelming evidence that can be traced to the Torah itself — for Jesus as Messiah. And then he provides Christians with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively share Yeshua with their Jewish family and friends in a loving and sensitive way. You will also receive the Unlocking the Prophetic Mysteries of Israel DVD.

January/February/March 2015 | 19

The Lost Tribes of

ISRAEL

By Gerald Gotzen

S

ince the captivity by the Assyrians and the Babylonians in the 8th and the 6th centuries BCE, a continual search has been made regarding the Lost Tribes of Israel's location and identity. Real evidence is available that the Karait community in the region of the Caspian Sea, the Pathans from Afghanistan, and the Bnei Menashe from Manipur, India, are descendants of the Lost Tribes who practice their ancient Jewish customs.

Focusing our attention on Africa, especially Ethiopia, the Beta Israel have lived in isolation and affliction from the time of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon in Jerusalem. According to their tradition, they made the difficult journey along the river Nile and through the deserts of Arabia across the Red Sea to the land of Ethiopia. The events recorded in Acts 8:26-40 of the official from Ethiopia, who was actually

20 | JewishVoiceToday.org

the finance minister with royal connections, confirms that he was Jewish. The purpose of his visit was “to worship” and he was reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah when the evangelist Philip joined him in his chariot. On his confession of faith that Yeshua was the Son of God, he gladly accepted baptism ­ — “mikva.”

The Jewish Community adhered to the Torah and observed the feasts of Leviticus. During the Passover, they slaughtered a lamb. There was absolutely no knowledge of the teaching of the Talmud. Throughout the generations, their hope and prayer was eventually to make aliyah. Regularly on the Sabbath, the congregation would all stand in the direction of Jerusalem (to the north) and pray from their hearts: “The hungry go to food, the thirsty go to water, but I shall go to Jerusalem.”

The miracle of the exodus took place in

1985 when thousands of them escaped to the Sudan. It was called Operation Moses. Then in May 1991, during the festival of Shavuot when the Communist regime was collapsing, Operation Solomon took place.

Today the government of Israel recognizes that approximately 140,000 Jewish People from Ethiopia have returned to the Promised Land; and about 40,000 have been born in Israel.

One of the rabbis has stated: “The return of the Jews from Ethiopia is a sign of the coming of the Messiah.”

By surprise in the spring of 1992, I was introduced to the House of Abraham residing in the district of Kechene on the edge of Addis Ababa.

They are known as “The Hidden Community.” They could be described as “The Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.” They have maintained secret traditions of their Jewish identity,

beliefs, and customs. They keep the Mosaic laws with a strict observance of the Sabbath and celebrate the Passover by eating unleavened bread. Every boy and girl is taught a trade by their parents. Their crafts are displayed in weaving, pottery, and building. Unfortunately, they are treated with a certain amount of suspicion and even hostility.

Many of them are now Messianic Believers. Since I met Jonathan Bernis by divine appointment in the Ghion Hotel in 2004, Jewish Voice Ministries has been arranging the medical missions every year with the establishment of a permanent clinic.

With Pastor Kassahun from the ministry of Beit Shalom and Mezmur ZeMichael, the Africa Director of Jewish Voice, we traveled to a remote district several years ago. It was a real adventure of faith. Upon our arrival, we were introduced to the leaders of the Gefat

community, who originated from Gondar and the region of the Blue Nile.

They revealed to us for the first time in their history that their ancestors came from the Beta Israel. Because of various pressures, they were forced to convert to Christianity. Very secretly, they practiced customs that were definitely Jewish, and they have a love for Israel.

Their neighbors regard them with apprehension and maintain a certain distance from them. Since this discovery, Jewish Voice has regularly conducted medical outreaches, treating with compassion nearly 10,000 patients in a week, and distributing a special edition of the Bible with the Star of David on the front cover. It is estimated their population is approaching 200,000.

These people living in Ethiopia can be described as “the outcasts of Israel.”

The main purpose of Jewish Voice is discovery and recovery of “The Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.”

How can we truly establish their identity? First, by their location, the region where they are residing. Second, by their vocation — their occupation as weavers, metal and pottery workers, masons, and carpenters; including their reputation as herbal practitioners, which is legendary. And, finally, the witness of the relations, or the members of the family who are able to confirm their identity. Through your prayers and practical concern for the Chosen People, you have the possibility and the opportunity to relieve their suffering and to give them hope for the future.

Gerald Gotzen is a Jewish Voice UK board member and a respected, world-renowned leading authority on Ethiopian Jews. He has worked with Ethiopian Jews for 45 years, and partners with Beth Shalom, a Jewish Voice-supported ministry in Addis Ababa. Gerald and his wife, Elly, distribute large consignments of Bibles, publish Christian literature, and minister practically to the Ethiopian people.

A Hope and a Future CD

GIFT OF $15 OR MORE | ITEM #8960

This powerful teaching by Rabbi Jonathan Bernis is an encouraging message for anyone experiencing trouble and feeling the rumblings of fear and impending disaster. Join Jonathan as he brings words of encouragement and hope through this uplifting passage on Jeremiah 29:11.

13x13 Designs may vary.

A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days Book & Pillow Case & CD

GIFT OF $150 OR MORE | ITEM #1640

What if everything you know about the End Times is wrong? Few topics captivate our minds or fill our hearts with fear like the End Times. In A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis unpacks the mysteries of this cryptic time with a perspective that is both startling and hopeful and shares how biblical prophecies are being fulfilled right now — as well as what this means for you. God's plan will be fulfilled; learn how you can be a part of it!

In addition to the book and CD, you will also receive a beautiful embroidered pillow cover, hand sewn by members of the Beta Avraham and Beta Israel Jewish communities in Ethiopia. Adorned with scenes from the Bible, these colorful pillow covers reflect the art and culture of the special people who carefully stitch the designs into one-of-a-kind works of art for your home.

January/February/March 2015 | 21

A Celebration of Jewish Culture:

BIRTH OF A VISION

By Jonathan Bernis

A

s a child growing up in a typical American Jewish family, I did not know much about Jesus, other than He was the God of Christianity. I’d been taught to believe He and His followers did not like Jewish People and that many atrocities had been committed against us Jews in His name. It was not within my worldview to believe in Jesus and still be a Jew. During my teenage years, I began to develop a singular ambition — to become a successful businessman before I turned 30.

Jesus did not figure in my plans. However, in 1980, while a business major at the University of Buffalo (in preparation to fulfill my dream), my entire life was turned upside down.

Through a series of events, Jesus broke into my life.

GOD HAD A BETTER PLAN Needless to say, the direction of my life changed radically and all my life goals shifted! I abandoned my ambition to be a successful businessman for a call to ministry. Upon completing my degree in Jewish Studies and Early Christianity, I started a Messianic Jewish congregation called Congregation 22 | JewishVoiceToday.org

Shema Yisrael in my hometown of Rochester, New York. I happily did this for almost nine years until God sovereignly called me to live in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1993.

With the fall of Communism, a land long held in darkness captured my attention. I reactivated a ministry I had started for college students in 1984 called Hear O’ Israel! Ministries to facilitate this new call. After numerous trips and small outreaches, the work grew. By 1993, we were holding large-scale Festivals of Jewish Music and Dance and tens of thousands of people were responding. What’s more — the great majority were Jewish! The overwhelming response to these Festivals was clearly a phenomenon. In some cities, like Odessa, Ukraine and Kishinev, Moldova, we were renting and filling entire soccer stadiums — up to 60,000 people at a single event!

In 1996, Chira Kaplan traveled to one of the Festivals we were conducting in Kishinev, Moldova, to cover the event for Jewish Voice Broadcasts, a radio and TV ministry at that time.

It was there that Chira first approached me about entering into a closer relationship with Jewish Voice Broadcasts and

I have been privileged to hold Hear O' Israel! Festivals of Jewish Music & Dance throughout Eastern Europe, India, and Latin America for over two decades. Here are some highlights from several of our key Festival outreaches.

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA 1993

14,000 in attendance I will always recall our very first Hear O’ Israel! Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. What an awesome move of God! Some 14,000 attended the three-night event, and of those who attended, more than 10,000 responded to our altar calls.

A large percentage of those who responded to my invitation to accept Yeshua ( Jesus) as Messiah were Jewish. The success of our initial St. Petersburg Festival caused the Festival outreach to expand the following year in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev.

We planted one of the first Messianic Jewish congregations in the former Soviet Union as a result of this Festival, and I also decided to leave my comfortable life in Rochester, New York. The living conditions in Russia in the early 1990s were challenging; hot water and electricity were erratic, and KGB operatives were following us. Yet words can’t describe our overwhelming joy as the crowds literally ran down the aisles when we gave an altar call. The Spirit of God was moving in their hearts, and many of them were Jewish!

In some instances, we were renting and filling entire soccer stadiums — up to 60,000 people at a single event! even to consider the possibility of taking over the ministry when Brother Louis Kaplan retired.

My friendship with both Chira and Louis grew quickly in the months following that event. Within a short time, our two ministries entered into a strategic partnership to produce evangelistic television programs for Russia and Ukraine.

I assumed leadership of Jewish Voice Broadcasts in 1998, and then on January 1, 2001, Jewish Voice Broadcasts and Hear O’ Israel Ministries merged into one ministry, renamed Jewish Voice Ministries International.

EVANGELISTIC EXPLOSION Since our small beginnings in 1993, more than 600,000 people have crowded into stadiums, concert halls, and coliseums from St. Petersburg, Russia in 1993 to Kiev, Ukraine, in 2014 — that’s nearly 30 Festival outreaches to date — to attend our vibrant Hear O’ Israel! Festivals of Jewish Music & Dance. Millions more have watched by television broadcasts. Tens of thousands have responded to altar calls, including thousands of Jewish People. Amazingly, more than a dozen new Messianic Jewish congregations have been birthed throughout the former Soviet Union and South America through these outreaches, and many more have since spun off from the original groups.

SCATTERING GOOD SEED AROUND THE GLOBE

The Apostle Paul declared, I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Romans 1:16). This is the reason that Jewish Voice goes wherever Jewish People are and shares the truth of God’s Word with them, no matter how remote their location is!

January/February/March 2015 | 23

ODESSA, UKRAINE 1995

60,000 in attendance This was our second largest Festival to date, only superseded by our Festival in Vijayawada, India, in January 2000, which brought 70,000. Some 30,000 people in Odessa, nearly half the Festival attendees, were Jewish. We rented Odessa's football (soccer) stadium and filled it! At least 45,000 stood to repent of their sins and commit their lives to Yeshua. I stood up and prayed over the crowd, “I ask, Father, for Your healing power to flow through this stadium. Restore the bodies of all who are sick. Thank You for Your mercy.” God answered in a bold and dramatic way as instantaneous healings took place throughout the stadium.

VIJAYAWADA, INDIA 2000

70,000+ in attendance India is a bottomless pit of need, but the receptiveness of the Indians to a “Jewish Gospel” is amazing! In the past, the Gospel was presented to these people from the mainstream church's perspective, which was filtered through a Gentile understanding. But when I preached the Good News each evening from a Jewish perspective, Believers and unbelievers alike were astonished with this new message of salvation in a Jewish Messiah. Young and old came with a spiritual hunger, in need of a miracle to survive. Blind eyes were opened. Deaf ears were suddenly able to hear. The Spirit of the living God had made His presence known!

KRASNOYARSK, SIBERIA 2004

9,000 in attendance This area in Central Siberia is home to Jewish war prisoners who were sent here from Moscow in the early 1600s to colonize the area and strengthen the Moscow principality. Exiled Jews would continue to be the main reason for growth of the Jewish community in Krasnoyarsk, as well as all over Siberia. We were blessed to showcase the talents of music and dance team, Kol Simcha, and singing sensation, Victor Klimenko, at our Festival in Krasnoyarsk in August 2004. Plus, one of my dear friends, Sid Roth, was instrumental in providing humanitarian aid and good will to a local orphanage there.

Despite initial opposition from a local rabbi, who was trying to intimidate festival attendees by taking photos of them as they entered the stadium, and despite the fears of many locals that Jewish Voice was there to brainwash them, God did exceedingly above what we could ask or imagine. The stadium was packed, and you could just sense the enthusiasm as attendees anticipated a great night of worship and the chance to come to know and be healed by Messiah Yeshua through our prayer team.

ROSARIO, ARGENTINA 2011

9,500 in attendance At the close of the 2010 Montevideo, Uruguay Festival, which brought 8,790 attendees and the planting of our very first Messianic Jewish congregation there through the instrumental work of my dear friends, Jorge and Marcela Goldstein, the Lord placed the great nation of Argentina on my heart once again. I had conducted Festival outreaches in Argentina twice in the last decade; first in Buenos Aires in 2000 (22,000 attendees), and then in Cordoba in 2009 (12,100 attendees).

Since we began the Festivals in 1993, more than 500,000 people have crowded into stadiums, concert halls, and coliseums from St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1993 to Kiev, Ukraine in 2014.

24 | JewishVoiceToday.org

It seemed God was speaking to me about the city of Rosario, 190 miles northwest of Buenos Aires. Argentina is home to more than 250,000 Jews, many of whom are in the process of making aliyah. Current estimates in Rosario number the Jewish community at 20,000. It was the right place and right time to bring the Good News of Yeshua to these precious people.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO 2012

22,700 in attendance God called us to Mexico City, one of the largest Hispanic Jewish population centers in the world and home to more than 21 million people in its metropolitan center. Our venue for the three-night Festival was the popular 10,000-seat Auditorio Nacional. We were able to distribute 260,000 invitations to our concerts through daily street outreach, and some 22,700 people attended our event.

Each night of the Festival, our audiences enjoyed performances from violinist, Maurice Sklar, Messianic worship leader, Paul Wilbur, vocal chorus, Kol Simcha and the Klezmeranians, plus, beautiful dancing from ballerina, Oksana Pavlova and The Messiah Company dance team. At the end of each evening, I presented a message of God's love through Yeshua the Messiah and invited the crowd to come to the altar for prayer. Between our efforts with street evangelism and altar prayer each night at the Festival, 773 new Believers were born into the Kingdom of God! As a result of the Festival outreach, a new Messianic congregation, called Beit Shalom (“House of Peace”), was launched. Paul Wilbur donated a Torah scroll for the new

Messianic synagogue. We learned shortly thereafter that the Torah scroll had previously been housed at a congregation also named Beit Shalom. How providential and thrilling!

KIEV, UKRAINE 2014

12,500 in attendance While some of Ukraine’s fiercest and deadliest fighting took place in the eastern regions of the nation last September, a ray of hope shone over the capital city of Kiev. And Jewish Voice was a part of it. Beginning on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, we held four concerts over three days. Playing to packed houses of both Jewish and non-Jewish Ukrainians, spirits were lifted, Jewish heritage was celebrated, and most importantly, the Good News of Yeshua ( Jesus) was presented powerfully and effectively. The outreach was a huge success with over 12,000 attending. Hundreds had to be turned away for each performance as we repeatedly filled Kiev’s largest concert hall, the Ukraine Palace.

After I shared at each performance, I offered a time of prayer, asking people to stand, and at least 80 percent stood and prayed with me! Please pray for the follow-up work, the Messianic congregation who will reach out to each one of the thousands who filled out cards, and for the nearly 900 Jewish synagogue members who heard the message that Yeshua is their Messiah.

TODAY AND BEYOND We look forward to many more opportunities to bring God's love through this unique, creative avenue. Hope you can join us!

January/February/March 2015 | 25

YESHUA’S FINAL PASSOVER DVD

Gift of $20 or more | ITEM #6081

Passover is a monumental event immersed with symbolism in Jewish history, instituted when God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt.

In this inspirational brand-new DVD, filmed on location in Jerusalem in the Upper Room, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis teaches us how to observe the rich traditions of the Passover Seder — just as Yeshua (Jesus) did with His disciples over 2,000 years ago, known as the Last Supper.

Discover how the various elements of the Passover Seder all point to the work of Yeshua as the Lamb of God, and learn how to celebrate the Seder meal in your own home. Your spiritual walk will come alive as you see the roots of our New Testament faith revealed in this rich and powerful Jewish celebration.

26 | JewishVoiceToday.org

HIS FINAL FOOTSTEPS: RETRACING THE LAST 24 HOURS OF JESUS’ LIFE DVD

Gift of $20 or more | ITEM #6080

The final Passover meal in the upper room. The anguish of the Garden of Gethsemane. The betrayal and arrest on the Mount of Olives. The mockery of a trial. The barren hill of execution.

These and other spots mark key milestones as Yeshua (Jesus) moved through His final, pivotal hours on Earth.

In this exciting new DVD presentation filmed on location in Jerusalem, Jonathan Bernis serves as your guide to re-living and understanding the most important 24 hours in human history.

Passover and Believers Today

By Jonathan Bernis

T

he Passover celebration is a powerful picture for Believers of the price Yeshua paid for our salvation and a reminder that He has promised to return. Every time we think of Passover, we should meditate on His role as the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world (see John 1:29). He is the fulfillment of centuries of sacrifice, and with His death, no further sacrifices ever need to be made.

The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of [Yeshua], who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Hebrews 9:13-14 NIV) From its institution, the Passover celebration was intended to serve as a tool to share the love and faithfulness of God with future generations.

Celebrating Passover with your family can be a great way to teach your children about Yeshua and the Hebrew roots of our faith.

“Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. (Exodus 12:24-27 NIV) When observant Jews celebrate a Seder, they are looking for the Messiah to come. That is the meaning behind the cup set out for Elijah, and

the opening of the door during the celebration.

But those of us who understand that He has already come also have something to look forward to — for He has promised that He will return. In addition to giving thanks for His sacrifice for us, we should also rejoice as we reflect on the fact that one day, perhaps very soon, we will be with Him forever.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” ( John 14:1-3 NIV) Finally, Passover should be a reminder to all of us that there are millions of people who need to know the love and faithfulness of God — towards Israel and towards all Nations — the same God who heard the cries of the Hebrews and sent Moses also sent the promised Messiah, Yeshua ( Jesus). He hears the daily prayers of the Jewish People crying out for Messiah, and His hand is also extended to the Gentile searching for a Savior.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent?

(Romans 10:14-15 NIV) We should be eager to share the Good News at every opportunity and support those who are called to evangelism, so that the message of Passover and the deliverance found in Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel, will be heard throughout the world.

January/February/March 2015 | 27