During these times of uncertainty there are many places in the Scriptures that we can find encouragement. I hope you find the following examples of God’s protection useful for such a time as this. 


The Bronze Serpent: Numbers - Chapter 21
As the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness they became discouraged and spoke against God and Moses. They complained about their condition since leaving Egypt. The Lord sent poisonous snakes among them and many people died. After they repented for their attitudes, the Lord told Moses to make a bronze serpent on a pole. If anyone looked upon the bronze serpent, as Moses held it up, they would not be harmed. In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus refers to this event and applies it to Himself . . . ‘And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.’  - John 3:14-15 

Imagery of the bronze serpent on a pole is very prevalent in our society today. Most hospitals, firetrucks and ambulances have it displayed. In the same way that the Israelites were instructed to keep their eyes on the bronze serpent, we are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and what He did on the cross. He died for us, rose from the dead and grants everlasting life to all who believe - opening the door to Heaven and providing a way to escape the torment of a place prepared for those who have rejected Him.

Passover: Exodus - Chapter 12 
The children of Israel were being held captive by the Egyptians. In their suffering and cries for help, God sent Moses. After multiple plagues were brought against the Egyptians, Pharaoh remained determined to hold the Hebrews captive, which set the stage for Passover. The Lord gave instructions for every man to take for his household a lamb without blemish. At a set time, they were to kill their lamb and sprinkle blood on the two doorpost and the lintel of their houses. That night, the Lord passed through the land of Egypt and struck  down all the firstborn of the Egyptians. Houses marked with blood from the lamb were passed over by the Lord, with no harm coming to those who remained inside.  
 
The apostle Paul, in 1Corintians 5:7, identifies Christ as our Passover who was sacrificed for us. Just as the children of Israel were held in bondage and needed to be set free, all of mankind is bound by the chains of sin and is in need of deliverance. Jesus came as the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Being perfect and without blemish He shed His blood for us. Rising from the dead, on the third day, so that whoever believes in Him will be seen and accepted as righteous by God.

From the Passover we also get a very interesting visual. Notice how the blood is applied to the top of the door frame and then to the far right and the far left as well.  This is a picture of the coming Messiah, Jesus, who bled from His head and His outstretched hands, one to the left and the other to the right. The blood of the lamb was applied to the doorpost as a sign marking those to be protected. The blood of Jesus brings freedom and protection for those who remain in Him.

Psalm 91 
Psalm 91 is a great prayer to pray over your family. Here’s a version that’s been personalized.

Psalm 91 (Personalized)
 
We shall dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty. We will say of the Lord, “He is our refuge and our fortress; Our God, in Him we will trust.” Surely He shall deliver us from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover us with His feathers, and under His wings we shall take refuge;
His truth shall be our shield and buckler. We shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at our side, And ten thousand at our right hand; But it shall not come near us. Only with our eyes shall we look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because we have made the Lord, who is our refuge, Even the Most High, our dwelling place, No evil shall befall us, Nor shall any plague come near our dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over us, To keep us in all our ways. In their hands they shall bear us up, Lest we dash our foot against a stone. We shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent we shall trample underfoot. “Because we have set our love upon Him, therefore He will deliver us; He will set us on high, because we have known His name. We shall call upon Him, and He will answer us; He will be with us in trouble; He will deliver us and honor us. With long life He will satisfy us, And show us His salvation.”

Let us call on the Lord for He is our Help!

Welcome to Adventures in Witnessing. If you love talking to people about God
then chances are you will come across an anti-Semite, someone who is against the Jewish people. 

There are 2 lies that you will commonly hear about the Jewish people. 
1.  Jews control the world and are the instigators of most of the world’s problems.                 
2.  Most of the Jews today are not real Jews but imposters and these imposters are
     responsible for most of the world’s problems.

Before I address these, let’s look at what God’s Word says about Israel and the Jewish people. 

In Genesis 12:1-3 God says to Abram “I will make you a great nation… I will bless those who bless you,
and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

For You have made Israel Your very own people forever. (Ref. 2 Samuel 7:24)

To Israel as an everlasting covenant,… I will give the land of Canaan… (Ref. Psalm 105:10-11)

The Lord will scatter Israel. (Ref. Jeremiah 31:10)

The Lord will bring them back to their land which He gave to their fathers. (Ref. Jeremiah 16:15)

Jerusalem will be a city of controversy. (Ref. Zechariah 12:2)

The Jewish messiah who is the savior of the world will return and stand on the Mount of Olives which
​faces Jerusalem. (Ref. Zechariah 14: 3-4)



So, God has chosen a unique people to be His very own people forever. He gave them their own land to
be theirs forever and He decided to reveal Himself to the world as a Jew, Jesus the Messiah. 

But now that Jesus has come, is God finished with the Jewish people?
Again, let’s look at what the Scriptures say… 

Has God cast away His people? Certainly not! (Ref. Romans 11:1)

To the Israelites pertain the service of God and the promises. (Ref. Romans 9:4)

Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for
the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. (Ref. Romans 11:28-29)

Do not be ignorant of this mystery… that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved… (Ref. Romans 11:25-26)

When the Messiah returns they will look on Him whom they pierced and mourn for Him and all Israel
will believe in Jesus. (Ref. Zechariah 12:10-11) 



​So, clearly God is not finished with His people. He has chosen them, made promises to them and has a
special purpose for them. 

Now what about the lies?
Let’s start with the one that says, ‘most of the Jews today are not real Jews but imposters and especially
those with European descent.’ They claim that these Jews are false converts whose blood does not go back
to Abraham. Here’s my issue with this claim; Abraham’s blood line has changed many times. Joseph married
an Egyptian, Moses married an Ethiopian, Israel took in 32,000 Midianite virgins, and don’t forget about
Rahab the harlot and Ruth the Moabite who are in the genealogy of Jesus. God has never had a problem
with gentiles becoming Israelites, which means the blood line has changed many times.
 
Another question that must be asked… Would God allow imposters to fulfill Biblical prophecy?
As in the case with the 1948 rebirth of the nation of Israel.   


Now, do the Jews control the world? Are they responsible for most of the world's problems? Let’s look at
the facts; Jewish people have suffered more persecution throughout the ages than any other people
group. Look at the way the UN treats Israel to this day. Even though being small in numbers, Jews have consistently risen to the top of society in awards, accolades, and achievements. God’s favor on the Jewish
people has preserved them and His Biblical principles have helped them succeed in almost ever country
where they have lived. This is one of the reasons why people lie about the Jews and the other reason
belongs to the devil. Satan tries to influence people against God’s chosen people. 

Now please heed this warning from the Scriptures,
’Do not boast against the branches (The Jewish people)… for you do not support the root, but the root
supports you…Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity,
but toward you goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
(Ref. Romans 11:18-22)

And to Abram He said, “I will make you a great nation… I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse
him who curses you.” (Ref. Genesis 12:1-3)


Now for the bottom line! God chose a people to be His very own people forever and we are not to
boast against them, but we are to love and support them. 

So, will you help me stand with Israel? 

Let me tell you a story about two very unique individuals, Keith Green and Randy Rhoads. Now there is a good chance that you have probably heard of at least one of these men but I’m guessing a smaller chance that you have heard of both. Even though these two musicians had some incredible connections to each other their lives took them into completely different social circles that were miles apart.

With only a three-year difference, both Keith and Randy were born in the 1950’s and as children became skilled musicians. By the age of 12, Keith was such an advanced singer, songwriter, and piano player that he signed a recording contract with ‘DECA Records.’ Randy was so talented on the guitar that by the age of 16 he was playing in rock bands and was a guitar teacher for a music school.

By the mid 1970’s, Keith Green and Randy Rhoads were both residing and playing music venues in the Los Angeles area and on their way to becoming celebrities.

Now if you were a fan of heavy metal music, you probably know about Randy Rhoads journey to fame. In 1979 the famous singer Ozzy Osbourne was looking to start a new band. At that time Randy had been with Quiet Riot, a band that was successful in L.A. but had not been able to get national attention. Randy auditioned for Ozzy and was hired on the spot. They went on to record ‘Crazy Trian’ and ‘Flying High Again’ as well as many other hit songs.

Now unless you grew up in certain Christian circles, you probably don’t know that much about Keith Green’s story. As a young man playing in the night clubs of L.A., Keith was on a spiritual quest. Both Keith and his wife were Jewish and after a short time of searching they both accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Keith’s life was radically changed as he now wrote songs for Jesus and devoted his life to following the teachings of the bible. In 1976 Keith signed a record contract with ‘Sparrow Records’ and quickly became a popular Christian artist.

Which brings us to 1982, by 1982 Keith and Randy are both well known artists in their respective fields. As I mentioned, Keith and Randy had some incredible connections to each other but this final connection is almost beyond words. On March 19th, 1982 Randy Rhoads went up in a small airplane for a joy ride and lost his life. The airplane’s wing clipped Ozzy’s tour bus and crashed into a nearby house. Four months later, on July 28th,1982 Keith Green also loses his life from a joy ride in a small airplane that crashes just after takeoff.

To this very day, both Keith and Randy influence and inspire people from around the world. So, what can we learn from these two unique men? Whether we are famous or not, we are all influencing others. Whether we are known by many or not, only God knows how much time we have on this earth.
Psalm 90:12 says ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.'

So, what is the message we are leaving?
Leonard Ravenhill said “Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”

The inscription on the top of Keith Green’s tombstone reads “Gone to be with Jesus.” The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus has made a way for all who believe in Him to have a life full of purpose with the promise of everlasting life. A life devoted to Jesus will have an influence on others that echoes into eternity.

Now is the time to get right with God. We have all broken His commandments but thankfully, God in His mercy provided a way for us to be forgiven. Admit you have sinned against Him and turn away from sin. Believe that God sent His Son Jesus to die as a sacrifice for your sin and raised Him from the dead. Commit your life to following Jesus and have eternal life with God.
     

Praying For The Lost...
After you have reached out to someone with the greatest news they will ever hear (The Gospel), start praying for them.

Pray that God will give them a dream. Many people, including myself, have come to faith as a result of a dream or vision.
 Job 33:15-18  In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings, that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man; he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.

Pray that God would bring them under conviction regarding sin, righteousness and the judgment to come.
Acts 24:25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you."

Pray for those divine appointments where God brings someone else into their path to encourage them in the ways of the Lord.
Acts 10:22  And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say." 

Also, pray that God would open their heart to the message of His love.
Acts 16:14  One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

Pray for dreams, conviction, divine appointments and a move of God in the lives of others. 

Blessings, 
Scott 


  

    
When reaching out to Jewish people with the Gospel you will get a variety of responses from people with diverse Jewish backgrounds. First, let me bring some clarity on a point of confusion for some. Just like the very first followers of Jesus in the New Testament, there are Jewish believers in Jesus today called Messianic Jews. Although Messianic Jews represent a small percentage of Jews worldwide they are growing in number. It’s wonderful to worship and fellowship with Jewish believers.

I have encounter non-believing Jews with secular, mildly religious and very religious backgrounds. Many American Jews seem to have a negative view of Jesus so I try to put them at ease by saying “I’m a Christian that loves the Jewish people and I try to support Israel.” 

While doing outreaches with my shofar, Jewish people will approach me with excitement. I share with them how the Rosh Hashanah celebration and the shofar relates to Jesus. Many Jews find joy in the sound of the shofar and ask me to sound it repeatedly.

Most Jews are familiar with the ‘Passover’ and the ‘Binding of Isaac’ passages from the Bible. These are great scriptures to share and show how they point to Jesus the Messiah. Isaiah 53 is one of the most powerful messianic prophecies that has helped many Jewish people come to faith in Jesus.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  Isaiah 53:5-6  

Whether it’s a secular or religious Jew you can always ask them my favorite spiritual question, “If you died tonight and God asked you, “Why should I let you into My kingdom?” What would your answer be?” Most people will tell you about their good deeds and then you can take them through the ‘good person test’ which we covered in ‘Adventures in Witnessing Volume Three.'

The following evidence was put together with help from the teachings of Dr. Michael Brown, showing from the Jewish scriptures and the Talmud that Jesus is the Messiah.

What every Jewish person should know about Yeshua
He is the most influential Jew in the history of the world. More people have come to know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because of Him than any other Jew. He is a light to the nations. (Ref. Isaiah 49:6)  
Because of Him former atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Hindus, and all types of God haters from around the world have come to love the God of Israel and the Jewish people. Through Him Gentiles from around the world cherish the Hebrew Scriptures and are able to keep the ethical requirements of the Law. The reason we have a “Common Era- CE” and a “Before Common Era- BCE” is because of Him. (Ref. Isaiah 42:6)

What did the prophets say?
He was born where the prophets said...
Out of Bethlehem shall come the One to be Ruler in Israel. (Ref. Micah 5:2)
He suffered, died and rose from the dead just as the prophets said...
His hands and feet where pierced. They divided His garments among them. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. He was cut off from the land of the living but His soul was not left in Sheol nor was He allowed to see corruption. (Ref. Psalm 22:1-18, Isaiah 53:1-12, & Psalm 16:10)

He lived the way the prophets said...
He preached good tidings to the poor, healed the brokenhearted and proclaimed liberty to the captives. (Ref. Isaiah 61:1-2)

He had to come before the destruction of the 2nd Temple
The Lord, suddenly came to the 2nd Temple to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity and bring in everlasting righteousness before its destruction. Haggai states that the glory of the 2nd Temple would be greater than the glory of the 1st Temple. The scriptures reveal that the Messiah had to come before the demise of 2nd Temple. ( Ref. Malachi 3:1, Daniel 9:24-26 & Haggai 2:7-9)

Yoma 39b
The Talmud states that during the Yom Kippur service in the Temple, a red thread would be tied to the doorway of the sanctuary. If the sacrifice was acceptable and Israel’s sins forgiven, then the thread would turn white. The Talmud shows that during the last 40 years of the 2nd Temple, this miracle ceased to occur and the thread would remain red.
Yeshua died and rose from the dead 40 years before the destruction of the 2nd Temple; this signifies that the sacrificial system was no longer effective and that another system for atonement had been established.    
 
The Forever Commandments
The priest shall make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year. It's an everlasting statute. (Ref. Leviticus 16:32-34)
If Yeshua is not the Messiah then God gave Israel commandments and left them without a way to keep them since there’s no standing temple. Yeshua is the Messiah and the Torah commandments are fulfilled in Him. Yeshua said: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (Ref.Matthew 5:17)

Yeshua is Jesus
Yeshua took care of the sin problem by going to the cross and dying as the perfect sacrifice, paying the price for our disobedience. He rose from the dead so that whoever follows and confesses Him will have his name written in the Book of Life. He will return again to fulfill the remaining messianic prophecies, establish His kingdom and then be recognized by all the world as the Messiah. Jesus came the first time lowly and riding on a donkey. Died on Passover as the Lamb of God. Rose from the dead on the feast of firstfruits. He sits at the right hand of the Father and will return with the clouds of heaven as the trumpet sounds. (Ref. Zechariah 9:9, John 1:29, Luke 24:46,Psalm 110:1, Daniel 7:13 & Zechariah 9:14)

Yeshua the Messiah said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (Ref. John 14:6)

For more tips on Jewish evangelism go to www.realmessiah.com     
                                 

It’s normally very easy to witness to Mormon missionaries. With their signature attire and bicycles, I love seeing them on the streets. Most Mormons I have encountered are very courteous and polite. Once while standing in line at a fast food restaurant about 15-20 Mormon missionaries came in. I was so excited. I passed out tracts and spoke to as many as I could.

One of the goals of a Mormon is for you to read the ‘Book of Mormon’ and then pray with anticipation to receive a unique feeling described as ‘burning in the bosom.’ Because they believe in having a spiritual experience I usually approach them with a simple question like this, “Hey, can I speak with you guys about spiritual things?” They almost always answer with a cheerful “yes.” Then I tell them about my personal testimony…

​A few days after making my profession of faith and getting baptized in 2003, I opened the Bible and started reading the book of Ephesians. For the first time in my life the words of the Bible were alive and active speaking to my spirit and soul like nothing I had ever experienced. I realized that something had changed within me and now I know it’s what Jesus spoke of in John chapter 3 when He said “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”. He has filled me with the Holy Spirit and has given me a burning passion for Him. All of these things happened to me without ever reading the ‘Book of Mormon.’ It's my desire to see you get right with God and worship Him in spirit and truth without being deceived.  

Since the ‘Book of Mormon’ states in 2 Nephi 25:23 ‘that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do.’ I like to tell them that Ephesians 2:8-10 says ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.’
First we get right with God through faith, then He directs our steps and sends us to our own unique mission field.

The following are some Mormon beliefs and Biblical responses that you may find useful in sharing the truth with them. Even though they are moral and very conservative people, unfortunately they have been deceived.
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Do you believe that God the Father was once an exalted man of flesh? Do you believe ‘As man is, God once was, as God is, man may become? Please know that God has told us in Isaiah 43:10 that “Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.” He is the First and the Last and besides Him there is no God. (Ref. Isaiah 44:6)

Do you believe that Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer? Please know that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He offers eternal life, has the power to forgive sins, can answer prayers and accepts worship that belongs to God alone. While remaining enthroned in heaven, God pitched His tent among us as Jesus, the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature. The Lord our God is one but has revealed Himself to us in many ways and most commonly as God the Father, God the Son and Holy Spirit. (Ref. John 1:1, Colossians 1:15, John10:28, Luke 5:24, Matthew 28:9, John 14:13-14, Psalm 123:1, Hebrews 1:3 & Acts 5:3-4)

Do you believe that Joseph Smith was called to restore the Church and that the priesthood authority belongs to the Mormon Church? Please know that Jesus said He would build His Church and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Ref. Matthew 16:18) The true Church has never needed to be restored. The complete message of true saving faith has been delivered to us in the Scriptures of the Holy Bible alone. (Ref. Jude 3)

Do you believe that there is another testament of Jesus Christ? Please know that the Apostle Paul wrote “But even if we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Ref. Galatians 1:8)
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I hope this post has been helpful.
Blessings,
Scott