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The Tribe of Asher by Marc Chagall from the President the Chosen a Star Appeared Suddenly in the Eastern Sky The Tribe of Asher By Marc Chagall From the President The Chosen A star appeared suddenly in the eastern sky. People Astrologers, philosophers, teachers, politicians, all wondered about THE CHOSEN PEOPLE is published monthly the strange star. What did it mean? What did it signify? They had many (except August) as a medium of information 4 concerning the Jewish people Israel and questions, but no answers—so they did nothing. the work of the American Board of Missions to the Jews Inc, 100 Hunt Road Orangeburg The common people, the masses, saw the same star. They waited for New York 10962. an appropriate response from their leaders, but—in the end—they too did President nothing. Harold A. Sevener Three other men also saw that same star. They had the same questions. Administrative Vice-President Roy Adams But with one major difference. They had heard about the prophecies that Editor & Creative Director foretold the birth of a Messiah—the Son of God. Jonathan Singer When they saw the wondrous star, they followed it, traveling Staff Writer hundreds of miles. They were wise men—they acted upon the knowledge Amy Rabinovitz Missionary Director they had about God. John Bell Sometimes I wonder why there were only three men who came. Regional Directors Where were all the others? Did only three men out of all the hundreds of Northeast: New York City, N.Y. thousands of people living in the East understand the "signs of the times"? Sam Nadler 212-757-6716 Did only three understand the prophetic Word? Southeast Reston, Va. I am positive that the influence of the Daniels, the Jeremiahs, and the Larry Jaffrey 703-471-0163 other prophets of the Exile, had a greater impact upon the Gentile world of Midwest Chicago, IL their day than we could ever imagine. I believe these three men who came Roy Schwartz 312-338-5959 seeking Jesus were the product of the influence of godly Jewish men living in Southwest Fort Worth, Tx. the Exile. They became wise to the things of God because someone had Dr. Irwin (Rocky) Freeman shared with them the facts of Scripture. 817-731-6991 West Los Angeles Ca. Perhaps these three men represented a greater body of believers—men Dr. Daniel Goldberg and women who could not themselves make such a journey. Perhaps the 818-884-8245 precious gifts they bore represented the collective gifts of many who also National Church Ministries Director were wise—because they too believed God's Word. Barry Rubin International Conference Director Yes, wise men seek Him still. But, in order to be wise in the things of Tom Walker God, one must hear the Gospel. One must hear God's Word. Board of Directors Your missionaries, who you support with your prayers and gifts, are Dr. Daniel Fuchs Chairman the Daniels, the Jeremiahs, the prophets of this generation. They are telling Roy Adams C. Robert Clemensen Jew and Gentile alike that our Messiah, the Lord Jesus, was born; that He John J. Kubach died; that He was buried; that He rose from the dead on the third day; and John E Melhom Harold B. Pretlove that He is coming again. John L Pretlove Sometimes it seems that only a few respond. But we have found that Goldie Rotenberg the few represent the many more who are seeking, waiting and watching to Albert Runge Harold A. Sevener see the results. James W. Straub Thank you for helping us send wise men to the lost sheep of the House Directors Emeritus of Israel. Louis W. Ivins Isaac J. Leonard Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! In our Messiah, Honorary Director Dr. Charles L Feinberg DECEMBER 1986, Vol. XCIII, No. 4 THE CHOSEN PEOPLE (ISSN 0164-5323) Copyright ©1986 by the American Board of Missions to the Jews, Inc. Not to be HAROLD A. SEVENER reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. Second-class postage paid at Orangeburg, N.Y., and at additional Our cover this month: The themes and prophecies within the Tribes of Israel fascinated the mailing offices. Credits: Cover, Marc Jewish painter Marc Chagall. This month's cover and pages 9-12 feature paintings preliminary Chagall, Asher, from Chagall In Jerusalem, to Chagall's famous Jerusalem Windows in the Hadassah Medical Center Synagogue; all --ft, Leon Amid, publisher. inspired by Jacob's blessings. 1‘... W.) 2 THE CHOSEN PEOPLE henTuning in,Turning On and Dropping Out Isn't Enough TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL GOLDSTONE Early 1973, Michael and Ron (left to right). All smiles, at the lowest point in their lives. It was the age of natural foods, With these thoughts on my mind, Marijuana, music, Joan Baez, war protests (Vietnam), a friend and I left New York in the the beauty of na- Bob Dylan, and "getting back to the summer of 1971 to go "exploring." land." We (everyone under thirty) We traveled throughout Canada and ture—none of it was were positive that they (our parents' the United States, picking up hitch- enough. Michael generation) had sold out to a plas- hikers, talking with fellow seekers, tic life. It was going to be different and trying to see if we could find a grew introspective, for us. purpose to life. wondering why he Like most students in the sixties, I That trip was very instrumental in spent a lot of time asking a lot of my life. Until then all I had known hadn't found God yet. questions. It seemed that there was were concrete walls, the constant grave injustice in the world, and it noise of city life, and crowded seemed to me that I should be able to streets. I thought the whole world do something about it. But when I played stickball in schoolyards sur- joined the protest marches, even rounded by chain link fences. though I was helping my fellow- man, I sensed that we needed Fellow Sojourners something more drastic than a new Instead, I found a world outside of government. We needed all new New York, a land full of color and people, people who were changed fresh, clean scents. There were, on the inside. especially in California, streets full It also seemed to me that there had of fellow sojourners who were to be more to life than just being a seeking simple truths. They were nice Jewish boy from Queens who beautiful people living off the land. I would go to college, get married, listened to them all, read their books have children, and get a good job. on Eastern mysticism, and adapted their inward-bound philosophy. By the time I returned to the University of Buffalo, I felt like a continued on following page (DECEMBER 1986 3 stranger in a strange land. The pace means "beyond these things." I at school was frantic. Most of my wanted to lay under the stars, get friends were into sports and the bar high, have a garden, listen to good scene, and I couldn't relate to that music, and try to find God. anymore. Hungry To Meet Him My life was heading in a new direction. The name of my favorite The God I was looking for was not rock band summed up my destina- the God I had read about while tion: Procol Harum, which in Greek studying for my Bar Mitzvah. He The ranch (left) and left to right, Ron, Debra, and Michael. was not the God of any organized religion. I pictured the God I would find as one who loved and accepted all people and philosophies. Though I wasn't sure what or who He was, I was hungry to meet Him personally. School that year was especially dissatisfying. The courses I selected didn't take much concentration. I wasn't sure what I was doing at college anyway, and life was aim- less. My dream was to do something that would help me get in touch with myself. By the summer of 1972 I knew it was time to do more than dream. My good friend Ron and I decided to buy a patch of land and go into business raising hydroponic toma- Debra, like me she was a Jewish New Yorker who came West on a personal odyssey. After three days I knew I was in love. toes. It may sound a little crazy now, Ron and I rented out the log cabin to listen to this ache inside of me. but actually this was a growing and to four hippies, and we moved into a Instead people were just interested profitable industry. shed on the property. That way we in themselves. We investigated other growers' could make our land payments Mexico was horrible. After hitch- methods, got some seed money without working at all. I grew even hiking for days and then taking an from our folks, gathered our two more melancholy. Eventually we old school bus 1,700 miles into the dogs, and pointed our VW bug decided to go to Mexico in search of interior, I got dysentery. This plus toward Florida. By North Carolina some magic mushrooms (organic rumors of massive arrests of Amer- we agreed that the West Coast was LSD). They were supposed to give a ican long-hairs forced us to turn more attractive, so we turned right very spiritual high which I thought back. Yet another disappointment. on the Interstate and didn't stop would help me find real truth. until we got to northern California. Wrapped up in myself the way I Something Wonderful Our search for land started in was, I became lonelier and emptier.
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