FOR BOLDNESS CJF Ministries® PRAY PO Box 345 San Antonio, Texas 78292-0345 “God has not forgotten the Jewish people, and neither have we.” April, 2010 Dear CJFM Friend, With major earthquakes in the news, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear people speculating that the Telephone end of the age is near. After all, didn’t Jesus say in Matthew 24 that there would be earthquakes (210) 226-0421 in various places? Yes, He did, but He also said such events would only mark the beginning of birth pangs. Scientists tell us that hundreds of earthquakes strike the world every year—it’s just that most of them are under the ocean, far from large population centers, or not of the magnitude Fax reported in Haiti and Chile. (210) 226-2140 Scripture is replete with references to earthquakes. There was an earthquake, for example, when God gave the Law at Sinai (Ex. 19:18). In Numbers 16:31-32, when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram E-mail rebelled against Moses’ leadership, God arranged for the earth to split open and swallow up not [email protected] only the men, but also their families and property. There was an earthquake before God revealed Himself to Elijah in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11). Matthew 27:50-54 tells us an earthquake accompanied Jesus’ death, and a second one occurred three days later in connection with His OrderLine resurrection (Matt. 28:1-4). We know that Paul and Silas were freed from their prison chains in (800) 926-5397 Philippi by a great earthquake (Acts 16:26). Scripture also tells us that earthquakes will be part of God’s judgments in the Tribulation Period (Ezek. 38:19; Rev. 6:12, 8:5, 11:19, 16:18). Website The Bible reports another kind of “earthquake”—one associated with events following Peter and www.cjfm.org John’s healing of the lame man in the Temple courts. Their public activities and healing of the crippled man had aroused the wrath of the religious leaders. These leaders then threatened the disciples, forbidding them to ever again speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Well, clearly the dis- ciples could not obey such an order. But they had every right to fear the consequences of their actions. So what did Peter and John do about this dilemma? They reported the situation to their companions and immediately held a prayer meeting. And the result? “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken (emphasis mine); and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). That was one serious prayer meeting! It says the power of God came down and shook the place where they had gathered! I wonder—when we encounter opposition to the Gospel, do we shrink back in fear or do we pray unitedly and with confidence like Peter and John did? By God’s grace, may our prayers be so powerful, and so intense, that they “shake” others into going out into the world and speaking the word of God with boldness! Thank you for being our companions in faith and ministry. May God richly bless and encour- age you—and give you boldness! Gary Hedrick ROBERT WEISSMAN, LONDON Quoting an Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report on the growing influence of Hamas in England, Israel National News stated that “London has become the epicenter of Hamas’ political, legal, and propaganda campaigns in Europe. Hamas operatives . have been par- ticularly successful . initiating widespread anti-Zionism throughout the country” (see www. israelnationalnews.com/news/news.aspx/136170). Even without the problems generated by Hamas, anti-Semitism in England goes back hundreds of years. In 1290, Britain expelled all Jewish residents (estimated anywhere from 4,000-16,000), and English authors as far back as Chaucer (c. 1343-1400) have portrayed Jewish characters negatively. Remember Shylock from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice? Britain’s institutionalized anti-Sem- CJF Ministries worker Robert Weissman itism was also well documented in the Academy Award winning movie, Chariots of Fire, which pitted the motives of Cambridge’s Jewish runner Harold Abrahams against Scotland’s missionary runner, Eric Liddell. Such ingrained anti-Semitic attitudes in any “Christian” nation (but especially in England) complicate Robert Weissman’s evangelistic efforts among Jewish people. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, approximately two-thirds of Great Britain’s 350,000 Jewish population lives in London. Within the city, there are several large Jewish communities—each with its own unique flavor. Some communities, for example, are more “artsy,” others more “genteel,” still others more “scholastic.” Robert, a CJFM worker and Jewish be- liever, focuses mainly on the Golders Green area, where professional and religious Jewish people live. Both his door-to-door outreach and his Bible studies at the Jewish Community Centre lead to some interesting conversations. Such conversations cover topics that include the debate between creationism and Darwinism, the virgin birth, and even the divinity of the Messiah. Very interesting discussions have also ensued when Jewish people discover—much to their chagrin—that various words in their Hebrew-English Tanakhs have either been mistranslated (e.g.,“virgin” in Isaiah 7:14), or left out altogether. In some cases, the translation of Isaiah 53 is totally missing. This chapter alone (which is so clearly messianic) provides Robert with many opportunities to discuss the Messiah’s role as the sacrifice for our sin. Robert is able to plant seeds, even if many Jewish people are not yet ready to take that final step of faith. Make no mistake; discipleship is costly for Jewish people. Dr. Charles Halff, the late founder of CJFM, told his own story in the book, What it Costs a Jew to Become a Christian. He—like many other Jewish believers—was not only rejected, but actually persecuted by his family. Dr. Halff’s father beat him, had him arrested, and literally disowned him. Dr. Halff went from being a well-heeled, upper-class young man to a castoff who didn’t know from where his next meal would come—and his experiences are not that unique. Why is there such a violent reaction from Jewish families and communities? Most Jewish people are convinced that those who believe in Yeshua are no longer Jewish, but rather, they are joining the camp of the enemy—those who were, and still are, per- petrators of anti-Semitism. At the same time, they believe that the Jewish “turncoat” is also depleting the ranks of an already shrinking Jewish population. Thus, a Jewish person who believes in Yeshua threatens the very existence of the Jewish people. Robert’s challenge—indeed, the challenge for all who would share the Gospel—is to demonstrate that Jewish believers are still Jewish; that believing in the Messiah is the most Jewish thing they can do. It means educating a Jewish person about God’s plan for him. In the early Church, a believing Gentile was not forced to become Jewish. In the same way, a believing Jewish person does not become a Gentile; he remains Jewish! Both the Jewish people and the New Testament Church have a place in God’s plan. And central to that plan, as well as to all of history, is the sinless Son of God—the Jewish Messiah. Pray that Robert will be able to overcome all that hinders a Jewish person from coming to faith. Pray for wisdom, persis- tence, and boldness, as he brings the Good News to the Jewish people of London. MENDOZA, ARGENTINA IMPACTED BY NEARBY CHILEAN EARTHQUAKE The 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile on February 27, registered a 5.8 in neighboring Mendoza, Argentina—home of CJFM worker Marcos Morales and his family. Marcos reports that the earthquake lasted about a minute. (For those of you who have not experienced earthquakes, that’s a LONG time!) Fortunately, there were no casualties in Mendoza, although many houses and office buildings suffered damage. Marcos reports that they have had over 120 aftershocks in the 5- to 6-point range on the Richter scale, eight of those have been epicentered in Argentina, and four of them in Mendoza itself. While Argentina has been impacted by the quake and the aftershocks, Chile has been devastated. Damage has affected communications and made main roads difficult to travel—both affecting relief efforts. Pray for the Chilean people, for the large Jewish commu- nity in Chile, and for the Jewish believers and workers in Mendoza. (Find a link to Marcos Morales’ complete report on our homepage at cjfm.org.) HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS According to a Time magazine report in 2008, “South Africa has some of the world’s worst levels of violent crime, with 52 people murdered every 24 hours, for an annual murder rate of 43.1 per 100,000 people. Added to that each year are 200,000 robberies, 55,000 rapes, and half-a-mil- lion cases of assault and attempted murder” (see http://bit.ly/cr1LlE). This out-of-control crime rate, along with a high unemployment rate, has driven many professionals to leave South Africa for greener (and safer) pastures. Despite these dismal statistics, however, CJFM worker Louise Newmark (a never-married, single woman) continues faithfully at her post in Johannesburg. This year, Louise celebrates 50 years on the mission field—nearly 20 of them with CJFM! Director of International Ministries Gideon Levytam and his wife Irene traveled to South Africa to visit Louise and share this milestone anniversary with her.