Around the World in 30 Days from David Brickner of Jews for Jesus in San Francisco, California, United States for Monday, 31 October 2016From David Brickner
Read—Prepare your heart for the upcoming holidays with this reflection of thanksgiving in the Hebrew Scriptures.Making God smile by David Brickner
I recently enjoyed some quality time with my granddaughter at an ice cream shop. She wanted a vanilla cone and, when I went to pay, the lady behind the counter said, “If it’s for her, it’s free.” After Norah had eaten most of it, we went back to the counter and she said, “Thank you for my ice cream cone.” The lady was so happy to receive those sweet words that she almost started to cry.
That got me thinking about how much the Lord appreciates our “thank yous.” Remember the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17? We want to be like the one (a Samaritan) who made sure to come back and give thanks to Jesus. So what are you most thankful to the Lord for today?
Among so many other things—such as life and health and salvation in Christ—I am thankful to God for you, and every single dear Jews for Jesus friend who has stood with us, prayed for us and supported our efforts to proclaim the gospel around the world.
Thankfulness is a recurring theme throughout God’s Word. Central to our heritage of faith—and certainly to my Jewish background—are the regular and genuine expressions of thanks to God for His blessings.
It’s only human to focus on our problems, of course. But no matter what problems we may be facing, we still have so many reasons to thank God. Doing so can turn us from trusting in ourselves to relying on His promises.
Thankfulness to God not only blesses Him, it blesses us. So an attitude of gratitude should be our goal every day, don’t you think?
With Thanksgiving coming soon, the best advice I can give to you and other brothers and sisters in Messiah is the same advice I give to myself (and I take no credit for it): “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!” (1 Chronicles 16:8).
In ancient Israel, giving thanks went far beyond mere words. Genuine thanksgiving was most sincerely expressed through special offerings to God, as described in Leviticus 7:12–13. The Israelites presented thick loaves of leavened bread as well as unleavened bread made with the finest flour and olive oil.
In Deuteronomy 16 we find that freely given offerings were made in proportion to the Lord’s blessings. Those offerings of thanks were not necessarily given out of an overabundance of resources, but often out of sorest need in sincere recognition of God’s gracious provision, especially in troubled times.
The psalmist faces the threat of death and the pain of all sorts of sorrow when he asks the Lord for deliverance, declaring, “I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord” (Psalm 116:17).
So it’s not just when all is well that we need to thank God. It’s when we recognize our need for Him and for His intervention in our lives that it’s most appropriate to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
Think about Leah, the wife of Jacob. Jacob didn’t love Leah, which caused her great pain. She tried to gain Jacob’s love by giving birth and said as much when she named their first three children Reuben, Simeon and Levi.
Reuben means “Behold, a son” or, according to some, “Behold, my affliction.” And the reason she gave him that name? “... for she said, ‘The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me’” (Genesis 29:32).
Then came Simeon, whose name means “heard.” Leah said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also” (Genesis 29:33). Next came Levi, whose name means “attached” because Leah thought, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons” (Genesis 29:34).
Leah was hoping to triumph over rejection and gain the love of her husband through her children. But it didn’t work. It was only after she had her fourth child that she decided to put aside her disappointment and instead give thanks to the Lord. So she named the child Judah, meaning “praise.” And that was the child God chose as He narrowed down the line through which Messiah would be born. What an amazing gift!
Leah is a picture of all of us who struggle to find love and acceptance in the midst of painful circumstances. With our eyes only on our predicament, we convince ourselves that solutions to our problems lie within our grasp, if only we change our circumstances. Leah’s circumstances didn’t change, but her heart did. The choice to thank and praise God is one we often make in spite of, not in light of, our circumstances. But praise and thanksgiving are powerful and transformative. Giving glory to God calms our fears and opens our lives to new possibilities.
Yes, it’s clear from even the most cursory reading of Scripture that deep, authentic appreciation is pleasing to God, central to our faith and good for the soul. I’m going to make the extra effort in this season to be thankful, to heed the admonition of Scripture and to make known God’s deeds to you and to all the people. I hope you’ll join me, and maybe even drop us a line to let us know how you and your loved ones are focusing on thanksgiving.
All around the world, our Jews for Jesus missionaries and volunteers are out and about. Whether we’re proclaiming Christ at a Thanksgiving Day parade or witnessing among the throngs of early holiday shoppers, we have a message of hope for a lost world. Those who hope in the Lord have great reason to give thanks, regardless of their circumstances. Please join us in giving thanks to Him in making known His deeds among the people. Like Norah, let’s make a specific effort to return to Him and give thanks. I don’t expect the Lord to shed tears of joy, but I believe our gratitude will certainly make Him smile.
David Brickner is also an author, public speaker and avid hiker. Find out more about David, his writings, speaking schedule and possible availability to speak at your church at jewsforjesus.org/david-brickner.
The rest of this newsletter edition is available by pdf. It includes bits from our branches in Berlin, Israel, Dnepropetrovsk, and New York; articles on our campaigns in Odessa and Budapest; a cartoon; and, of course, prayer prompters. Enjoy!
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Watch a video update on our Massah program which reaches Israelis in India with the gospel.
Top Stories
Find out how this South African Jewish woman came to faith on Yom Kippur!
Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is the most somber day in the Jewish year. So imagine the surprise of joy our staff in South Africa felt when God brought a new daughter into His kingdom on such a day! Missionary Aden Friedman reports from Johannesburg:
“My aunt April* first showed interest in what I do about two years ago. I invited her to come to Beit Y’shua, our local Messianic Congregation, which Jews for Jesus runs. April attended a Shabbat service, enjoyed it. Johannesburg branch leader Michael Sischy and I continued to reach out to her to talk about the Bible and about who Messiah is.
Aden shares the gospel message at the Yom Kippur service
I got April her own Bible, and she was so proud of it that she had it covered and her name printed on it. I asked her to read Isaiah 53. She did and exclaimed, “But this is Jesus!” without any prompting. Michael and I knew that God was at work in her heart.
Months later, we invited April to come to a Jews for Jesus Rosh Hashanah service. She attended with her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. She really enjoyed it and expressed to me how nice it was that she was able to learn more about the biblical meaning of Rosh Hashanah.
To my delight and encouragement, April also attended our Yom Kippur service ten days later. I was the speaker, and so I decided to issue a challenge to receive Yeshua as Messiah during the service.
Inspired by the traditional Jewish prayer shawl (called a tallis), I invited anyone who wanted to get married to Jesus there and then to come up and stand under the chuppah, the canopy under which Jewish wedding ceremonies are performed, which we had made with the tallis. April came confidently forward and prayed a prayer of repentance and forgiveness for her sins on the Day of Atonement—how fitting.
I saw her recently and she was wearing a wedding ring for the first time in ten years! (Her husband has passed away.) And she said to me she is now married to Jesus! Praise the Lord for his indescribable gift this Yom Kippur!”Read more stories of our work among the Jewish community in South Africa!
April receives Jesus as her atonement under the tallis.*Not her real name
Read about what Jews for Jesus is doing to reach millennial-age Jews in NYC.
Reaching Millennial Jews in NYC
Isaac Brickner meets David in Union Square
The numbers are in from our 10-day fall outreach in New York City! Our team connected with over 70 Jewish people who want to stay in touch with our missionaries, and we talked to more than 700 people on the streets about Jesus. During this outreach we focused on creative methods executed in key locations around universities and popular hangout spots in the city. Our staff are praising God for the real people that these statistics represent and for the ways God is working in their lives.
Young people in Washington Square Park stop to engage with a question about identity
Early in the second week of the outreach Elizabeth Black and Isaac Brickner both spoke to a young Jewish man named David* in Union Square. Later that week, Elizabeth’s husband Eryn Black saw David as well. “That Friday I saw him standing outside our office looking at our window display,” Eryn said. “When I asked him what he thought of it, he said it was interesting and that he was already familiar with Messianic Jewish believers and Jews for Jesus. He introduced himself, said he had already spoken to some of our staff, and that he would be coming to our Shabbat dinner that evening.”
That evening Isaac and Eryn had a chance to speak at length with David. He told them about his upbringing: his Jewish father and Gentile mother raised him in the Eastern Orthodox Church until high school, when he decided to convert to Judaism and become a modern Orthodox Jew. Eryn said, “We were able to share the entire gospel and have an in-depth conversation. David agreed to give me his phone number so we could continue meeting.”
Of the 389 Jewish people that our staff talked to during this New York City outreach, 60% were Millennials(young adults ages 18-30 who make up the largest demographic in America). Read more about ways Jews for Jesus is reaching Jewish students with the gospel message!
*Not his real name
Jews for Jesus founder Susan Perlman serves “Brews for Jesus” to NYU students
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Be Informed
End Times Eyewitness, a DVD created by bestselling author Joel Richardson, reveals which biblical prophecies of the last days are being fulfilled on earth today and what is coming next. Get your copy at the Jews for Jesus Store.
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RealTime
RealTime delivers breaking news and views on Jewish evangelism, as well as inspiring perspectives from executive director David Brickner. Check back often for the latest updates. You'll find reasons to praise — and opportunities for prayer.
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Jews for Jesus
Reaching Millennial Jews in NYC
Isaac Brickner meets David in Union Square
The numbers are in from our 10-day fall outreach in New York City! Our team connected with over 70 Jewish people who want to stay in touch with our missionaries, and we talked to more than 700 people on the streets about Jesus. During this outreach we focused on creative methods executed in key locations around universities and popular hangout spots in the city. Our staff are praising God for the real people that these statistics represent and for the ways God is working in their lives.
Young people in Washington Square Park stop to engage with a question about identity
Early in the second week of the outreach Elizabeth Black and Isaac Brickner both spoke to a young Jewish man named David* in Union Square. Later that week, Elizabeth’s husband Eryn Black saw David as well. “That Friday I saw him standing outside our office looking at our window display,” Eryn said. “When I asked him what he thought of it, he said it was interesting and that he was already familiar with Messianic Jewish believers and Jews for Jesus. He introduced himself, said he had already spoken to some of our staff, and that he would be coming to our Shabbat dinner that evening.”
That evening Isaac and Eryn had a chance to speak at length with David. He told them about his upbringing: his Jewish father and Gentile mother raised him in the Eastern Orthodox Church until high school, when he decided to convert to Judaism and become a modern Orthodox Jew. Eryn said, “We were able to share the entire gospel and have an in-depth conversation. David agreed to give me his phone number so we could continue meeting.”
Of the 389 Jewish people that our staff talked to during this New York City outreach, 60% were Millennials(young adults ages 18-30 who make up the largest demographic in America). Read more about ways Jews for Jesus is reaching Jewish students with the gospel message!
*Not his real name
Jews for Jesus founder Susan Perlman serves “Brews for Jesus” to NYU students
-------
Be Informed
End Times Eyewitness, a DVD created by bestselling author Joel Richardson, reveals which biblical prophecies of the last days are being fulfilled on earth today and what is coming next. Get your copy at the Jews for Jesus Store.
-------
RealTime
RealTime delivers breaking news and views on Jewish evangelism, as well as inspiring perspectives from executive director David Brickner. Check back often for the latest updates. You'll find reasons to praise — and opportunities for prayer.
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Jews for Jesus
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Phone 415-864-2600
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