Steve Conover: Welcome to the Friends of Israel Today. I'm Steve Conover. With me is our host and teacher, Chris Katulka.

Chris Katulka: Hey, Steve. We've got a great episode, actually. We're going to be talking all about our upcoming Look Up Virtual Conference, Awaken. We want to open your eyes to the promise of Christ's return. And so for this episode, I'm going to share what you can expect on March 4th and 5th, our online virtual conference, but also I'm going to tease a little bit of the message that I'm going to be giving as well from Second Thessalonians chapter one. So it's going to be a very enlightening episode, and I hope an informative episode on how our listeners can get involved in our Look Up Virtual Conference, Awaken.

Steve Conover: But first in the news, Canada's Parliament lost order among its members after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau replied to a member of Parliament by accusing members of the Conservative Party for "standing with people who wave swastikas". After his comments, the House of Commons erupted in shouts. The Conservative Party demanded an apology for Trudeau's incendiary comments.

Chris Katulka: Steve, it's atrocious. Trudeau's immature response was directed to Conservative MP, Melissa Lantsman, who is Jewish herself and the descendant of Holocaust survivors. She believes Trudeau is overstepping by invoking the Emergencies Act to stop trucker blockade in the Ottawa protests. And his only response to this Jewish woman is that she's associating herself with people who love swastikas. Listen, I know that we at Friends of Israel stand with MP Lantsman and the Canadians who deserve an apology from their prime minister.

Chris Katulka: Okay, so maybe you've heard about our latest Look Up Virtual Conference we've been talking about it. It's called Awaken. And we've been talking about it for quite some time now over the past few weeks. Awaken is going to open your eyes to the promise of Christ's Return. Our culture has fallen asleep to the fact that Jesus is coming back. In the Old Testament, the prophets and writers were reminding the Israelites to wake up from their spiritual slumber. In the gospels, Jesus, the Messiah himself, was telling his people to wake up from their spiritual drowsiness. And even the apostles in the New Testament were heeding us even today through their writings, through the scriptures, to stay sober, to stay awake to the truth that Christ is returning.

Today in our culture, today in our time, we have been falling asleep to the glorious return of Jesus Christ. And you know what? We need to awaken. We need to open our eyes to the promise of Christ's return because Jesus is coming back. At our Look Up Virtual Conference, we want to show you the significance of the return of Jesus Christ. We want to teach about the rapture of the church and his glorious coming and the coming kingdom. And all of this will be done through a study of First and Second Thessalonians. That's what Awaken is all about. And really the question is this, are you in? Are you in, will you join us? These Look Up conferences have been such a blessing as believers from all over the world have been tuning in to our hope-filled prophecy conferences, and I'm confident that Awaken is going to bless you as we wait with great anticipation for the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Now, Awaken features six teaching sessions that are broken up over two days, March 4th and March 5th. And I'll be your host for both nights. And with me will be Dr. Jim Showers, the Executive Director of the Friends of Israel, Steve Herzig, who is the North American Ministries Director, Dr. Mike Stallard, the International Ministries Director, Dan Price, who's the Assistant Director of International Ministries, and Ty Perry, a Friends of Israel Field Ministry Representative from Las Vegas. I promise that you're going to leave this virtual conference with a greater understanding of First and Second Thessalonians and a confidence in God's prophetic plan.

On the first night, on March 4th, starting at 7:00 PM, Jim Showers will open the evening with an overview of First and Second Thessalonians. And after that, Steve Herzig will teach from First Thessalonians chapter four, the comforting promise of Christ's return, a message that's all about the rapture of the church, which is really the greatest reason to wake up. And concluding the first night will be Dan Price and his message, Expect the Unexpected: What to Expect at the Coming Day of the Lord.

On Saturday, March 5th, starting at 7:00 PM eastern time. I forgot to mention that earlier, but this is all eastern time. I will share a message titled, Tossing and Turning, which I'm going to share a little bit with you in a moment. But the tossing and turning, that feeling that we have as we wait for Christ's return today. After I speak on Saturday evening, Dr. Mike Stallard will speak about Christ's imminent return, the fact that it could happen at any moment. And I actually love the title of his message. It's called this, A Word of Warning: Don't Hit Snooze! Now listen, I told Mike, my problem is that I love hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock, so he's going to really have to work hard to convince me not to sleep just a little bit longer.

And finally Ty Perry will conclude our conference with an encouraging word as we awaken to the new day. This is Ty's first time speaking at our online virtual conference and I know that he will be a real blessing to all of you who tune in. We want you to awaken to the fact that Christ is returning. This should change your life as a believer. That should drive us as Christians. It should drive the way that we think, it should drive the way that we act and speak and work and love others, because at any moment Christ could appear.

Chris Katulka: Now, listen, I want to just stop for a moment because I want to share with you how you can get involved in our free, that's right. I said, free, Look Up Virtual Conference, Awaken. I promise you this prophecy conference is going to be nothing but great opportunities to dive into God's Word as we study First and Second Thessalonians. So we want you to be ready for Christ's return and we want you to looking around as you see what's going on in the world, as you await the glorious appearing of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Chris Katulka: Steve, can you share with our listeners how they can participate, how they can get involved and how they can register for our Look Up Virtual Conference, Awaken?

Steve Conover: Yes, Chris, not only is the conference free, if you register, you'll receive a free one year subscription to a Israel My Glory digital magazine. You can register at lookup.foi.org. That's lookup.foi.org. Don't miss this valuable study with us this March fourth and fifth.

Chris Katulka: Now let me tease a little bit of my message for you here. My message is titled Tossing and Turning from Second Thessalonians chapter one verses three through 12. You know, there's a phrase that's used in the Book of Psalms, it's actually a cry of the saints that are crying out to God from Genesis to Revelation. And it's that phrase, you've probably heard it before. “How long, O Lord?” Old Testament saints waited for the Messiah's arrival to deliver them from their enemies. How long, O Lord? The church, dealing with the physical and persecution, is waiting for the Messiah to come again and to make all things new. But as we wait, we're saying, “How long, O Lord?” And here's what's amazing about the Bible is this, is that Jesus never promised his followers a simplistic, effortless, or even easy life. But the prophetic hope that he secured in his death, resurrection, and ascension ensures that one day his people will be vindicated and all wrongs will be made right.

The Apostle Paul is reiterating to the Thessalonians and to the church at large that God hears their prayers and will avenge their suffering. In my message, I actually like to couple Paul's words from Second Thessalonians to Psalm 94, because there are some similar themes that can be found there. Paul starts by commending the faith, the love, and the endurance of believers in Thessalonica. They were dealing with serious persecution as believers. And listen to what he says, starting in Second Thessalonians chapter one, verse three. We ought to always give thanks to God for you brothers, as it is right because your faith is growing abundantly. And the love of every one of you for one another is increasing, therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

Chris Katulka: Paul is actually setting the stage for his message on the return of Christ, but he prefaces it with the fact that Christians are being persecuted. They're suffering. It's the cry of God's people. “Why do the righteous suffer, Lord, and the wicked prosper?” That's what Psalm 94:3 is all about. “How long, O Lord?” That is the real question. And I'm sure believers were asking themselves this same question at the dinner table during the days of Paul. And it's a question that's asked today. Christians are actually the most persecuted people in the world. Once I heard a Coptic Christian from Egypt explain that when he takes his kids to Sunday school in the morning, they tell them that one day, as kids, they might be martyred for their faith. Could you imagine sending your kids off to Sunday school in the morning at church on Sunday morning, and they hear this idea that they could be martyred for their faith?

In many parts of the world, it is not safe to be a Christian. And yet Paul commends the church in Thessalonica for their faith, their love, their steadfastness and their endurance. Another word that means hope. There it is, faith, hope, and love. And Paul can speak so confidently about the Thessalonians because he knows one thing. And that's what this conference is all about. Waking up, the idea that we're waking up to the fact that Jesus Christ is coming back. He was confident that Jesus is coming back. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 94:2, he says this. “Rise up, O Judge of the earth. Repay to the proud what they deserve.” Well, listen, we're not asking the Judge of the earth to rise up because he already did that. As Christians today, we're asking the Judge of the earth to come down.

Did you ever hear the phrase? “Maranatha, our Lord come?” Or “Come, Lord Jesus?” What's being asked is that the Judge of the earth would come down. Listen to what Paul says to those who are suffering and being persecuted and who are crying out to God. “How long, O Lord?” He says this in Second Thessalonians chapter one, starting in verse five. “This is the evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to grant relief to those who are afflicted as well as to us. And when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

Look, Paul is saying here that the suffering and persecution of Christians from the days of Paul to 2022 will not be overlooked by God. There's a biblical study that's called the Theology of Suffering and a major component to the theology of suffering that actually isn't mentioned that much is the prophetic component. The sufferings and persecution of a Christian, they produce perseverance. They produce character. That's biblical. But according to Paul here our suffering too will one day be vindicated by God. God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us when Jesus Christ is revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Listen, in God's eyes, Christian suffering and persecution is an injustice. And our God considers it just. It's a just act to judge those who persecute his people. If the cry of God's people is, “how long, oh Lord?” then God's response is this. “Soon.” And Paul is looking prophetically at the day when Jesus will return. He uses the word reveal there, which is a Greek word for you might have heard this before, apocalypse. Christ revealing His second. At his revealing he's going to bring judgment for those who afflicted Christians. And I believe too, who have persecuted the Jewish people. Christ will inflict his vengeance on those who do not know God or obey his judgment. In fact, Paul writes, “they will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”

Listen, the question of the literal nature of hell in the Bible is a real one being discussed these days. Many question whether hell is a real physical place, but I look here in Second Thessalonians chapter one and Paul seems to definitely indicate that those who afflict believers will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of God. That sounds like a real physical place to me. And in the end, the Judge of the earth, remember that, the Judge of the earth will come down.

Listen, this is why it's so important to be the light and a witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. In that you say you're saved, I'm a born again believer in Jesus, I'm saved. The question you have to ask yourself is this, “what am I saved from?” You're not just saved from your sins. You're actually saved from the judgment that's coming because the judge is coming down. He will vindicate the righteous and the wicked. He will judge. When we share the Good News of Jesus Christ, we are inviting every and all people to repent and turn to God through Christ, to find forgiveness from the sins that we should be judged for. God and his grace provided a way to be both the just and the justifier. He never compromised his holiness, but he did sacrifice his one and only Son so that in Him, we may have eternal life.

This is why it's important to awaken, everybody, to Christ's return. Like Paul, we should be concerned for the lost because Christ is coming back. The judge is coming down. I pray that this stirs us to be more intentional and more aware of what it means to share the good news to a lost and broken world and to understand, to awaken to the fact that Jesus Christ is returning. And this is why you need to join us for our Look Up Virtual Conference, Awaken. So be sure to register today by going to lookup.foi.org. It's all free. Again, that's lookup.foi.org. We'll see you March fourth and fifth. That's lookupfoi.org.

Steve Conover: Chris, your words encourage me to live in the constant reality that Christ is returning. And knowing that that affects the way I view my relationship with Him, but also with others, that it brings an urgency that I would want them to know the truth of the gospel.

Chris Katulka: Yeah, because if you know, the Judge is coming and you know, we're all guilty before the Judge, but through God, he's provided a way to have forgiveness and that we can be seen righteous in his eyes because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and his death, burial, and resurrection, it makes you realize the judge is coming down. I need to get this message out as soon as possible that he's coming back again. And if you ever read Paul in light of that, I always read Paul in light of the fact that he knew Jesus was coming, that's why he got on a boat and endured many sufferings, extreme persecution, a lot of tribulation in his own life because he knew the king was coming and he wanted to get to Rome to let that king in Rome who thought he was the king of Kings, he wanted that king in Rome to know that, no, the real king of Kings is coming. You need to be prepared. And he was sharing the gospel with everybody. That's the way we should live, in light of Christ's return.

Steve Conover: Israel, on the verge of becoming a state, a teenaged Holocaust survivor arrives on her shores alone. His name is Zvi Kalisher. Little did he know his search for a new life in the holy land would lead him to the Messiah. Zvi, enthusiastic to share his faith, engaged others in spiritual conversations, many of which can be found in our magazine, Israel My Glory. While Zvi is now in the presence of his Savior, his collective writings from well over 50 years of ministry continue to encourage believers worldwide. Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life of Zvi.

Mike Kellogg: Recently, I was waiting for the bus for Jerusalem when two young men asked me for directions to a synagogue, which I was glad to give them. One replied, "We want to pray, but we've already been to that synagogue and it is locked up tight." I asked, "If every synagogue were locked, would you not pray?" They looked strangely at me, and one asked, "How can you pray without a minyan?" A minyan is 10 people required to conduct a Jewish worship service. I responded, “God is not looking to see if you pray in a synagogue. He looks at your heart. If you pray to him from your heart, your prayer will be heard in heaven."

As we were talking, more people joined the conversation. Some of the men belong to the synagogue that was locked and because they know me, one asked, "Why are you trying to brainwash these young men?" I said, "My duty is to bring them closer to God, not according to the old traditions, but according to Zechariah chapter one, verse three. “Return to me, says the Lord of hosts and I will turn to you." Zechariah also refers to your old traditions. "Do not be like a fathers, to whom the former prophets preach saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.’” But they did not hear nor heed me, says the Lord.’" It was like a small miracle to be able to give them facts from the Bible. It was also a small miracle the bus was late, giving me more time to share the truth with them.

Eventually the two young men said they wanted to repent and they asked me to take them to the rabbi. I said, "If you really want to repent, you do not need a rabbi. Go before the Lord and open your hearts before him. Then you will know you are saved from your sins. God is pleased when you come before him and say, Lord, save me. You can say, just as king David did in Psalm 25:1-2,,’ To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in you. Let me not be ashamed.’"

I read the remainder of Psalm 25, along with some other passages, including Jeremiah 31:33. “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my people.” And as soon as I spoke the word “covenant,” some of the old men said to the young men, “you must fear him. He is speaking from the New Testament, the book those Christians believe.” I told them how blind they were as I showed them I had read from the prophet Jeremiah. All were surprised. This was the first time most of them had seen that the Jewish prophets spoke about the new covenant. I then showed them some Old Testament passages that clearly speak of the Lord Jesus. I pray I will have more opportunities to meet with them, especially the two young men and tell them how they can truly repent by putting their faith and trust in the Messiah.

Chris Katulka: The impact in Zvi's life in ministry in Israel, it didn't end when he went home to be with the Lord. In fact, Zvi's legacy lives on. Our Friends of Israel Ministry representatives continue to share the gospel in Jerusalem, Israel, and really all throughout the world. We also serve Holocaust survivors and their families. We provide free food, medicine, and clothing, and we even promote the safety and security of the state of Israel and the Jewish people everywhere. So when you give to the Friends of Israel, your donation actually allows us to advance the gospel of our Messiah, Jesus. You can give online by visiting foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org. You can click right there on our donate link. Also be sure to let us know where you listen when you contact us.

Steve Conover: We're so glad you chose to join us for this episode of The Friends of Israel Today. Chris, why don't you tell our listeners where we're headed next week?

Chris Katulka: We always like to feature the ministries that are happening all around the world with Friends of Israel. And so we're going to be doing our Friends of Israel In Action, and we're going to be looking at our North American Ministry Outreach. We're looking forward to having Carrie Gould, who's a new ministry representative with us here at Friends of Israel, sharing about the work she's doing in the Jewish community of North Jersey.

Steve Conover: Our host and teacher is Chris Katulka. Today's program was produced by Tom Gallione. Our theme music was composed and performed by Jeremy Strong. Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold. I'm Steve Conover, executive producer. Our mailing address is FOI Radio, PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Again, that's FOI Radio, PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. And one last quick reminder to visit us at foiradio.org. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. We are a worldwide evangelical ministry, proclaiming biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah while bringing physical and spiritual comfort to the Jewish people.