Money can buy almost anything, but it can’t buy the satisfaction our souls crave. King Solomon learned this lesson and shared his wisdom in Ecclesiastes. Solomon teaches about injustice, oppression, wealth, and the key to a meaningful life—crucial subjects with answers our world is desperately searching for today. Chris digs into Peter Colón’s Israel My Glory magazine article “No Satisfaction” …
October 10, 2020 | Interview: Steve Herzig, Update on Israel & the Middle East
Israel has sure been busy lately. This week we’re covering the most encouraging development in the region: Israel’s recent peace deals with the United Arab Emirates and with Bahrain, which we’re discussing with Steve Herzig, our director of North American Ministries here at The Friends of Israel. As positive as the agreements are, they may be just the beginning of …
October 3, 2020 | The Feast of Tabernacles
Every year at Christmas we are reminded that God came to Earth to dwell with humanity. Likewise, the Jewish holiday Sukkot, also called the Feast of Tabernacles, is a time to remember when God dwelled with people, specifically His Chosen People, in the Old Testament. This holiday celebrates God’s presence among the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in …
September 26, 2020 | Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is a special Jewish holiday. Where other holidays focus on feasting, this one focuses on fasting. Where others cause people to celebrate joyfully, this one causes people to pray remorsefully. This is a day to ask God to cover and forgive sins. Whereas sacrifices covered sins individually in the Old Testament, repentance at Yom Kippur covered sins collectively …
September 19, 2020 | Rosh Hashanah
Even though we’re far from January 1, this weekend marks a New Year celebration—Rosh Hashanah, the fall feast that celebrates the Jewish New Year. God established this holiday as the Feast of Trumpets for the Israelites in Leviticus. It’s a happy celebration but also one of remembrance. Nothing symbolizes this better than the shofar, which is blown on Rosh Hashanah …
September 12, 2020 | Interview: Bruce Scott, The Fall Feasts of Israel
Fall is a special time of year for many, but it’s especially loved by the Jewish people. Several major feasts mark this season—Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Awe, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. These are times of celebration and introspection focusing on the Lord’s goodness, provision, mercy, and holiness. They are days to rejoice, reflect, and remember who God is …
September 5, 2020 | Interview: Paula Joffe, StandWithUs
Anti-Semitism takes many forms—some of which are subtle enough to go unchecked. It has led to a culture that still finds Jewish people facing harassment and violence. That’s why the work of StandWithUs, an organization that supports Israel and fights anti-Semitism around the world, is so important. Our guest this week is Paula Joffe, the executive director of the Mid-Atlantic …
August 29, 2020 | Israel Still Matters to God, Part 3
I really messed up. God’s not going to forgive me this time. Can you relate to this feeling? Paul addressed this sentiment in Romans 11, the chapter we’re studying in the conclusion of our 3-part series on why Israel still matters to God. Some were questioning if Israel’s sins had caused God to reject them altogether. The comforting answer: Absolutely …
August 22, 2020 | Israel Still Matters to God, Part 2
Salvation is the blessed hope of everyone who accepts Jesus’ sacrifice to forgive their sins. In Romans 10, Paul shares that his greatest desire and prayer was for the Israelites to be saved. But his message was hard for them to understand. Though they had zeal, it was misplaced. They focused on earning righteousness by keeping the Law, when they …
August 15, 2020 | Israel Still Matters to God, Part 1
Here’s a sad thought: Many churches and Christian leaders teach that Israel, the nation of God’s Chosen People, doesn’t matter to God anymore. Much of the world feels the same way. But how can this be? Maybe these people just need to read Romans 9–11. We’re studying these three chapters in our three-part series “Israel Still Matters to God.” We’ll …