CJF Ministries®PO Box 345 San Antonio, Texas 78292-0345 “God has not forgotten the Jewish people, and neither have we.”

Telephone (210) 226-0421

Fax (210) 226 - 2140

E-mail info@cjfm.org

OrderLine (800) 926 - 5397

Website www.cjfm.org

March 2015

Dear Friend,

This year brings both challenges and great opportunities for the Gospel in the Land of Israel.

While God is clearly at work there, so is the enemy. Many protestant churches in Jerusalem are replacing their clergy with anti-Israel activists—men who openly malign Israel from the pulpit and promote the Palestinian narrative. An article in the February 2015 online issue of Israel Today summarized the situation this way: “Protestant believers in Jerusalem must search in vain for Sunday services to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Hirelings have taken over and have chased away the real shepherds along with the true believers.” Please pray that God will intervene in this matter.

Despite the distressing trend, there is positive news. The Church of England finally reined in their outspoken anti-Israel cleric, Stephen Sizer. Sizer went too far when he reposted links on his Facebook page that accused the Jewish people of being behind the 9/11 attacks, and other clearly anti-Semitic drivel. Church officials finally concluded that Sizer’s activities might interfere with the proclamation of the Gospel. While Sizer was allowed to retain his position as vicar of Christ Church in Surrey, England, he was banned from using social media or in any way speaking out on the Middle East.

On an even more positive note, a new generation of Sabra (native-born) Messianic Jewish believers is coming into its own. These young Israelis are gaining recognition as more of them publically declare their faith in Yeshua the Messiah, and their devotion to the Land of their birth. More and more Messianic young people are serving with distinction in the IDF and performing with excellence in other fields. Part of our work in Israel is to disciple and mentor these young Israeli believers—preparing them to stand strong so that one day they might evangelize and disciple their fellow citizens. Please pray for them and for our work among them.

Thank you for your faithful support of our work in Israel. We really couldn’t do it without you. May God richly bless you for your love of the Jewish people!

Yours for the salvation of Israel,

Dr. Gary Hedrick

GOSPEL WORK

Bethany, PA 4/02/15 PM Bethany Presbyterian ChurchPresentation Hamlet, NC 4/03/15 PMCalvary Baptist ChurchPresentation

Bordentown, NJ 4/12/15 AMGateway to Life Community ChurchPresentation Little Falls, NY 4/19/15 PMFirst Baptist Church of Little FallsPresentation

PASSOVER 2015 PROJECT 929

Hammond, LA 3/06/15Women’s MinistryWoodland Park Baptist ChurchModel Seder

New Orleans, LA 3/11/15New Orleans MissionDemo

Covington, LA 3/18/15Grace Harbor Family ChurchModel Seder

New Orleans, LA 3/19/15Covenant HouseModel Seder

Hammond, LA 3/21/15 Sunday School Class Woodland Park Baptist ChurchDinner

Houma, LA 3/22/15Cornerstone Foursquare ChurchDinner

Baton Rouge, LA 3/29/15 Jefferson Baptist ChurchDemo

Mobile, AL 4/02/15Christ Anglican ChurchDinner

Boutte, LA 4/05/15Life ChurchDemo

Bogalusa, LA 4/12/15Temple Baptist ChurchDemo New Orleans, LA 4/12/15Tikvat YisraelModel Seder

CJFM SEDER PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

Michelle Beadle

Sandy, UT 3/08/15 AMSandy Ridge Community ChurchPresentation

Las Vegas, NV 3/28/15 PMCornerstone Christian FellowshipSeder

Las Vegas, NV 4/03/15 PMBeth YeshuaSeder

Las Vegas, NV 4/05/15 AMCanyon Springs BaptistSeder

Boulder City, NV 4/06/15 PMVeterans HomePresentation

Las Vegas, NV 4/12/15 AMNorthstar Baptist ChurchSeder

Boulder City, NV 4/19/15 AMBethany Baptist ChurchPresentation

Jamestown, NJ 3/29/15 AMCalvary Chapel CrossfieldsPresentation

Richard Hill

Passover is about Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. But the underlying lesson of the Exodus is much greater. Through the 10 plagues, God showed Himself to be greater than all the gods of Egypt, and demonstrated that He was able to place a hedge of protection around those He had chosen for His own (see biblecharts.org/oldtestament/thetenplagues.pdf). God brought the Israelites out of Egypt with His mighty hand, provided for them in the wilderness, and repeatedly showed that He alone is to be worshiped and served. When Israel rebelled or complained, and God threatened to destroy the people, Moses interceded for them, appealing to God’s honor and reputation (e.g. Ex. 32:10-14).

Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was for a purpose. God wanted for Himself a people who would not only serve Him, but who would also declare His wonders and glory among the nations (e.g. Gen. 12:2-3; Isa. 11:10, 42:6, 49:6, 55:3-5; Ezek. 36:21-23; and Mal. 1:11, 14b). Passover celebrates a special event in the life of the Jewish people, but it is also a reminder of why God called them out of Egypt. They are to point others to the one true God.

The festival of Passover is, without question, the most significant modern Jewish holiday—joyfully celebrated by secular and religious Jewish people alike. But Gentiles can rejoice, too. Because of the Jewish people’s miraculous deliverance from Egypt, and God’s preservation of them throughout the centuries, we today can know the one true God, and His Messiah (Rom. 9:4-5; John 17:3). Chag Sameach!

Peter Parkas

Polls show that more than half of all Israelis (both secular and religious) would be willing to devote five minutes a day to the study of God’s Word. And so, during Hanukkah 2014, the State of Israel launched a major Bible reading initiative known as Project 929. The project encourages all Israelis to read and study the 929 chapters of the Old Testament Scriptures together—one chapter each day. A government website displays the chapter to be read that day, and gives visitors the option of reading it or listening to it in Hebrew. Those participating will complete the entire Tanach three years from now, on the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence (May 2018).

There are objections to the project. Those on the extreme left warn against this “obsession with Jewish identity,” and see the state-sponsored Bible reading as a “dangerous national-religious trend.” Rabbis on the right are more concerned, however, with those who will be providing daily commentary on the readings. According to Israel Today’s article on the subject, “commentary will be provided by leading Israeli authors, journalists, academics, poets and other cultural icons.” Conservative rabbis worry that some in that broad and diverse group will treat the Word of God irreverently, or twist its meaning to further their own political or social agendas. These concerns are legitimate, and those behind the initiative have agreed to let a panel of rabbis screen all commentaries before they are posted on the website.

Project 929’s sponsors expect to do some additional fine-tuning along the way, but remain optimistic about the project. Please pray for this initiative, that God will use His Word to call Jewish people back to Himself, and all Israelis to repentance and faith in Him.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it ” (Isa. 55:10-11).

Steven DuBois

Godot13

PASSOVER 2015 PROJECT 929

ANSWERING JEWISH OBJECTIONSTO JESUS VOLUME ONE: General and Historical Objectionsby Dr. Michael L. Brown

“I was born a Jew and I will die a Jew.” “I won’t betray my ancestors!” “If Jesus is the Messiah, why isn’t there peace on earth?” This book provides the honest, fair, comprehensive answers that objections such as these deserve. Combining scholarship, engaging style, and spiritual seriousness, Michael Brown answers thirty-five objections on general and historical themes.

Book (BB-07) 270 pages, $19

A SHEPHERD LOOKS AT PSALM 23by Phillip Keller

Author Phillip Keller, formerly a shepherd himself, “leads the reader to remarkable places: to the greenest pastures of discovery and the coolest waters of fulfillment hidden in Psalm 23, the ‘Shepherd Psalm.’ All who make this exciting journey will rediscover the expressions of love that Christ, the Great Shepherd, extends to us, ‘the sheep of His pastures.’”

Book (ASLP) 144 pages, $7

CELEBRATING BIBLICAL FEASTS:In Your Home or Churchby Martha Zimmerman

Experience the New Testament significance of Old Testament feasts. Serving up rich insights into seven Jewish meals, Zimmerman explains the meaning of each repast, lists materials necessary for observance, and provides complete directions for the events. Help your family or church grasp the symbolic representations of Christ found in Passover, the Sabbath, and more.

Book (BB-10) 190 pages, $11

MISHKAN 65—The Legitimacy of Israelby Multiple Authors

Mishkan is a quarterly journal dedicated to biblical and theological thinking on issues related to Jewish evangelism, Hebrew-Christian/Messianic-Jewish identity, and Jewish-Christian relations. Articles in this edition focus on the specific topic above.

Book (BB-164) 58 pages, $12

“What God Says About Nothing”(February 23—March 9)by Dr. Gary Hedrick

Most of the time, in our Bible studies, we’re talking about what God says about something. But what we need to realize is this: God also has a lot to say about nothing.

CD (GT-100CD) $6

“The Spring Feasts of the Lord”(March 10—April 15)by Dr. Gary Hedrick

Gary explains that the feasts mentioned in Leviticus 23 are not only significant in themselves, but they collectively form an exciting outline of God’s plan leading up to His second coming. The CDs cover Pesach (Passover) and Shabbat (the Sabbath), Hag HaMatzot (Feast of the Unleavened Bread), Yom HaBikkurim (Day of Firstfruits), and Hag Shavu’ot (Feast of Weeks). A series on the fall feasts is also available.

CD (GT-91CD) $18

“The Shepherd’s Song”(April 16-30)by Dr. Gary Hedrick

Do you think you have learned everything there is to know about Psalm 23? You might be surprised!

CD (GT-36CD) $6

BROADCASTS

March 2015

Resources