The Apple of His Eye NEWSLETTER

PO BOX 6977

ST. LOUIS MO 63123

WWW.AOHEMS.ORG steve.cohen@appleofhiseye.org

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Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; proclaim to the nations what he has done.

Psalm 105:1

MAY 2017

Please LIKE our new facebook site and invite your friends and churches to LIKE it too: https://www.facebook.com/theappleofhiseyemissionsociety

THE WANDERING JEWSSince January of this year, we have had the privilege to travel much of the western half of the United States fulfilling our continuing mission - Boldly declaring Y’shua as Messiah; Urgently equipping the church to do the same. Nancy and I have been blessed by the gracious receptions given to us as we share the Good News of Messiah, Y’shua.

Our deep appreciation goes out to Izabella Cormier for her excellent work coordinating our schedule, and to Debby Wilson as she communicates with our supporters in prayer.

Our deep thanks and prayers go out to:

Rev. Brauer & Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Cedar Park, TXRev. Hemenway & Trinity Lutheran Church in Springfield, ILRev. Widger & St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ft. Worth, TXRev. Hulvey & Lutheran Church of the Cross in Kent, WARev. Byars & Apostles Lutheran Church in Peoria, AZRev. Hiller & Peace With Christ Lutheran in Aurora, CORev. Shrank & Nancy Barton at Best Practices in PhoenixRev. Kraemer & Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield, ILRev. Gustafson & Trinity Lutheran Church in Merrill, WIRev. Gudmundson & Nicole Dollevoet at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sheboygan Falls, WIRev. Shaw & St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson, MORev. Scharrer & Beautiful Savior Lutheran in Antioch, ILRev. Kootz & Trinity Lutheran Church in Salina, KSConcordia High School in Omaha, NERev. Zehnder & Terri Hitsman for the seder at King of Kings in Omaha, NERev. Sparling & Immanuel Lutheran Church in Columbus, NEThe Capital Zone LWML in Austin, TexasRev. Christopherson & The Worship Place, Sun City TXRev. Scott Snow & The Winkel in Augusta, KS

We are blessed that these friends stand with us in the bringing of the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles with purpose and urgency. Know that they, and YOU, are praying for us urges us forward in these very challenging times. To God be the glory, great things HE has done!

Steve & Nancy Cohen

THE FUTURE LOOKS

LIKE THIS

In April, Nancy and I were in Omaha to share a Passover Seder at King of Lings Lutheran Church. Over 900 participated that evening and it was a wonderful event facilitated by their super administrator, Terri Hitsman. The day before this wonderful event, we had the oppor-tunity to speak at the chapel at Concordia High School/Junior High School there. I have been in dozens of schools across the country, some good, and some not-so-good.

The worship team at Concordia Jr. & Sr. High School, Omaha, NE

Our experience at Concordia will remain as a high water mark for us for a very long time. The musicianship and spirit led time of worship by the students really captured our hearts. Hundreds of students stood up for Jesus in worship, song and prayer and the presence of the Lord was almost palpable. Nancy and I praise God for those who are giving leadership there and for the maturity in Christ exhibited by the students. With disciples like these, the future of our church is in good hands.! THANK YOU for including us! - Steve Cohen Romans 10:1

A brief note from Bradley Long, our partner withImmanuel Ministries, in Tel Aviv

Outreach - Messiahcode

Through Immanuel ministries we had the opportunity to join the missionary couple: Aron and Rebecca on some of their outreach projects. The outreaches basically involve going around in the main streets to talk to people and give out different flyers on differ-ent themes, for example: “Does God exist, and in that case where is He in all the painful things around us?” “When is the war going to end? (spiritually)” and “How can Jesus

be the Messiah according to the prophecies?” My impression is that people in Tel Aviv are really open, and it is amazing to see that most of the flyers we give out are being received positively. But of course, some get really upset and throw them away. ...The first outreach I went to I think I gave out over 200 flyers and got to talk to some inter-esting people about Jesus. I remember specially one women we talked to for a long time. She had lost one in her family and couldn’t understand how God could let that happened. We got to share the gospel with her!

On the back of every flyer you can see a phone number, website and an e-mail, where people can contact and re-ceive a free book if they want to know more. The team is really good on following up and are regis-tering everyone that orders the free book. They try to arrange home visits where they can ask questions and are also offering bible studying. PLEASE PRAY FOR GROWING OUTREACH IN ISRAEL! Thank you - sc

NAN

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CORNER

“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, NIV

I Just Don’t Understand After having been a Pastor’s wife for 30 years and then changing denomi-

nations, I am totally confused when I see how my fellow servants of God (the pastor’s wives) are treated or may I say, ignored? These women (many) helped to put their husbands through seminary, produced families, keep the home a place of refuge for her weary husband, serve in ministries (some time multiple) in the church, often hav-ing to hold a second job to help with the income, often sacrifice birthdays (both hers and their children’s) to the need of the congregation, spend many nights and weekends on her own while her man is serving in his calling, I could continue. And yet – they are the least praised, encouraged and positively acknowledged. I just thought everyone treated the pastor’s wife as I had been treated. There were birthday and Christmas gifts from the church, get away retreats for me (I called them recouping retreats), flowers and lots of luncheons with my sweet ladies. It was an honor to be a pastor’s wife and my little audience at home saw this as well. Two of my three children went into full time service.

And yet how many children see a different picture. When we look at the emotional, financial cost to the wife, is there any wonder why men aren’t filling our seminaries? (of course, the cost of school is another factor – but that’s a different article).

KUDOS to the Pastors Wife!! This Poem is dedicated to YOU!This pastor’s wife poem reminds us that a pastor’s wife is “called” just as much as her husband.

We often hear of Heroes on the news at night, How someone went into a fire To save someone else’s life.But, there’s another hero that we never hear about, Though Her love and dedication are never in a doubt.Often took for granted... Never glorified, Still she keeps on going for the person by her side.She stands beside him every day no matter what ... is thrown their way, For he was called from above To spread the message of “GOD’S LOVE”.And just as he was called... She was hand-picked too.

for it takes someone Special to do what she must do.And thou he may get the Glory and he may get the Fame, She will stand beside him in Love and Help him just the same.She’s the person he turns to when he needs a friend, She will always be there till the “Glorious End”.I would like to take this moment to introduce to you, a LOVELY unsung Hero for whom GOD hand-picked to spend Her life as The Pastor’s WIFE.(Author unknown) From my heart, blessings and love, nancy

LWML

Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.

I Chronicles 16:23

And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Mark 13:10

I was in the states on furlough from the mission field and married Steve – not to return to France, but to enter a different field of work: reaching my own people for the Messiah.

I was unbelievably excited to be in this wonderful mission society with my husband. However, in the short time I had been married, I was also very discouraged over the lack of emphasis or excite-ment in the church for missions. The first Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) convention that I had ever attended was in Manhattan, Kansas almost nine years ago.

Steve was a speaker and we were working a booth for The Apple of His Eye, Mission Society.

For the opening ceremony, we were seated at the head table with a very mission-motivated, former pastor’s wife whose heart was in love with the mis-sion field. Music began to play and in marched beautiful young ladies carrying flags with Scrip-ture on every flag that represented God’s Word on missions – each flag from different Kansas coun-ties.

Here it was. A direct answer to my prayers for people in my new church, who cared about and loved mis-sions! Wow! LWML – a group of precious Lutheran women determined to carry out the great commission via prayer, community and enabling financially.

I have said it before and it has become my mantra – LWML is the last bastion for mission in the LCMS. They are holding the rope for so many servants who are in action both on the foreign and domestic field for Y’shua!! They are champions of the faith in reaching the lost for Christ.

On behalf of The Apple of His Eye, Mission Society – Thank You LWML for loving God’s Chosen and for aiding us in Reaching them in Israel. Be prepared for the blessing of the Lord on your outreaches:

“I’ll bless those who bless you, but I’ll curse the one who curses you, and through you all the people of the

earth will be blessed.” Genesis 12:3

The nation is like a mighty lion;When it is sleeping, no one dares wake it.

Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed,And whoever curses Israel will be cursed.”

Numbers 24:9

If you are going to be in Albuquerque for the LWML convention this summer, please come up to our booth, # 203, so that we can

thank you in person. Both Steve and I will be addressing the convention, so we seek your

prayers for God’s blessing on our time there!

Debby Curry, Texas District LWML president, greeted us at the Capitol area rally in April. Nancy was the guest speaker.

On a recent flight to the midwest, I was seated next to a professor of theology from an Austin seminary. As conversations go, one of the first questions we ask is, “What do you do?” When I told her that I was a missionary among the Jewish people, she said, “We don’t believe that is a neces-sary part of the church’s mission today. The Jewish people are God’s Chosen people and therefore do not need Jesus for salvation.”

Her comments are not the rare exception, but a sad, growing trend among Christians today. We need to take note of this and re-member God’s word is true, literally. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6). BTW, he was speaking to Jewish people at that time!

ARE THERE TWO WAYS TO GOD: ONE JEWISH AND ONE GENTILE?

Numerous questions exist today in the field of com-parative religions and missiology. This is especially true when it comes to discussions concerning Chris-tianity and Judaism. Many question the need to share the gospel with Jewish people. In fact, many consider attempts to do this as being insensitive and judgmen-tal.

Indicative of this is a quote from Eric Gritsch in a publication of the Lutheran Council in the USA, dis-tributed by the ELCA. In it Gritsch states: There really is no need for any Christian mission to the Jews. They are and remain the people of God, even if they do not accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

FRANZ ROSENZWEIG AND THE ORIGINS OF TWO COVENANT THEOLOGY

In virtually every historical work examining the fac-tors which have influenced modern Jewish-Christian relations, the person of Franz Rosenzweig is discussed. The two covenant theory, as it is commonly referred to

today, was first put forth by Franz Rosenzweig just after the First World War in a work entitled The Star of Redemption. His theology of the two covenants came about through a long series of discussions with a friend of his, a Hebrew Christian philosopher of religion, Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy.

The two covenant theory of salvation which Rosenzweig developed basically states that God has established two different, but equally valid cove-nants: one with His people Israel and the other with the Gentiles.

He contends that the Covenant in Moses and the Covenant in Jesus are complementary to each other:

Christianity acknowledges the God of the Jews, not as God but as “the Father of Jesus Christ.” Christi-anity itself cleaves to the “Lord” because it knows that the Father can be reached only through him...

We are all wholly agreed as to what Christ and his church mean to the world: no one can reach the Fa-ther save through him. No one can reach the Father!

But the situation is quite different for one who does not have to reach the Father because he is already with him. And this is true of the people of Israel (though not of individual Jews).

WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID

Many Catholic theologians have taken the pro-nouncements of Vatican II and Pope John Paul II’s Redemptoris Missio (1991) to their logical con-clusion, viz. that religious dialogue with members of other religions is to replace actual missionary efforts. Former Christian considerations of Judaism (as well as of other religions) encouraged prosely-tism. That is, Christians believed it not only legiti-mate but raise worthy to exert economic, psycho-logical, or spiritual pressure on non-Christians in order to gain new members for the Church. The dialogical position, however, is one in which the parties accept one another as mutually equal part-ners.

This position, however, also is increasingly being found among Christians who accept and believe in the Bible as the Word of God. For example, George

Sheridan, who at the time was the East Coast Regional Director for the Southern Baptist department of Interfaith Witness, asserted that God’s bond with the Jewish people was never superseded with the coming of Jesus: “The Jews of today, as ever, receive salvation through their having been chosen by God in covenant with Abraham, Moses, and the prophets…My position is that the Jews do not require evangelization.”

But what did Paul mean when he stated in Romans 1:16 that the gospel was the power of God “for the salvation of everyone who believes?” Perhaps an illustration will help us understand this more fully.

A number of years ago an evangelical attempt at piquing people’s curiosity, and thus enabling Christians to share the Gospel message with non-Christians, was developed by putting bumper stickers on cars which simply said: “I Found It!” When people saw this they were supposed to ask what it was that the driver “found.” In response to this some Jewish groups countered with their own bumper sticker which stated: “We Never Lost It!” This is of course, the crux of the problem. Who is Jesus, and how is one “saved”? I believe that for many, if not most, Chris-tians today the entire concept of our salvation has dulled. That is, it is almost as if we take this for granted. The urgency of our salvation and the unspeakable eternal consequences of being cut off from God are not spoken of very often, or are not understood very well.

In Romans 9:1-5 Paul eloquently writes of how the Jewish people were elected by God in the past, and yet the adoption, the covenants, the Law, the temple worship, and the promises were all to no avail – for they rejected their own Messiah. Paul again urges that prayers be made for them (apparently unaware of any “two covenant” theory). Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. (Rom. 10:1- 2) He concludes that although the Jewish people are cut off for now, that God still has plans for them. That is, that God has not totally rejected them and that they would yet receive Jesus (Romans 11).

A CONCLUDING BIBLICAL REJOINDER

As much as one might like to agree with those promulgating a theology of two covenants, it simply is not a biblical doctrine. Quite the contrary, it goes against everything that we find in the New Testament relating to missions. In fact this is the quintessential form of anti-Semitism, for in promoting this false doctrine the only way of salvation is closed to the Jewish person (Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12). Nothing could be more dangerous, racist, or pernicious than this.

The Apostle Paul boldly affirmed: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Rom.1:16).

We are not to be ashamed of sharing the good news of the gospel with anyone. And in that this good news came through the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and in that “salvation is of the Jewish” (Jn.4:22), this message was “for the Jew first.”

It seems that this is completely forgotten today. This gospel of Jesus Christ was first and foremost to go to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. Christians owe a great debt to the Jews, for our entire spiritual heritage is derived from them. Indeed, we have been grafted into the olive tree of Israel, not the reverse (Rom.11:11).

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:11-12

Excerpted from The Two Covenant Theory by Dr. Joseph Gudel

For your prayers pleaseFor the Bob Roegner family going through a difficult spiritual battle

For the upcoming board meeting in St. Louis on May 22nd

For Ken Ebright, a our faithful volunteers who goes broadsiding each week in St. Louis

For those whose families are experiencing challenges: Micha Cohen, Kevin V., Kristy R.,

For Barbara Cohen’s salvation (Steve’s mother) - she rejected a recent visit by a Jewish believ-er who was in her town from Tel Aviv.

For Izabela in New Orleans as she continues to coordinate our schedules in churches

For Debby in Wichita who calls and thanks our supporters for their care and involvement

For Chris Burnett and Barb Cairns in Brentwood, Tennessee who are so diligent in our ad-ministrative work

For Kim who oversees our printing and mailings from St. Louis

For Nancy Cohen as she continues with her creative work and blesses others through her speaking in various venues

And for Steve Cohen for wisdom in marshaling the gifts and vision of The Apple of His Eye!

Your continuing gifts of mission support are sought at this time. We praise God for the great blessings so many have given us since we began in 1996. Now in 2017, the opportunities are expanding and we seek to move ahead

with all due diligence.

Gifts and be mailed to our Brentwood office: PO Box 1649 Brentwood TN 37024or you may go online and use our secure web site: www.appleofhiseye.org/support/give

PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER INCLDING OUR MISSION SOCIETY IN YOUR ESTATE PLANNING.