Caption transcript for “To The Jews First” with Rev. Todd Baker

• 00:09 BRETHREN, MY HEART'S DESIRE AND PRAYER TO GOD FOR ISRAEL IS THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED.
• 00:15 THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE JEW AND THE GENTILE.
• 00:19 FOR THE SAME LORD OVER ALL IS RICH UNTO ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM.
• 00:28 CONSIDERING THE TIMES AND SEASONS OF OUR WORLD TODAY, HERE'S ZOLA LEVITT.
• 00:34 SHALOM, HELLO AGAIN.
• 00:37 TODD BAKER IS WITH US.
• 00:38 REV. TODD BAKER WORKS WITH OUR MINISTRY IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES.
• 00:42 HE'S AN ASSISTANT PASTOR WITH ME AT OUR MESSIANIC CONGREGATION.
• 00:47 MOSTLY, HE'S A MISSIONARY TO ISRAEL.
• 00:50 YOU GO TO ISRAEL TO WITNESS TO THE JEWS LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS TO DO.
• 00:54 ABSOLUTELY. WE GO TWICE A YEAR.
• 00:57 OUR REASON FOR GOING IS, OF COURSE, BASED IN SCRIPTURE.
• 01:02 PAUL SAYS IN ROMANS 1:16, IF I COULD READ THAT:
• 01:17 SO WE SEE HERE THE DIVINE ORDER OF EVANGELISM LAID OUT.
• 01:22 THE GOSPEL IS TO GO TO THE JEW FIRST.
• 01:24 HE MAKES A GOOD POINT.
• 01:26 HOW MANY CHURCHES REALLY SEND MISSIONARIES TO THE JEWS OF ISRAEL?
• 01:30 NOT MANY.
• 01:31 I HARDLY EVER-- YOU SEE MAPS.
• 01:34 I TRAVEL TO A LOT OF CHURCHES AND THERE'S FLAGS IN BORNEO
• 01:36 AND FLAGS IN PRACTICALLY EVERY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO THE ESKIMOS.
• 01:41 MORE POWER TO THEM.
• 01:43 I WISH THEY WOULD GO TO ISLAM AND TO EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD
• 01:47 BUT NOBODY EVER SEEMS TO OBEY THIS BIBLICAL ADMONITION THAT THE GOSPEL IS TO GO TO THE JEW FIRST.
• 01:53 THEY NEVER GO TO THE JEWS OF ISRAEL.
• 01:55 NO, AND THE THING THAT HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY FRUSTRATING TO ME
• 01:59 IS I WOULD ATTEND THESE MISSION CONFERENCES IN SEMINARY AND ON MY OWN BECAUSE
• 02:04 I HAVE A HEART FOR MISSIONS AND THEY WOULD ADDRESS HOW WE NEED TO GO THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
• 02:10 THEY WOULD NAME ALL THE NATIONS.
• 02:12 THEY WOULD EVEN HAVE MISSIONARIES WHO WENT TO THESE NATIONS.
• 02:14 INVARIABLY IT SEEMED LIKE NONE WAS GOING TO ISRAEL TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
• 02:18 THAT REALLY CONCERNED ME.
• 02:21 THIS WAS THE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST. >>ABSOLUTELY.
• 02:24 IN FACT JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 10:6 WHEN HE SENT THE 12 OUT, HE SAID:
• 02:36 GO ONLY UNTO THE LOST SHEEP. >>THAT'S RIGHT.
• 02:38 HE SAID I'M SENT ONLY UNTO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
• 02:41 THAT'S RIGHT. HE SAID THAT IN MATTHEW 15.
• 02:42 HE SAID I AM NOT SENT BUT TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
• 02:46 YOU SEE THAT PATTERN FOLLOWED BY PAUL AND THE APOSTLES IN THE BOOK OF ACTS.
• 02:50 NOW PAUL AS WE KNOW WAS AN APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES.
• 02:54 HE SAID I MAGNIFY MY OFFICE IN THAT RESPECT.
• 02:57 YET WHEN YOU READ THE ACCOUNTS GIVEN IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
• 03:01 WHEN HE WOULD GO THROUGHOUT THE GENTILE WORLD,
• 03:04 WHERE DID HE GO TO FIRST? HE WENT TO THE SYNAGOGUES.
• 03:06 ALWAYS TO THE SYNAGOGUES.
• 03:08 THAT'S WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE NEWS THAT THE MESSIAH HAS COME, OF COURSE.
• 03:11 THEN THE JEWS WOULD CONVERT THE LOCAL GENTILES,
• 03:14 WHEN THE JEWS BECAME CONVERTED THE CHURCH SPREAD THROUGH THE EMPIRE.
• 03:20 ROMANS 10:1, THE SCRIPTURE OF OUR MINISTRY IS ON EVERY ENVELOPE AND EVERYTHING WE SEND OUT.
• 03:26 PAUL IS SAYING:
• 03:34 PAUL'S PASSION FOR THE SALVATION OF ISRAEL WAS SO INTENSE
• 03:40 THAT HE MAKES AN ASTOUNDING STATEMENT IN ROMANS 9 WHERE HE SAYS:
• 03:51 OF COURSE ONCE YOU ARE SAVED YOU ARE ETERNALLY SECURE.
• 03:54 HE WAS POSING A HYPOTHETICAL THERE, BUT THAT'S HOW BAD,
• 03:57 THAT'S HOW MUCH HE YEARNED FOR ISRAEL'S SALVATION.
• 04:01 I THINK IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE
• 04:03 YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT KIND OF DESIRE, AN ARDENT DESIRE REALLY.
• 04:07 AND THEY LISTEN TO YOU OVER THERE BECAUSE, WELL FOR ONE THING YOU'RE NOT JEWISH.
• 04:11 IF I WERE TO, MYSELF, WELL I HAVE GONE MANY TIMES,
• 04:14 BUT I GET ALL KIND OF FIGHT BACK BECAUSE I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE IN JESUS.I'M A JEW.
• 04:20 JACOB DAMKANI WHO HAS BEEN ON OUR PROGRAM,
• 04:23 AN ISRAELI MISSIONARY TO HIS OWN PEOPLE GETS ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.
• 04:29 BUT YOU'RE A GENTILE, SOFT-SPOKEN AND PLAINLY TO SEE A RIGHTEOUS GENTILE.
• 04:35 THEY'LL LISTEN TO YOU AND THEY DON'T MIND YOUR BELIEVING IN CHRIST.
• 04:40 THEY CAN SPOT THE PHONIES FROM THE SINCERE.
• 04:44 JEWISH PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN ISRAEL, ARE NATURALLY AND UNDERSTANDABLY GUARDED.
• 04:49 ONCE YOU BEGIN TALKING TO THEM AND YOU DISPLAY A KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR HISTORY
• 04:54 AND AN APPRECIATION FOR THEIR HERITAGE THEN YOU CAN GO FROM THAT TO THE SCRIPTURES
• 05:01 AND YOU CAN SHOW THEM HOW THEIR HISTORY HAS BEEN FORETOLD FROM BEGINNING TO END.
• 05:06 GOD SAYS IN ISAIAH 46:10:
• 05:11 WELL, A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THAT IS ISRAEL.
• 05:14 WHEN THEY SEE FOR THEMSELVES IN THE WORD OF GOD IN THEIR BIBLE, THEY CALL THE "TENACH".
• 05:19 WE CHRISTIANS CALL THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT.
• 05:21 WHEN THEY SEE IN THERE PROPHECIES ABOUT THEIR HISTORY EVEN TODAY IT AMAZES THEM.
• 05:27 FOR INSTANCE IN ISAIAH 66:7-9 WE HAVE AN AMAZING PROPHECY THERE
• 05:32 WHERE ISAIAH THE PROPHET PREDICTS THAT ISRAEL WOULD BECOME A NATION
• 05:36 OR BE BORN A NATION IN ONE DAY AFTER TRAVAIL AND SUFFERING.
• 05:41 I BELIEVE THAT WAS FULFILLED MAY 14, 1948 WHEN THEY WERE DECLARED A NATION IN ONE DAY
• 05:48 BY THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY JUST RIGHT AFTER THE TRAVAIL OF THE HOLOCAUST.
• 05:53 WHEN YOU CAN SHOW THEM PROPHECIES LIKE THAT
• 05:55 CORRELATED WITH THEIR HISTORY TO THIS TIME IT ARRESTS THEIR ATTENTION.
• 06:00 YOU CAN GO FROM THAT STREAM OF PROPHECY OVER TO MESSIANIC PROPHECY.
• 06:07 I SHOULD STRESS, TOO, IT'S NOT PRECISELY OUR MINISTRY OFFICE,
• 06:12 BUT OUR FRIENDS, OUR DONORS, OUR SUPPORTERS THAT SEND YOU.
• 06:16 YES.
• 06:17 WE HAVE A FUND CALLED THE "TO THE JEW FIRST" FUND.
• 06:21 WE HAVE VARIOUS FUNDS IN OUR MINISTRY.
• 06:23 WE SUPPORT A SETTLEMENT OVER THERE. WE PLANT TREES.
• 06:25 WE SUPPORT OUR TV CREWMAN WHO HAVE LITTLE WORK WITH PEOPLE JUST NOT COMING
• 06:33 AND OUR TOUR PEOPLE ESPECIALLY WITH GETTING HARDLY ANY GROUPS.
• 06:37 OUR GROUPS KEEP GOING, BUT OTHER GROUPS HAVE STOPPED.
• 06:40 WE HAVE FUNDS, "GOOD NEWS FROM A FAR COUNTRY" FUND AND SO FORTH.
• 06:44 BUT YOUR FUND, AND I DON'T DO THIS AND I'M NOT THE ONE TO THANK,
• 06:48 BUT I JUST ADVERTISE IT SO TO SPEAK.
• 06:50 I SAY IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND A MISSIONARY TO THE JEWS OF ISRAEL
• 06:54 AND I KEEP SAYING TO THE JEWS OF ISRAEL
• 06:56 BECAUSE PLENTY OF CHURCHES SEND MISSIONARIES TO THE ARABS OF ISRAEL AND ALWAYS HAVE.
• 07:00 YOU DRIVE THROUGH NAZARETH AND YOU COME TO THE FRANK SINATRA CHILDREN'S HOME.
• 07:05 THE CHAIRMAN DECIDED THAT HE SHOULD GIVE SOMETHING AND HE DID.
• 07:09 AND IN OTHER PLACES AMERICANS HAVE DONE A LOT FOR THE ARABS OF ISRAEL.
• 07:15 NOBODY SEEMS TO HAVE DONE MUCH FOR THE JEWS OF ISRAEL
• 07:19 IN TERMS OF SALVATION OR CHRISTIAN WITNESS.
• 07:23 IT PUTS ME IN MIND OF THE TIME I MET THE PASTOR OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM.
• 07:30 THERE IS SUCH A CHURCH.
• 07:32 I ASSUMED, RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING HERE WE ARE. THAT'S WHERE THE LORD WAS BORN.
• 07:37 I SAID TO HIM, DO YOU HAVE A GOOD CONGREGATION?
• 07:40 HE SAID, OH, LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE COME.
• 07:42 BUT BETHLEHEM IS REALLY AN ARAB TOWN LATELY.
• 07:47 I SAID TO HIM, WELL DO THE JEWS COME?HE SAID, THE JEWS? OF COURSE NOT!
• 07:54 IF JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES SHOWED UP, WHAT, THEY COULDN'T COME?
• 08:00 I THINK WHAT THAT SHOWS IS IT'S AN EPIDEMIC PROBLEM AMONG THE GENTILES AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
• 08:06 THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION FOR THE JEWISH ROOTS OF OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH.
• 08:10 THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT AS YOU KNOW AND AS YOU HAVE SAID, JESUS WAS JEWISH.
• 08:18 THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE JEWISH.
• 08:20 THE FIRST CHURCH WAS IN JERUSALEM.
• 08:22 THE NEW TESTAMENT WAS WRITTEN BY JEWS COVER TO COVER INCLUDING LUKE AND IT IS A JEWISH BOOK.
• 08:29 OF COURSE WE DO HAND OUT THE B'RIT HADASHAH OVER THERE.
• 08:35 THE NEW TESTAMENT. >>THE NEW TESTAMENT IN HEBREW.
• 08:38 SHOW ME THAT WRITING IN HEBREW. PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE IT.
• 08:42 IT OPENS THIS WAY BECAUSE ENGLISH BOOKS OPEN BACKWARDS.
• 08:46 AND IT'S IN HEBREW, IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
• 08:50 IT HARKENS BACK TO WHAT GOD SAID TO ISRAEL IN JEREMIAH 31:31 WHEN HE SAID:
• 08:58 BEHOLD, I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT, A B'RIT HADASHAH WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
• 09:04 IN MATTHEW 26 JESUS SAID: THIS IS THAT COVENANT
• 09:08 WHICH SHALL BE RATIFIED BY MY SHED BLOOD.
• 09:11 SO IT IS A COVENANT AND A BOOK THAT WAS FIRST INTENDED FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
• 09:16 UNFORTUNATELY OVER THE CENTURIES AS THE CHURCH DIVORCED ITSELF FROM ITS JEWISH MOORINGS
• 09:23 WE HAVE PEOPLE NOW ESPOUSING ALL KINDS OF CRAZY THEOLOGICAL IDEAS, I.E. REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY
• 09:30 THAT DEEMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN ISRAEL.
• 09:35 OUR MINISTRY IS DIRECTED TOWARD BRINGING BACK THE JEWISH MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL, OF YESHUA, WHICH CAME FROM--
• 09:42 HOW GOOD WOULD AN OLIVE TREE DO IF YOU SAW IT OFF AT GROUND LEVEL
• 09:46 AND STAND IT UP SOMEWHERE ELSE? CUT IT OFF FROM ITS ROOTS.
• 09:50 NOT VERY GOOD. IT WOULD DIE QUICKLY.
• 09:51 THERE ARE DEAD CHURCHES ALL OVER THE PLACE. I REALLY AND TRULY--
• 09:56 ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE I GET AN INVITATION TO TALK TO ONE OF THE DENOMINATIONS, WE'LL SAY,
• 10:02 AND I TRY TO GET A LINE ONTO THESE PEOPLE REALLY KNOW SOME BIBLE
• 10:08 OR ARE THEY JUST CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THIS TELEVISION PERSONALITY HAS TO SAY?
• 10:12 WHEN IT'S THE LATTER, IT'S A HARD JOB FOR ME BECAUSE
• 10:15 YOU QUOTE AN OBVIOUS SCRIPTURE AND YOU JUST GET BLANK LOOKS.
• 10:18 YOU HAVE TO START WITH STEP 1.
• 10:21 THERE WAS A HUGE CHURCH HERE IN DALLAS THAT INVITED ME TO SPEAK TO THE EVANGELISM COMMITTEE.
• 10:28 I THOUGHT WELL THAT SHOULD BE INTERESTING.
• 10:31 WHEN I WENT IN AND I HEARD THEIR--
• 10:33 I WAS A SPEAKER AT THE END OF A MEETING
• 10:36 AND I LISTENED TO THE PROCEDURE OF THE MEETING FOR A WHILE
• 10:39 AND I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND NOBODY IN THAT ROOM WAS SAVED.
• 10:42 I SPOKE FINALLY ON THE 4 SPIRITUAL LAWS.
• 10:47 I JUST TRIED TO PREACH SALVATION DOCTRINE.
• 10:50 I WAS NOT INVITED BACK. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY LISTENED OR NOT.
• 10:55 BUT I SAID TO THEM YOU'RE NOT EVANGELISTS, YOU'RE A MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE.
• 10:59 YOU'RE JUST GOING AROUND KNOCKING ON DOORS AND GETTING PEOPLE TO JOIN.
• 11:03 IT'S SO FUNNY, THIS WITNESS. IT'S SO--
• 11:07 OVER IN ISRAEL THE DENOMINATIONS ARE AWFUL, MOSTLY.
• 11:12 THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF DOWNTOWN JERUSALEM ON REHOV HA'NEVIIM, THE STREET OF THE PROPHETS,
• 11:17 HAS A SIGN IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH INVITING PEOPLE TO SUNDAY WORSHIP.
• 11:21 THAT SIGN, IN JERUSALEM, THE CAPITAL OF ISRAEL IS NOT IN HEBREW AT ALL.
• 11:25 IT IS IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC.
• 11:28 IT'S ANTICIPATED THAT THE JEWS WILL NOT WANT TO COME. THEY'RE NOT INVITED.
• 11:32 I THINK AGAIN IT'S A SIGN THAT THESE MAINLINE DENOMINATIONS DO NOT READ THEIR BIBLE,
• 11:40 DO NOT INTERPRET IT CORRECTLY AND DO NOT APPRECIATE THE JEWISHNESS OF IT.
• 11:45 I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE VERY OPEN.
• 11:49 ISRAEL IS WITHIN THE 10-40 WINDOW.
• 11:52 I ASSUME YOU KNOW WHAT THE 10-40 WINDOW IS.
• 11:54 IT'S THAT AREA OF THE WORLD THAT IS HARDEST TO EVANGELIZE
• 11:57 AND IT INCLUDES, OF COURSE, MUCH OF THE MUSLIM WORLD AS WELL.
• 12:00 HOW DO YOU SAY 10-40? WHAT IS IT?
• 12:02 10-40 WINDOW, IT IS BASED ON THE LONGITUDE, LATITUDE OF THE AREA.
• 12:05 OH, OKAY.GOOD.
• 12:07 BUT THE JEWISH PEOPLE ARE OPEN TO HEAR ABOUT THE EVIDENCE FOR JESUS BEING THE MESSIAH
• 12:13 PRIMARILY THROUGH MESSIANIC PROPHECY.
• 12:17 YOU HAVE A BOOKMARK HERE, IF I CAN FIND IT.
• 12:20 HERE IT IS. IT'S CALLED THE PROPHESIED MESSIAH.
• 12:23 ON THE BACK WE SHOW THEM ALL THE MAJOR MESSIANIC PROPHECIES THAT ARE MADE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT,
• 12:29 THE TENACH, AND THEIR CORRESPONDING FULFILLMENT BY YESHUA IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE B'RIT HADASHAH.
• 12:35 I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO ONE YOUNG MAN IN A MUSIC STORE.
• 12:40 WE SHOWED HIM THE PROPHESIES ABOUT THE MESSIAH.
• 12:43 HE WOULD BE PIERCED IN HIS ATONING DEATH, PSALM 22:16, ISAIAH 53:5 AND ZECHARIAH 12:10
• 12:51 AND THE FULFILLMENT OF THAT BY JESUS ON HIS DEATH
• 12:53 WHEN HE DIED ON THE CROSS IN JOHN 19:34-37 AND HE WAS AMAZED.
• 12:59 HE IMMEDIATELY SAW THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PREDICTION
• 13:04 AND THE FULFILLMENT CULMINATING IN YESHUA.
• 13:07 WE SAID THAT'S JUST ONE PROPHECY.
• 13:09 SOME ESTIMATE THERE ARE OVER 300 PROPHECIES THAT YESHUA FULFILLED AT HIS FIRST COMING.
• 13:15 IF YOU WERE TO TAKE 48 OF THOSE PROPHECIES,
• 13:20 THE PROBABILITY OF THOSE BEING FULFILLED BY CHANCE IS 1-10 WITH 157 ZEROS AFTER IT.
• 13:27 THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY IS A POWERFUL WAY TO WIN THEM.
• 13:31 HE'S TODD BAKER, REV. TODD BAKER.
• 13:34 HE'S A GRADUATE OF DALLAS SEMINARY AND VERY, VERY COMPETENT AT WITNESSING TO JEWISH PEOPLE AND WE SEND HIM.
• 13:41 OF COURSE WE SEND HIM.
• 13:43 YOUR CHURCH NEEDS TO SEND SOMEBODY TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN ISRAEL, TOO.
• 13:45 THE BIBLE SAYS THE GOSPEL IS TO GO TO THE JEW FIRST. IT WAS JESUS' OWN MISSION.
• 13:50 WE NEVER THINK ABOUT THIS, BUT THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
• 13:53 WHO SUPPORT OUR "TO THE JEW FIRST" FUND, AND YOU CAN DO THAT IF YOU WISH.
• 13:59 I'M NOT PUSHING IT. WE HAVE SEVERAL FUNDS.
• 14:02 OUR MINISTRY GIVES A LOT OF MONEY AWAY, UNLIKE THE SEMINARIES
• 14:05 WHICH LATELY ARE SAYING WE'VE HAD A TERRIBLE DOWNTURN BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY.
• 14:11 WE'RE HAVING OUR BEST TIMES EVER BECAUSE WE BLESS ISRAEL
• 14:15 AND WE SEND PEOPLE LIKE THIS TO WITNESS TO JESUS' REAL BROTHERS OVER THERE.
• 14:20 YOU CAN DO IT TOO.
• 14:23 WE'LL BE BACK WITH REV. TODD BAKER RIGHT AFTER THIS.
• 14:32 I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO ZOLA FOR 5 OR 6 YEARS.
• 14:38 WHEN MY MOTHER CALLED AND SAID I'M PLANNING A TRIP TO ISRAEL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO?"
• 14:42 I DIDN'T HESITATE. I SAID, "ABSOLUTELY".
• 14:44 SHE SAID "DO YOU KNOW ANYWHERE OR HOW TO GET THERE?"
• 14:46 I SAID, "ABSOLUTELY. LET ME GIVE ZOLA A CALL".
• 14:48 THIS IS THE MOST SPECIAL PLACE IN THE WORLD AND THIS WAS THE PLACE WE WANTED TO BE.
• 14:52 WE CAN'T IMAGINE THAT WE'RE HERE.
• 14:55 I MEAN, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE JUST CAN'T IMAGINE WE'RE HERE.
• 15:03 WELL OUR TRIPS TO ISRAEL, THEY KEEP ON GOING AS I SAY IN EVERY PROGRAM.
• 15:07 I'VE JUST DETERMINED THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO GO AND SEE THIS LAND
• 15:11 BEFORE YOU GO AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE IN THE KINGDOM TO COME.
• 15:14 DON'T YOU WANT TO SEE THE PLACE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO RESIDE 1,000 YEARS?
• 15:18 THAT'S TRUE, ISN'T IT TODD?
• 15:20 WHEN YOU GO OVER THERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GOING HOME, REALLY.
• 15:22 ABSOLUTELY.IT'S FUNNY YOU SHOULD MENTION THAT.
• 15:24 WHEN I CAME BACK HERE AND I'VE BEEN BACK FOR ABOUT 2 1/2 WEEKS NOW,
• 15:28 THE PASSPORT CONTROL LADY IN DETROIT WHEN WE FLEW THROUGH DETROIT SHE SAID WELCOME HOME.
• 15:35 I COULDN'T HELP BUT MUTTER UNDER MY BREATH, I'M NOT HOME.
• 15:38 YOU'RE NOT HOME. THAT'S RIGHT.
• 15:40 YOU HAVE SOME WHAT THEY CALL "WAR STORIES" FROM THE FIELD. ALL MISSIONARIES DO.
• 15:45 YOU HAVE STUFF, A MISSION FIELD, AS A LOT OF PEOPLE. TELL ME A COUPLE OF THINGS.
• 15:52 THESE STORIES WILL BE DOCUMENTED IN UPCOMING LEVITT LETTERS, BUT 2 IN PARTICULAR I THINK.
• 15:57 WHEN WE WERE IN TEL AVIV AND WHEN WE GO OVER TO WITNESS IN ISRAEL, IT'S VERY SIMPLE,
• 16:03 WE PRAY, WE'RE LED BY THE SPIRIT AND WE WALK THE STREETS.
• 16:07 OUR SECOND DAY IN TEL AVIV WE STOPPED IN THIS MINI-MART TO BUY SOME WATER.
• 16:13 IT WAS A MINI-MART COMBINATION POOL HALL.
• 16:16 THERE WAS A YOUNG ISRAELI LADY IN THERE AND WE STARTED TALKING TO HER ABOUT ISRAEL BEING THE SUPER SIGN OF THE END TIMES.
• 16:22 WE TOLD HER THAT THE REGATHERING OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE BACK INTO THEIR ANCIENT HOMELAND
• 16:28 IS THE GREATEST FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY SINCE THE TIME OF YESHUA.
• 16:33 WE SHOWED HER THE SCRIPTURES; DEUTERONOMY 31:3, EZEKIEL 37. SHE WAS AMAZED.
• 16:43 WE FURTHER TOLD HER IF PROPHECIES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF YOUR PEOPLE
• 16:47 HAVE COME TO PASS 100 PERCENT ACCURATELY, THEN THERE'S OTHER SETS OF PROPHECIES
• 16:54 THAT WERE MADE ABOUT THE CENTRAL PERSON OF THE JEWISH FAITH AND THAT'S THE MESSIAH.
• 16:59 SO, OF COURSE, WE SHOWED HER SOME OF THOSE PROPHECIES IN THE TENACH
• 17:04 AND THEIR CORRESPONDING FULFILLMENT BY YESHUA IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
• 17:08 SHE MADE A STATEMENT THAT REALLY QUITE SURPRISED ME.
• 17:11 SHE SAID YOU KNOW I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO READ THE NEW TESTAMENT.
• 17:15 AMONG THE JEWS, SOME OF THEM, THEY WON'T EVEN TAKE A NEW TESTAMENT INTO THEIR HOUSE
• 17:21 BECAUSE THEY ARE WRONGLY TAUGHT BY THEIR RABBIS THAT IT IS AGAINST THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
• 17:26 WHEN SHE SAID THAT I HAD TO SMILE AS BIG AS JIMMY CARTER
• 17:30 BECAUSE WE HAPPENED TO HAVE A HEBREW NEW TESTAMENT WITH US.
• 17:34 I TOLD HER GOD KNEW THE DESIRE OF YOUR HEART
• 17:39 AND HE SENT US OVER HERE TO FULFILL THAT DESIRE.
• 17:43 WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A FREE COPY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
• 17:45 SHE WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY GRATEFUL FOR IT.
• 17:49 SHE SAID SHE WOULD READ IT.
• 17:51 WE GAVE HER MATERIALS ABOUT THE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD STUDY THEM.
• 17:56 WHENEVER WE DO THAT WE TELL THEM, DON'T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT.
• 17:59 STUDY THE SCRIPTURES YOURSELF AND SEE IF HE IS NOT THE MESSIAH.
• 18:05 IF YOU LOOK AT IT WITH AN OPEN MIND YOU WILL COME TO THE CONCLUSION AS YOU HAVE LONG AGO
• 18:10 THAT HE IS THE MESSIAH AND THEREFORE WORTHY OF BELIEF.
• 18:14 AND THE TOOL YOU'RE USING THERE, TO OPEN THE SCRIPTURE AND SAY LOOK, THE HISTORY OF YOUR LAND IS HERE.
• 18:21 IT'S A POWERFUL WITNESS.
• 18:23 IT'S THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD YOU COULD DO IT, TOO. >>YES, SIR.
• 18:25 I DON'T CARE IF YOU SENT MISSIONARIES TO THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS, THE FORESTS, THE ESKIMOS, ETC.
• 18:31 THERE'S NO WHERE ELSE YOU COULD SAY HERE'S A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LAND AND YOUR PEOPLE.
• 18:34 REALLY IT'S A UNIVERSAL APPEAL.
• 18:36 IT'S NOT CONFINED JUST TO THE ORTHODOX.
• 18:38 YOU CAN SAY THAT TO ANY ISRAELI OVER THERE.
• 18:42 WITH THE NAMES OF THESE TOWNS.
• 18:43 I SAID BEFORE BETHLEHEM IS AN ARAB TOWN.
• 18:47 IT'S AN ARAB TOWN RIGHT THIS MINUTE, BUT FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, KING DAVID WAS BORN AND CORONATED THERE.
• 18:52 JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN THERE. THESE ARE JEWS. IT WAS A JEWISH TOWN.
• 18:58 IT IS NOT, AS HANAN ASHRAWI TOLD ME,
• 19:00 JESUS CHRIST IS A PALESTINIAN PROPHET BORN IN BETHLEHEM IN MY COUNTRY.
• 19:05 PALESTINE DIDN'T EVEN EXIST.
• 19:07 I DIDN'T LAUGH, BUT I ALMOST DID.
• 19:11 TELL ME ANOTHER ONE.
• 19:14 THERE WAS A FAMILY THAT WE HAD MET, I BELIEVE IT WAS OUR THIRD GOSPEL OUTREACH THERE
• 19:19 THAT WE BECAME FAST FRIENDS WITH THEM.
• 19:21 WE MET THEM AT KIBBUTZ ENGEV.
• 19:24 YOU'VE BEEN GOING FOR QUITE A WHILE HAVEN'T YOU? >>QUITE A WHILE.YES.
• 19:27 ABOUT 2 1/2 YEARS AND BEFORE THEN I TRAVELED WITH YOU OVER THERE AS A BIBLE TEACHER.
• 19:33 YES, TODD'S ASSOCIATED WITH OUR TOURS AND OFTEN COMES AND HELPS OUT.
• 19:37 SO WE HAD ESTABLISHED A STRONG TIE WITH THIS FAMILY.
• 19:40 SO MUCH SO THAT THE MOTHER OF THE FAMILY CONSIDERS ME A MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY.
• 19:45 SHE MEANS THAT WHEN SHE SAYS IT.
• 19:47 FOR A GENTILE TO ACHIEVE THAT POSITION--
• 19:49 IT'S GOD. I DON'T TAKE ANY CREDIT FOR IT.
• 19:52 IT'S THE FAVOR OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL AMONG HIS PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN BE TOLD THIS MESSAGE.
• 19:56 WHAT BETTER TIME THAN NOW, WHEN THE END IS UPON US?
• 19:59 SHE INVITED US, THIS LADY INVITED US TO HER HOUSE IN ZURYIAGAL
• 20:05 TO CELEBRATE THE PASSOVER, WHICH AS YOU KNOW,
• 20:08 WHEN THEY ASK YOU TO COME CELEBRATE THE PASSOVER, THAT IS QUITE A PRIVILEGE.
• 20:12 THAT IS A PRIVILEGE. >>I HAD PRAYED BEFORE.
• 20:14 OF COURSE, THE SCRIPTURE SAYS INVITE THE STRANGER IN, SO SHE DID.
• 20:18 SO ME AND MY COLLEAGUE, ROBERT CUCCIA
• 20:20 WE HAD PRAYED THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT SOME POINT DURING THAT NIGHT
• 20:26 WHEN WE WERE GOING TO CELEBRATE THE PASSOVER WITH THEM TO SHARE WITH THEM
• 20:29 HOW THE MESSIAH IS REVEALED IN THE PASSOVER.
• 20:31 BEFORE THE MEAL WE WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS HOW THE PASSOVER MATZA IS A POWERFUL METAPHOR FOR THE MESSIAH.
• 20:41 IT'S UNLEAVENED. LEAVEN STANDS FOR SIN IN THE BIBLE.
• 20:46 THE MESSIAH WOULD BE SINLESS, WITHOUT LEAVEN.
• 20:48 IT'S STRIPED. ISAIAH 53: WITH HIS STRIPES WE WERE HEALED.
• 20:52 IT'S PIERCED.PSALM 22:16: THEY'VE PIERCED MY HANDS AND FEET.
• 20:57 SHE WAS AMAZED AT THAT, SO MUCH SO THAT AFTER WE HAD FINISHED CELEBRATING THE PASSOVER
• 21:04 AND IT WAS A 4 HOUR PRESENTATION I WAS HELPING HER CLEAN UP IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING.
• 21:11 SHE SAID, YOU REALLY ENJOYED CELEBRATING THE PASSOVER HERE. I SAID, ABSOLUTELY.
• 21:16 SHE SAID, DID YOU FEEL THE PRESENCE OF GOD HERE? I SAID, YES, I DID.
• 21:19 SHE SAID, I WISH, I WISH I COULD FEEL THAT.
• 21:23 IT WAS ALMOST AS IF SHE WAS SAYING IT OUT OF AN ENVY IN A GOOD WAY.
• 21:27 WHAT DOES PAUL SAY IN ROMANS 11:14 TO THE GENTILE BELIEVERS?
• 21:32 THEY WANT TO KNOW THIS MESSIAH THAT YOU BELIEVE IN.
• 21:35 I TOLD HER YOU CAN HAVE THAT.
• 21:43 ASK TO RECEIVE GOD'S SPIRIT THROUGH FAITH IN THE MESSIAH.
• 21:46 SHE SAID, WHO SAID THAT ABOUT ASKING AND KNOCKING?
• 21:49 I SAID YESHUA SAID THAT. SHE SAID THAT IS VERY WISE.
• 21:52 SO PLEASE PRAY FOR HER. SHE'S VERY, VERY CLOSE TO COMING TO FAITH.
• 21:56 WE CONTINUE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THAT FAMILY.
• 22:00 GOD KNOWS WHO SHE IS, FOLKS. LET'S PRAY FOR HER.
• 22:04 THE THING THAT REALLY, I THINK IS ASTOUNDING
• 22:09 IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN OVER THERE DOING THIS PARTICULAR MINISTRY 5 TIMES
• 22:14 AND EACH AND EVERY TIME THE MAJORITY OF THE ISRAELIS ARE OPEN TO OUR WITNESS.
• 22:19 YOU REALLY ARE SOWING SEEDS AND SOWING THEM IN FERTILE SOIL. IT FEELS RIGHT.
• 22:23 YES.ABSOLUTELY.
• 22:25 I HAVE A THEORY AS TO WHY THEY ARE SO OPEN.
• 22:27 REMEMBER THE PROPHECY JESUS GAVE IN MATTHEW 23:39.
• 22:32 HE SAID: YOU SHALL NOT-- HE'S TALKING TO THE NATION
• 22:34 SEE ME HENCEFORTH UNTIL YE SHALL SAY
• 22:37 (SPEAKING HEBREW)
• 22:42 IN OTHER WORDS, THAT IS A PROPHECY THAT WHEN JESUS COMES BACK TO JERUSALEM IN ISRAEL
• 22:46 THE JEWISH PEOPLE WILL BE OPEN TO RECEIVE HIM.
• 22:50 I THINK THAT NOW THERE IS A SPIRIT OF RECEPTIVITY.
• 22:54 I THINK THAT IS A STRONG INDICATOR THAT HIS COMING IS SOON.
• 23:01 YOU HAVE AN ENVIABLE MINISTRY, I'LL SAY THAT.
• 23:05 I'M PRIVILEGED. I'M PRIVILEGED BY GOD.
• 23:07 YOU'RE MAKING THE JEWS JEALOUS. YOU'RE PROBABLY MAKING SOME OF THE GENTILES JEALOUS.
• 23:12 PEOPLE CAN DO THIS. I MEAN YOU CAN TRAVEL TO ISRAEL AND WITNESS.
• 23:16 OH, SURE. IT IS PERFECTLY SAFE.
• 23:18 IT WAS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, ESPECIALLY IN THE GALILEE.
• 23:21 YOU CAN TRAVEL TO ISRAEL TO WITNESS, BUT YOU CAN'T TRAVEL TO SAUDI ARABIA TO WITNESS.
• 23:25 NO. >>YOU'LL END UP IN JAIL.
• 23:28 OTHER PLACES IN NOT JUST THE ISLAMIC WORLD,
• 23:31 BUT CHRISTIANS AREN'T PARTICULARLY WELCOME IN A LOT OF PLACES.
• 23:36 THERE IS NO SUCH-- PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME IN THE CHURCHES
• 23:40 ABOUT ISRAELI LAWS AGAINST WITNESSING AND SO ON AS IF THERE ARE SUCH THINGS.
• 23:45 THEY MADE A LAW ABOUT GIVING SOMETHING OF VALUE
• 23:49 TO SOMEONE TO INDUCE THEM TO CHANGE HIS RELIGION.
• 23:54 I THINK WHAT HAPPENED THERE, THERE WERE MORMONS OR SOMEBODY LIKE THAT.
• 23:57 YES, IT WAS THE MORMONS. IT WAS TARGETED ESPECIALLY FOR THEM.THAT IS TRUE.
• 24:00 THEY WERE GIVING PEOPLE STUFF. YOU COME TO OUR CHURCH,
• 24:02 WE'LL LET YOU USE THIS CAR, GIVE YOU A JOB.
• 24:05 OF COURSE WE DON'T DO THAT.
• 24:07 AS WE'VE SAID, WHEN WE GIVE THESE OUT THEY SAY, DO WE HAVE TO PAY YOU ANYTHING?
• 24:11 WE SAY ABSOLUTELY NOT. WE'RE GIVING BACK TO YOU WHAT YOU GAVE THE WORLD.
• 24:16 I THINK THIS APPLIES TO YOU AND I'VE SAID THIS TO MANY ISRAELIS.
• 24:20 WHEN I LOOK AT A JEWISH PERSON, I KNOW 3 THINGS ARE TRUE.
• 24:24 ONE, THE BIBLE IS TRUE.
• 24:27 GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES AND GOD EXISTS BECAUSE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
• 24:32 JEREMIAH 31:35-37, GOD PROMISED THAT HE WOULD PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE JEWISH NATION FOREVER.
• 24:41 THEY WOULD NEVER CEASE TO BE A NATION.
• 24:44 REAL CHRISTIANS DON'T GIVE ANYTHING OF VALUE WITH A WITNESS EXCEPT A CROSS AND IT CAN BE HEAVY.
• 24:51 AND OFFENSIVE TO SOME JEWS WHO THEY REMEMBER THE CRUSADERS COMING IN AND DESTROYING THEIR SYNAGOGUES.
• 24:59 THAT WAS NOT A GOOD WITNESS. THEY WERE ANTI-SEMITIC.
• 25:03 THEY BURNT SYNAGOGUES. THEY KILLED PEOPLE.
• 25:05 DO YOU GET SOME STATIC? DO GET SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT?
• 25:09 YES WE DID.
• 25:10 ONE TIME WE WERE ON, NEAR THE JAFFA GATE
• 25:14 AND WE HAD SOME ANTI-MISSIONARY JEWS COME UP.
• 25:17 THEY TOLD US YOU CAN'T PASS THIS OUT HERE. >>BANDS OF VIGILANTES.
• 25:21 YES.AND WE WERE WITNESSING TO 2 PEOPLE.
• 25:23 ONE WAS FROM AMERICA AND THE OTHER WAS FROM ETHIOPIA.
• 25:26 THEY WERE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY THE HEBREW NEW TESTAMENTS WE GAVE THEM
• 25:30 AND THE MESSIANIC JEWISH GOSPEL TRACTS WE GAVE THEM.
• 25:33 THEY'RE AFRAID OF THEM. >>YES.
• 25:34 I CALMLY TOLD THEM THIS IS A DEMOCRACY.
• 25:38 WE HAVE THE FREEDOM TO EXCHANGE IDEAS HERE. THIS IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW.
• 25:41 THE 2 WE WERE WITNESSING TO TOLD THEM TO GO AWAY.
• 25:45 THEY WANTED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT WE WERE SAYING.
• 25:49 THIS IS THE YAD LACHIM. I KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
• 25:52 IT'S A SELF APPOINTED BUNCH OF PEOPLE POLICING FOR MISSIONARIES.
• 25:56 ONE TIME WE WERE MAKING A PRO- GRAM, I THINK IT WAS AT KORAZIM IN GALILEE WHERE JESUS PREACHED.
• 26:02 THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL SYNAGOGUE STILL INTACT.
• 26:05 THESE PEOPLE CAME YELLING AND WALKING THROUGH THE SHOT RIGHT BETWEEN ME AND THE CAMERAS
• 26:11 SAYING, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT HERE, YOU CAN'T-- BECAUSE I HAD A BIBLE OPEN.
• 26:14 IT'S FUNNY, IF YOU HAVE A BIBLE YOU COULDN'T BE A JEW.
• 26:18 THEY OBJECTED TO MY TEACHING. THEY WERE LISTENING FOR A MINUTE AND THEN THEY BROKE IT UP.
• 26:24 WELL MY PRODUCER SAID SOMETHING IN HEBREW TO THEM.
• 26:27 HE JUST POINTED AT THEM AND SPOKE SOME HEBREW AND THEN WE STARTED UP AGAIN.
• 26:30 THIS TIME THEY DIDN'T INTERRUPT.
• 26:33 I SAID TO HIM AFTER, WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM, DANNY?
• 26:34 WHAT BEAUTIFUL, SPIRITUAL--
• 26:36 HE SAID, I SAY TO THEM YOU BREAK UP THE SHOT AGAIN YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
• 26:41 [LAUGHING]
• 26:42 HE KNOWS HOW TO HANDLE THE CROWD.
• 26:44 TODD, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU. WE'RE OUT OF TIME.I'M SORRY.
• 26:47 HE'S A MISSIONARY TO ISRAEL, TODD BAKER, AND WE SEND HIM. YOU SEND HIM.
• 26:52 THANKS A LOT, BECAUSE GOD WILL THANK YOU FOR THE JEWISH SOULS WON BY THESE GUYS THAT WE SEND OVER THERE.
• 26:57 SHA'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM, PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.