April 2023 Newsletter

Shalom brothers and sisters from Jerusalem!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a happy and blessed New Year. I pray 2023 will find you focusing on the Lord Jesus and on the Gospel we hold so dear.

I also pray that the coming year will prove to be a time of renewal and change; a year in which you may throw off that which hinders and embraces whatever new work God brings into your life.

The year 2022 proved a blessing for my family as we welcomed our son into the world, Elisha Anthony. This new little one has brought much joy to our family!

That was in March.(2022) The end of the year also proved a blessing in my street-evangelism ministry as I had several opportunities to share the Gospel.

Telling the Truth

This episode starts with a question: “Do you need help?”

I was in Christ Church in Jerusalem when I saw three people who looked like they needed help (as they were looking at a map), and I was very interested in helping them.

I said to them (an American couple and an Israeli friend), “Can I help you? I’m a tour guide! If you need advice, just let me know.”

I was supposed to be going somewhere else, but then I thought to myself, This could be a good opportunity to share the Gospel.

I ended up escorting these three along the Via Dolorosa, which represents the path that Jesus may have taken during His crucifixion.

Before going, however, I made a condition for accompanying them: I told them that I was only going to tell them the truth, that is, I was going to explain the difference between tradition and the actual biblical account.

Walking on the Via Dolorosa provides the perfect opportunity to share the Gospel. I don’t know if the path we were on is actually the one Jesus followed to the cross, but I do know that talking about it allows us to open the Scriptures and look at the account for ourselves.

One thing we spoke about was Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate, particularly the part when Pilate asks Jesus, “What is truth?” We talked about how Jesus always claimed to be the truth, even as He was being flogged and beaten.

We then talked about how Jesus – shortly after His exchange with Pilate – began His walk to the cross as the leadership of the Jewish people wanted to crucify Him because they were afraid of His authority and how He stirred up the crowds. They were also afraid of His teaching, which they considered to be extreme.

Next I shared with them about Simon of Cyrene, a Jewish man from North Africa who was probably on his way to the Temple to offer a sacrifice. Instead, a Roman soldier stopped him and made him carry the Lord’s cross, which had become too heavy for Him.

In essence, the Romans took Simon out of his comfort zone. When he traveled to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to be purified, he had no idea that he would be part of a crucifixion! The irony of it all is that he was supposed to be going to the Temple, but ended up being redirected to a cemetery – a place of death.

In reality, the Temple, too, is a place of death – as the animals sacrificed there to make atonement for sin must face a violent and bloody death. However, those animal sacrifices are but a shadow, Jesus is the true sacrifice who takes away sins for all time.

We then talked about how Jesus and Simon eventually reached their destiny – Calvary – where Jesus was placed on the cross. The cross was then raised as Jesus was in a position where He could look at the people He would soon be saving.

Some pitied Jesus, others despised Him. But once they witnessed all that had occurred – His slow death, His crying out to His Father, the darkness that fell upon the land – many realized that this was not an ordinary man, but the Son of God.

I then explained how Jesus had to come to Earth and die, be buried, and raised from the dead on the third day. I explained how these things were historical facts.

We ended our time together at the Western Wall, and the couple expressed how grateful they were that I had taken the time to explain all this to them. The Israeli woman with them went one step further, saying, “You almost convinced me to become a Christian.”

Please pray for these three individuals that the Holy Spirit will work mightily in their hearts to bring them to faith in Jesus.

HAD to Witness

Another opportunity occurred on a flight from the U.K. to Israel.

Interestingly, I really wasn’t in the mood for witnessing (I know how bad that sounds). I was tired and just wanted to relax. However, a Jewish man sat next to me, and I realized that I had to witness to him.

I said to myself, If it is the will of God, I will tell this man that I am a believer – a Messianic believer – and see where it goes.

As we spoke, I told him about a recent trip I had taken to Saudi Arabia, and focused on Saudi Arabia being the site of Mount Sinai. We talked about how several places in Saudi Arabia are the locations where actual Bible accounts occurred.

He then said to me, “You told me that you were Messianic. What does that mean?”

I told him that Messianic Jews believe both in the Old Testament Scriptures and the New Covenant – that is, the New Testament. I then went on to explain about the Messiah, specifically how He has to be a prophet, priest, and king.

I explained to him how the Messiah’s kingship could not be temporary, but eternal, as He is to reign over the people forever. I told him that this Messiah is Jesus.

I then explained the Gospel. I told him that all people need atonement for their sins, and that only the Messiah Jesus could provide that atonement. He is our High Priest in Heaven who never sinned. And because Jesus never sinned, He satisfied the penalty for our sin.

It turned out to be a very good conversation, and I believe he understood what I was talking about.

This was another example how I was neither expecting an opportunity to share the Gospel nor, to be quite honest, really wanted to, but God intervened and provided the opportunity for me to tell someone else about the Lord. It was all initiated by God.

Please pray for this Jewish man who was so open to the sharing of the Gospel.

A Gospel-Sharing Drive

After the above-mentioned visit to Saudi Arabia, I returned through Jordan. I was feeling rather down because I didn’t have any opportunities to witness to anyone during the trip.

While in Jordan, I met a man from Beth She’an who said he would drive me to Jerusalem. During the ride, we got to talking about the Gospel – an in-depth discussion about the Gospel.

This was significant because the man was from a Muslim background. However, though an Arab-Muslim, he was pro-Israel. He was very open to discussing spiritual matters such as God, religion, and faith.

One of the things we talked about was how the Messiah-King was more than just a man, but God Himself. Even the Koran speaks of Jesus as being born of a virgin and who lived His life on Earth without sin.

I explained to the man how in the New Testament Jesus referred to Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and how Jesus declared that He was sent from God Himself. I also told the man driving me that Jesus was God in flesh.

I explained how anything that is human, or mortal, will only fade away and die, but anything from God – including our salvation and what He accomplishes is us – is eternal.

My new friend was very open to what I had to say, and even gave me his name and phone number. We plan to get together again. Please pray for the Lord to open the eyes and heart of this very agreeable man that He might come to faith in the Messiah Jesus.

Thank You, and Please Pray

Thank you so much for praying for our ministry, our congregation, and for supporting us financially.

We especially ask you to pray on behalf of Israel as we have a new government and Benjamin Netanyahu back as our prime minister.

Also, please pray for my wife Linoy’s brother for his health, and her father who has lung cancer and a brain tumor, And going through radio and chemotherapy. Please pray that the Lord will restore both of them to full health. And look to him who made them.

On the subject of health, I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. This is a chronic disorder that causes an increased sensitivity to pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue and trouble sleeping.

As of now, scientists do not fully understand what causes it, so please pray that God will open the eyes of the medical and scientific communities so that they may find an effective way to treat this condition. And please pray that God will strengthen me daily as I press on to share the Gospel on the streets of Israel.

Please pray, as well, for Kol Bamidbar (Voice in the Wilderness congregation) as well as the people of Israel, that they will come to know Jesus as their Messiah.

Have a blessed Sunday of Resurrection! He Has Risen ! Indeed!

Shalom and God bless!

Josh Simon