Shalom! Well, March has blown in like a lion here in Chicago. I am looking forward to it leaving like a lamb in April. This has been a brutal winter. I’m told that this old saying applies to the constellations Leo and Aries which appear in the March skies. Leo blows in during the fierce and cold part of March, while Aries leaves us with mild weather like a tamed lion - - - a lamb - - - at the end of the month. In either case, the chill in my bones is slowing going away.
The imagery of lions and lambs recurs throughout Scripture. Yeshua is seen as both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of GOD. At times, we see him as a stately lion walking boldly through the land challenging Scribes, Pharisees, priests, and rulers. His magnificence and presence inspires awe, even fear, and yet his gentle heart pulses with love and compassion for all he passes. At other times, he is the silent, sacrificial, Holy Lamb of GOD taking upon himself the sins of the world. King David, as a shepherd boy, spent hours taking watchful care of his flocks to make sure that a marauding lion did not come and destroy even one of his lambs. These contrasting, yet complementary, images of Yeshua paint an unforgettable picture of our Savior and King.
Time and again, I have spoken with Holocaust survivors who had no one to turn to in their desperation and persecution EXCEPT Yeshua – their Lion and Lamb. Isaac Goldfinger survived 6 years of inhuman treatment in German prison camps. His only hope was to remember his mother’s words to trust GOD and to not lose faith. He was barely 16-years old when he was first imprisoned. He would begin each day reciting the prayers and scriptures he had learned as a boy in the
yeshiva. Other believers in Yeshua would get together with him and secretly go over the verses they could recall individually and collectively. Because they had followed the words of Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee,” (KJV) they were able to encourage one another - - even in the miserable, flea and lice infested barracks that held them. At one point, toward the end of the war, he found himself emaciated, sick and struggling to stay alive. A Nazi soldier forced him to drag himself to a mass burial grave site where he was supposed to be executed. Yet the Lamb of GOD rescued him and the Lion of Judah protected him as he fell down on top of a heap of dead bodies. A boyhood friend was helping bury the dead. He noticed Isaac on the pile of corpses and saw that he was still alive. He pulled him from the grave and hid him in the rafters of his barracks, hoping that he would not be discovered there. Isaac’s continued prayers and calling out to GOD for help kept him barely alive. Shortly after that, the war ended and he was saved from the hell he had lived in for so many awful years. Today, Isaac’s story has been made into a movie by Helping Hand Coalition, our ministry partner in Israel. Even though he is now in his 80s and in frail health, he still gives his testimony and encourages other older survivors who face their declining years in pain and poverty. Now, as a Messianic believer, he can expect to see the Lion and the Lamb in all their heavenly glory.
The Lion of Judah and the Lamb of GOD has not lost any of his power or compassion for Holocaust survivors and other hurting and needy Jews or Gentiles. God’s Grace has the privilege and mission to give these dear souls humanitarian aid in the name of Yeshua. Your continued prayer and financial support allows us to feed hungry people in the various soup kitchens, help them with medicines, provide clothing, distribute monthly food packages, and give them the opportunity to meet Yeshua as their redeemer, savior, healer and soon coming Messiah.
Because our work is multi-faceted, it is hard to mention the details all of the things that we do. These monthly letters can only give you a tiny slice of what is really happening as a result of your faithful support. I wish it were possible to take you into a soup kitchen at lunch time and have you see with your own eyes, and smell with your own nose, even taste with your own mouth the good, hot, lovingly prepared food that is served there. Many who come to the kitchens are regulars, but the doors are open for anyone who is hungry to come and enjoy good food and warm fellowship in the name of Yeshua. You make it possible for thousands of people in various countries to eat a hot meal, even take home a “doggy” bag, which otherwise they would not have. The kitchens also offer an atmosphere of loving Christian concern and compassion. Anyone who wishes to know more about becoming a Messianic believer is given the opportunity to meet Yeshua as their Messiah.
Last month, I sent you a short report on the progress of our congregation planting activities. If we simply do nothing more than provide food, clothing, medicine,
etc., then we have not fulfilled our mission. Merely caring for the bodily needs of Holocaust survivors is not our primary purpose. Yes, we care about people and their physical, financial, and material needs, but what will last for time and eternity is their eternal souls. We must give them a place where they can become a part of a body of believers who love and serve Yeshua, and who care for each other. Many Jews have come from backgrounds where religion existed as a formality, a rote set of rituals, ceremonies and feasts. Others come from a very secular background. Agnosticism, even atheism, is not uncommon in unbelieving Jewish people. Messianic congregations need to be planted wherever possible so that those seeking a savior can become believers and become a part of that local body. Without your financial and prayer support, this task will not get done as it should.
Don’t simply let March bluster in like a lion and slip away as a little lamb. Please consider making a bold commitment to help support God’s Grace’s ministries in Israel, Russia, Poland, and many other countries. The continued down turn in the economy, nationally and worldwide, has caused some of our friends to hold off supporting this ministry financially. We understand their need to take care of their home fires first, but as you consider your missions giving this month, please ask the LORD to stretch your faith and see whether he will meet your needs - - even above what you have expected. Your gift of any amount will help. A simple gift of $22.00 will provide a big bag of monthly food staples to be delivered to a needy person or family. That same $22.00 will feed 10 people one meal in the soup kitchens. The amount of your gift, large or small, will be wisely and carefully used to keep doing the work of the Lion and the Lamb. You may
click here to use our secure link for donations.
On this earth, the lion and the lamb cannot coexist. In the glorious age to come, the Lion will lie down by the Lamb. We shall see the Lamb of God and behold the magnificent Lion of Judah in all their splendor and beauty. I look forward to seeing you there!
