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Ministry in Russia continues to grow by the God's grace, and we are thankful for the leadership provided by Rev. Alexey Shepelev. Read here of what God is doing...
In this edition you will learn about boldness in witnessing, read some encouraging news of the Cohen clan, hear from Alan's ministry in Florida, and join us in praying about a lawsuit we have filed against the City of St. Louis for violating our First Amendment rights...
What do we do when others are challenged to affirm reaching out with the Gospel to the Jewish people and shy away? We believe that there is only one critical response and we need you to join us as we press forward....
Jan Cohen's 17 year battle with Huntington's Disease ended the morning of December 6th, 2007. She lived with grace and faith in the face of a terribly debilitating and relentless disease. This newsletter is dedicated to her memory and life.
Our annual Family Edition in November gives personal updates and specifics on how you might pray for those in our mission family. We have photos of some of the newest in our families you will enjoy, too.
The October newsletter has some exciting news concerning our newest mission start in Florida, addresses a problem of turning off the alarm clock, shares our current prayer requests, and gives a glimpse into Jan Cohen's continuing battle against HD.
September 2007 Special Report
We present some of the joys and encouragement this month, as well as some of the unique challenges and prayer requests. This is a time of growth and stretching already thin resources. We look to our Christian friends to help as the Jewish High Holidays approach.
As many as 30 people lifted high the name of Jesus all over Houston with us from July 7-19… people just like you from many states, all ages (age 14 to very mature seniors) and all walks of life. We went out on the streets, downtown, at the Medical Center, Astros baseball games, Concerts, parks, door-to-door in Jewish neighborhoods, on the phone and on-line.
What did we accomplish in Houston? The numbers only tell part of the story.
USHPIZIN By Steve Cohen
ONE of the joys of our missionary work is the regular travel to different parts of the country to speak in congregations. When we are there, we are ushpizin, guests, of the host congregation. Sometimes we stay in people’s homes, and so we are ushpizin of the host family, too, as we are made to feel welcome and graciously cared for.
I especially enjoy meeting new people and hearing about their walk with the Lord and how they dealt with the challenges encountered in their daily lives: health issues, family struggles, job concerns, and bereavements are just some of what is common to each of us. Still, in the midst of all their tsuris (troubles) people have been most gracious in extending hospitality.
Offering hospitality to others does not have to end at your doorway. Recently I received a call from Lois in Florida who remembered Jan and me from our time there in the 1990’s. She joyfully told how she sought to make people feel at home even when not in her home. She would let everyone she met know that they are a child of God… especially her Jewish acquaintances....
Tuesday, February 27, 2007 :: 724 Views :: Newsletter
A GRAZING MACE is the lead article by Steve Cohen. Any army general knows that his troops must be properly trained, battle ready and equipped with the right tools to win a war. We Christians are no different… we need to be trained in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and dependence on the Holy Spirit in the battle to reach Jewish people with the Gospel.
Is Time on Your Side?
By Alan Butterworth
Have you ever heard the song, “Time is On My Side”? If you are from my generation, you know the melody. We remember songs a long time! Like many songs, it has to do with love. The writer longs to see the one who has left and come back so many times before, the one who has been running around, doing “everything your heart desires”. The chorus predicts “you’ll come running back to me…. cause I got the real love. The kind that you need.”
Shalom from Moscow! By Alexey Shepelev
Well, this Christmas was truly a blessing for us. My congregation St. Cyril and Methodius held the evening service at December 24 ( December 25 in Russia is working day). This service was full; usually we have 20-30 worshipers, but at this service the number of people was tripled.
On December 26 we organized the AOHE Russia seminar “ Jewish Roots of Christian faith.” After two years of leading seminars I can tell that this one was most interesting from my point of view.
First of all, what was truly interesting is the number of denominations from where the seminar participants come from. Lutherans from Church of Ingrea ( partner of LCMS in Russia) and ELKROS ( in fellowship with ELCA), Russian Orthodox, Baptist, Roman Catholic (not just lay people but Jesuit monks) and the reporter of main religious web portal in Russia credo.ru. This guy’s name is Moshe and he is a member of reform synagogue in Moscow.
During our seminar we had following speakers: A brief testimony was given by Ilya a Jews for Jesus missionary, then our worker and a good friend of mine Vadim Kusnezoff gave a lecture “ why Jews don’t go to church” and “Athens or Jerusalem.” After lunch was the lecture by Sergey Hudiev (Jewish believer) Russian Orthodox apologist. Then was my small lecture “to be a Jew or become Christian.” The last speech was from Paul Froloff (a member of my congregation and AOHE Moscow volunteer). This day was finished by open discussion and fellowship. We end up with small speech given by Moshe Litvak, the reporter of Credo.ru. Moshe was so surprised that our ministry is ready for serious dialog with Synagogue and our desire to return the Jewish Roots of Christian faith.
Passover begins on April 2nd this year, and in celebration of our first decade of ministry, we are giving away a printable PDF (electronic) version of our Passover Haggadah and recipe selections. God has been good to us through you, our supporters, and we in turn wish to share His blessing. To receive your free Haggadah, send us an e-mail to SCINFL@AOL.COM with your name, address and phone number and we will have it out ASAP!
Catch our latest podcast now available on our website: www.aohems.org
You will find he Hebrew text of the Aaronic benediction and it's transliteration.
Finally you will see the various ways to contact us so that we can assist you in your personal witness to others.
Thursday, February 01, 2007 :: 709 Views :: Newsletter
URGENTLY EQUIPPING… By Steve Cohen
Since the very beginning of the Apple of His Eye ministries, we have focused our intensive ministry
efforts on two critical areas: 1) boldly bringing the Gospel to the lost, 2) urgently equipping God’s
people to do the same. If you were to review the past couple of years of newsletters, the overwhelming
number of stories have concentrated on our direct evangelism – reaching the lost.
We knew from the beginning that we could not reach all six million unsaved Jewish people in the
USA. However, we could make a bigger dent through the second focus - helping Christians effectively tell
the Gospel to others.
In my experience over the past 30 years, the best venue for sharing faith is NOT out on the streets,
though we spend a good deal of time doing that as a pre-evangelism effort to create new relationships. We
believe the BEST venue to tell of Y’shua is in the context of your existing relationships with your unsaved friends.
We approach this in a stair-step fashion:
AWARENESS
There are Jewish people in your sphere of influence;
99% of the Jewish population is unsaved;
Their unbelief is NOT from reading and rejecting the Gospel, but from not hearing it .
ASSESSMENT
Helping Christians consider strengthening their own witness.
ACTION
Inviting others to consider the Gospel for themselves;
Using our new PASSPORT, to share that Gospel shoulder to shoulder with their friends.
GLENDA IS CALLING CHURCHES NOW TO SCHEDULE A
MISSIONARY VISIT THROUGH DECEMBER 2008.
Pastors & worship leaders, please help us plan properly
by receiving/returning her calls.
All scheduling is done on a first-come, first-served basis. Glenda can be
reached at 636-326-4040 ext 2 if you wish to call her for the best choice
of dates in the next 24 months.
If we have not yet been to your church, or if it has been more than three years
since our last visit, please speak with your pastor and worship committee to
encourage them to have one of our dynamic speakers bring a Law/Gospel
message from a Jewish point of view. Together we are making a difference in the lives of lost Jewish people
and gentiles, too.
During our visit we can also offer a 4-hour Jewish Evangelism Seminar for all churches in your area.
THE A P P L E
OF HI S E Y E
MI S S ION
SOC I E T Y
&
YOU R
CHU R CH
Since our beginnings in
1996, our missionaries
have given presentations
in over 1,000 churches in
almost every state in the
union.
To see our full 2006
church schedule, please click here & scroll
down to pages 10-13:
http://www.appleofhiseye.org/YIR%202006.pdf
Each presentation is coordinated mainly by
Glenda Smith (above) and the leadership of
the congregation to best suit both the needs
of the congregation and the mission of The
Apple of His Eye.
The process begins with informing the church
of who we are, what we do, how we do it and
seeking to find the best fit within the overall
programming of the local congregation.
Once a presentation date is settled, we send
out our confirmation paperwork. Two months
prior to our presentation, we send out a packet
of information to assist the local church in
informing their members and the community
of the upcoming presentation.
Our overall goal is to win the hearts of God’s
people to pray, witness and give over and
above their own church giving so that others
might hear the Good News of Jesus, the
Messiah.
We come simply on the basis of a free-will
offering received through our offering
envelopes, and when out of our home area,
assistance with travel ($125 maximum)
and overnight housing when appropriate.
WHY HAVE THE APPLE OF HIS EYE
COME TO OUR CHURCH?
BUT WE DO NOT HAVE A LARGE
JEWISH COMMUNITY IN OUR AREA!
WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS
WITH OUR BOARD!
WE HAVE MULTIPLE SERVICE
TIMES ON THE WEEKEND!
WE ARE ALREADY SUPPORTING
OTHER MISSIONS!
Are You Living a Life Worthy of Your Calling?
By Alan Butterworth
Who me? Doesn’t ‘calling’ relate only to Pastors
and teachers? Paul writes in Ephesians 4:1: “live
a life worthy of the calling you have received.” He
is addressing the body of Messiah… you and me!
Luther used the word ‘vocation.’ God has a call or
plan for your life and mine! So, how are you doing?
During the week before New Year’s, I was at the
Urbana conference in St. Louis. Can you imagine
22,000 college students trying to find their calling, in
short or long-term mission work? That is Urbana!
Announcing our 2007 summer
short-term mission outreach.
This year we will be in Houston from July 7-14 to bring the
message of Messiah to Jewish people and gentiles, too. We
invite you to come and bring a team from your church as we
band together to tell the good news. You do NOT have to be
Jewish to join with us.
Please remember The Apple of His Eye in your estate
planning by giving the gift that keeps on giving!
Catch our latest podcast now available on
our website: www.aohems.org
Friday, December 01, 2006 :: 672 Views :: Newsletter
OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD! by Steve Cohen... The Advent season has taken on deeper
meaning to me ever since the “miracle” of
1990... did I mention that my father was in the hospital at the end of his life and not a believer in Jesus??
Are You Afraid of the Right Things?
By Alan Butterworth
What do you fear? It is not easy to talk
about. Do you fear the steady growth in influenceof Islam? I do. In January, my son Josh begins a year in the Army in Afghanistan.
Do you fear for the future of your family? As
the last few Biblical strands of morality are
ripped out of the fabric of our society, I fear
how this will affect my family and friends.
HANUKKAH begins this year on the evening of December 15th. The “miracle” celebrated each year is the provision of God to keep
the oil in the Menorah at the re-dedicated Temple in Jerusalem going for
eight days even though the quantity available was good for only one day.
We say, Nes Gadol Hayah Shom - a great miracle happened there. For
those of us who know Jesus, the giver of light for our lives, we could also
say Nes Gadol Hayah Po - a great miracle happened here in our hearts!
From Russia - with love.... Shalom ! Moscow looks beautiful with the carpet of the autumn leaves of different colors. I was yesterday at downtown and was
looking at the trees, I was thinking that our God is True God and inside of my soul I was worshiping our Creator and thought if
God created these trees and leaves so pretty and He gave life to them that just shows me one more time how much He loves us
that He sent His Begotten Son to Calvary Cross and now in Him we have eternal live. Well in September and October, we continued
our ministry in Russia, we printed out the third issue of Apple of His Eye magazine, we have a chance to print 200 copies,
our subscribers requested for more copies, but for now we still have a limited number for distribution.
Giving Thanks For 2006
by Ivan Peterson
As I near the end of my 8th year here at the Apple of His Eye, I look back at a multitude of blessings God has showered upon me. Our family. 2006 has been a year of relatively good health in the Peterson clan.
Potato Latkes Recipe
Hanukkah is a great time to come together
as a family, light the Hanukkiah, spin
the dreidel, remember God’s victory and
enjoy some freshly made potato latkes.
We gave thanks to God for the missionary service of Gary Timm in New York at a celebration dinner on November
26th in St. Louis. Gary & Dawn are now living in St. Louis and Gary is in his first year of seminary. Understanding God's Amazing Grace in bringing the Gospel to the Jewish people. Our God is indeed an awesome God.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006 :: 655 Views :: Newsletter
SHALOM TO YOU AT THIS THANKSGIVING SEASON! by Steve Cohen
While many in our country gear up for the busy shopping season after Thanksgiving, we at The Apple of is Eye are taking time to reflect upon the bounty God has given and our thankfulness to you, our supporters.
Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the LORD. If
he offers it by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer
unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of well
stirred fine flour mixed with oil. – Leviticus 17:11-12
The Old Testament chronicles the various offerings made by the priests at the Tabernacle in the wilderness and
Temple in Jerusalem. There were sin offerings, trespass offerings, wave offerings and peace offerings. The
biblical thanksgiving offering was one which was not offered at set or prescribed times. These were over and
above voluntary offerings given in thanks for the fellowship with the Lord when the offerer and God were at
peace with one another. The offerer expressed his thankfulness to God by a special voluntary offering.
In 1970, I met Alan Rither during basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in
San Antonio, Texas. He discovered that we were assigned to he same base in Tacoma,
Washington where we would be together one weekend a month and two weeks in the
summer for the next six years. In the context of building a relationship with me, Alan prayed
daily that I would be willing to consider Jesus.
I first met Alan Butterworth at Hanukkah while broadsiding at an Amy Grant
concert in Downtown St. Louis in the mid-1990’s. It was freezing cold out, but we stood
our posts to share the good news with concert goers.
Joyce Rottmann was one of the first volunteers to assist us in our mission. As we were
starting, she was looking for something to do. Anyone who knows me knows that if someone
is looking for something to do, we can certainly find it for them in our ministry.
Civilla Durfee Martin was born in Nova Scotia in 1866. She wrote many gospel hymns
before she died in 1948, one year before I was born. One that has caught the ear of many
is “His Eye is on the Sparrow” written on the occasion following the visit to a special
family,
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Jan and I met on a blind date at the University of Washington in Seattle
on February 24, 1971. Jan was already an accomplished vocalist as she was
soloist for the University of Washington Chorale. Music played a vital role in
her life, and mine, too. The moment I met her I somehow knew that this was the
one for me, and two years after that first date we were married in Gig Harbor,
Washington at a friends home.
However, we could very easily become discouraged and disheartened as Jan continues to lose ground to
Huntington’s Disease. The numerous falls, the loss of abilities, ever simple words now come only after a
great deal of effort. Neither of us fully understood the difficulties that awaited and the hardships that would be
encountered. But we know the Lord, we know His grace and mercy and we know that his eye is on the sparrow,
so he cares for us, too. We are eternally grateful to the Lord for our times together, even the ones that are more
difficult.
FROM ALAN BUTTERWORTH What a blessing it is to have the privilege to share this good news with an earthly family! My parents were not
believers. Neither my brothers, Tom and Chuck, nor their wives, Libby and Debby (who is Jewish), nor any of their
children, nor their spouses, believe in Jesus! What a blessing that I was called out of the darkness into His marvelous
light!
The Apple of His Eye is an equal
opportunity involver: gentiles are
welcome to join in the adventure
of telling the world that Jesus is the
Messiah!!!
Send us your free newsletter
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Friday, September 01, 2006 :: 617 Views :: Newsletter
TO LIFE - L'CHAIM - by Alan Butterworth
Are you familiar with the musical “Fiddler on the Roof”? The 5th
song is: “To Life”. In Hebrew, it is l’chaim! It is a joyous toast.
We just finished our third Apple outreach this year, this time in
Russia. The highlight of the outreach for me was a divine appointment
with Chaim, a Jewish man!
Igor Barbanel, leader of the Odessa, Ukraine branch of Jews for
Jesus, and I were standing at a busy subway station at the Technology
Institute in St. Petersburg. Igor asked Chaim what he thought of
Jesus. He said he was Jewish and didn’t know much about Jesus.
Igor introduced me to Chaim and translated.
When we got to Moscow, we were not able to do street ministry because of concerns
by the Ingrian church and LCMS Missions staff about a new law. So we prayed at four
synagogues. At the first, a Russian Jewish believer introduced himself to Marilyn.
Soon several of us were talking about Messiah with his Orthodox Israeli friends from
Haifa! They asked for a copy of the picture we took of them! Pray that as we follow
up, the Holy Spirit draws them to faith!
Not far from the second synagogue is a statue of Sholom Aleichem, a Russian Jewish
writer. His stories are the basis for Fiddler on the Roof!
The last day, we visited a very large Orthodox Synagogue. Kevin asked me what they
believe about the Messiah. I suggested we ask the man who was praying there.
The Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Ha Shannah and
Yom Kippur occur at the end of September and early
October this year. The first night of the new year,
5767, begins on September 23rd, Saturday, at sundown.
HOW IS JAN COHEN DOING??
I am thankful for the many kind inquiries as to how Jan is
doing in her battle with Huntington’s Disease. She stayed
home during my trip to Norway with the assistance of
Elizabeth, our 17 year-old daughter, Terrie and Carmie,
two regular helpers and caring family members from the
Aschers in Moscow Mills. When I returned, she had been
well cared for and seemed to really enjoy having others
about.
Jan continues to lose ground, and even getting around is
hard. She seldom leaves the house these days, but she
keeps an eye on the world through TV news and following
her favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals, during
their up and down season.
Recently we had a visit from The Liberated Wailing Wall,
the music team of Jews For Jesus.
Third International Lutheran Conference on
Jewish Evangelism Convened in Norway
By Steve Cohen
As a follow-up to the first conference in Israel in 2001 and Helsinki in 2003; the third conference for Lutheran
workers in Jewish missions convened August 14-17 near Stavanger – about 600 kilometers west of Oslo. Steve Cohen &
Rolf Heitmann, General Secretary of Norwegion Church Mission to Israel (“NCMI”), worked on the planning. The
meeting took place at Strandleiren Misjonssenter in Sola just outside of Stavanger on the coast of the North Sea. This is a
retreat center which was originally built by a Chinese missionary as a place to tell Christian children about missions.
Participants came from Norway, Finland, Denmark, Hungary, Israel, and the USA. A report was presented in
writing from Rev. Charles Klingensmith, who lives in Japan, but was unable to attend in person.
One of the participants, Haavard Kleppe, shared with us one evening the time he attended the center when he was
nine years old and heard a mission speaker who challenged those presenton to consider how they were going to invest their
lives, for themselves and for God’s kingdom. That challenge led to a life of service, including mission work among the
Jewish people.
My prayer is that, like Paul, your heart’s desire is to
reach as many lost people, Jewish and Gentile, as
possible.
Do you remember the scene in
Schindler’s List when the War ended? Oscar
Schindler begins weeping because he still had his gold
ring. “I could have sold this ring to buy freedom for one
more Jewish person.” Will you pray about partnering
with us to do more to save Jewish people for all
eternity?
I challenge you to prayerfully consider becoming a
ministry partner. If you commit to regularly pray for
my ministry, and make a monthly gift of $50, $75, $100
or some other amount, I will have more time to devote
to reaching the lost.
Let me close with a true story. Jerome was a CEO and
very successful. But he had very few friends. Richard,
a Gentile Christian, was one of the few people he
trusted with the news that his cancer was no longer
treatable. Richard and I talked about how he might
share the Gospel with Jerome. We prayed. But before
he died, Jerome did not give any indication that he
confessed faith in Jesus.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006 :: 590 Views :: Newsletter
THE APPLE OF HIS EYE RETURNS TO THE BIG APPLE...
The very first outreach under the banner of The Apple of His Eye took place during the summer of
1990 under the leadership of Rev. Dave Born, our Chairman of the Board.
This summer, we returned from July 1-8, to Queens to revisit that start and boldly declare the Gospel
again with 22 participants from around the country. Alan Butterworth led our portion of the outreach
which was done in partnership with Jews for Jesus in Queens. We had both neophytes and veterans
of past outreaches stand with us in their new shirts which asked the question, “What do you think of
Jesus?” And we even had another Steve Cohen - a medical doctor who joined us all the way from Billings,
Montana.
22 Share Jesus
in Queens!
By Al a n Bu t t e rwo r t h
Our group of 22 in Queens was diverse and young.
We came from 7 states and included a doctor, a college teacher, a retired engineer,
a vicar, a DCE, an IT consultant, 4 high school students (including Jessica who is
15), 4 college students and a security guard. We were a mixture of Jewish (6) and
gentile believers; male and female. There is actually nothing special about us. We
are just like you! We just left our comfort zones and were willing to be stretched.
Each of us experienced hostility. When it came, we knew we were in the right place.
We offered Gospel tracts to hundreds of thousands of people. Most would not make
eye contact, or acknowledge our greeting. Most seemed so sad. Some were hostile.
But tens of thousands received Gospel tracts.
From Sarah Ascher: I recently heard a sermon by someone who used to
keep sheep. He was explaining that when moved to a
new field or pasture, that is, out of their comfort zone,
sheep tend to get very tense and stressed out. Having
just returned from a week with Apple of His Eye
in New York City where we were purposely endeavoring
to reach out to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel, I found his comments on this particular aspect
of sheep behavior very interesting. I couldn’t help
but see some parallels between that and many of the
reactions I received to the material I was distributing
and the conversations I was attempting to have.
Many reacted in a very tense, stressed out, freaked out way! But there were others
whose hearts had been somehow miraculously prepared and were willing to step perhaps
just a little bit out of that comfort zone into this “new pasture” and explore the
possibility that perhaps Jesus is the Messiah.
Todah Rabbah By Steve Cohen
On the occasion of your
visit to our home 7/28/2006
Today is a very special day
When the LWW came our way
They sang for Jan and lifted her heart
The team gave to us joy right from the start
Reminding us of Y’shua they would sing and pray
Jan had a rare bright smile on her face
As she fights HD still without a cure to erase
The ravages that attack her body and mind
But her spirit still soars because of people so kind
As we live each day sustained by God’s grace
Music speaks to both heart and soul
It’s language helps us to remain whole
Your music today brought back many memories
Of past days of together and hope of future jubilees
And we will be with the Lord whom we extoll
So as you travel across this great land
Singing of Messiah and taking a strong stand
Know that it isn’t the size of the crowd who is there
Where two or more are present Messiah we declare
Your ministry will help the Gospel expand
Now I conclude this little ode
Thanking God for you as you hit the road
Go minister in His peace
May God, though you, His power release to sing for Him we uphold.
A r r e s t T h r e a t . . .
On Sunday, June 25th, Alan Butterworth and I headed out to Tower
Grove Park in St. Louis to distribute broadsides. The one we were using
was called, “How many people does it take
to change a light bulb?” Two volunteers joined us in the moderate
weather.
“So what?” you may ask... we do this all the time. True. But this time
it was different.
1Cor. 6:9-11 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters
nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you
were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Did you know?
You can now purchase resources
and make donations using Discover
and American Express as well as
Visa and Mastercard. For your
convenience, automatic giving
plans are also available. Call our
office and talk to Ivan for more
information. 1-888-51-APPLE
Thursday, June 01, 2006 :: 574 Views :: Newsletter
THE FIRST 30 YEARS
B Y S T E V E COHE N
How would you feel if you were called by God to leave your home and go
to a place He would show you? Many trials would be encountered on the
journey, and spiritual pitfalls might lurk at any turn. But perhaps the
greatest obstacle you would encounter would be the harshness of
indifference; indifference from those you are seeking to
reach, and indifference of many in the
church.
WE CELEBRATE 30 YEARS OF
MISSIONARY WORK IN
MR. COHEN S LIFE!
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AS WE
REDEDICATE OURSELVES IN
PRAYER, PERSONAL WITNESS AND
SACRIFICIAL MISSION SUPPORT.
By God’s grace:
We have written and produced over 100
broadsides. We have written 4 books
focusing on Jewish missions, had two
series of devotions in Portals of Prayer
which goes to over a million people,
released a CD of messianic music and a
DVD on the Jewish Passover. We have
assisted in opening mission stations in
St. Louis, Houston, LA, New York City and Moscow. We have begun an
International Prayer Consortium
over the internet, now involving
over 5,000 worldwide in prayer for
the salvation of our people. We
have seen Jewish people and
gentiles confess Jesus and follow
Him in baptism. We have given
presentations and Jewish
evangelism seminars in over 1,100
churches. We helped host the first
International Lutheran Conference
on Jewish Evangelism just outside
of Jerusalem in 2001 and are
planning the second one in
Norway this summer. We gave a
seminar on Jewish missions on
the campus to the LCMS campus
workers and are planning a
major outreach in Houston
before the next LCMS Synodical
convention in 2007.
Your regular mission
support enables us to
bring the Gospel to
the Jewish people.
Please help us reach
our budget!
Something Good from
the “Da Vinci Code”?
By Alan Butterworth
What do you
think about this
book and
movie? You
must admit Dan
Brown has
succeeded in
getting a lot of
people thinking
about Jesus!
Can something good come out of negative claims
about Jesus? YES!!
Luther used his answer to explain the importance
of sharing the Gospel with Jewish people! The
following is from, “That Jesus Christ Was Born a
Jew”:
“A new lie about me is being circulated. I am
supposed to have preached... that Mary, the mother
of God, was not a virgin either before or after the
birth of Christ... [and] a new heresy, namely, that
Christ was [through Joseph] the seed of
AbrahamÖit is such a poor... lie that I... would
rather not reply to it. ...for the sake of others, however, I am compelled to
answer...
I thought I would also write something useful in addition...from Scripture
the reasons... to believe that Christ was a Jew born of a virgin, that I
might perhaps also win some Jews to the Christian faith... If I had been a
Jew and had seen such dolts and blockheads govern and teach the
Christian faith, I would sooner have become a hog than a Christian.
They have dealt with the Jews as if they were dogs rather than human
beings... When they baptize them they show them nothing of Christian
doctrine or life.... When the Jews then see that Judaism has such strong
support in Scripture, and that Christianity [is] a mere babble without
reliance on Scripture, how can they possibly... become... Christians? I
have heard from... baptized Jews... they have never heard about Christ
from those who baptized them.
...if one deals in a kindly way with the Jews and instructs them carefully
from Holy Scripture, manywill become genuine Christians and turn... to
the faith of their fathers, the prophets and patriarchs. They will only be
frightened further away from it if their Judaism is so utterly rejected that
nothing is allowed to remain, and they are treated only with arrogance
and scorn. If the apostles, who also were Jews, had dealt with us
Gentiles as we Gentiles deal with the Jews, there would never have been
a Christian among the Gentiles. Since they dealt with us Gentiles in such
brotherly fashion, weÖ ought to treat the Jews in a brotherly manner in
order that we might convert some of them.
When we are inclined to boast of our position we should remember that
we are but Gentiles, while the Jews are of the lineage of Christ. We are
aliens and in-laws; they are blood relatives, cousins, and brothers of our
Lord. Therefore, if one is to boast of flesh and blood, the Jews are actually
nearer to Christ than we are, as St. Paul says in Romans 9[:5]. God has
also demonstrated this by his acts, for to no nation among the Gentiles
has he granted so high an honor as he has to the Jews. For from among
the Gentiles there have been raised up no patriarchs, no apostles, no
prophets, indeed, very few genuine Christians either. And although the
gospel has been proclaimed to all the world, yet He committed the Holy
Scriptures, that is, the law and the prophets, to no nation except the Jews,
as Paul says in Romans 3[:2] and Psalm 147[:19–20], “He declares his
word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus
with any other nation; nor revealed his ordinances to them.”
WH AT WO U L D Y O U D O ?
By Steve Cohen
What would you do
With 10,950 days allotted to you?
Thirty years of life to lead
Days gone by at nearly light speed
What would you do?
THE LAST HURRAH!
BY GARY TIMM
SHALOM! PERHAPS YOU HAVE NOT HEARD YET...
in April that I was accepted into the Masters of Divinity program at
Concordia Seminary, St Louis, MO.
I cannot fully express my gratitude for your support these past seven years
that I’ve been with the Apple of His Eye in New York. Truly, we could not
have proclaimed the Gospel of Messiah Jesus to the Jewish community
without your support (financially and prayerfully)! Your continuing your support of the Apple of His Eye mission work will help underwrite the second decade of
mission work and proclamation of the Gospel to the Lost Sheep of Israel!
YOUR
PRAYERS
COUNT!
For Alan Butterworth as he leads the summer outreaches in NYC, Moscow & St.
Petersburg
• For Tikveh Cohen, granddaughter of Steve & Jan as she undergoes corrective
surgeries for cleft lip and pallet
• For the Timms as they transition from missionary service to seminary life.
Need a Scapegoat? Want to get away?
By Alan Butterworth
Life is challenging! Each of us faces so much that is not a part of “our” plans. It is so
tempting to seek a person or a thing to blame, or a means of escape, perhaps through an addiction. Do
you have a scapegoat that keeps you from learning what God wants you to learn?
For months, I have shared with Seth, a young Orthodox Jewish man. Seth always begins by
unleashing an attack like: “You are worse than Osama bin Laden, or Hitler. They merely seek to kill.
You want to destroy Jewish souls. A Jewish person who believes in Jesus loses their Jewish identity
and their salvation.” One day he said, “unless you repent, and stop talking to Jewish people about
Jesus, you will go to hell!”
Need I say this is often difficult? Twice, he told me he would never talk to me again. But we are still
talking! I am learning, and Seth is hearing the Gospel! Seth finally admitted “Jebus” (Homer Simpson’s name for Jesus) did exist. But immediately he said,
“His mother, Mary, was a prostitute!”
We have talked about three other things that trouble Seth. He
doesn’t respond, and changes the subject.
We are in partnership with The Apple of His Eye - LA; The Apple of His Eye - Houston; The Apple of His Eye - New York City; The Apple
of His Eye - Moscow; Congregation Chai V’Shalom - St. Louis; Congregation Beth El - NYC; LIJE; The International Prayer Consortium
- Osaka, Japan and Moscow, CIS and The Caspari Center for Biblical and Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. We are an RSO
of the
LC-MS. As a faith mission, we rely on your regular support... but please support your local church first!
Many Rabbinic sources agree (e.g. the Talmud,
Maimonides and Rashi) that while the Temple
existed, there was no atonement for sin
without the shedding of blood. The real
question is, “where is the authority for the
current Rabbinic position that repentance is all
that is necessary for atonement?” It isn’t in the
Bible.
Third, I asked Seth to examine the Biblical
prophecies about when Messiah would come.
Daniel 9 clearly explains that before the 2nd
temple is destroyed, Messiah will, “put an end to
sin, atone for wickedness [and]... bring in
everlasting righteousness.” In Haggai 2: 9, we
read: “‘The glory of this present house [the 2nd
Temple] will be greater than the glory of the
former house’, says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in
this place, I will grant peace.’” Seth? No
comment.
Praise God, 2,000 years ago, the Messiah came,
right on time! Seven centuries before, the Jewish
prophet Isaiah wrote in 53:5: “he was pierced for
our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace,
was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.”
ShalomFrom Moscow!
By Alexey Shepelev
It’s good to return home finally; since February 27
till March 15 we’ve covered 4000 km (about 2500 miles). I
wish this
travel would be easy like in US but we meet with reality of
local travel, especially Russian trains. When I’ve started to
think about modern time traveling, I’ve started to think of
Apostolic time and all traveling discomfort looks so easy.
THE PASSPORT & THE DA VINCI CODE
By Steve Cohen
I believe that the book and movie The Da Vinci Code present a tremendous opportunity to engage others in
intentional conversations about Jesus.
Oh, I wish that they presented a picture of Jesus more consistent with historical and theological truth, rather like
The Passion of the Christ. But even if The Da Vinci Code itself doesn’t give people a true understanding of Jesus,
at least it gets them thinking. After being exposed to Dan Brown’s views, people are curious. We can freely ask
questions they might never have considered before, like:
What do you think of Jesus?
What was His mission really all about?
Are the New Testament Gospels reliable sources of information about Jesus?
Was Jesus divine?
Why does He matter so much, anyway?
Saturday, April 01, 2006 :: 537 Views :: Newsletter
3653 Days and Counting!
By Steve Cohen
Hallelujah!
April 2006 marks the 10th anniversary of the ministry we know as The Apple of His Eye Mission Society.
We have moved from conception, to birth, to baby steps, to taking strides of faith in bringing the Gospel to Jewish people and gentiles, alike, with the prayers, volunteer help, financial support and participation of many caring Christians who have knit their hearts together with ours. Some plant, some water, some weed, but in the end God brings a harvest of souls.
7) We are blessed by those who have served on our Board of Directors – Rev. Dave Born, chairman; Dr. Andy Bartelt; Rev. Robert Roegner; Rev. Gregory K. Smith; Rev. Paul Teske; Mrs. Darla Lucero; Rev. Ellis Rottman; Rev. John Brunette; Mr. George Oehlert; Mr. Walt Hicks – charter board member; the late Roy Jungmeyer –charter member; the late John Kindschi; Mr. Alan Butterworth; Rev. Ivan Peterson – board secretary; Rev. Ed Lang; Rev. Dan Moriarity as liaison with AOHE-LA.
Special thanks go to Dr. Robert Scudieri with LCMS world missions for all he has done, and more; and to LCMS World Mission leaders Rev. Robert Roegner and Dr. Glen O’Shoney who gave us their vote of confidence to move ahead as a mission society.
Deep appreciation goes to the leaders at ALMA (The Association of Lutheran Mission Agencies) Rev. Mike Malinski – president and Rev. Steve Hughey – advisor, for their encouragement to our fledgling mission.
GROWING IN THE SECOND DECADE:
APPLE OF HIS EYE LOCAL CHAPTERS
New for the second decade of our ministry is the establishing of volunteer chapters. These will be established where we do not yet, or probably will not be sending, full-time missionaries. The role of a chapter will be a critical focal point for Jewish missions.
What was old has become new again. In 1974 I was a brand new believer in Jesus. I wanted a place to meet with others interested in reaching our people in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Jan and I helped to start a volunteer group which met in Lynwood. That little group grew and continued for a dozen years because people took a genuine interest and were committed to the relationships they formed.
Q: SO, WHAT IS A CHAPTER?
A: SO, WHAT DO YOU WANT IT TO BE??
A chapter is a branch of an organization. It is the organization gathering at your location as a place to learn and grow together.
You are not alone. There are many who would want to join you in learning, praying and reaching out. You just have to be visible enough for them to connect with you.
DEATH OR LIFE - by Steve Cohen
I received a phone call from a pastor in Michigan recently. He had been visiting a Jewish man who was dying from cancer. That man’s wife is a Christian. Following the man’s death, the pastor was offered an opportunity to speak at the funeral where other Jewish folk would be in attendance. Seeking to be sensitive yet forthright in proclaiming the truth of the Gospel, he called and asked if I might share some input. I was able to reach him just before the funeral and this is what I shared. I thought you might want to have this too, as you may have such an opportunity in the future, if not at the funeral, perhaps afterwards.
This information could be folded into personal comments about the individual and his life.
Oseh shalom bim ro mav, hu ya-aseh shalom alaynu, v’al kol yisrael, v’imru amen
May He who makes peace in the High Places make Peace for us and for all Israel, and say ye “amen”. (From the mourner’s Kaddish – a prayer to sanctify the name of the Lord)
God, our Creator, gave us life. Death was not the original plan. It was His desire that we walk with Him forever. Tragically, our ancestor, Adam, chose his own will over God’s and that led to a big problem – sin – falling short or missing the mark of God’s law. Because of sin, we are born separated from God and face possible separation for all eternity.
The Apple of His Eye presents
a brand new DVD available
for you to share with your Jewish friends right before Passover this year.
Christ is the Passover has been presented in hundreds of churches, now it can been seen in the comfort of your own home.
This is a wonderful way to invite your jewish friends to consider Jesus before they sit down to share the Passover in their homes this year.
Jewish World Population statistics by country are here...
The Superiority Syndrome - by Steve Cohen
A few years ago, I attended the installation of Rev. Robert Roegner to the position of Director of World Missions for the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. Bob and I have a lot in common in that we are members of the same church, Jan and I nearly purchased his home when we moved to St. Louis, both of our youngest children will be in the same confirmation class, we both like to eat and we share a passion for reaching the lost with the Gospel. He is also one of the members of the Board of Directors for The Apple of His Eye.
The dynamic and highly animated guest preacher that morning was Rev. Dr. Paul K. Flynn, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ghana. He exudes a passion for reaching the lost. He spoke on the text from Phillipians 2:1-11 reminding the standing-room only filled chapel that our positions of service are one of humility – but sometimes our positions could trap us as we project a Superiority Syndrome. We in the church are better than ... and fill in the blank. Or we who are in leadership position are better than… fill in that blank.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006 :: 376 Views :: Newsletter
TODAH RABBAH... THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!
In 2005, our mission support goal was just over $500,000. By the grace of God and the continuing support of Christians we received $491,000. We were short of our expenses by only $26,000.
Thank you for participating in 2005! If you could help with the 5% deficit it would mean much!
In 2006, by God’s grace and with your help:
4 We are planning four times the outreach training efforts.
4 We have expanded the internet outreach effort through podcasting.
4 We plan another book release this year.
4 We will create at least a dozen brand new Gospel tracts.
4 We will meet with Jewish people who are searching for the truth.
Did you know that you can donate your mission support on-line? Our web site has a secure means to receive your gifts by credit card.
Also, for Thrivent Members, they are able to match your gifts up to $600/year at 50¢ on the dollar to stretch your donation further. All you need to do is fill out the giving plus form and send it to us.
WOW: 636 Hours !!!
By Ivan Peterson
During 2005 we had 636 hours of labor donated by our faithful volunteers. To God be the Glory!! We are grateful for people who have sacrificially given of their time to the cause of bringing the Gospel to Jewish people.. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE JEWISH TO VOLUNTEER!!!! We welcome anyone who wants to use their gifts in expanding God’s kingdom.
FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE By Alexey Shepelev
Shalom!
Attacking synagogues!!! Russia has a long history of anti-Semitism. Probably it’s difficult to find anyone in modern society who never heard about pogroms and massive murders in the past. Russian officials and many people in Russia look at the problems with anti-Semitism as something in the past, but unfortunately, in real life anti-Semitism and other forms of hate still exist.
When we meet with cases like this we should remember that we deal not only with the ugly form of people hate, it looks like that just human things, but it’s not true. Anti-semitism in any form has satanic base. Most of the Christians don’t think about that, but if we look at the results of anti-Semitism we will surely understand that.
When Jewish people come across the cases of hate, in their minds almost automatically rise up historical analogies -- when they were persecuted for name and sake of Christianity. The pain and cry’s of their forefathers are still alive in Jewish minds. Most of Jewish people when they heard about Christ or Christianity think about that as a part of world wide evil. When we look in Holy Scriptures we clearly see that part of Israel rejects Christ, but now this rejection became even deeper. If Jews before just rejected Christ because their own unbelief (this is work of Satan) now even if they are open for the Gospel, they look up at the history and the present. They think that people who call themselves Christians hate them and wish them something bad. So as the result many Jewish people who are open for the Gospel can’t make the final step and can’t become a part of Christ’s body.
Three More Inches, Five More Pounds!
By Alan Butterworth
What comes to your mind when you read, three more inches, five more pounds? Losing ground with your waist and your weight? Cramming things in your bags at the airport to avoid extra charges?
For me, the answer is simple. My new granddaughter, Karleigh is growing! She grew three inches and five pounds! What a miracle!
For Karleigh, growth is miraculous, joyful and part of God’s plan! But after we become adults, it is not so good to continue to grow physically.
THE GOSPEL IN A NUTSHELL
By Steve Cohen
Have you wondered how you might present the Gospel to someone when you only have a brief time with them? How about the Gospel in a nutshell! YOU CAN DO IT!
1. God IS!
We live in an age of denial. People deny that there is a God. People claim to be agnostic, atheist or pagan. But truth is not determined by majority vote. Truth is determined by God’s revelations.
Leviticus 11:44-45 “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”
2. We are ACCOUNTABLE!
We have violated God’s laws. The commands He gave were given so that if we kept them we would be blessed. If we did not keep them, we would be cursed. Moses received 613 commandments on Mt. Sinai.
Isaiah 59:1-2 “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
Daniel 12:2 “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”
We face earthly and eternal punishment because of our sins.
3. God has a SOLUTION!
THE MESSIAH promised, has come!
Isaiah 53:4-6 “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
John 3:16
TO LIFESteve Cohen2/7/2006We’ve known since 1973 that Jan might get Huntington’s Disease, the odds better than roulette We’ve endured the tests Towards the cure we’ve seen the quests We’ve chosen LIFE without regret Who could ask for more joys Than the pitter-patter of tiny feet of girls and boys Growing up in a home filled with love Coming from God up above We’ve chosen LIFE which no disease destroys Sure sometimes there are falls and pains Bruises, bumps, black eyes and sprains But they are not the sum of who we are Huntington’s Disease never defines us as below par We’ve chosen LIFE where in our heart God reigns So if there are days you are feeling blue Look up, for God greatly cares for you Fix your eyes on what he has done He has overcome the world, and victory won Choose LIFE as God makes all things new ...
Huntington’s Disease explained
Huntington’s Disease (HD) is an inherited disease of the brain that affects the nervous system. The most common symptom is jerky movements of the arms and legs, known as ‘chorea’. Chorea usually starts as mild twitching and gradually
increases over the years. A person with HD may also have difficulties with speech, swallowing and concentration. There is no cure.
There are three groups of symptoms for HD:
Physical symptoms
Mild twitching of the fingers and toes
Lack of coordination and a tendency to knock things over
Walking difficulties
Dance-like or jerky movements of the arms or legs (chorea)
Speech and swallowing difficulties.
Cognitive symptoms
Short term memory loss
Difficulties in concentrating and making plans.
Emotional symptoms
Around one third of people with HD experience depression
Mood swings, apathy, aggression.
A slow, progressive disease, HD is caused by a defective gene. This gene is passed on from parent to child, but the condition isn’t obvious at birth. The symptoms usually, but not always, first appear when the person is approaching middle age. HD is a slow, progressive condition that affects people differently. A person with HD may live for 15 to 25 years after developing the first symptoms.
Gene testing is available. Each child born to a person who carries the HD gene has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the gene and developing the disease.
People at risk can take a test to see whether they have inherited this gene. A person must be at least 18 years old and want to know their gene status before they can have the test. There is no cure for HD.
Sunday, January 01, 2006 :: 380 Views :: Newsletter
WHY??? By Steve Cohen
OK, I’ll admit it. I am not an astute philosopher. Nor am I a great student of history. I fall in the cluster of average people who muddle through life. Perhaps I am a little like Garrison Keillor’s invented detective, Guy Noir. He sits alone in his office in the Acme Building trying to find the answers to life’s persistent questions. While he is doing so, life happens.
What is Seichel & Emmes?
The Apple of His Eye’s brand new podcast is now available free. Podcasting, a portmanteau (combination --ed.) of Apple’s “iPod” and “broadcasting”, is a method of publishing files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically by subscription, usually at no cost. It first became popular in late 2004, used largely for audio files: (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast).
Seichel & Emmes is Yiddish for common sense and truth. We believe it makes good, common sense to be a follower of Y’shua, for He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Our podcasts are short audio files, averaging around 15 minutes, which can be heard right from our website – www.aohems.org - or downloaded to your computer or portable music player for later playback. It is in the newer mp4 format, readable by I-tunes in either Mac or Windows formats.
Our program features music, interviews, stories from the field, personal testimonies, and even an occasional quiz or question of the week with special prizes for those who are selected.
We welcome your suggestions, questions and input to make this a fun, entertaining, yet also clear presentation of the Gospel.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE BY ALEXEY SHEPELEV
For the last few days there was so cold in Moscow, right now its about -15 C, well it’s cold outside and not really warm at my apartment but it’s so typical, because warm days are gone. When I was thinking about the weather, my mind turned to people; soon we Christians will get into Christmas seasons. In our Churches we will be reading and singing about newborn Christ. He will give peace and joy to the world. But wait a moment and turn back to the Bible. God promises us Messiah, but to whom did He make this promise? Yes, you’re right, to all people,”but to the Jew first.” And now, when I look at Russian cold winter, I think about my brothers and sisters in flesh, sons and daughters of Abraham, and my mind tells me that in Israelites hearts is cold, much colder than Russian winter. But they not hopeless- God promises them His Son, and Son waits for Father lost sheep.
Laying Low? By Alan Butterworth
The New Year is a good time for some big picture reflection on your life. Are you laying low, holding back in serving the Lord? Are there some obstacles in your life that seem to make greater service impossible?
Remember Paul’s miraculous conversion? What did Paul do the next 14 years? He laid low. He had a lot of obstacles. What could he do at his age? He had a thorn in his flesh, the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him, and most believers didn’t trust this ex-persecutor. Are you laying low because of your obstacles?
What changed for Paul? Barnabas! He didn’t see Paul’s obstacles. He asked Paul to see an opportunity: share the Good News about Jesus with a dying world!
There are 13 million Jewish people and 4 billion gentiles in the world facing a Godless eternity. Like Paul, you and I have obstacles. If we continue to lay low, the obstacles stop us, and Satan wins. But if we look, God has a Barnabas for each of us to encourage us to see the opportunities He has for us.
Please pray: Dear Heavenly Father, help me see beyond my obstacles to your opportunities. You who changed Saul into Paul, show me if my time for laying low is over. LORD, strengthen my faith and show me how you want me to serve.
We would be so grateful if you would pray for us, help us and encourage others to pray and get involved with Apple of His Eye. Here are some opportunities:
Outreach Training.
Books for New Believers in Israel and Russia. In December, we began asking for donations of new or used Lutheran theological books for new believers in Israel and Russia. Will your church serve as a collection point?
Reaching Your Jewish Friends. If you have a Jewish friend, e-mail me at philemonv6@aol.com. I will send you a copy of my e-mail to my Jewish friends.
Apple Missionaries.
WINSOME WITNESSING 101 by Steve Cohen
Did you know that the first followers of Jesus were not Lutheran, Baptist or Presbyterian or even Catholic? They were all Jewish. The Gospel first came to the Jewish people because they were the ‘chosen people’... chosen to do what? They were chosen to be a light to the gentiles. That means that believing Israel was called to bear testimony to the gentiles that Jesus is the only way for salvation. It took time and the leading of the Holy Spirit for the early followers to see that they had to cross cultural and geographical barriers to reach others who were lost, too. And isn’t it amazing that, just as in those early days people wondered as to how one might be gentile and believe in Jesus, so today, people wonder about the Jewish person who believes. This was God’s original plan: salvation would come first to Israel and then to the nations.
Win-Some Witnesses prayerfully cross cultural barriers to tell all people of Y’shua.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005 :: 383 Views :: Newsletter
As we near Thanksgiving 2005, we at the Apple of His
Eye want you to know that we give thanks to God for you, our friends,
prayer-warriors and mission supporters. Because of you, we are able to
report continuing growth in our 10th year of missionary activities.
November is the month we dedicate the pages of our newsletter to bring you
news of our families and how you can be praying for them. We joyfully share
ourselves with you because we consider you an integral part of our extended
family! Together we are stronger than we could be just by ourselves.
Please remember that each of our missionaries trusts God to provide
for their mission support through YOU! Thank you - Steve Cohen
From where I sit...
I hope that you will be patient with me! it is
from where I sit that I watch daily the comings
and goings at our house. I will try to put into
words what has been happening with the
Cohen clan. They have been going through
some changes in the past year.
For starters the house seems bigger these
days. By that I mean it is more empty than it
was a few years ago as the most of the
children have grown and moved. I miss them!
Micha, the firstborn, is now serving as a
full-time missionary with Jews For Jesus in
Chicago. His bride of nearly three years, Leah, rejoiced on January 20th with the birth of their first child, Selah Joy.
Sarah, now 22, who was married in 2004.
She walked down another aisle in August –
this time with cap and gown as she finished
her undergraduate studies. She called home
one day very excitedly to say that she got her first “Big People Job” following her graduation. One of her professors recommended her for a position in the Barnes Jewish Hospital
Noah – the 3rd born – was
married to Christine Bryant in
January. Yes it was chilly
outside but it was obvious to all
that the warmth of their love will
keep them happily ever after.
Both continue their education at
the University of Illinois in
Champaign – Noah in his
undergraduate studies in
engineering,
Seth finished his first year
at the University of Illinois
on the dean’s list and nearly
a 4.0 in computer
engineering. This summer
he was at home. He worked
at an internship with his brother-in-law – Chris Born at Swank.
Lizzy is now a junior at Lindbergh High School. She is the
last of the Cohen kidlings still at home. She has been
following in her siblings footsteps playing in the High School
Marching Band. They marched in the 2005 Rose Parade in
Pasadena this year, a great honor acknowledging all their
hard work! She is in the National Honor Society as well as the
Jazz Band as lead alto saxophone player.
Steve created thirty-three new broadsides so far
this year. The subjects ranged from music to
sports to terrorism to plays. Each one serves as a
seed planted into the lives of readers who may not
yet know the message of salvation.
Well, from where I sit, it seems like life has its ups
and downs. My adopted family seems to be riding
them with the help of God and the prayers and
mission support of friends like you. Thank you for
helping to keep my doggie dish full of food, my
house warm, my family clothed, and enabling the
ministry to push forward by your past mission
support.
I know the whole Cohen clan is thankful at this
upcoming Thanksgiving season that you care and share and they pray that God blesses you greatly even as you have blessed us!
We all count on your continuing mission support now and in the future!
Woof. Woof. Woof.
Snoppy
Photos included
Saturday, October 01, 2005 :: 382 Views :: Newsletter
Enemy of the State?
By Steve Cohen
How would you feel if you were declared an enemy of the state?
I received an e-mail from one of our supporters recently. He informed me that the President of Israel had recently met with a group of Lutherans. One of them, The Bishop from Jordan, informed the group that Israel’s future security depended on how the Palestinians were treated.
I was told that a vocal New York City radio host, Rabbi Singer, was going to air a program inviting some Lutherans to
speak. The friend of our ministry, a listener to that show, sent me an e-mail asking if I had been contacted to be on the show. I told him that I had not, but if the rabbi was interested in my views as a LCMS member, I would be happy to speak out. I provided him with my personal phone number so I could be reached quickly.
He sent the rabbi my information, and received the following reply which was forwarded to me:
Thank you for writing and caring.† I know you didn’t understand, however, Steve Cohen is an enemy of the Children of Israel, for he dedicates his life to converting the Jewish people.† Our people have no greater foe than those who attempt to destroy our faith.† I know you didn’t mean any harm.† We are now setting up the guests for tomorrow’s show on†the Lutherans. †Bless you.†
With love of Zion,
R. Singer
If Jesus is the Messiah, then the most Jewish thing we could do is follow Him. Our silence, not our speaking out, could have the most severe consequences... eternal damnation.
Jesus said that He, and He alone is the only way to the father – (see John 14:6).
According to R. Singer, being Jewish, believing in Jesus and telling others is equated with a spiritual holocaust. The fear mongering and this level of rhetoric by vocal opponents of the Gospel has become commonplace over the last few decades. Since the Biblical case for Jesus being the Messiah is so clear, opponents of the Gospel must attack the messenger in hopes that others will not listen.
Jesus faced vocal opposition, too. But he knew what was in the hearts of men. He understood that the message of God’s love and salvation, while rejected by some, had not really been understood or honestly considered by most. So He used the opponents of the Gospel as a sounding board to reach those who were still undecided.
What we seek today is an honest evaluation of the case for the Messiah, Y’shua.
I have been wondering... Is Jesus the Messiah?
By Gary Timm
I met young man in Forest Hills named Joseph. I asked him what he thought about the Messiah. He said, “I think He’s coming back.” I wanted to make sure we were talking about the same Messiah, so I asked, “So you believe that Jesus died for your sins, arose again from the dead, ascended into heaven and is coming back?” He said, “Yes.” Being a little surprised at his Christian confession I asked him if he was sure he was going to heaven. He said, “Probably,” but he wasn’t sure. So I asked, “If you were standing in front of Jesus and he asked you, ‘Why should I let you into heaven?’ what would you say?” He thought for a moment and said, “Well, I have to tell youÖ I’m Jewish. So, I think the reason I should go to heaven is because I’m a good person.”
Talk about a change in course. Joseph switched gears from “He’s coming back” to “I’m Jewish and a good person.” I had to ask, “If your Jewish, how is it that you believe Jesus is coming back?” He told me he had taken some (Christian) theological classes at St John’s University (a Catholic school). As our discussion continued he told me, “You know, just yesterday I was in this very same conversation with a Conservative Jewish guy. He was very upset with me when I proposed that; “Jesus might be the Messiah.” Joseph went on to say, “I’ve been thinking a lot about the implications of Jesus being the Jewish Messiah for some time now and I’m not sure what to think.”
Are You “Dedicated’ or “Dishwatery”?
By Alan Butterworth
“In June 1863 Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee moved north in an effort to win a dramatic victory that would reverse the South’s declining fortunes. On July 1-3, Lee’s forces fought the Union army under the command of George C. Meade, and before the fighting ended, the two sides suffered more than 45,000 casualties. Lee, having lost more than a third of his men, retreated, and the Battle of Gettysburg is considered a turning point in the American Civil War.”1
On November 19, 1863, at Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln said:
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.But in a larger sense we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”2
How was Lincoln’s speech received? The Chicago Sun (now the Sun-Times) wrote: “The cheek of every American must tingle with shame, as he reads the silly, flat and dishwatery utterances of the man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as the President of the United States.”3
Today our focus is not the brave men who died at Gettysburg, nor those who did not understand Lincoln. It is you and me. Are we willing to dedicate our lives to the mission given to us by our Lord? Our theme verse is Romans 1:16: “I am not shamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Are we willing to take this to heart?
Will you take a moment to remember those who gave their lives to the cause of Christ?
Men like Martin Luther who changed history by refusing to compromise the truth of the Gospel despite hopeless opposition from the Catholic church and as the Turks brought more that 330,000 men, the most feared Army in history, to the gates of Vienna.4
Men like Daniel Landsmann, a Jewish believer who was the first LCMS Missionary to the Jewish people. His life was often threatened as he shared the Gospel with Jewish immigrants in the lower east side of Manhattan at the end of the 19th Century. Despite the hardships he faced, 37 Jewish people confessed faith in Jesus!6
And men like Richard Wurmbrand, a Jewish believer who was tortured by the Nazis and later by the Communists, for a total of 18 years. He never stopped sharing the love of the Messiah with his torturers.7
There are so many others who gave their lives to the cause of sharing the Gospel with all people everywhere, including hopeless sinners like you and me.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3.
In just a few years, none of us will still be alive. As you set the priorities for the rest of your life, will you listen once more to Lincoln’s words?
The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion.
Thursday, September 01, 2005 :: 353 Views :: Newsletter
SOWERS!
By Gary Timm
Some plant, others water, and some get to be part of the harvest!
This summer I came to St Louis to share in their Evangelism-Training event in the hope of better organizing our outreaches in New York. What I did not expect to experience was the awesome feeling of teamwork and the openness to the Gospel.
One gentleman I spoke with in Clayton, the Jewish area of St Louis, was Brian. I asked him what he thought about Jesus and he told me, “I‘m not sure what to think.”
I went on to ask if he had read the Bible. He said, “Yes, a long time ago”. Then I reminded him, “The Bible says that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for your sins and mine and miraculously he arose again from the dead. Do you believe that to be true?” He thought for a moment and confirmed that he did. “So,” I continued, “let me ask you, if you were to die today would you go to heaven?” He said, “I hope so.” “You mean you don’t know for sure,” I asked. “No. I mean I’ve been a good person and everything so I hope I would get there, but I don’t know”.
The Flap over Gap Fillers
By Steve Cohen
OK, I admit it. I am a huge fan of anything dealing with outer space. The recent mission of the space shuttle Discovery was a fascinating event to watch first hand: live photos from space, interviews with the astronauts, and video feeds of the spacewalks brought us right into the scene and into the long-awaited return flight.
After intense scrutiny and photographic data was retrieved, the mission team on the ground discovered protruding gap filler pieces that were designed to keep carbon tiles from “chattering” and thus causing damage during takeoff. Two filler pieces had become dislodged from their original positions and posed a potential threat during the intense heat of re-entry.
After hours of intense scrutiny and theorizing, the mission team concluded that for the sake of the safety of the crew, those gap fillers had to be removed or cut away prior to reentry. This meant a historic and unrehearsed space repair. The world watched as one lone astronaut, with a team of people on the ground and in the shuttle working behind him, reached with his heavily gloved hand to remove the two offending pieces. Mission accomplished!
As I thought back on that historic flight and spacewalk, I was impressed with how every detail of the flight is scripted, practiced, and practiced again. The team prepared to carry out its mission in the most hostile of environments. One misstep could lead to the loss of life.
How does this apply to our mission here on earth? We, too, work in a hostile environment. The spiritual forces of darkness seek to dissuade and discourage us all from carrying out our mission. We meet with indifference on the part of those whom we are trying to reach with the Gospel, and on the part of many in our churches.
Every 4.6 Minutes
By Alan Butterworth
Every 4.6 minutes, 500 people die somewhere in the world; 20 live in America and one is Jewish! As the clock ticks... are we, as believers, doing everything we can to reach these precious souls with the Gospel before it is too late?
Are these just statistics? In 2003, I got a call that my father, Eric Butterworth, was dying. As I raced to the hospital, I thought about the times I shared the Gospel. I had no sign that he believed, so I prayed for his salvation as he was in a coma. I was about 15 minutes away when he died. Where is he now? Is this just academic?
Now my father knows the truth! But a great chasm prevents him from sharing that truth (Luke 16:26). Do you have a loved one or a friend who is facing eternity without faith in Jesus? May we help you share?
Winsome Witnessing 101
If you were called into a court of law to give testimony in a trial, you would be asked to either swear or affirm that your testimony would be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Going all the way back to the Ten Commandments, we are told not to bear false witness. When it comes to telling what God has done for our life, it is essential that we simply stick to the facts and not seek to embellish or expand on the truth.
People can spot what is phony, and we should be very careful to simply present our life in a frank way, with simple reference to the past without going into unwholesome details. Yet it is important to share that we sometimes struggle in our faith, also.
The old hymn said, “I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind but now I see” still carries great meaning today. Win-Some Witnesses may have had doubts about their faith in the past, but express them honestly so that others may relate, too.
Think through your personal testimony so that you can share it from memory in five minutes. You never know when you may be called upon to tell what God has done in your life. You can then be “instant in season or out of season” with your testimony to others.
Be prepared.
Thursday, July 28, 2005 :: 391 Views :: Newsletter
SUMMER BATTLES
By Steve Cohen
Picture yourself riding in a van with three others from The Apple of His Eye. It is towards the end of the intensive two-week outreach. You have moved beyond the “butterflies in my stomach because I am not sure what is going to happen” phase. You have taken time to pray and now you are wearing a shirt emblazoned with a question on the back: What do you think of Jesus?
Now you are preparing to engage in the summer battles – of the spiritual kind that is...
The site for the evening sortie (going out with gospel tracts, conducting your mission, and then coming back) is the St. Louis area University City Loop. The Loop is named for the place where the trollies used to loop around and head back into town. Now it is a trendy gathering place filled with eclectic shops and restaurants.
As you exit the van and enter the summer evening heat, you find youngsters on skateboards showing their moves and older folk sitting at sidewalk tables soaking in the ambience. Some bring their pets to stroll casually about. Cool jazz wafts through the sultry night air. You decide that your favorite spot is “The Wall”. This is a spot by Fitz’s Root Beer about mid-way in the Loop.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 16:13-17
During this summer outreach, that question, “What do you think of Jesus?” was asked over and over again as we distributed 44,150 broadsides.
Photos of the outreach
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
YOUR MISSIONARY SUPPORT CAN WORK HARDER...
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans offers a benefit that enhances the charitable giving of its members. Through the GivingPlus Program, a member’s financial gift will be supplemented by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will contribute $1 for every $2 donated to The Apple of His Eye by members up to a $300 maximum supplement per year. (You can choose two organizations per year to receive these supplements.)
A monetary gift of cash, check or money order will be supplemented and stock or mutual fund share transfers are also eligible.
You can download the forms for your selected organization to receive supplemental gifts from the Thrivent Web site: http://www.thrivent.com/index.html and go to the GivingPlus page. Send your completed form to The Apple of His Eye.
We covet your prayers:
For more volunteers to assist us in our growing ministry
For Alexey’s growing ministry in Russia
For Jan Cohen’s battle with Huntington’s Disease
For the followup to the contacts we received during our summer outreach
That Christians would sustain their mission support over the summer
For the peace of Jerusalem!
Is it possible to do effective street ministry in 2005? Giving strangers Gospel tracts? Going door to door? Aren’t these things outdated?
Our Summer Outreach ended here in St. Louis on July 9. Here are just a few stories of how the Holy Spirit worked thru the 25 people who participated:
Shelley, a Jewish believer in Jesus who lives in St. Louis, has an unbelieving friend who received two of the 44,150 Gospel tracts we distributed. Her friend read the tracts, remembered that Shelley is a believer and called her to ask questions about Jesus! Please pray that as they get together to talk about the Gospel, the Holy Spirit will open this woman’s heart!
Wednesday, June 01, 2005 :: 354 Views :: Newsletter
C. P. E.
By Steve Cohen
Recently, a concerned mother asked for my help in reaching her daughter and her new son-in-law with the Gospel. The daughter, a believer in Y’shua, had married a “nice Jewish boy”—but he wasn’t a believer. Since then, the daughter has stopped active church worship.
The mother and I spoke for about an hour about her concern for the spiritual welfare of both her daughter and her new son-in-law. She voiced apprehension over broaching the subject of faith in Jesus as the Messiah. The daughter would avoid those conversations, and the mother wondered that if she brought up the matter with the son-in-law, it might damage future relationships.
So the quandary: how to present the Gospel to our loved ones, yet maintain the relationship with have with them.
When I brought up matters of faith to my parents, they always viewed such issues through the lens of my past personal history. Instead of considering the case for Christ, my parents always raised my past behavior and my shortcomings in relating to them.
How can we overcome such hurdles so that loved ones can give honest consideration to who Jesus is? Use C. P. E. –cross-pollenation evangelism.
He Was A Good Jewish Boy...
by Alan Butterworth
In downtown Jerusalem, lost in my to do list, I heard a young man say, “He was a good Jewish boy who lived 2,000 years ago.” As I looked up, I saw a man on a bicycle riding slowly behind me. It took me a moment to realize he was answering the question on the back of my shirt, “What Do You Think of Jesus?”
I replied, “That is a good start!” He stopped his bike, and we chatted for a few minutes. This young Jewish man explained he had heard that Jesus was just a man, not the Messiah, but that he wasn’t religious.
I asked him, “Have you seen the posters of the white bearded Rabbi Schneerson all over Israel?” The posters claim that Schneerson is “Melech Moshiach” (King Messiah). He said yes. I said, “If Chabad has a right to promote Schneerson as the Messiah, we just want people to consider whether Jesus was the Messiah.” He said, “Sounds fair.” He listened carefully as I shared how I came to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. He took one of my stories, but wouldn’t give me his name. Please pray others water and nourish this seed so he comes to faith.
I asked him, “What it would have been like to see the blood all over the Priests during the days of the sacrificial system?” He said the sacrifices were a compromise with the Pagan cultures of that era. He said forgiveness of sins comes from repentance and prayer, not sacrifice. I asked him, “What does Leviticus 17:11 mean?” He took my Bible and read, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” I could see him wrestling with the idea that Jesus atoned for our sins. As we left, he said, “We will have to continue this discussion by e-mail.” Please pray for Mr. C’s salvation!
The Gospel in the Old Testament:
I have heard it said many times that the Gospel is only in the New Testament. But our God is the same yesterday, today and forever. The good news that He is seeking to redeem us is predicted in the Old and fulfilled | | |