You can learn a lot from not knowing anything about science.

Let me explain.

The other day, Kenny asked me whether a “space storm” was the same thing as a black hole. Not knowing what a space storm was, I asked him, “What is a space storm?”

“Well,” Kenny said, “it does such-and-such.”

“No, not what does it do, but what is it?” I asked.

Again, Kenny tried to answer by telling me the things that happened within a space storm.

“Kenny,” I said, “What is it composed of? What is its essence?”

“Hmm,” Kenny said. ” don’t know.”

I don’t blame him. It’s much harder to define a thing’s essence than it is to discuss what the thing does.

Could you define yourself in regards to your own essence? Could you describe yourself, apart from anyone you know, anything you own, or anything you do?

There are many reasons why we sometimes get confused as to who we really are. Past sins can seem to define us, because we can’t forget them. I’m the person who …

Present occupations or roles in life seem like they are perfectly adequate for classifying us. I’m a student. I’m a lawyer. I’m a mom.

Or maybe it’s what we own that imparts to us an identity: I’m rich. Or our talents: I’m a singer. Or our physical attributes: I’m pretty.

All of these things may be true. We all have sins in our past. We all have roles in the present. And we all have adjectives that describe us.

But none of those things is who we are.

What, then, is our identity?

My friend, if you are “in Christ”—in other words, if you have a personal relationship with Jesus—here is your identity:

You are clean (John 15:3). “Liar” or “adulteress” or “drug user” is not your identity.

You are healed (Isaiah 53:5). “Wounded” is not your identity.

You are chosen (Colossians 3:12). “Unwanted” is not your identity.

You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are no longer who you used to be.

You are capable (Philippians 4:13). “Not good enough” is not your identity.

You are powerful where once you were weak (2 Corinthians 12:10). “Helpless” or “ineffective” is not your identity.

You are victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57). “Loser” is not your identity.

May I offer you a few more?

You are Christ’s friend (John 15:15). You are complete (Colossians 2:10). You are a daughter of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5), anointed by God (1 John 2:27), and a joint heir with Christ to all God’s riches (Romans 8:17). You have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Let no earthly thing define you—not what you’ve done, not what others say you are, not whom you know or what talents you possess.

You are far more than any of these things.

You are who God says you are.

By Megan Breedlove – .

When several thousand Christian conservative activists gather in Washington on Friday, they will hear from Donald Trump and seven other Republican presidential candidates. But one big name with religious bona fides will be absent: Jeb Bush.

Bush, who was not invited to the Values Voter Summit last year, was not able to attend this year, his campaign said. A Bush spokeswoman said he had offered to send a video message to the event, but a summit spokesman said the offer was declined.

Bush is not the only notable Republican candidate seeking to represent the party in the November 2016 presidential election to skip the event.

Former Hewlett-Packard chief Carly Fiorina, who at last week’s Republican debate gave the type of strong anti-abortion message that social conservatives want to hear, will be in the early voting state of Iowa instead.

Ohio Governor John Kasich, who frequently mentions his faith on the campaign trail, will not attend either. Nor will New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

But religious conservatives said ahead of the event that Bush – a convert to Roman Catholicism who was just in Washington to see Pope Francis – could be missing a valuable opportunity to connect with an influential part of the Republican voting base as he tries to recover from the summer surge of Trump and expand his appeal.

“For the life of me I can’t figure out Governor Bush’s strategy for the nomination,” said Gary Bauer, former president of the Family Research Council, which is staging the summit. “He’s pro-life. He’s got plenty to talk about to this group.”

Timothy Head, executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, another Christian conservative group, said evangelicals are responding more enthusiastically right now to retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. All four will appear at the event.

“They speak with a tremendous amount of conviction and resolve, and I think that Jeb’s style, his personality and personal countenance is more contemplative and analytic,” Head said.

Bush has not shied away from the conservatives’ “cattle calls” of presidential candidates that populate campaign calendars. But Bush, who has spoken at length of the role of religion in shaping his political views, has not seen a need to attend them all.

For Trump, however, there is a clear need to convince evangelicals that he is not dismissive of religion after he said in Iowa in July that he had not asked God for forgiveness and referred to the Communion wafer as a “little cracker.”

In advance of the event, Trump gave an interview with political journalist David Brody of the Christian Broadcast Network in which he extolled the benefits of the Bible and said he had in fact asked for forgiveness from God by way of taking Communion.

“I consider Communion to be a very important thing. When I go to church and take Communion, I think that’s asking for forgiveness in my own way,” Trump said.

(Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

What a week this is on the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashana on Sept. 13-14, the Shemitah on Sept. 13 and today ends Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement (which started last evening.)

Most of the world goes on as if nothing is happening when these Jewish holidays come around. The Christian community, however, has become increasingly aware of what these significant holidays mean and what God is saying during this time.

My good friend and author Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has done more than anyone else to raise awareness of these holidays in his book The Harbinger, in which he drew parallels between God’s dealing with ancient Israel and His message to America. If nothing else, the parallels are striking.

One of the harbingers discussed in the book is the Shemitah, the Jewish year of rest that happens every seven years. It includes a day called Shemitah, the last day of the year—Elul 29 on the Jewish calendar—in which all debts were forgiven.

The previous two Shemitahs—in 2001 and 2008—marked the biggest drops in stock market history. Thankfully, the drop this year wasn’t as much, but as I explain below, the Shemitah of 2015 still wiped out an estimated total of $7 trillion from the global markets.

As the Shemitah approached last Sunday, plenty of speculation swirled on what would happen. Of course, the markets were closed for the weekend and this week, there has been no comparable drop. Social media has been abuzz with messages like, “if doomsday has not arrived within the next 24 hours, do you think we will be hearing any apologies from the prophets?” I feel that sort of remark is irresponsible because no one I know of predicted doomsday. It’s not comparable to the book “88 Reasons why Jesus will come back in 1988,” which was totally discredited when Jesus did not come back as predicted.

The Mystery of the Shemitah is just that—explaining this phenomenon to those who didn’t understand it. And looking at the patterns that have occurred are interesting. I was involved in the editing of The Harbinger, and I know the author was meticulous not to predict anything. As the publisher, I didn’t want to be put in a box.

In fact, Rabbi Cahn told me this week: “You know of my initial concerns and reluctance concerning the likelihood of a focus on date-setting. To counter that, I’ve continually issued continuous cautions that nothing had to happen on any date (namely Elul 29).”

Of course, many of us prayed that no financial calamity would happen this time. There have been many Shemitahs over the centuries when no collapse occurred. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad this time as in 2008.

But wait. While on the surface it may seem as if “nothing happened,” journalist Bill Koenig provided us with these statistics that I believe everyone needs to see.

I believe it is important for you to be aware of these numbers Bill sent me. Please take the time to contemplate them:

• During the course of the most recent Shemitah, the Dow Jones industrial peaked on May 19, then reversed momentum, and began a long-term descent.  

• The Dow Jones reached its all-time high of 18, on May 19.

• The Dow Jones closed at 16,443 on September 11, the last day of trading for the Shemitah year. It was the same on Sunday, September 13 (Elul 29), a non-trading day and the end of the Shemitah year. The value that was erased approached 2 trillion dollars!

• The collapse included Black Monday—August 24—the largest intraday crash in Wall Street history—over 1,000 points.

• The Shemitah of 2015 wiped out an estimated $5 trillion from international markets.

• A total of $2.1 trillion erased from U.S. stocks in six days—Aug. 26, 2015 according to CNN Money. (The Dow Jones: August 18, 2015: 17,511. On August 25, 2015, it was 15,666). Drop: 1,845 points.

• The Dow Jones high during Shemittah and the Elul 29 level, an estimated loss of just under $2 trillion of market capitalization: May 19, 2015: 18,. September 13 (Elul 29) 16,443. Drop: 1,908 points.

• August 24, 2015—The Dow Jones’ most dramatic intraday trading day ever ($5.7 Trillion in Equity Market Values Erased Worldwide.)

• The Shemitah struck the new engine of the world’s economy—China—even more dramatically. The collapse of the Chinese stock market was one of the greatest in history—wiping out over 40 percent of its value in just a few months.

• The Shemitah of 2015 wiped out an estimated total of 7 TRILLION dollars from global markets!

What does all of this mean? Cahn shared a few insights in a personal email that he gave permission for me to quote: He went on to explain: “But very important: People’s focus on the Elul 29 day crash template obscured the fact that it is a minority pattern and exception (happened only in 2 of the last 7 crashes of the last 7 Shemitahs)—and obscured the larger and very major things that actually did happen.

“The overwhelmingly predominant template of the Shemitah—and shown continuously in The Harbinger—is that of a rising stock market coming to an end in the midst of the Shemitah, reversing momentum and descending in a long-term (not day) descent—which may involve increasing volatility and dramatic-day crashes,” Cahn wrote.

There are many who have a “Pollyannaish” approach that “everything will always be OK.” Instead, we must be like the sons of Issachar, “discerning the times” and understanding what God is saying to us.

And remember that God’s dealings are more than simply financial and more than simply with the American economy. Let’s not be naive and assume that if the economy is humming along that means God is blessing us because we deserve His blessings due to our goodness!

If you agree with this, help us get this word out by sharing this far and wide on social media.

Steve Strang is the founder of Charisma and CEO of Charisma Media. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

As a young adult I began to embrace life as an Orthodox Jew fully, taking on the internal personal obligations of traditional Judaism and the most notable outward sign by wearing a Kippah (or yarmulke), the head covering worn by Jewish men—my uniform.

With the uniform on, I needed to be sure that my behavior corresponded to the standards I had embraced. I’ll never forget my impulsive anger once of someone cutting me off that almost lead me to flip off the offending driver. But I was “in uniform,” and I resisted because that’s not how an Orthodox Jew should behave. To be sure, I have slipped on some things since then but hold myself to a high standard because my behavior, for good or bad, is a reflection not just on myself.

I thought of this recently after Ann Coulter unleashed the [expletive]. I’m not a prude, but it struck me as very wrong on a host of levels. But because she used the word relating to Jews, I feel obligated to call her out, albeit as uncomfortable as I am using such language even if I’m quoting someone else.

The well-known and often abrasive conservative Christian pundit got into hot water and created a rift at the end of the recent second Republican presidential debate. Ostensibly commenting on four of the 11 candidates mentioning Israel in their closing remarks, she tweeted, “How many [expletive] Jews do these people think there are in the United States?“

Ouch.

Her tweet sparked outrage from Jewish and Christian leaders and organizations, backlash among conservative Americans, as well as support from anti-Semites agreeing with, and standing up for, what Coulter tweeted. It even sparked humor, including a post from one friend doing a mathematical projection of the actual number of American Jews engaged in sexual relations at any one time. (4,513 is the number, you can email me if you want the calculation.)

Necessarily, debate has ranged from whether her comment was anti-Semitic or not, or whether she is anti-Semitic herself. My sense is that yes, her comment is very much anti-Semitic, but I don’t know her to know whether it was rooted in stupidity (ironic for such a bright woman), insensitivity, or an anti-Semitic core belief.

One conservative Jewish Facebook friend insisted her words were being taken out of context. Many others have tried to put them into context suggesting that she was calling out the Republicans for pandering, presumably to American Jews but then she suggested to evangelical Christians as well. Some have said that she’s not only not anti-Semitic, but that she’s very pro-Israel and Jewish, and we shouldn’t make an enemy of her by calling her an anti-Semite.

All I do know is that there’s a broad range of what’s anti-Semitic and there’s no question that her comment was well inside the boundaries of that. Making matters worse, Coulter’s comments triggered an astounding deluge of anti-Semitic remarks from people who support Coulter’s stance, using language overflowing with hate that were not even as “nuanced” as her remark.

Even Iran’s “Supreme Leader,” Ayatollah Khamenei, used the opportunity to tweet out his support. If the timeless phrase “show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are” is true, in this case, “show me who retweets you and I’ll tell you who you are,” therefore Ms. Coulter is not in very good company.

Here are 10 reasons why Ann Coulter’s tweet is wrong.

1. Had she, or anyone else for that matter, used that language about any other ethnic, demographic or religious group (blacks, gays, Muslims, etc.) she would have been called out at once as racist, homophobic or anti-Muslim.

2. It seems she actually wrote “[the expletive with dashes for some of the letters] Jews” and didn’t spell out the word so as not to be offensive. That’s ironic, and poorly executed at best. 

3. For a woman whose cross around her neck, her uniform, and is as much a part of her persona as her conservative views and symbol of her faith, use of that word is offensive and wrong.

4. It’s shocking she’d even allow others to think she thinks that way or uses that language. That’s more than public persona to sell books, or get booked on TV. It’s vulgar and bad behavior. A good friend wrote, “Women in general look very unattractive using poor language. Men look undisciplined and weak.”

5. Especially as a Christian, to refer to “[expletive] Jews” is deeply offensive. Of all people who ought to be sensitive to this, it should to be Christians who understand the injunction of Genesis 12:3 to bless, not curse, Israel.

6. Israel and its leadership have been so battered by the current U.S. administration, for a Republican presidential candidate to underscore that this policy is wrong is not only NOT wrong, but essential to underscore that America’s best ally in the region is Israel, not Iran, especially at a time when those lines have been blurred and those values trashed.

7. Demographically, she’s off base because there are far more non-Jews in America (especially evangelical Christians but not exclusively) who support Israel than there are Jews in America. If they are pandering to anyone, that’s the demographic and the swing vote.

8. She suggests that it’s anti-American to show such strong support for Israel, implying that candidates only do that because they pander for support, particularly of Jews, and strengthens the libel that there is something incompatible with being a loyal American and a Jew.  

9. Coulter has blown wind into the sail of a dangerous and growing trend to make anti-Semitic slurs and innuendo acceptable in America, not just from David Duke, Louis Farrakhan, but from the New York Times, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. In that way, she minimizes how hateful her words are, and what the consequences could be. If anti-Semites were arsonists, it’d be illegal to say what she did because the theater is far too crowded with them already. 

10. Ann Coulter offered no apology, not for her use of the vulgarity, not for sowing into a trend of growing anti-Semitism, and not for offending millions of American Jews and others.  She offered an excuse and doubled down. She had the audacity to blame others who were fostering “fake outrage.” That’s inexcusable.

I know being a conservative is not synonymous with being offensive, and I believe being a Christian it is indeed contradictory. I pray that Ms. Coulter will reflect and pray about how she portrays herself and that her heart will be changed so her message—whether one agrees or not—can be received without this sorry of unnecessary and hurtful conflict.

Jonathan Feldstein was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six. Throughout his life and career, he has been blessed by the calling to fellowship with Christian supporters of Israel and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel. He writes a regular column for ‘s Standing With Israel. He can be reached at FirstPersonIsrael@.

Our thoughts are connected to every single area of our lives. They affect our words, moods, attitudes, the choices we make, and even our relationship with God and others. They also affect our emotional and physical health.

In fact, research shows that 75 to 98 percent of mental, physical, and behavioral illness comes from one’s thought life. The mind and body are definitely connected!

For instance, did you know you can stress yourself out by the way you think? So often, we believe our circumstances are to blame for our unhappiness, however it’s the way we think about our circumstances that usually causes worry and stress.

Stress is a modern-day epidemic. It’s been proven to cause issues like muscle tension, headaches, breathing irregularities, increased heart rate, artery inflammation, gastro-intestinal problems, constipation and diarrhea. And those are only a few of the symptoms!

The good news is God has given us the answer for worry and stress. What’s his prescription? Trust. Proverbs 3:5 (AMP) says, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.”

Trusting God is the greatest stress reliever in the world, and our minds play an important role in the process. We have a choice. We can “rely on our own insight and understanding”—endlessly thinking about our problems, trying to figure everything out ourselves. Or we can choose to adopt a trusting attitude that says, “God, I don’t know what to do about this situation, but I can’t fix it on my own. If You want me to do something, I ask You to show me. Meanwhile, I’m going to trust You and enjoy my life while You work on my problems.”

I used to be a professional worrier—I was good at it. Years ago, when my children were young, I would sit at our kitchen table and spend hours looking at our bills, worrying how we would pay them. Dave, on the other hand, would be sitting on the floor in the TV room, letting the kids put curlers in his hair.

I would say, “Dave how can you have fun at a time like this?” And he would answer, “Joyce, we’ve prayed about it, and we’re doing everything we know to do. I refuse to be miserable with you.”

It made me so mad! But Dave was right. I was allowing myself to get upset and waste time I could have been spending with my children.

In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]”

I love this! God is saying, “I am giving you My peace, but the choice is up to you!”

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus offers us a new way of living; however, a new way of thinking will always precede this new way of living.

Romans 12:2 says, “…Be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God….”

This Scripture is so important! God has a good, acceptable, and perfect plan for you and me, and the way we can experience it is not to think like the world thinks, but to be changed by learning to renew our mind and think the way God thinks.

So, when life throws you a curve and you’re tempted to get stressed-out, I encourage you to choose positive, faith-filled thoughts from God’s Word. You can think, The Lord is going to take care of this. It doesn’t matter what it looks like—I believe God is working!

The truth is God knew about your problem before you ever got it, and He already has a plan for your solution. In the meantime, you can choose to enjoy your life while you wait. He has equipped you with the “mind of Christ” (see 1 Corinthians 2:16) and with His help, you can trust more and stress less.

I do believe in alignment and accountability. The Bible teaches alignment, which is the concept of coming alongside, but not over, others.

Alignment is also a Biblical word. It’s used several times in the New Testament. “For the equipping of the saints, for the work of service, …” (Eph. 4:12).

This word equipping is “katartizo” in the Greek and it means “alignment or to put a thing in its proper position”. The purpose of the five-fold ministry is to align you or position you for the work of the ministry. Alignment increases your authority to function in Christ’s kingdom.

When we are aligned properly, several truths emerge:

1. Relationship abounds with those with whom we are aligned.

2. Authority goes off the charts: “Two are better than one, because there is a good reward for their labor together. For if they fall, then one will help up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has no one to help him up. Also if two lie down together, then they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm by himself? And if someone might overpower another by himself, two together can withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:9-12, MEV).

3. Accountability sharpens our lives and keeps us out of error. Accountability is a Biblical concept and much needed in the church today. Accountability produces sons and daughters. Lack of accountability produces Ishmaels in your life. Ishmael was the illegitimate son of Abraham. He was a son of the flesh not a son of promise. This son of the flesh came about because Abraham and Sarah refused to be accountable to God. (see Gal. 4:22-31). Accountability is voluntary. Acting with accountability, or the lack of, reveals the issues of our heart.

4. Godly counsel from those we submit to can keep us moving forward in the Lord. I cherish the counsel I receive from those I submit to. They have brought into my life: prophetic words, direction, instruction, affirmation, godly counsel, friendship and correction. Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14, MEV).

Ken Malone is an ordained minister and the founder of Forerunner School and Ministry in Champions Gate, Florida. He serves on the board of Dutch Sheets Ministries and is the apostolic coordinator for the Florida Alliance for Reformation, which is a part of the United States Alliance for Reformation.

Although disheartening, society’s trend away from God’s Word and absolute truth is not surprising. The apostle Paul warned of this many years ago: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine (God’s Word), but according to their own desires … they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

Searching for spiritual fulfillment isn’t wrong, but where we search can be. There is tremendous power and wisdom in the Bible. Many religions and cults recognize its influence, often adding portions of the Bible to their own writings. 

In studying various religions, I learned that most originated from someone claiming to have received a “vision from God,” a “new revelation,” or a “deeper truth” that contradicts the Bible. These self-proclaimed prophets use their visions to begin their religion, and the rest is history. The fact that these groups have greatly altered the truth of God’s Word is a startling reality. Who would you rather entrust your soul to: God or man? We don’t change God’s message—His message changes us.

There are not “many” ways to God. The Bible and the beliefs of other religions cannot all be right. The Bible was not written “in addition to” anything; it stands alone. The apostle John, who walked with Jesus, said to test everything (1 John 4:1), and Jesus said in Matthew 24:24 that false Christs and false prophets will appear and deceive many. A “prophet,” as mentioned here, can be anyone in a position of spiritual authority, or claiming to be.

How do we “test every spirit” and avoid false teachers? It’s actually very simple: determine if what they are teaching agrees with the Scriptures. For example, if a cult or religion says that there are many gods, Isaiah 45:22 tells us otherwise: “For I am God, and there is no other.” If they claim that a “messenger of light” appeared to one of their prophets as the voice of God, we should point them to 2 Corinthians 11:14 where “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” If someone says that righteousness is only obtained by following rigid codes of financial and moral requirements, the New Testament says otherwise—we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Can you see the unparalleled truth in all of this? Unless a person is anchored in God’s Word, knows what the Bible says, and believes it, he or she will be like a child tossed back and forth and carried away by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men (Eph. 4:14). 

It’s vitally important that we study the Bible. Recall Paul’s words that a time will come when people will not be receptive to God’s Word. They will look for teachers who will tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. As a result, many will turn from the truth and begin to follow fables. Galatians 1:8 adds, “Although if we [the writers of the Bible] or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than the one we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”

Cults take advantage of the fact that many people are not well educated in fundamental biblical truths. To detect a counterfeit, one must first know what the original looks like. It’s impossible to gain a clear picture of absolute truth without going directly to God’s Word. Unless one is firmly grounded in God’s Word and led by His Spirit, one can easily be led astray.

This reminds me of a person that I once knew who experimented with different religions and read dozens of “spiritual” books. He rejected the Bible as absolute truth. As a result, he was confused, depressed and uncertain about life; he lacked direction and purpose. I often reminded him that where he was looking was what he was finding. The same holds true with you and me. We wouldn’t look for fish in the Mojave Desert, or almonds on a palm tree, but that’s exactly what we do when we look for truth outside of God’s Word.

The human mind, apart from God’s Spirit, will never comprehend or understand spiritual truth. First Corinthians 2:14 validates this: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” This is why many reject the Bible or change its message—their natural mind does not receive the things of God; truth is foolishness to them. What does this mean to you and to me? Everything. Man-made religions are lifeless; there’s no spiritual life in them.

In my case, I realized that I had been looking for truth and fulfillment in all the wrong places. While I had focused on things such as money, status, physical appearance, and relationships, I had starved my soul. I found that before meaningful, lasting change can occur on the outside, it first must occur on the inside. We cannot successfully change actions or attitudes unless God changes our heart. We must embrace His absolute truth and avoid counterfeits.

Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California, just North of Los Angeles. He recently released his 7th book,Desperate for More of God, at . Shane’s sermons, articles, books, and radio program can all be found at . Follow him on Facebook at: 

At a time when the world’s attention is turned to Israel with the Shemitah and the High Holy Days, Susan Perlman says Jews for Jesus is involved in many innovative campaigns to “proclaim the message of life to Jewish people.”

As Jews celebrate Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and the end of the biblical Shemitah, Perlman says the San Francisco-based Messianic Jewish ministry is spreading the gospel to Jews worldwide in new and unique ways.

“Oftentimes when people think of Jews for Jesus, you think of us as kind of these commandos out on the streets who are handing out our literature and facing a lot of opposition,” Perlman, the co-founder and associate executive director of Jews for Jesus, said during a presentation at Charisma Media in Lake Mary, Florida. “That is true. We do a lot of street evangelism, but we also have other means of sharing the gospel.”

While North America remains a difficult place to share Yeshua with Jewish people, Perlman said some of their “greatest responses” have been in places like Budapest, Moscow and Paris.

“Some of the innovations we’re involved in now are beginning to see some fruit,” Perlman said.

One of these is called Multitudes. For this ministry, Jews for Jesus commissioned 20 original paintings illustrating the book of Matthew. The paintings were shown recently at art shows in San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and New York City.

“It’s biblical art—Hebrew calligraphy—that tells the story of Matthew,” Perlman said. “We are getting a lot of Jewish people coming to these art shows. We had 500 people at our first night in Chelsea (in New York City). Actually, the curator at this gallery was astounded. She said, ‘We’ve never had that many people come on one night to see any of the art shows.'”

Another innovative ministry is known as Massah, the Hebrew word for “journey.” Each summer, Jews for Jesus offers an opportunity for Jewish believers ages 19-26 to join the team at the Moishe Rosen Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, to engage in Bible study, prayer, worship, Hebrew classes and fellowship. The center is located in a section of Tel Aviv that is the “hip, trendy place to be” with many art galleries and coffee houses.

At the center, participants brainstorm new ways to reach Israelis, employing music, art and the written Word. They travel throughout Israel, led by experienced tour guides, and share the gospel. The center also has a ministry to soldiers who go there on weekends for Bible studies.

“These are young Jewish believers who are really alienated when they are in the military,” Perlman said. “They get some real encouragement and confidence to share their faith when they go back out on the frontlines.”

Massah participants also travel to various places throughout the world to share the gospel with Israeli soldiers and others on backpacking trips.  

“When young Israeli people finish their military service, they are really kind of burned out and they want to get some R & R so they travel outside the country,” Perlman said. “They go to locations like South America, New Zealand, Thailand, Nepal and India and hike. Israeli groups cater to them by having coffee houses on the trails and hostels where they stay.

“We get the opportunity to talk to Israelis in a much less structured and stressful situation where many are spiritually open. They give us their Facebook information and we do follow-up visits with them later.”

As she looks back over four decades of a ministry that has reached out to both Jews and Gentiles, Perlman said she’s especially proud of the work young Jewish people are doing today. Today, Jews for Jesus has branches in 14 countries with hundreds of employees and volunteers. 

“It’s our 20-somethings who are leading the way,” Perlman said. “The head of our work in Israel is 34 years old. I really feel that’s a positive sign for the future. They just see the urgency of the task and want to go for it.”

Perlman’s visit to Charisma Media came amid the Jewish harvest festivals and the end of the seven-year biblical cycle known as the Shemitah. The Shemitah has drawn worldwide interest since the release of The Mystery of the Shemitah, a New York Times best-selling book by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn.

“I’m hopeful for the Lord’s return,” Perlman said. “I’m hopeful that there are signs today that are indicative of that happening, but I also know that the Lord’s time schedule and ours are not always in sync.”

Yet Perlman says there is much work to do to fulfill Jesus’ instructions to take the gospel throughout the world. Of the globe’s 15 million Jews, Perlman said she believes less than 1 percent believe in Jesus. 

“There is an immense amount of work to do,” Perlman said. “So I don’t want the Lord to come one moment sooner than He’s going to come because I want more opportunities to make Him known. I think of my own family members, none of whom are believers yet. I think of vast numbers of Jews—if they knew what we know about Jesus—they would be running to Him.

“We need to have a mobilized prayer force out there praying for Jewish people to have their hearts ready and prepared for God, and then we need Christians—whether it’s those of us professionally in the work of Jewish evangelism, or everyday Christians—faithfully proclaiming who God is to the Jewish people.”

For more information or to support Jewish evangelism go to .

Suicide bombers are driven by politics, humiliation, revenge, retaliation and altruism. Often, the bombers themselves appear stoic. 

But a chilling new video reveals the heartache of a young Muslim saying goodbye to friends and family before driving off on a mission to kill himself and others.  

The man featured in the footage is reported to be Jafar al-Tayyar, an Uzbek man who pledged allegiance to a branch of Al Qaida.  

According to a translation of the video, the  narrator lauds him as the “first volunteer mujahid (jihad fighter) of Mawarannahr,” a term used by some jihadists to refer to an area corresponding to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southern Kyrgyzstan, and parts of southwestern Kazakhstan. 

The bravado of his comrades is not enough.  

Al-Tayyar utterly breaks down as he climbs into the explosive tank.  

The video is graphic, and viewer discretion is advised.