Shalom Dear Friends,
Amazing, 2011 has come and gone. With that in mind we thought it would be a good time to review a few aspects of 2011 as we forge ahead into 2012.
Statistics can be pretty boring and unimaginative, but they can bring clarity to all your efforts. With that in mind let’s look back at our UCI Bible Book Table statistics for 2011.
- 504 Bibles or New Testaments distributed.
- 1,737 pieces of Gospel literature distributed.
- 17 students placed their faith in Jesus at the table.
Each Bible or tract is a precious seed planted in the soil of students hearts (Mark 4:14). Please pray that God will cause His Word to grow in good soil (Mark 4:15-20). So many of the UCI students are biblically ignorant. We are grateful for the opportunity we have to reach out to these precious young people with the Good News of Eternal Life through faith in Jesus. Please pray especially for the 17 students who prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior! Thank you for being part of our team each quarter.
In 2011 we also received a number of responses from our students. Here are a few.
From J.: I just want you to know that I am praying for you, your family, and your ministry. Thank you for all you do. May God bless and keep you.
From A.: Your consistent teaching of God’s word and your faithfulness to the scriptures has been a blessing to me and I know to others.
From C.: You are such a blessing to me, teaching me the Bible making the world come alive. My prayer is that your well never runs dry. I leave your class with a new awakening with joy over learning something of Yeshua, God my Father, and God the Holy Spirit. Be blessed in Him who loves you.
Please pray that our classes will continue to be a blessing for all the students in Orange County who personally attend each week.
We also receive notes from far flung areas as well. Sometimes the notes come from local students who are traveling.
“It has been 11 days in the Philippines now. Hot with high humidity and a lot of sweat. Studied the session 2 thru the online class. Thanks for your class. Shalom. A.”
Then there are the notes from those we have never seen face to face.
“My name is C.W. I am so glad I have found your website. I am a Christian and I came across Jews for Judaism and I was so confused. I started to have doubts about my faith. I am not Jewish. Now my faith is strong because of your website. Thank God for your website.”
From this response it is obvious that anti-missionaries impact more than Jewish people. Please pray that the Antimissionary Arguments section of our website and our book Antimissionary Arguments will continue to bring truth and clarity to Believer and non-believer, Jew and Gentile, alike.
“My name is J.W. I am from Germany. I traveled Israel many times and have friends there. I am not Jewish, although my great grandfather was. … I’m 28 years old and just wanted to share that your webpage helped me finding answers in Psalm 2. My God’s wisdom guide you and His power.”
From facebook, T. wrote:
“Thank you so much Robert for being my friend. I had been reading your article on being born again, and I couldn’t stop reading! You are teaching me so much! Thank you! I am so thrilled to start learning about my Lord from the Jewish perspective. A lot of gaps and holes are being filled, and the Bible is beginning to make sense like never before! Thank you!”
Please pray that our Internet outreach will continue to be effective. If statistics are correct, for every response we receive there a dozens and dozens who feel the same way but do not respond.
We are excited that a big dream of ours is on the verge of becoming a reality: video classes on the Internet. A very generous student has supplied us with the equipment we need to film our classes and post them to the Internet. In the beginning the classes will not be elaborate, but they will be functional and practical. Please pray that we can integrate video classes onto our Internet site and move from this basic beginning to a more professional presentation. Please ask the LORD to use the video presentations effectively in the viewers lives.
Recently we have encountered various versions of the same thought, for example; why do we have to study all that Jewish stuff? A well known Pastor even stated that his calling is to exegete the New Testament only. The basic thought is this; the Old Testament is irrelevant for today. Says who! If the Hebrew Scriptures are outdated and irrelevant, then explain these verses to me please!
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 4:23-24 Now not for his (Abraham’s) sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
1 Corinthians 9:9-10 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing (Deut 25:4).” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing (Deut 25:4),” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:15; Matt 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Cor. 9:14).”
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
The New Testament unequivocally states that the Old Testament is very relevant for Christians today. The Hebrew Scriptures are profitable, and provide us with instruction, hope and practical examples – positively to follow or negatively to avoid. If various forms of this thought cross your path, graciously direct your friends to these verses and ask them to decide for themselves.
Thanks for being part of our ministry team.