Ariel Magazine Purim Edition Cover copy - Ariel Ministries

israel
David - “You want to tell me that Judaism is a dead religion?
(Remember, only few minutes ago he declared himself as
finished atheist!) And Catholicism is not dead???!!!”
L.G. - “I am not a Catholic. You are right, Catholic religion is
as dead as Judaism. I am a Messianic Jew - a Jew who
believes that Yeshua is my Messiah - because of what He has
done for me, for you, and for all sinners. I am saved, and I
have an eternal relationship with God.”
David - “How can you believe that God exists? Do you need
someone there? I believe in nature and beauty. I don't need
any figure of some kind of father, a God sitting somewhere
out there.”
L.G. - “Well, I do need someone who is bigger than me, who
can save me, who can help me out, and who can do things I
certainly cannot do myself. If you worship the nature and
are amused with its beauty and wisdom, why wouldn't you
want to accept and worship its Creator? Nature is only a
creation. I would be looking for the Creator.”
David - “Nonsense! Buddhists say that God is in us, that we
are all gods!” (Once again, David forgets his claim to
atheism, but he keeps forgetting when he is emotionally
involved in apologetic conversations.)
L.G. - “If they are gods, why can't they create something like
God? The god they find in themselves cannot save and
cannot create."
David - “I grew up in Brazil. We lived in one small, Jewish
community there. I always felt that I was not like others. I
didn't want to be different, chosen, or special. I immigrated
to Israel, mostly because of that. I wanted to feel similar to
others. Do you think I have found similarity here? No, I am
still alone. You say that you always seeking, and that you
wanted to have the figure of a father. Well, I do not want
such a Father! I am angry with Him! He chose us to be His
nation and to suffer continuously through all these ages. If
He is a Father, then why would He allow the Holocaust?
My family ran from Russia to Brazil to escape the Holocaust,
where a majority of them were wiped out and killed. I am
better off worshipping nature, as nature is more merciful
than He is and more protecting than He is!"
I was listening and praying during his monologue. I felt his
pain. I felt his anger, and I asked God to be there with me,
for him. I did not know what to say at that point. His heart
was aching, not his mind.
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As an answer to my prayer, he finally asked me, “If you
believe that He is such wonderful Father, then why would
He allow your daughter to be autistic, and for your firstborn
son to be attacked by leukemia? Aren't you angry at Him?”
L.G. - “No, I am not.”
David - “How come?”
L.G. - “When I believed, He did not promise me that my life
would be sunny, bright, and easy. He did promise, though,
that in whatever challenges I face, I won't be alone. He will
be my ground, my wings, my strength, my shoulder ... my
everything. He has never broken that promise. Even in the
midst of disappointment, surprise, and mystery, I always
discover an amazing thing - how very reliable and trustworthy
God is, and how secure I am in His hands. We ALL need
that in this day of relativism and vacillation, filled with
empty talk and hidden behind a lot of semantic footwork. It
is ONLY the Lord who talks straight. It is the Lord who has
preserved truth in His Word, and it is the Lord who has the
right to do as He wishes around us, to us, and in us. There is
no need for us to know all the reasons, and He certainly
doesn't need to explain Himself. If we're going to let God be
God, then we're forced to say He has the right to take us
through whatever process He chooses.”
David - “Well, the difference between us is that you have the
organ called, "faith”, and I don't.”
My last words to David were quoted from my morning
devotional. “Let Him have His way with your life, for nothing
is worse than resisting and resenting the One who is at work
in you.”
Eventually we lost track of time and had to stop our conversation,
as other patients were waiting for him in the clinic.
Now, why would I share this story with you?
From day one, when we stepped into full-time ministry, we
knew that our hearts were called by His care for others. He
will, forever, be our model for ministry. We love what we do,
because it helps people become acquainted with their Lord,
and to be a further light to this world and specifically to
Israel.
We would really like for you to become impassioned to
partner with us in touching the hearts of those in need. Why?
Because that's what it means to be like Messiah.