Ariel Magazine Purim Edition Cover copy - Ariel Ministries

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Ruth: I first met Arnold on his doorstep. He was 12
years old. I remember talking to his mother, but she did
not speak or really understand English. She gave me
permission to take Arnold and his brother and sister to
a mission center for activities. In her mind, she thought
we were strictly a Jewish organization. She had no idea
we were
giving Jews
the gospel.
So I picked
Arnold up
and took
him to
these
meetings.
Arnold
Back then, I
didn't realize how into the Bible he was. He had read
the entire Old Testament. But when he found out that
we were teaching that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah,
he wasn't too happy about that. The first week he
came, he was determined to prove us wrong. We gave
him a New Testament Bible to read. So he went home
and read it. He ended up reading a lot about Jesus
Emily: Did you ever imagine that Arnold would become
the teacher that he is today?
Ruth: No. Back then, he was just Arnold. He loved
going on our retreats. Mr. Haynie helped him. I was
there to help him socially. My job was to help him have
friends. He went to a Christian college, and every time
we went to speak in a church, he wanted to give his
testimony. I think that's how he learned to speak in
churches. He loved giving his
testimony back then, and he
never wanted to miss an
opportunity to share his story
with people. He loved
spending time with his friends
too. I used to take him to
youth groups. His heart
longed for Jewish fellowship.
It shows how much Jewish
people like to be with other
Jewish people. My role was to help him have friends
and grow in the Lord. But never did I imagine he would
become the teacher he is today.
Emily: You mention in your book that Jewish missions
are the hardest work. What is your advice for
Christians who want to share the Word of God with
Jews?
Arnold
before he came to the second meeting, so I think he was
more susceptible. After that first meeting, I went
home and found a copy of Isaac Leeser's Bible. He was a
famous rabbi who translated the Old Testament from
Hebrew to English. So I shared this book with Arnold
at the second meeting. I said, "This is your book
Arnold, and I would like to show you Jesus in this
book." We went through many of those scriptures
together. The Lord finally opened his eyes and he
became a believer by the second meeting, just by
showing him Jesus in the Old Testament. It was God's
plan for Arnold to be a believer. I just happen to be
there at the right time.
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Ruth: You need to go to where they are in their
thinking patterns of Jewishness. They need to be
taught from a Jewish perspective. You have to love
them as individuals. I always thank them for their
Scriptures. I'll ask them if they know that the
Scriptures they have are the exact same as the ones I
have. You have to meet them where they're at. They
believe in Moses, and so do I. They believe in Abraham,
and so do I. So I try to share with them the Messianic
Scriptures. It's very important that you establish a
common ground with them. The Bible you have is the
same as theirs, except we believe in Jesus. You need to
go to their Bible and express what their Bible means to
you. And that's exactly what I did with Arnold.
You can find Ruth Wardell's book online
at www.ariel.org. Or place your book
order over the phone at (210) 344-7707.
Order your copy today!