The Friends of Israel Today

Election Day is just a few days away in the United States! Among the many promises and positions believers consider when evaluating political candidates is their view of Israel. This week Chris interviews Jim Showers, executive director of the Friends of Israel, to discuss the U.S. presidential candidates’ histories and agendas for the Jewish nation going into this election. You’ll learn all you n...

Rapture—the word that excites and energizes many Christians while frightening others. However it makes you feel, it’s an incredible biblical truth that we need to understand! Chris teaches from Scripture to make the Rapture more accessible to you in this program. He provides eye-opening context from 1 Thessalonians and Greek culture to exhort you with one of God’s greatest promises for believers....

Do you ever feel like The Rolling Stones when they used to sing, “I can’t get no satisfaction!”? King Solomon knew just how they felt. All the riches in the world couldn’t bring him satisfaction apart from God. This week Chris offers an in-depth study of Peter Colón’s Israel My Glory magazine article “No Satisfaction.” In reference to Solomon’s teachings in Ecclesiastes, Chris wrestles with the is...

Today we’re celebrating the peace deals Israel has recently made with the United Arab Emirates and with Bahrain. As exciting as they are, these deals may be just the start of greater action in the region. To discuss what the future may hold for Israel and its neighbors, we’re speaking with Steve Herzig this week. He’ll help us make sense of what has already happened with an eye on what may happen...

The Jewish holiday Sukkot, also called the Feast of Tabernacles, is a time to remember when God dwelled with the Israelites in the wilderness in the Old Testament. Today we who believe in Jesus have the very same reason to celebrate: We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us at all times! Learn all about Sukkot and what joyful implications it has for Christians today on this week’s program, and enjoy...

On the heels of the joyful Jewish New Year celebration comes Yom Kippur, observed this upcoming Sunday night through Monday night. This much more solemn holiday, also called the Day of Atonement, reminds us of our sin that must be confessed to our holy God. On this week’s program Chris takes us through the book of Leviticus, a book many of us find too difficult and culturally different to understa...

The new year is a perfect time to celebrate and take inventory of your life. This is especially true for believers who can use this time of new beginnings to evaluate their relationships with the Lord and celebrate His faithfulness. But why are we talking about the new year in September? Because this weekend marks the Jewish New Year—Rosh Hashanah! It’s a happy time that includes feasting and a ca...

The fall season means something different for everyone. Some love the crisp air of a September morning and the golden leaves of October. Some dread the change in weather or the return to school or other responsibilities after a fun summer. But for the Jewish people, fall is a special time because of the many feasts they enjoy. This week we talk with Bruce Scott about these special holidays—Rosh Ha...

Sadly, Israel will always have enemies. Anti-Semitism and hatred of the Jewish nation live on through sinful hearts that don’t understand God’s love for His Chosen People. That’s why organizations like The Friends of Israel and StandWithUs are so important. We enjoyed getting to know Paula Joffe this week as she shared about her organization, StandWithUs, and the phenomenal work they do to support...

"I really messed up. God’s not going to forgive me this time." Can you relate to this feeling? That’s the sentiment Paul addressed in Romans 11, the chapter we’re studying this week as we wrap up our 3-part series on why Israel still matters to God. Some were questioning if Israel’s sins had caused God to reject the Jewish people altogether. The comforting answer: Absolutely not! The reason: You’l...

In Romans 10, Paul taught that salvation comes through putting faith in Jesus rather than working to keep the Law. But his writing was shocking to the Jewish people, as it countered everything they’d known about gaining righteousness. Salvation is offered to all people—Jews and Gentiles alike—through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In part 2 of our series studying why Israel still matters to God, w...

It’s no surprise that the world doesn’t love Israel. It’s a bit more surprising and heartbreaking that so many Christians reject the nation. Many churches and Christian leaders have publicly denied Israel’s importance today—even those who acknowledge God’s covenant with the nation. But guess what? Israel still matters to God! That’s the focus of our three-week study in Romans 9–11. This week in pa...

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, His disciples asked Him a burning question: “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Because we still await this glorious kingdom, the apostles’ question has been ridiculed and written off. Though Jesus didn’t give the apostles the answer they wanted, it might surprise you to know that they actually asked the right question at the right time in...

No one likes to be sad. We often try to avoid acknowledging sadness at all costs. But on the Jewish calendar, one day is reserved for the very purpose of remembering tragedy: Tisha B’Av, observed this past week. Destruction, expulsion, and persecution are recurring themes of this day. So why should we remember this day at all? Maybe it’s because these very tragedies can drive us closer to God! Lea...

This week we’re concluding our series on the book of Amos. Learning about true justice, biblical justice, gives us a glimpse into what is close to God’s heart. The prophet Amos was called to shine a light on God’s imminent judgment that was coming for Israel, but also we’ll see that God promises restoration. We’ll end the program with Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from Holocaust survivor Zvi...

We are continuing our series in the book of Amos. We have been learning that justice is close to the heart of God. Looking at Israel from the outside in the time of Amos, one would believe God was blessing them. They had abundant wealth and peace throughout the land. So what was the problem? Listen and find out! We’ll end the program with Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from Holocaust survivor...

We are continuing our series in the book of Amos, looking at true biblical justice. As we learned last week, justice is close to the heart of God. This week Chris takes us into the economic climate of Israel. Spoiler alert: It was GOOD! During this time of wealth and prosperity, the rich were getting richer, but it was on the backs of the poor. Again, we think you’ll see the parallel in our lives...

One word we seem to hear often in our society is “Justice.” Sadly, the word is being redefined from its true meaning. We’ve selected a favorite past episode to air this week,“Prophetic Justice in Amos.” It’s interesting that many shy away from the minor prophets in the Bible, especially when it is there that we see the heart of God so clearly. And one issue very close to God’s heart is justice. Is...

How would you sum up the New Covenant in one word? Simple: Reconciliation. This covenant is all about God reconciling sinners to Himself, and in return, our response should be mending relationships with others. Because continued sin separated Israel from Him, God provided the covenant as a way to share a personal relationship with Him. Only through Jesus’ sacrifice could the covenant be sealed, en...

When Jesus’ blood was shed on the cross, the New Covenant was established in front of the Israelites’ eyes after hundreds of years of waiting. This covenant changed their relationship with God, and it gave a special privilege to everyone who trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. This week we enjoy the happy truths of the New Covenant for believers and for all of Israel. We’ll conclude our...

Surrender! That was the prophet Jeremiah’s message to the people of Judah. Their disobedience to God and the Law meant God would use Babylon to judge them. But in one of their darkest moments, God made a new promise to His people—a promise to write His law on their hearts and return them to their land. Enjoy part one of our series analyzing this New Covenant that changed the way God deals with hum...

Israel’s enemies are relentless. The Jewish people have always faced threats of extinction from powerful nations. Living with the fear of destruction has essentially become part of their nature. Many Jewish people feel alone, as if they have no friends to turn to for help. But they’re never alone—God is their protector! This week Chris speaks with Bruce Scott to talk about Bruce’s Israel My Glory...

Many of Jesus’ most well-known moments on Earth took place among large crowds. But the Gospels also record times when Jesus had personal conversations with individuals—moments that would change their lives forever. In part 3 of our three-week series, we’re looking into Jesus’ radical encounter with the Syrophoenician woman found in Matthew 15. We’ll conclude our program with Apples of Gold, a dram...

Many of Jesus’ most well-known moments on Earth took place among large crowds. But the Gospels also record times when Jesus had personal conversations with individuals—moments that would change their lives forever. In part 2 of our three-week series, we’re looking into Jesus’ controversial encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. We’ll conclude our program with Apples of Gold, a d...

If you have read the gospels, you know that a lot of times Jesus spoke to the masses. Jesus had quite the following during His time ministering on earth. But we also find in the gospels a few personal encounters with individuals. We’re beginning a new three-week series looking into key conversations Jesus had with individuals. This week we’ll learn about Nicodemus, the Jewish Pharisee in John 3. W...