Gospel Food
or: Sometimes the Key to Lox is Bagels
The Books and the Bagels is a blog series from CWI (N America) that reviews some helpful books and records some conversational stories from the world of Jewish mission, with or without the Bagels!
I love to study the Word. I love to share the Gospel with people, especially Jewish people (wink, wink) I love to share my stories with you, but I cannot forget how much I love to eat. Jesus when asked by His disciples if He was hungry responded to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (John 4:34). As beautiful of a statement as that is I must admit that food, especially good Jewish food (like bagels and lox) have helped me continue many conversations with Jewish people. In fact, Barry Rubin wrote a great book on Jewish evangelism over thirty years ago called, “You Bring the BAGELS, I’ll Bring the GOSPEL”, subtitled, “Sharing the Messiah with Your Jewish Neighbor”.
I have been watching a wonderful food series on Netflix which I suggest called “Somebody Feed Phil”. It stars and was created by the very Jewish creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond”, Phil Rosenthal. It is a documentary of Phil going to over thirty cities around the world and counting eating food and meeting people from many different cultures along the way. It shows not only how much we as a race love to eat but how we love to make connections with people through food. With that being said, I have had brunches with many Jewish people over the years discussing the Gospel with them, not the least of which is my dad who starts off every morning with a bagel with an assortment of lox, egg and tuna salad, babaganoush, and various other spreads.
2023 and Counting!
It has been almost 2000 years since the ascension of Jesus, and some years less when He assured us at the end of Revelations, “Surely I am coming soon.” (Revelation 22:20). Since the fall of man, a Messiah was promised, from Adam and Eve in the Garden, the promised seed of the women, from Eve, to Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and so on. In fact forty-two generations after Abraham, the seed finally came to a young teenage woman from Nazareth named Mary. Since Jesus’ ascension, countless generations have anticipated His return, starting with His disciples. Over the last 2000 years, many have tried to pinpoint Jesus’ second coming but to no avail. Jesus Himself made some very clear remarks on His returning.
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)
“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7)
What Are You Waiting For?
Knowing this, what is your attitude about Jesus’ returning? Many years ago, God gave me the attitude to thank Him every morning that we have one more day to plant seeds and share the Gospel and thank Him every evening that we are one day closer to His returning. This is why I love what I do! God has given me almost forty-seven years to share Jesus and plant as many seeds as possible.
Do not get me wrong, we should all long for His return but our heart for lost souls should be no less of a longing. As I write this, I am in Florida with my ninety-eight-year-old atheist dad who needs to meet His Messiah before his last breath on this side of eternity. When I saw him today for the first time in six months “of course over a bagel and coffee”, I kiddingly asked my dad, “So, do you believe in God yet?”, “Not yet” he responded! I know being down here for the next month has given me yet another chance to plant seeds with my dad with both actions and words. Pray for the time that I spend with my dad, Morris, this month.
I recently finished Eric Metaxas’ book, “Letter to the American Church”, where he comments on the similarities between Nazi Germany and the church in Germany, compared to America and the American church today. He also comments on evangelism as an idol. I would settle for any true evangelism from the church today. I understand about those pastors that Metaxas writes about who are telling us to just share the Gospel without worrying about anyone’s progressive liberal leanings. We need to do both, never stop planting seeds but never stop standing up for truth, yet do it in love, as Paul writes:
“Equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:12–16)
The Time is Now!
Think about the Morrises that any of you have in your life. My mom passed away without knowing her Messiah and it is a constant reminder for me to always look for ways to share the Gospel and plant seeds. I am sure that all of you who know Jesus have someone in your life that has passed without knowing Him. I know it hurts! I feel the pain of my mom, Connie, rejecting Jesus every day. Think also about the Connies (my mom) in your life that the Holy Spirit has been prompting you to share the Gospel with. Be a good “Watchman” as Ezekiel tells us and never quench the Spirit.
“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.” (Ezekiel 33:7–9)
This is NOT the End!
There is still time! May we not waste any more of it but instead be wise with the time left. I pray that GOD gives you the boldness and zeal needed for this generation before Jesus returns.
“Who is as the wise man? and who knows the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.” (Ecclesiastes 8:1)
“And (Jehu) said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” (2 Kings 10:16)
God bless, Amen and Shalom to all!
MITCH TEPPER
CWI MISSIONARY
