OUR DEBT

CJF Ministries
PO Box 345
San Antonio, Texas 78292-0345

Telephone
(210) 226 - 0421
Fax
(210) 226 - 2140
E-mail
info@cjfm.org
OrderLine
(800) 926 - 5397
Website
www.cjfm.org

God has not forgotten the Jewish people, and neither have we.

June 2016

Dear CJFM Friend,

Today I want to introduce you to Jameel,1 pictured below. When his father
committed suicide in 2014, this Palestinian Muslim teenager felt like his
world had come to an end. Jameel, his mother, and his younger sister were left
alone to fend for themselves in their Arab village in northern Israel.
Fast forward a few months to the occasion when Jameel met our Arab pastor
friend, Najeeb Atteih.2 Pastor Najeeb, a strongly pro-Israel Arab believer, shared
the Gospel with Jameel and he gladly prayed to receive the Jewish Messiah right
on the spot! Najeeb began spending time with Jameel to mentor him in his new
faith. One day, the Palestinian teenager told Najeeb that he had decided to join
the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). When Najeeb earnestly asked Jameel what his
mother would say if she knew about his plans, he replied, It was her idea.
Isnt that just astonishing? A Muslim Palestinian mother was encouraging her
teenage son, who had recently become a Jesus-follower, to join Israels army!
And thats exactly what he did! Jameel is now in his first year of military service, and his mom says she is very proud of him.

Pastor Najeeb with Jameel. Photo courtesy of Ruth Nessim

Sadly, however, Jameel has come under persecution in their Arab village. His
decision to join the IDF was not popular with many of the locals. They mock and
sneer at him when hes wearing his uniform, and accuse him of being a traitor
to his people. In fact, he has stopped going home when hes on leave because it
creates tension between his family and the other villagers.

Jameel isnt alone. Im told that there are nearly a thousand Arab young people
who now serve in the IDF alongside Jewish soldiers. They serve because they
appreciate the freedom they enjoy while living in the Jewish State. But they do
experience persecution from their local Arab-Palestinian communities.
Inside this newsletter, youll read about Pastor Najeebs burden for these
young Arab soldiersand his plan for helping them in spiritual and practical
ways. I believe youll find it very exciting!
continued inside

continued from front

Pastor Najeebs vision for a Christian Arab soldiers home is quickly becoming a reality. An influential IDF general has thrown his support behind the plan, and the Israeli government has fast-tracked
the Christian Soldiers Center Organization for recognition as a charity. Remarkably, the first Center
is already in use, although its not yet complete. Each building is required by law to have a hardened
bomb shelter, which adds significantly to the cost. So CJF Ministries has agreed to raise $78,000 toward the completion of this Center, including a bomb shelter. Weve already raised half the required
amount ($39,000), so were well on our way!
Would you consider sending a generous gift today to help us reach our goal? Its a great way to
encourage these Arab young people who love Israel and are putting their lives on the line for the
Jewish State. We want them to know that we stand with them! Thank you in advance for whatever
assistance youre able to provide.
Your friend and brother,
Gary Hedrick

1 Jameel gave us permission to use his real name (saying hes not afraid), but we are withholding it nonetheless for security purposes.

2 We initially met Pastor Najeeb through Ruth Nessim, a Messianic Jewish believer who has served as our CJFM ministry representative in
northern Israel for more than 30 years.

LAUSANNE CONSULTATION ON JEWISH EVANGELISM

North America (LCJENA) Annual Conference

Representatives and scholars from various Jewish evangelistic organizations met in Arlington, Texas, (near Dallas) in
February to network and encourage one another in the work of ministry. The theme of this years annual gathering was
Jewish Evangelism in 2016Whats Working and What Isnt? Presenters included younger evangelists, seasoned veterans,
academics, and those engaged in day-to-day practical evangelism. Speakers compared Jewish evangelism in the Early Church
with similar evangelism today. You can find many of these presentations (and those from previous conferences) on lcje-na.org.
Attendees at the 2016 conference had the unique
opportunity to view ancient Hebrew scrolls
acquired by the Christian Heritage Foundation
of Cleburne, Texas. One of the Foundations
stated objectives is to Honor Israel. In partial
fulfillment of that objective, they have acquired
16 ancient Hebrew scrolls (a total of 40, when
you include duplicate books) making up the only
complete set of the Tanakh (all 39 books of the
Old Testament) available for public viewing. The
only other two or three complete sets in existence
cannot be seen by the general public. Most of
the scrolls within the Foundations collection
are more than 250 years old and were written in
places like Iraq, Morocco, Israel, Poland, and
Russia, among others. After eventually finding
their way to Jerusalem, these scrolls were located
and purchased by the Foundations Ancient
Hebrew Scrolls project.

Dr. Gary Hedrick displays a fragment of an

Iraqi scroll from the 1800s, presented to
CJF Ministries by Charles Garrett, executive
director of the Christian Heritage Foundation.
The scroll portion is from Genesis 19the
story of Lot and his daughters after the
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
(Photos by R.A. Higbee)

Because they were written in different times and places, each scroll has a look and story of its own. The Foundation not only
showcases the scrolls, but also explains how and where they were created, the kinds of materials that were used, and so forth.
It is a visual demonstration of the truth that the Jewish people have been entrusted with the oracles of God (see Romans 3:2).
Humanity today knows about the one true God, the Creator of Heaven and earth, because of the faithfulness of Jewish scribes.
We owe a great debt to the Jewish people who have so carefully and meticulously preserved Gods Word for us today.

e
n.

ARAB CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS CENTER IN ISRAEL

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all,
Especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:10).
Something amazing is happening in the Israeli Armyand we want to do our part to make sure it continues!
All Jewish Israelisyoung men and women alikeare required to serve a stint in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). Arab
Israelis are generally exempted from conscription into military service, though they can volunteer to serve in the IDF
and our staff in Israel reports that hundreds of pro-Israel Arabs are doing just that!
Over the last years, the Israeli Christian Arab scene is changing, reports CJFM 30-year veteran missionary Ruth Nessim.
More than 500 Christian Arabs are serving in IDF fighting units, and under the auspices of Haifa Arab pastor, Najeeb
Atteih, another 162 have signed up for conscription. Pastor Najeebs own son, Tino, will soon complete his training and
begin service as an officer.
Most of these young Arab Christian soldiers, however, come
from homes and communities that oppose their service in the
Israeli Army. They are not only ostracized by their peers, but
they sometimes find themselves in actual physical danger if
they return home on leaveso they stay away. This leaves
them with no place to go when theyre not on duty. These
brave young Arabs deserve our spiritual, emotional, and
financial support.
Pastor Najeeb has long had a burden for the plight of these
young Arab soldiers and is building a Christian Soldiers
Center to support and house them off-base. This project
is ongoing, but the current plan is to have beds for at least
10 soldiers, along with kitchen and bathroom facilities.
The Center has been registered as a charity with the
Israeli government, and has the enthusiastic support of
the Israeli Army.
Pastor Najeeb Atteih outside the office of the Christian Soldiers Center in Haifa
and an example of the bomb shelters needed.

photo courtesy of Najeeb Atteih

photos courtesy of Ruth Nessim

The first Christian Soldiers Center is incomplete but

already in use. Its a refuge for Arab soldiers like Jameel
(see cover letter), so they have a place to go while their
Jewish comrades return to their families on weekends or
holidays. At the Center, these young Arabs find a warm
welcome, a comfortable bed, edifying fellowship, and
home-cooked mealsall at no charge.
The greatest expense remaining is the construction of the
bomb shelter for the first Center. Israels Civil Defense
Law of 1951 mandates that all homes, residential and
industrial buildings, and public facilities like schools
and hospitals have bomb shelters. Its a sad fact of life,
but Israelis have to be prepared for the next missile or
rocket attack that may come upon them at any time
and from any direction. The first Center wont be fully
operational until its bomb shelter is completed.
Thats where you come in. We dont often ask for funds,
as you know; but we really need your help right now to
help us be a blessing to these brave Arab Israeli soldiers.
To support this important project, simply indicate your
gift on the enclosed response card or visit give.cjfm.org.
Thank you!

A shelter under construction.

MINISTERING TO ARAB CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

IN THE ISRAELI ARMY (IDF)
$78,000

$39,000

$0

GOAL

Were halfway
there!

JESUS WAS A JEW

by Arnold Fruchtenbaum

In this small but mighty book, the author comes

to grips with basic issues, such as why Jesus died
and why Jewish people object to Him. In passage
after biblical passage, with rabbinic interpretation,
Fruchtenbaum demonstrates the Old Covenants
fulfillment in the Messiah. For two decades, Jesus
Was a Jew has proven itself an incredibly powerful
witnessing tool to Jewish people, and is ideal for
Jewish friends who are skeptical of your faith.

June 2016

Resources

Book (JWJ) 141 pages, $7

GODS APPOINTED TIMES

by Barney Kasdan

Barney Kasdan, leader of Kehilat Ariel of San

Diego, one of the largest Messianic congregations
in the world, explains every holy day described in
Scripture. He teaches about the major and minor
holy days, ever mindful that he is writing to both
Jews and Christians.
Book (GAT) 145 pages, $10

Jerusalem: The Focus of

Prophecy
by Albert Runge

JEWISH WITNESSES FOR CHRIST

by A. Bernstein

The aim of this work is to show that God had a

considerable number of believing Israelites at all
times in the history of the Christian Church, who,
after believing in the Messiah, rendered good service
to their fellowmen and to the Body of Christ at large.
A collection of 660 short biographies of Messianic
Jews, from the apostolic period to the 19th century.

Today Jerusalem is the major point of conflict

between the Arabs and Jews; both claim it
as their own. There can be no peace in the
Middle Eastor elsewhere in the world
until this conflict is resolved with the return
of the King-Messiah, Jesus. Pastor Runge
will take you through Jerusalems past and
into her future in the plan of God.
CD (ART-04CD) $12

Book (JWC) 535 pages, $20

ISRAEL IN THE PLAN OF GOD

by David Baron

David Baron was raised in a devout Jewish family

and studied Hebrew in rabbinical school. After
completing his own study of the Scriptures, he
embraced the truth of the Gospel and devoted himself
to a twofold ministry: explaining Christianity to the
Jews and explaining the Jews to Christianity. Israels
past and futurefrom her national election by God to
the final judgment of her enemiesare covered in the
balanced, biblical study of this astute scholar.
Book (IPG) 320 pages, $16

When Will Jesus Come?

by Dr. Charles Halff

There are three great prophecies that must

be fulfilled before Jesus will return. Do you
know what they are? Although we dont
know the exact day or hour of Messiahs
return, every child of God should know what
the Bible says about the time of His second
coming.
CD (HT-22CD) $6