Josh Reinstein Connecting Christians with the Government of Israel [Video]

Earlier this summer while in Jerusalem, I was blessed to sit down with Josh Reinstein, director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, to discuss all that’s happening with the Caucus today. Josh Reinstein is considered by the Jerusalem Post one of the 50 most influential Jewish people in the world for his work in “faith-based diplomacy.” The goal of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus is to connect Christian leaders around the world with what’s happening in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament).

CJK

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Chris Katulka

Chris Katulka is the director of North American Ministries for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, the host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program, a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine. He is also the author of Israel Always: Experiencing God’s Pursuit of You Through His Chosen People. If you would like to support Chris, please click here.




Israeli Pastor Meno Kalisher Talks About Syria and Middle East [VIDEO]

Today I interviewed Israeli pastor, Meno Kalisher, who shares his thoughts about events occurring in Syria and Middle East from and Israeli and Biblical perspective.

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Chris Katulka

Chris Katulka is the director of North American Ministries for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, the host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program, a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine. He is also the author of Israel Always: Experiencing God’s Pursuit of You Through His Chosen People. If you would like to support Chris, please click here.




Israel, the Middle East, and the U.S. [Audio]

In this message I give a comprehensive overview of the ever-changing events happening in Israel, the Middle East, and United States. The focus of this talk is to help us understand more fully the interworking of U.S. support for Israel, the Arab Spring, and its global effects on the economy, security, and future for the State of Israel.

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Chris Katulka

Chris Katulka is the director of North American Ministries for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, the host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program, a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine. He is also the author of Israel Always: Experiencing God’s Pursuit of You Through His Chosen People. If you would like to support Chris, please click here.




Steve Herzig Explains What's Behind Yom Kippur [Video]

In this interview Steve Herzig talks me through the events surrounding Yom Kippur and what it means to the Jewish people today.

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Chris Katulka

Chris Katulka is the director of North American Ministries for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, the host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program, a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine. He is also the author of Israel Always: Experiencing God’s Pursuit of You Through His Chosen People. If you would like to support Chris, please click here.




Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year (lit. head of the year), marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar.

The holiday starts this year at sundown September 4, 2013, and ends at sunset September  6, 2013. This is the year 5774 which, according to Jewish oral law, means it is 5774 years since God’s creation of the world.

Can you imagine having to juggle three calendars? Jewish people have to manage the Jewish civil calendar (which begins with Rosh Hashanah), the Jewish holiday calendar (which begins with Passover), and the Western calendar (which begins on January 1). I have a hard enough time keeping up with the one calendar I use to help organize my own life.

Rosh Hashanah doesn’t simply mark the beginning of a new year; it’s the opening of the fall high holy days, which include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles. In fact, the Mishnah (a Jewish holy book) calls Rosh Hashanah the “day of judgment” because it’s believed that God opens the Book of Life and decides who will live and who will die in the coming year. To stave off death, the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur provide an opportunity for the Jewish people to repent to assure a good and full year ahead.

While Rosh Hashanah is a wonderful time of sweet celebration, it’s also a reminder of a time of repentance and turning back to the Lord. The truth is, the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur aren’t the only time God has given to us to turn back to Him. He invites us to turn to Him any day of the year. I’m reminded of King David’s psalm of repentance when he cries out to God:

For I acknowledge my transgressions,
   And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
   And done this evil in Your sight—
   That You may be found just when You speak,
   And blameless when You judge (Ps. 51:3–4).

David, in this passage, recognizes his sins before the Lord, turns away from his sin, and returns to Him.

When we turn to God and His Son Jesus the Messiah, we aren’t just ensuring for ourselves a good year, we are promised and assured eternal life with Him (John 6:40). A true expression of God’s overwhelming grace.

Shana Tova––Happy New Year––Everyone!

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Chris Katulka

Chris Katulka is the director of North American Ministries for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, the host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program, a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine. He is also the author of Israel Always: Experiencing God’s Pursuit of You Through His Chosen People. If you would like to support Chris, please click here.




The Friends of Israel Encouraging Israeli Kids at Kaplan Medical Center

Shalom from Israel,

Last Thursday I arrived in Israel with The Friends of Israel’s ORIGINS (Our Resolve Is Giving Israel Never-ending Support) group. ORIGINS is a ministry I lead that affords young adults the opportunity to serve at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, Israel. This is ORIGINS’ seventh year ministering at Kaplan. Every year the experience we have gets better and better.

Our ministry to Kaplan is manifested through various service projects around the hospital campus. For instance, some of our team is working in landscaping, raking up leaves in areas that were overlooked last fall. Some are managing kitchen duty, cleaning pots and pans, managing the dishwasher, and serving food to employees and patients. Others are replacing oxygen tanks, painting, and inspecting and providing light maintenance on hospital gurneys.

By God’s grace, a relationship has been established between Kaplan Medical Center and The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry that continues to grow. Upon my return to Kaplan for the seventh time I was extremely excited to see this friendship produce something for the benefit of Israeli kids who may need a little pick-me-up. Last year The Friends of Israel donated funds to Kaplan to see a park with a jungle gym built next to the hospital’s new pediatric center. Today kids who are being treated at Kaplan’s pediatric center have a place to run, climb, and slide.

At The Friends of Israel we thank God for this friendship that has been building these seven years and I look forward to see what God will do in the future.

About the Author
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Chris Katulka

Chris Katulka is the director of North American Ministries for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, the host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program, a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine. He is also the author of Israel Always: Experiencing God’s Pursuit of You Through His Chosen People. If you would like to support Chris, please click here.