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Why Bridges for Peace?

September 25, 2018

I love the true Church of God around the world. They are passionately in love with Jesus (Yeshua); they love God not just for what He does for them, but for Who He is. They follow the Lord wholeheartedly. Their praise and worship move the heart, because it comes from the heart. They love the Word of God and truly desire to follow it wholly. I believe that such devoted Christians are indeed the glorious Church as we see in Ephesians 5:27 “…a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” There is another characteristic these devout followers of Jesus share: they believe all they have belongs to the Lord and so they give generously to support the things God is doing in the world. They support their churches, they support world outreach, they support organizations that pursue moral values and they support Israel, because they know that Israel is important to God.

Of course, there are many worthy ways to support Israel. Some believers do so by giving to Jewish organizations for aliyah (immigration to Israel) or to various humanitarian needs. Some give to Messianic Jewish groups. Some give to Christian and Jewish political action groups. Some give to Christian para-church organizations like Bridges for Peace.

Some Interesting Facts

• When Christians support the work of a Jewish rabbi or Jewish organization, the individual end recipient of their aid will most likely not know that Christians helped them.
• Although attitudes are gradually changing, much of Jewish society worldwide remains strongly suspicious of Christians. This is because of the centuries of prejudice and persecution the Jewish people have endured at the hands of the Church and those who called themselves Christians.
• Because of this history, many Jewish people view Christian attempts to share the Gospel in much the same way Christians view overt witnessing from cults. Shockingly, witnessing Christians are sometimes accused of trying to kill the Jewish people by stealing their souls, which is of course not the motivation of Christians.
• Less than ½ of 1% of Jews in Israel are Messianic Jews and unfortunately, they are commonly viewed with disdain and suspicion. Often Israelis are wary of any contact with a Messianic Jew. The Church should pray for God’s hand to be on them.

Why God Called Bridges for Peace

Our team members from around the world are part of the true Church of God. We love Jesus (Yeshua), the Bible, worship and righteousness. We are called to Israel, and God has given us a measure of His own, deep love for the Jewish people. We have a team of 70 such people on the ground in Israel, while many more serve around the world. As Gentile believers, God has called us to unconditional love, to heal the wounds of the past centuries. Our deeds of love are a surprise to many Jewish people. Food is given to 22,000 people each month, and they know that it is coming from Christians. Our lives are a constant expression of the character of true Christianity—a character of love not persecution. We are feeding the needy as the Lord told us to in Matthew 25:34–46; we are repairing homes as seen in Isaiah 58:12; and we are helping the Jewish people to come home from their dispersion as prophesied in Isaiah 49:22. And we promise that all those who receive our assistance know that we are helping them because we are followers of Jesus.

You Can Trust Bridges for Peace

Over the 50 years since our founder, Dr. G. Douglas Young arrived in Jerusalem, we have earned the respect and trust of the people of Israel. We are able to speak to them as trusted friends about the issues we each feel deeply about, including the Bible and our faith. We are respected by financial oversight organizations that unfailingly give us an excellent report. We will never swerve from the truth of the Word of God. We will always stand for righteousness, even when it is painful or difficult. In the past our godly board has faced difficult situations and has always taken a biblical, moral choice for righteousness. Our aim is to live holy and godly lives as representatives of God, serving the nation of Israel.

Thank you for faithfully giving to the work of the Lord around the world. Thank you for standing with and supporting Israel. Thank you for partnering with Bridges for Peace as we show Christian love to the people of Israel. We need you. Together we are doing great things for the Lord and Israel. Your generous donation to one of our projects will help us change the lives of more Israelis as we touch them with the love of God.

Blessings from Israel,

Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO