Well, it's always a joy for me to get what we call updates. You know, computers have to have updates every so often. Well, we like to have updates about, not computers, but about ministry. And our very special guest is back with KHCB. He is with a ministry that is very focused on what the Lord told Abraham in Genesis chapter 12, that he who blesses you will be blessed. Friends of Israel is the name of the ministry. Paul Scharf is our guest today, as we have a chance to catch up with him. I know that you oversee this particular region, and that is the lower southern states, but you're actually based out of Wisconsin. Is that right? Paul Scharf Well, I'm actually—thank you, Bruce. It's always a great joy and privilege to be back with you. I'm actually a church ministries representative for the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. And by title, I serve in the Midwest, but that's been stretched. And I know Texas doesn't consider itself to be the Midwest, but that's been stretched a little bit. As time and opportunities allow in God's providence, I've actually preached or taught in 10 different states now for the Friends of Israel. And one of the delightful tasks I've been given is to kind of oversee some development of the ministry here in Texas, where I already had some connections and those have multiplied as I've been here. This is my third trip. and I'm already planning probably the next two trips. Welcome to Texas. Thank you. Love the fact that you do focus on this area as well, and you're not exclusive just to the Midwest, but you are based in Wisconsin, so hopefully we have a little warmer weather than what you There is, that's for sure. Yes, yes. I'm based in Columbus, Wisconsin, and that's near Madison, between Madison and Milwaukee. And like I said, I've actually had ministry connections, if I can say it that way, in other words, like exhibiting in a conference. 12 states total, so I'm keeping track of them. So tell us about Friends of Israel. Even though you're based in Wisconsin, that's still a fair piece from Israel. It is, and our ministry headquarters are in New Jersey. But the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry will be 84 years old in December, having begun in 1938, in the wake of the very beginnings of the Holocaust. Kristallnacht, November 9 and 10, was Kristallnacht 1938. And three weeks later, the Friends of Israel began. And as our president, Dr. Jim Showers, emphasized recently in a chapel message, the faith that it took, because there are other wonderful Jewish-focused ministries, and even some that predate the Friends of Israel, but our founders had the faith to take the name Israel in their name, the Friends of Israel, when there was no Israel. That's right. But they believed that God still has a future for Israel. He was going to regather his people and of course they could not see clearly at the moment how he was going to do it so very directly and within 10 years and establish the modern state of Israel and start bringing the people back to the land as they have been for these more than 70 years. Yeah, but the promises of Abraham are still as good as they were back thousands of years. Absolutely. I like to say it like this, Bruce. God will fulfill every promise he has ever made to the Jewish people, every prophecy he ever gave to his chosen people, as he has been with them through their biblical past, so he is with them in the strategic present and will be with them through the prophetic future. Yeah, and I know there are some people who believe that somehow that they missed it and actually God established the church to replace Israel, but that's not at all what the Scriptures seem to teach. That's right, Bruce. I've written a number of articles for Friends of Israel on that very topic, and people can find those easily if they look for them. Of course... What's the website? Our website is foi.org, and you can find the blog there. You can also find all of my writings and resources for my ministry within the Friends of Israel on sermonaudio.com. That's sermonaudio.com slash p-sharf, S-C-H-A-R-F, my first initial, last name. And I actually did a series on the danger of replacing Israel. And of course, our Christian friends, but theological opponents, if I can say it that way, who teach that the church has, they don't like the word replaced Israel, they like to use a different word, but it ends up being the idea, as you said, in some theological positions, that the Church, in essence, replaces Israel. And we don't believe that is the case. We believe that God always had a plan for the Church. It was just revealed in the New Testament. But God still has a plan for Israel. And the Church is not the new Israel. The Israel of the Old Testament, as we call it, the Hebrew Bible, was not the Old Testament Church. The Church does not inherit the promises given to Israel. And by the way, when we talk about inheriting the blessings, when people talk that way, they don't usually talk about inheriting the promises of cursing, you'll notice. But the Hebrew Bible has promises, great promises, to the people of Israel that have yet to be fulfilled, and we believe they will be literally fulfilled. All of this is based on a literal interpretation and understanding of the Bible. Okay, and that's what Friends of Israel seeks to teach. You teach the whole scriptures, although many Jews do not believe in the New Testament. So how do you bridge the gap? Well, part of our name talks about building bridges. That's part of our emphasis and bringing hope. That's to Jewish people. That's to all people. We have a worldwide ministry and actively working in 18 countries for these many, many years. I'm only in my fourth year with the Friends of Israel. But we want to share the teaching of Scripture with everyone, and obviously I do that in churches. I'm not talking only to Jewish people. Or Jewish congregations. Or Jewish congregations, or anything. Right. But whoever we're talking to, and especially when we get those wonderful opportunities to reach out to Jewish friends, we want to share that, yes, Jesus is the Messiah, and he is the only one who can bring hope and healing and ultimate victory in our lives. That's right, and salvation's available both to the Jew and to the Greek, according to Romans 1, verse 16. Paul Scharf is our guest today. He is with Friends of Israel, and so their website is just those initials, foi.org, foi.org, and actually Paul has written several articles that are on the website, and you can go through and read those, or even sermonaudio.com and listen to some of the teachings that the Lord has allowed him to do. So what's Friends of Israel doing right now? I'm assuming, I'm guessing, that you have a big effort going on now in the Ukraine, reaching out to both Jews and non-Jews. Bruce, there has been just tremendous, heroic, tireless efforts in Ukraine for the last year by workers, obviously not only with Friends of Israel, but certainly those involved with Friends of Israel, People can read all about those efforts at foi.org. It's been on the front page of the website for much of the year. There's news and updates there and on our Facebook page, in our global outreach magazine, Israel My Glory, on our weekly radio program, Friends of Israel Today. just all kinds of material, frankly, more than probably anyone can keep up with. But just so many things have happened there, and there have been amazing, amazing stories that have been written, and I'm sure some of the details will only be known in eternity. Many Jewish people helped. Many, many Jewish people were in Ukraine, of course, before this all began. Many of them have gone back to Israel. God has used this. It's somewhat of a parallel event to the Holocaust in many ways And God is using it to bring people back to Israel the Jewish people, but he's he's using it in all different kinds of ways Bruce and we have so many People who as I said have just been really heroes of this. I have not been there in any sense, but I'm just reading about it like you and our listeners and just am amazed by everything that has happened. It's not about ministering just to certain people that you're focused on. It's about ministering to people. Yes. And wherever there is hurt, we know that the hurt is worldwide. That's the effort and the goal of Friends of Israel. So Friends of Israel or foi.org has all kinds of details. You mentioned the magazine Israel My Glory. I know many people may be familiar with that. That's still available. It's still available, it's been published since 1942, so this is 80 years. Yeah, four years after you began. And it is available, and anyone can sign up to receive a year free subscription if they go to the website at foi.org. And then you have a podcast and a broadcast called Friends of Israel Today. The Friends of Israel Today is our weekly half-hour radio program. Chris Katulka, my boss, is the host and Bible teacher. And by the way, I also load that and some other Friends of Israel resources regularly on my Sermon Audio page, so people can find all that there along with my materials. Sermonaudio.com and then backslash P-sharf, S-C-H-A-R-F. Right, that's right. Have a quick visit today with Paul Scharf today about Friends of Israel. He's down from Madison, Wisconsin, and dropped by the studios of KHCB so we could get an update on prayer and Eid, what's going on, that we could remember you before you get to come back again. Well, it'll be soon, but in the meantime, personal thoughts you have. Yes, well, again, let me just say, Bruce, you're an answer to prayer by allowing me to be here. And what a wonderful opportunity and privilege. And I really enjoy my times here at KHCB. And I just invite everyone listening to pray for us. Pray for the friends of Israel. You know, it's very rare that a ministry goes for 84 years without doctrinal shifting, and compromise, and other issues, and just even to continue to exist, obviously. And so, you know, I think we have an enemy who doesn't want us to go on, and so— You think, huh? Pray, you know, pray for that. Yeah, I know we do and I know that from the scriptures and I would say pray for the friends of Israel and Pray for us and for our ministry that we would fulfill this Amazing ministry opportunity that God has given to us and above all things we would truly desire your prayers for us pray for us in the new year as we Make plans for travel and fitting things together and knowing what priorities to pursue pray that God would just provide for our needs and he has blessed us richly and we ask that you would continue to pray and If people want to keep up with me on a regular basis We also have a weekly e-newsletter, an email newsletter that goes out. We have the help of a wonderful volunteer who's got us going with that, and we send it out to more than 700 people right now, but I feel like we're just getting started. We're just coming up on one year, and they can sign up. At my sermon audio page, they'll find the links to go and sign up for that free e-newsletter. email newsletter if they would like it, and we would love to have them to stay in contact. I know you're scheduling for next year, but are there any openings if somebody wanted you to come and talk to their church? Well, there are always openings. If someone wants to have us come... Have an invitation, we'll travel. That's right. And I will do my very best to help them either directly or by passing that request on to the right person within Friends of Israel. If there's any way we can help or be of service, yes, we would love to know that, and we would love to get in contact with you. Paul Sharf, joining us today on KHCB, Friends of Israel, a ministry that's been around since 1938, and still has wonderful opportunities to share the gospel with others. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is Well, it's not ashamed of the gospel of God, for it is the power of salvation to the Jews and to the Greeks. And that's the wonder of the message of salvation that K.H.C.B. seeks to present, but also Friends of Israel. Friends of Israel, or foi.org, Paul Scharf can be contacted individually, sermonaudio.com, and then backslash pscharf, S-C-H-A-R-F. Final scripture that you can leave with us as we wrap up our time? Oh, Bruce, let me share one that I was just reading on the way here as we are approaching Thanksgiving season. And I was just reading from Psalm 26. And David said, I will, verse six, I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, O Lord, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving. and tell of all your wondrous works. And wouldn't it be wonderful if all of us meditated on that verse for this. Psalm 26, six, yeah. These days coming up to Thanksgiving, verses six and seven. All right, verses six and seven of Psalm 26 on KHCB with Paul Scharf, friends of Israel, or foi.org. Always a joy, Paul. Thanks for taking time. Thank you, Bruce. You're tuned to Christian Radio, keeping him close by.