If you’re Jewish and hear a plea to “convert,” you’re undoubtedly offended. If you’re a Christian, chances are you don’t understand why that would be the case. In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Ezra and Carly open the doors wide on this little-spoken-of misunderstanding, uncovering some truly helpful and clarifying points you should know – whether you’re Gentile or Jewish.

Why the word “convert” is such a big deal
What do Christians mean when they use it?
How relationships, society and culture lack the context of the Christian motivation around the word “convert,” which results in misunderstandings and offense among people of other religions
Where the Bible uses “convert“ and what it means there
Why the Church and Christians aren’t aware of confusion surrounding the idea of “converting”
Alternate language to use to better convey the heart of your message

Along the Way
Along the way, you’ll glean some significant knowledge, like:

The foundational mandate in mainstream Judaism that the word “convert” violates
The difference between “turn” and “turn back” in Scripture, and how it provides keen insight for this discussion
Insight from Paul’s discussion of “the olive tree” in Romans 11 that will make Gentile Believers reconsider using the word “convert” when speaking to Jewish people

Words You Might Learn in This Episode
Kishkes, teshuva, ecclesia
 
Scriptures Referenced in This Episode
John 14:6, Matthew 15:24, Romans 1:16, Ephesians 2:13, Genesis 12:3, Genesis 3:15, John 1:29, Hebrews 3:1, Acts 15:3, Acts 3:19, Romans 11:11–24
 
Previous Episodes Mentioned
S3 E6 – How Judaism and Christianity Parted Ways
 
Thanks for listening!
 
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This podcast is a production of Jewish Voice Ministries International.

S3 EP7 | Why Christians Want Jews to "Convert"

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It was easy to stand with Israel the week following October 7, but what about now, after six months of a controversial and very complex war? In this episode, Carly and Ezra discuss the environment we’re in today, where standing with Israel can evoke all kinds of responses. They talk about how it’s possible to both stand with Israel and not agree with everything the State of Israel does. You’ll hear about:
 

Stories of confrontation and the temptation to hide one’s support of Israel or Jewish identity
How, after six months of war, people may be losing clarity on where to stand
Why it will never be easier to stand with Israel than it is today
If the Bible indicates that “standing with Israel” could possibly, one day, be unto the death
How the point of making outward declarations of standing with Israel should be more about opening up a conversation than stating your stance

 
 
Along the Way
Along the way, you’ll also hear about:

How a “this is true, and this also is true” approach can diffuse a confrontation
How standing with Israel doesn’t mean whitewashing or ignoring wrongdoing
How only God sees what it takes for us to turn to Him
How being “grafted in,” as Gentile Believers, puts you in a familial relationship with the Jewish people
An encouragement for Jewish believers in Jesus to “stay Jewish”
An encouragement to Jewish listeners – believers in Jesus or not – that difficult times are maybe the best times for us to say we believe in God and that He’s actually chosen us to be a blessing to everyone else
An encouragement to Christians about the importance of not standing with Israel naively or in ignorance

 
Words You Might Learn in This Episode
Mishpocha, Gentiles, chanukiah, Am Yisrael Chai, Yeshua
 
Scriptures Referenced in This Episode
Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7
Zechariah chapters 12 and 13
Matthew chapter 25
Romans chapters 9–11
 
Previous Episodes Mentioned
S4.5 E7 – Why Won’t Israel Agree to a Ceasefire?
 
Thanks for listening!
 
Other Resources for You
 
Enter to win free coffee: www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org,
Learn more about Lost Tribes Coffee Co.: www.losttribescoffee.co
Consider financially supporting the podcast: www.jewishvoice.org/donate/wem/what-you-hear
Ask a question, give us feedback: www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org/contact/
Subscribe: Wherever you get your podcasts
Social media: Find us under the handle A Jew and A Gentile Discuss.
Share us with your friends.
Leave a review on your favorite podcast app.
 
This podcast is a production of Jewish Voice Ministries International.

Is Standing with Israel Safe?

In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra clarify some of the complexities of a ceasefire agreement and why Israel hasn’t agreed thus far. They challenge listeners to read multiple news sources to get the whole picture because a single source gives only a single perspective. They also offer some concrete ways to pray for Israel. Here’s some of what they cover in this discussion:
 

The fickle nature of the news cycle that has moved on from the Israel war, but Israel and the Middle East are still very much in the thick of it
Misleading headlines that don’t indicate the complexities of the war and what Israel is dealing with
The difference between a ceasefire and a truce
What’s breaking down in the recent ceasefire talks with Hamas
Four specific things to pray regarding this war

 
Along the Way
Along the way, you’ll hear about:

The root of anti-Semitism
Wait, what? Israel and Hamas were actually already in a ceasefire on October 7?
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza before October 7 – where did all that aid go?
How the tragic plight of the Gazans and the fight against the terrorist regime Hamas are separate issues in this very complex war
Who this war is not against
How both societies – Israel and Gaza – are traumatized right now, and both deserve our compassion and prayers
The abundant opportunities for the Gospel in both Israel and Gaza right now

 
Words You Might Learn (or learn more about) in This Episode
Hezbollah, Yeshua, truce, ceasefire, Isa
 
Scriptures Referenced in This Episode
Psalm 89:14
James 4:12
Genesis 17:8
Isaiah 11:10–12, Ezekiel 11:16–20
Genesis 12:3
 
Previous Episodes Mentioned
S1 E8 – Anti-Semitism Exposed
S4.5 E6 – Practical Ways to Combat Anti-Semitism
S1 E14 – Israel: A Little Word Loaded with Meaning
S1 E15 – Israel: Promised Land and Political State
 
 
Thanks for listening!
 
Other Resources for You
Israeli News Sources:
Jerusalem Post, www.jpost.com
Times of Israel, www.timesofisrael.com
All Israel News,
 
Enter to win free coffee: www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org,
Learn more about Lost Tribes Coffee Co.: www.losttribescoffee.co
Consider financially supporting the podcast: www.jewishvoice.org/donate/wem/what-you-hear
Ask a question, give us feedback: www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org/contact/
Subscribe: Wherever you get your podcasts
Social media: Find us under the handle A Jew and A Gentile Discuss.
Share us with your friends.
Leave a review on your favorite podcast app.
 
This podcast is a production of Jewish Voice Ministries International.

Why Won’t Israel Agree to a Ceasefire?

Anti-Semitic incidents have dramatically increased since Hamas violently attacked Israel on October 7. In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra talk about some ways to combat anti-Semitism that you may not immediately think of. They discuss the origins of anti-Semitism and how, at its root, lies a spiritual matter. They also discuss:
 

Anti-Semitism isn’t new. Anti-Semitic spirits revealed in the Bible from Pharaoh to Haman and all the way to today’s terror group, Hamas
Who the biblical kingdom of Persia is today
What we can do about anti-Semitism
How to explain your faith and desire for your Jewish friend to know Jesus

 
 
Along the Way
Along the way, they’ll also discuss things like:

The Holocaust started as an idea that turned into propaganda
The organized Church’s persecution of Jewish people throughout history – whether or not those people were truly followers of Jesus – has left the Jewish people with a lot to overcome about Jesus
The fear of “Jewish fragility”
Where “blessing Israel” and “Christian Zionism” often fall short
Understanding that talking to Jewish people about Jesus is not anti-Semitic
Being careful of your language when sharing the Gospel with Jewish people. They’re not converting to another religion; they’re following the Jewish Messiah sent to the house of Israel as promised by the Hebrew Scriptures
The importance of learning to recognize subtle forms of Replacement Theology. Jewish people do not have a separate way to God apart from faith in Yeshua (Jesus)

 
Words You Might Learn in This Episode
Proto Evangelion, besora, Persia, replacement theology
 
Scriptures Referenced in This Episode
Genesis 3:14
Genesis 3:15
Isaiah 25:8, 1 Peter 3:18–20
2 Timothy 1:10, 1 Corinthians 15:54–57
Revelation 20:10
Matthew 23:37
Book of Exodus
Book of Esther
Daniel chapter 10
Isaiah 6:9, Isaiah 42:20, Romans 11:25, Matthew 13:13–15
Romans chapters 9–11
Acts 4:12
2 Corinthians 1:20
Matthew 5:44
Exodus 34:14
Isaiah 63:3, 1 Corinthians 15:24–26
Deuteronomy 4:24, 32:16, Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 11:11
 
Previous Episodes Mentioned
S4.5 E1               What’s Going On In Israel?
S4.5 E2               Israel: 111 Days and Counting
S1 E36                 Problems with the Church Replacing Israel
S1 E37                 Does the Bible Say the Church Is the New Israel?
S3 E7                   Why Christians Want Jews to Convert
 
Thanks for listening!
 
Other Resources for You
 
Enter to win free coffee: www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org,
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Consider financially supporting the podcast: www.jewishvoice.org/donate/wem/what-you-hear
Ask a question, give us feedback:

Practical Ways to Fight Anti-Semitism

In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra continue their conversation about the End Times and where Israel fits in regarding Bible prophecy. They dive into the Christian and Jewish mindsets toward the Last Days and challenge listeners to rethink a “for-Christians-only” understanding. The discussion turns to the difficult things Israel experienced on October 7, how these events may have caused some listeners to disengage with God and the importance of finding your way back to re-engaging with Him. They talk about:
 

What’s meant by the End Times and what Christians think of when they hear it
How the End Times isn’t just a Christian thing but first appears in the Hebrew Scriptures
Hard things to come in the End Times
The Christian response to Israel’s suffering
The mixed reality of both grief and hopeful anticipation contained in the package of the End Times

 
Along the Way
Along the way, Carly and Ezra also discuss:

The challenge to make room in our hearts for what Jesus feels about Israel
What most Christians think of when they think of the period approaching the End Times
The birth pangs, “beginning of sorrows,” that Jesus talked about regarding the Last Days
Jesus’s love in preparing His followers for the future
A challenge to Jewish people who think the idea of the End Times is only a Christian concept to look again at the Hebrew Scriptures, at Moses and the prophets
How the atrocities of October 7 can cause confusion, sideline our faith and make us disengage with God, and the encouragement to check back in and re-engage with the Lord

 
Words You Might Learn in This Episode
Sukkot, pestilence, Mashiach, acharit hayamim, sof, Torah, Christian Zionism, Yeshua, Baruch haba Bashem Adonai
 
Scriptures Referenced in This Episode
Matthew chapters 24 and 25
Matthew 24:4–8
Matthew 24:8 (and 1 Thessalonians 5:3) John 14:3
Joel 2:11
Revelation 19:15
Genesis 49:1, Deuteronomy 31:29
Psalm 147:2, Isaiah 11:12
Zechariah 13:8, 14:1–3
Matthew 23:37
Matthew 23:39, Psalm 118:26
Isaiah chapters 12–14
Luke 20:9–17, Zechariah 10:4
Isaiah chapter 53
 
Previous Episodes Mentioned
S4.5 E5               The End Times: Is It a Jewish or Christian Thing?
 
Thanks for listening! 
 
Other Resources for You
Enter to win free coffee: www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org,
Learn more about Lost Tribes Coffee Co.: www.losttribescoffee.co
Consider financially supporting the podcast: www.jewishvoice.org/donate/wem/what-you-hear
Ask a question, give us feedback: www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org/contact/
Subscribe: Wherever you get your podcasts
Social media: Find us under the handle A Jew and A Gentile Discuss.
Share us with your friends.
Leave a review on your favorite podcast app.
 
This podcast is a production of Jewish Voice Ministries International.

Israel: Are We in the End Times?

Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel and the war since sparked questions about the End Times. Many people have written in, asking, “Is this the End?” or “Is this the Tribulation?” Before getting into that in our next episode, today, Carly and Ezra lay the groundwork by discussing where the concept of the End Times comes from. Did Jesus introduce it, or is it actually a Jewish thing?
In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, the conversation includes:

What it was about October 7th that pushed the End Times button for us
Wait, the End Times is mentioned in Genesis?
The Song of Moses and if it has a place in Jewish tradition
Why Christians don’t talk much about the Song of Moses

Along the Way
You’ll also hear about:

Jewish thought about the Tribulation
Where Christians can misstep regarding the End Times
The Hebrew phrase vital to understanding certain Old Testament Scriptures
A part of the Torah that’s completely overlooked in the Jewish community
Two things we need to do if we want to be students of the Word on this subject
If Gentile Believers are grafted into the promises of God for Israel, are they also grafted into Israel’s difficulties?
The importance of Christians being prepared to engage with Jewish people who are confused about the difficulties they, as a people, will face and the hopeful message of the Bible

Words You Might Learn in This Episode
Am Israel, Yeshua, acharit hayamim, yom, yamim, the Song of Moses, Torah, Sukkot, Yom Kippur
Scriptures Referenced in This Episode
Zechariah 12:3 and 14:2–4
Matthew chapter 24, specifically verses 40–41, 20, 32–33 and 6–8
Jeremiah 29:11
Genesis chapter 49
Deuteronomy 4:27–30 and 31:29
Romans chapter 11, highlighting 11:17–24
Psalm 30:5 and Deuteronomy 7:9
Deuteronomy chapter 32
Previous Episodes Mentioned
S4 E8                  Rinse and Repeat – An Annual Jewish Bible Reading Cycle
S4.5 E2               Grafted In
S4.5 E3               Israel: 111 Days and Counting
 
Thanks for listening!
 
Other Resources for You
Enter to win free coffee: www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org,
Learn more about Lost Tribes Coffee Co.: www.losttribescoffee.co
Consider financially supporting the podcast: www.jewishvoice.org/donate/wem/what-you-hear
Ask a question, give us feedback: www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org/contact/
Subscribe: Wherever you get your podcasts
Social media: Find us under the handle A Jew and A Gentile Discuss.
Share us with your friends.
Leave a review on your favorite podcast app.
 
This podcast is a production of Jewish Voice Ministries International.

S3 EP7 | Why Christians Want Jews to "Convert"

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