The Friends of Israel Today

As we conclude our short series on the biblical cities of refuge, we learn what happened after a person arrived in such a city. An accidental manslayer’s protection from vengeance was contingent upon staying in the city. Returning home was permitted only upon the death of the high priest. Through the death of Jesus, our High Priest, we, too, find freedom and payment for our sin debt. In the days of Moses, long before Jesus came, we find this beautiful picture of God’s grace, played out in the lives of His Chosen People!

In the ancient world, killing a person, even accidentally, was liable to bring the rage of an “avenger of blood.” But in giving His Law to the people of Israel, God instituted cities of refuge as legal protection from vengeful attackers. These cities reveal that God is both perfectly just and perfectly merciful, neither coming at the expense of the other, a truth we see materialize clearly at the cross, where God poured out His love for us to atone for our sin. Cities of refuge are more than an interesting aspect of the Mosaic Law—they have much to teach us about our Lord and Savior!

Our God is a God who frees and redeems. The concept of Jubilee shows these attributes of His in His instructions to Israel. But even though the year of Jubilee is rarely found in the rest of Scripture, its message plays an important part in some powerful Bible prophecies. Study Jubilee’s themes of liberty and redemption with us in Ezekiel’s end-times prophecy and Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy. As you see how these themes highlight the prophets’ writings and Jesus’ ministry, you’ll see why they are key to your present and future, too!

Have you ever wished you could just start over? In hard times, we wish we could make things go back to the way they were. God actually did this for Israel! The year of Jubilee is an important part of Israel’s culture. God instituted it not only to give the land a rest but to allow the Israelites to reset after things had gone wrong, whether by canceling their debts, freeing them from slavery, or returning their sold property to them. Follow along with us this week and next to learn about the Land of Israel’s sabbath rest and the parallel to the gospel the Jubilee year provides!

When Jesus died on the cross to save sinners from death, God gave humanity access to Himself in a new way: within believers in Jesus themselves through the Holy Spirit! This week, David Gunn joins the show to detail this shift from God’s localization to His personal indwelling in his article “The Nearness of God” from our latest issue of Israel My Glory magazine. Tune into this week’s excellent broadcast to gain a wealth of insight into God’s loving presence not only with, but within His children!

Last week we studied examples from Jesus’ life that demonstrate that He was undeniably a Zionist. But in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection, can we still consider Him a Zionist today? To answer this question, Chris takes a look at the disciples’ final question to Jesus: “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Jesus’ answer is the key to evaluating His case as a Zionist. Enjoy the conclusion of our 2-part series on Jesus and Zionism!

As anti-Zionism spreads throughout the world, threatening to separate the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland, Christians are faced with an important question about their faith: Was Jesus a Zionist? In part 1 of our series answering this question, Chris digs into the Gospels to consider what the connection between the land of Israel and the Jewish people meant to our Savior. As we examine God’s promises to Israel concerning its land, you’ll understand why Jesus was a Zionist in word and deed and be encouraged to live as an unashamed Zionist too!

What does it mean to love God with all your strength? It goes far beyond physical power! The conclusion of our series on the Shema brings us to the final portion of the command in Deuteronomy 6, the command to love God with all one’s strength, or me’od. This term indicates that believers, like the Israelites, are to love God completely, with all that we are, at our maximum capacity, creating a love that changes our hearts and actions entirely. Learn how to fall deeper in love with the Lord God this week!

Are we made of body and soul, or are we one holistic being? After studying the heart last week, our study of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6 brings us to Moses’ instruction to the Israelites to love the Lord with all their soul—their nefesh. This command requires more than mere outward obedience. Rather, the Israelites needed to worship Him with the entirety of their being. Believers in the Lord Jesus are called likewise to love God with all that we are—so let’s commit to this kind of love each day!

Before the call to love God “with all your heart,” the well-known Shema begins with an instruction to “hear.” While this part of the Shema is easy to overlook, it sets the tone of God’s Word to the Israelites, as it invites them to know and follow Him truly, developing a heart of loving obedience. Part 2 of our series on Deuteronomy 6 examines God’s call to the Israelites to change their hearts and guide them into true devotion to Himself. Be encouraged this week to give the Lord your whole heart—your whole being—in loving submission under His sovereign hand!

In Moses’ final words to the Israelites in Deuteronomy, he told them, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” Though the Israelites were already physically circumcised, what God intended for His people went far beyond the act of keeping a single commandment from the Law. We open a new series this week studying the Shema in Deuteronomy and what genuine love for the Lord God looks like. As Moses called the Israelites toward true devotion to their God, may we also commit to faithfully obeying Him!

Concluding our 3-part series on the Lord’s prayer, we consider the Year of Jubilee, a year of rest and reset occurring every 50th year, which God instituted for the Israelites in the Mosaic Law. When Jesus prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” He alluded to this Year of Jubilee as a shadow of greater freedom to come. We hope you now understand the Lord’s prayer in its special Jewish context!

Jesus prayed to the Father, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” What does this Kingdom look like? The Hebrew prophets provide answers in specific, physical details. Israel will experience a full restoration—both physical and spiritual—but first, it must repent and turn back to the Lord. And likewise, when we as believers pray the Lord’s prayer, we are to surrender our hearts to Him in submission, repentance, and dependence on Him. Explore God’s Kingdom with us this week as we study the Lord’s prayer!

Many Christians can recite the Lord’s prayer from Matthew 6 by heart. But Jesus’ model for prayer meant much more to His Jewish listeners than we realize today. Chris begins a 3-week series on the Lord’s prayer by revealing the monumental implications it had specifically for Israel. Jesus’ prayer was a petition that God would soon fulfill His promises to restore the Jewish people, give them His Spirit, and hallow His name before the nations. Tune in to get a fuller picture of the prophetic and practical meaning of the Lord’s prayer!

Since Israel and the United States entered into war with the nuclear-aspiring nation of Iran in February, many have learned that the Islamic Republic is the shadowy threat that has hung over Israel for decades. In the latest issue of Israel My Glory magazine, Dr. Randall Price demonstrates how the 1979 Islamic Revolution led Iran to become the ruthless terror of the Middle East it is today. His analysis of Iran’s push for nuclear weapons and antagonization of the Jewish nation will help you grasp why war was inevitable and why destroying the Islamic regime is paramount for Israel’s future.

What do Israel’s offerings teach us about our relationship with God? This week we conclude our series on the Lord’s instructions to the children of Israel regarding sacrifice. We’re studying the fellowship offering, which demonstrates that we are not meant only to understand God from a distance, but rather to enjoy close communion with Him. May this study of Israel’s fellowship offerings bring you greater confidence in the knowledge that because of our justification by faith, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1)!

We humans are impossibly far from God. We cannot approach Him in our sin; an atoning sacrifice for sin is necessary. This week, as we study sin and trespass offerings in part 2 of our series on the Levitical sacrifices, we see that sin carries heavy consequences, but we also see God’s mercy, as He graciously provided the means of purification to allow His Chosen People to continue fellowshiping with Him. Thank you, Jesus, for fulfilling these offerings through your death, purifying us from our sins not only once, but forever!

If God is truly holy, how could sinful men ever approach Him? We’re studying Israel’s burnt offerings this week as we begin a new series on the Levitical sacrifices God appointed for Israel to come near and worship Him. Considering the many lessons the burnt sacrifices provide, we rejoice today knowing that Jesus is the true whole burnt offering who took on all sin with His once-and-for-all sacrifice; and in response, we surrender and consecrate ourselves to Him. What wonderful truths the burnt offerings can teach us today!

The Friends of Israel (FOI) Executive Director Steve Conover recently returned from a trip to Poland. There he saw the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Birkenau, where many of the unspeakable tragedies of the Holocaust occurred. But then, Steve visited FOI Poland’s camps for Jewish children and their families. This safe, loving community of Jewish children enjoying fun activities together served as a beautiful picture of rebirth in a country once enveloped in darkness. And each day, The Friends of Israel continues to minister joyfully, shining the light of the Messiah in the hearts of these Jewish families and others all throughout Eastern Europe!

After journeying through ancient Israel’s Tabernacle, we finally arrive at the inner sanctum to find the veil, the ark of the covenant, and the holy of holies. This was the Lord’s throne room on Earth, and it demonstrated that God desired not merely to be worshiped from afar but to reign as King in the midst of His people. As we conclude our study of the Tabernacle, remember that the Almighty God seeks to dwell with His people, and He loves you in a deep and personal way!

As we continue exploring ancient Israel’s Tabernacle, we find the sacred furnishings in the holy place: the menorah and the altar of incense. Taken together, these elements provide illumination and worship, reminding us that God not only redeems His people from afar, but also brings them near and welcomes their worship in His presence. Through Messiah Jesus, we enjoy the privilege of His light and worshiping before Him as well. Enjoy learning many lessons about God’s desire to be with His people in part 5 of our Tabernacle series!

What do King David and MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson have in common? A lot of home runs—and a lot of strikeouts. Paul Golden joins the show to share insight from his Israel My Glory magazine article about David’s shortcomings and place of honor in the bloodline of the Messiah. The prominent list of failures that appear in this line demonstrates God’s decision to redeem and repurpose undeserving sinners for His glory. Find renewed motivation this week to serve the Lord as you consider how He loves you and desires to use you for His glory despite your sin!

After studying the altar and the laver within ancient Israel’s Tabernacle in recent weeks, we now continue into the sanctuary, the holy place, to find the table of showbread. After cleansing His Chosen People, He invited the priests inside to fellowship with Him and eat bread on behalf of all the people. The bread demonstrates our God’s desire to dwell with His people. Likewise, He invites believers in Jesus to enter into His presence in fellowship through His Holy Spirit and enjoy His provision, for our Savior is the Bread of Life!

In Israel’s ancient Tabernacle, the Israelites immediately arrived at the altar, where they met the Lord through sacrifice. Just beyond the altar in the courtyard stood the laver, the bronze basin where the priest met God through cleansing. Part 3 of our series on the Tabernacle extracts the truly profound significance of the instrument God used to purify the priests and allow them to enter into His presence. We see through the laver that God not only desires to be near His children; He also seeks to make them ready to enter His presence—a stirring truth for us today!

The altar of Israel’s Tabernacle was a sacred place. Why? Because God Himself established it as a place to meet His people in covenantal faithfulness! In part 2 of our series on the Tabernacle, Chris offers a plethora of valuable truths about the altar, where ordinary Israelites were allowed to go to present their offerings to the Lord. Heaven and earth converged at the altar, the living intersection of divine holiness and human need. Grow your love for God today as you discover His purposes in providing the altar!

What was the purpose of Israel’s ancient Tabernacle? Exodus 25:8 explains it well: “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” God wants to dwell with His people! The Tabernacle and the Temple pointed to God’s eternal covenant with Israel. But even further, God dwelled in the midst of Israel to invite all nations to know Him through the witness of the Jewish people. Understand how God’s desire to dwell among His people is threaded throughout Scripture and underpins the great hope believers have in Him today!

At the moment Gentiles are saved, they enter into a story far beyond themselves—God’s story with the Jewish people. Their salvation signals the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise with Israel. Thanks to the Spirit’s indwelling work, we foster compassion for Jerusalem and the Jewish people, and we pray for the city’s peace, which, ultimately, will facilitate the peace of the entire world. Praying for Israel and the Jewish people aligns our hearts with the Lord’s and draws us closer to Him in obedience to His Word. So, let’s commit to praying for Israel regularly from now on!

Has the church really replaced Israel in God’s plans and affections, like many Christians today believe? No! God’s Word clearly teaches that the church is not a replacement, but rather a wild branch grafted into a covenantal olive tree rooted in Israel. Gentiles’ salvation should provoke the Jewish people to jealousy and draw them back to their Messiah—a desire we should humbly pray for God to meet, as He keeps His promises for Israel’s salvation and the world’s redemption. Join us and gain a practical defense for Israel straight from Scripture!

Many influential voices are shaping a narrative that demonizes Israel, and it’s catching on at an alarming rate with young Christians in particular. But God loves Israel, and we should too—and we must pray for the nation. While many tie their views on Israel to its politics, we must let Scripture and the covenant God made with Abraham dictate our immovable support for the nation. Discover the blessing God has promised to those who love and pray for Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel where God placed His name!

When so many headlines signal disaster for Israel and the world’s hatred toward it, peace and security seem so far off. But the Bible has an amazing future in store for Israel! Our newest Israel My Glory issue teaches the story of the book of Amos, and Dr. Stallard closes our study with an article detailing God’s wonderful promises to the nation of Israel. Enjoy his conversation with Chris this week, and prepare your heart to learn more about God’s plans for Israel in His prophetic Word!

As the world grows increasingly restless and unstable, the prophecies in the book of Revelation garner much attention. That’s where a new book from Pastor Mark Hitchcock comes into focus. In The Revelation Answer Book, Dr. Hitchcock addresses 125 end-times questions with the truth of God’s Word. He joins our show this week to share how believers can read and understand the prophecies in Scripture’s concluding book with confidence. His book is just the tool you need to transform how you understand Revelation and to fully appreciate the prophetic look into the future that it provides!

On December 14, 2025, two gunmen opened fire on the crowd at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, killing 15. There was nothing random about the massacre—it was an ISIS-motivated, Jewish-targeted attack that resulted from the virus of antisemitism that has poisoned so many against God’s Chosen People. The Friends of Israel Australia Director Les Crawford provides valuable insight into the true nature and fallout from the attack in Australia, confronting us with our responsibility to stand strongly against antisemitism in support of Israel and the Jewish people.

We all see Jesus differently! We’ve been exploring this fact for the past two weeks, as we’ve learned how the Romans dismissed His ministry and the Jewish religious leaders of His day considered it a threat. But some people were much more interested in our Savior. This week we hear about “The People of the Land,” the average Israelites of Jesus’ day. You might find these Jewish people more relatable than our previous groups, so listen closely this week for their view of the Messiah and how He changed their lives!

Not everyone loved Jesus. Many didn’t accept His saving grace because they saw Him as a threat or an insignificant distraction in their lives. We saw this attitude last week through the eyes of the Romans, who were more concerned with their empire than with the King of kings. This week we look at Jesus through the eyes of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious leaders of His time. It seems unbelievable that they could hate the Savior of the world, but this anger stemmed from a familiar place, which Chris explains today in part 2 of our 3-week series on the different perspectives of Jesus.

Who is Jesus? This question seems to have a different answer for every person. Muslims say He is a prophet. Jewish people say He is a rabbi. Unbelievers say He is nothing more than a moral teacher. But we who believe in Him for salvation know He is our Savior and our Lord. Chris opens our three-week series on how everyone sees Jesus differently with this look at how the Romans saw Jesus in the first century. This study of notable Romans that Jesus interacted with in the Gospels will help you see your Savior through the eyes of a culturally powerful people group!

The third and final Christmas song of Luke’s gospel belongs to Simeon, a righteous man who met baby Jesus at the Temple. Simeon’s life was marked by waiting—not in passive resignation, but in faithful expectation rooted in the promises God made to Abraham that He would bless the world. Simeon’s song reflects this theme, as he found joy in recognizing Jesus as “the consolation of Israel”—the long-awaited fulfillment of God’s promise to the Jewish people. Let Simeon’s song repeat this truth in your mind this Christmas season as we celebrate our Savior’s coming!

This week, we’re studying a Christmas song, but not a Christmas carol—we’re analyzing the timeless song of praise sung by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist! Zechariah knew the Messiah was coming to fulfill God’s ancient promises to rescue, redeem, and restore His people. He also knew his son, John, had a special mission to prepare the hearts of the Jewish people to receive the Messiah, calling them to repentance. Zechariah’s song shouts the joyful news that the Redeemer has come and that God will guide His people into peace through Jesus the Messiah!

Do you have a favorite Christmas carol? Though we don’t sing them at Christmastime, the book of Luke records songs by three special people in the narrative of Jesus’ birth. Chris opens a three-part series on these songs by discussing Mary’s famous song of worship in Luke 1 before she gave birth to Jesus. Her praise of the Lord captures the heart of the Abrahamic Covenant and God’s faithfulness to His people, inviting all Israel and even the whole world to recognize that He was keeping His promise by sending the Messiah!

God is sovereign over the entire universe. But what happens when we reject His sovereignty over our lives? Dan Price provides the answer this week as he shares insight on the foolishness of rejecting the sovereign God of heaven and Earth from his latest article in Israel My Glory magazine. Here’s the good news: Whether you’ve rejected Jesus as your Savior or you’re struggling to give Him full control of your life, you will find unequaled joy and freedom when you fully submit to Him! Find practical encouragement to help you live for the Lord on this week’s broadcast!

In Leviticus, God’s Law provided for unholy human beings—the children of Israel—to live in the midst of their holy God. When we get to the book of Ephesians, something amazing happens. Through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, the division via purification laws that prevented Gentiles from worshiping God at the Temple was erased. Now, Jewish people and Gentiles who believe in Jesus are bound together by the indwelling Holy Spirit! We hope our study has made the goodness of the gospel revealed through the Temple all the more vivid and powerful in your life!

In Ephesians 2, the apostle Paul explained that Gentiles, who were once far from God and didn’t know Him, now have access to Him through Jesus, the Son of God. But does this mean the special relationship the Jewish people have with God is now gone? Part 2 of our series on the Temple structure and the gospel digs into Ephesians 2 to explain the beautiful truth that, through His death and resurrection, Christ gave Jewish and Gentile believers equal access to boldly approach His throne of grace!

The Second Temple was the heart of the Jewish people’s worship of the Lord God, purposefully designed to accentuate God’s holiness. This week we begin a three-part series on how the design of Herod’s Temple and its distinction between holy and common illuminates our understanding of Ephesians 2—particularly in relation to Gentiles being brought near to God. Journey with us as we discover what the Second Temple teaches about God, His holiness, and the Good News of the gospel!

Are you looking for ways to live out God’s call to bless His Chosen People? The Friends of Israel has just what you need! FOI offers life-changing trips to the Holy Land and elsewhere to provide believers with avenues to make a lasting impact by serving the Jewish people. But we also operate special programs designed to help you understand and connect with the Jewish people right in your own neighborhood! However you want to serve the Jewish people and show your love for Israel, The Friends of Israel is here to help you!

Studying the striking imagery of Isaiah 62, we rejoice in the fact that Israel’s salvation is coming—and with this salvation comes its Redeemer too! Chris shares several major motivations for loving the Jewish people this week in the conclusion of our series on Christians combating antisemitism. We stand with God’s Chosen People not to earn favor with Him or the Jewish people, but because we seek to obey and follow Him who has already shown us His favor and grace. Let us boldly love, serve, and defend Israel and the Jewish people with every opportunity we encounter!

It’s become increasingly popular to hate Israel and the Jewish people. That’s why it’s so important that Bible-believing Christians stand boldly for them! As we continue our series on Christians combating antisemitism, we take a look at the watchmen of Isaiah 62, whom God trusted as spiritual guardians of Israel. Discover what it means to be a watchman for Israel this week, and learn how you can get free Friends of Israel stickers to help you show your love for Israel and the Jewish people!

Jewish people around the world are targeted for persecution. Will you come to their defense? This responsibility has always been at the heart of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, and we rejoice when we see other Christians around the world taking it on too. Chris begins a three-part series on believers’ mandate to combat antisemitism and defend God’s Chosen People, studying the prophet’s declaration, “For Zion’s sake, I will not keep silent.” We share Isaiah’s confident hope for the future: that one day, God will completely restore Zion, and Jesus the Messiah will reign from Jerusalem!

The joyous, biblical celebration of Sukkot is upon us! As God commanded in Leviticus 23, the Jewish people today continue to make “booths,” or temporary shelters, called sukkahs during this Feast of Tabernacles to remember how the Israelites lived during their wandering in the wilderness thousands of years ago. Sukkot proclaims three wonderful truths about God: He provides, He protects, and He is present. Uncover the richness of this special scriptural holiday to ancient Israel and the lasting lessons it teaches us today!

Days of great suffering are coming for Israel. But their trials have a purpose—God will use this time to purge and refine the nation, drawing the people to repentance. The Friends of Israel’s (FOI’s) Bruce Scott shares the Bible’s teaching on this pivotal prophetic period in FOI’s latest issue of Israel My Glory magazine. Bruce gives great clarity on Zechariah 12 and 13 to inform and encourage you concerning the redemption God has planned for His Chosen People. Don’t miss this excellent interview!

When Jesus spoke of caring for “the least of these” in Matthew 25, to whom was He referring? To the Jewish people on Earth during the Tribulation. Jesus was teaching more than a generic moral lesson on charity when He spoke these words. He was offering a prophetic declaration concerning the nations’ future treatment of Israel, which will demonstrate which nations are loyal to the King and which ones reject Him. Before those last days come, let us be found faithful in God’s calling to bless the Jewish people!

Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 concerning “the least of these” have driven many ministries seeking to help the poor and needy. Their work is a wonderful display of love for the Lord. But is it possible that this worthy drive for humanitarianism has caused some to miss the target of Jesus’ message? Could “the least of these” be referring to a group of people separate from the poor and destitute? Tune in for a highly informative, biblical study of Matthew 25 designed to help you better understand this key teaching!