Chapter – 11 ‘The Rabbi’s Sister’
Yosef Gorsech was at the Brooklyn City Bank with his grandpa. He finally completed the paperwork needed to make it official. Both he and his twin sister would be multi-millionaires and it looked like he could live on the interest comfortably without ever touching the principal. He would be taking papers to Tel Aviv for his sister to sign and then she would have no worries for supporting herself, ever again, as a missionary. She would no longer need to raise support income from friends and family for doing the work of Christ Jesus, the Lord.
An hour into the flight he remembered that Sargent Valentine would probably be at his new job by now. He hoped to get a chance to visit Valentine and tell him all the news about his former mother-in-law; an actual niece to his grandpa.
Rebekah, Yosef’s missionary sister, met him at the airport; they took a cab into the main part of the city. She had arranged for him to stay with a friend, who worked for Gospel Missions. After he was settled, she planned to change clothes; then they would meet for dinner and talk.
They spent two and one-half hours chatting before he pulled the papers from his jacket pocket. He explained everything and she signed the document and was soon a multi-millionaire, just like him. Before they called it an evening, she invited Yosef to join her the next morning to visit four contacts she had been given. She would normally invite them to a Saturday evening service at the CENTER and then there was a time of refreshments afterward.
The first two visits were with senior citizens, set in their ways, not interested in her message about Christ Jesus but the third visit was a good one. It was a young Jewish lady probably in her mid-twenties. She listened to the entire presentation but in the end; she only gave Rebekah ‘a maybe’. The forth address was a loft but there was no one home. They would try back later in the evening. Yosef was thinking, “Maybe he would stay here in Israel for a few months and help his sister; he could still be a warrior for the Lord doing work like this for a while.”
He smiled at his sister and asked, “Are there many geological companies here in Tel Aviv? I might want to look up a fella I knew while in the Army.” He told her that the man had been married to their grandpa’s great niece until she had been killed; “they were both twenty and in college at the time.” His sister responded, “That is a sad story. Is he ok now?”
After eating and then looking at a book store they made their way back toward the loft. As they approached there was a light on and it was shining through the window. It was a narrow stairway so Rebekah went up first and knocked. The door opened and someone spoke but Yosef couldn’t see the person. He listened to his sister make the invitation but could not hear a response. Finally he heard, “Come in for a minute. Let me get a pencil and paper to take a note.” The voice sounded American, a little familiar to Yosef, but who was it? Rebekah turned and motioned Yosef up the stairway. Moments later the two men stared into each other’s eyes; a small closed mouth smile was on the lips of Valentine as he nodded and spoke, “Hi Chaplin, did you come half way around the world to see if me and Jesus were doing ok?”
Rebekah looked at the man and then at her brother. She waited to see if he was going to respond, if not she would have to say something. She couldn’t wait, “Do you know each other Yosef? I was not aware you had been to Tel Aviv before.” He responded, “This is my Army friend I mentioned to you that I wanted to see while here.” He looked at Valentine and spoke, “Valentine, this is my sister, Rebekah, beautiful isn’t she?” Valentines eyes moved slightly in her direction and then he took a longer slow but penetrating look up and down; he smiled; then nodded slightly at her and spoke, “A ten! So, is this the missionary sister, Chaplin?”
Rebekah turned a little red as she heard him say, a ten. She was wearing baggy camo pants and a shirt, a size much too large; also with her hair pulled back through a camo cap. “It was not funny being called a ten, looking like she was; was he just mocking,” she wondered.
They spent several minutes talking and then getting the address for Saturday evening. Not more than six feet behind Yosef was the picture he had caught when the wind had blown it. As they turned to leave Yosef spotted it and pointed. “Oh, Rebekah; that’s a picture of Valentines mother-in-law and his wife from a few years ago. The older woman is named Mar’yam, and something you don’t know; she is grandpa’s long lost niece.” There was silence as Yosef looked into Valentines face. He spent time telling the story to Valentine. Rebekah took quick glances at the picture every once in a while. Those two woman could have been her sisters by the looks of the picture.
As the twins started down the stairway Valentine commented, “Thank you for being a part of the Great Commission, Rebekah. I am going to write a note to my dad and tell him I just met a real-deal missionary, actually working here in Israel. He will be pleased.”
Attached
Matthew 28:16-20 [Great Commission] Rebekah has come from a gentile nation to a Hebrew nation. Backwards?
Luke 10:1-16 [Christ sends the 70] Disciples of Christ sent out in pairs [Mark 6:7-13] sends the 12
Hebrews 9:1-28 [Share the Old to the New] Missionary Rebekah’s text for her Jewish contacts.
Acts 2:1-4 [FILLED with the Holy Spirit] IF you’re FILLED with the SPIRIT, must you speak to God in tongues?
Why or why not?
The mission according to scripture is to GO.
Matthew 28:16, 16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [This scripture is spoken just before the assentation of Jesus back to heaven]
Luke 10:1-16, Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come [and teach the Gospel]. 2 And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’10 But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.15 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! 16 “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
[How many people do we know that needs to hear the good news of the Gospel?]
Hebrews 9:1-28, Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. 3 Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
6 Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, 7 but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 For this reason He is the mediator of a newer covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin [x]by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is [y]appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Acts 2:1-4, When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. [A spiritual GIFT – Eph. 4:8 – 1 Cor. 13-14]
*** Questions ? ***
Who is God? Hebrews 1:1-14, Colossians 1:13-20, Math. 28:18-19
Where does God live or reside? Revelation 4:1-11
What is God’s plan? John 3:17, Mark 1:14-15, Eph.2:4-10, Romans 10:8-10
Why [HE wants ALL to Repent] 2 Peter 3:9,
When did God create, we humans? Genesis 1:1-2:25 1=creation, 2=some detail [4004 BC] Omnipotent
The Word John 1:1-18
The Example [Mediator – Advocate] Hebrews 12:1-24, 1 John 2:1-2,
The Lamb or goat Lev. 16:1-10 & 11-34, John 18:12-14, 19-24, 28-32,
The Vine [& Branches] John 15:1-6,
Wisdom Proverbs 8 & 9
IF sinful, which everyone is.. Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Mark 1:15
THEN need forgiveness.. Atonement Romans 10:9-10, Eph. 2:8-9, Math. 10:32, 1 John 1:9
ELSE Hell awaits.. Rev. 20:11-15, Matthew 25:1-46
Substitution Jesus died in my place [took my place, the LAMB] Lev. 16:1-10
Justification Jesus made me ‘right with God’ Romans 4:25, 5:18
Adoption Jesus grafted me into the vine or family John 15:1-11
Redemption Jesus purchased my salvation with his blood Romans 3:24, 8:23
Does the NT supersede the OT 10 Commandments? Math. 5:17, Commandments can’t be met, so atonement is needed.
[The STANDARD is HIGH – What does Hebrews 8:13 mean?]
The Golden Rule – Treat others as you want others to treat you.. Matthew 7:12
DG