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Friends And Family
Conversations from the studios of God's Way Radio in Miami, FL.
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Friends And Family
Journey Across Faiths: Richard's Transformation from Jewish Roots to Embracing Jesus in Jerusalem
Have you ever witnessed a story unfold where deep-rooted beliefs and cultures converge in a symphony of faith? Join me as I engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Richard, a Jewish man from Boston, now a fervent believer in Jesus. With a life that mirrors a tapestry woven with threads of tradition and revelation, Richard unveils his spiritual odyssey from his Bar Mitzvah in a Reform Jewish family to his profound embrace of Yeshua as the Messiah. He navigates through his personal battles with anti-Semitism and preconceptions about Christianity, sharing insights that promise to challenge and potentially transform your understanding of faith and heritage.
The narrative deepens as we reflect on the scars of history – the persistent anti-Semitism that marred even the most enlightened societies and Richard's encounter with a Catholic priest, a Holocaust survivor. These powerful stories set the backdrop for an exploration of first-century Jewish beliefs and how they resonate with Jesus' teachings on the Sabbath, mercy, and the temple. Richard's transition to life in Jerusalem adds a layer of authenticity to our discussion, as he recounts the moment the New Testament in Israel altered his path forever, illuminating the intersection of historical prejudice and contemporary faith.
Finally, we traverse the landscapes of modern Israel – from the bustling streets of Jerusalem to the remnants of biblical history. Richard, who served in the Israeli Defense Forces and now leads impactful ministry work, opens up about the challenges facing Jerusalem's youth and the transformative outreach he champions. We invite you to be part of the 'Pray for Israel' program, understanding the power of prayer in the Holy Land and the lives it touches. This episode is an invitation to experience the richness of diversity, the rebirth of a nation, and the intimate role of prayer in connecting with God's work – all through the lens of a man who has walked the line between cultures and found harmony in his faith.
You're tuned in to Friends and Family, a God's Way radio exclusive where we introduce you to some amazing people. In John 15, verse 15, jesus says I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you. That's our aim that God would be made known to you. Stay with us until the end of our conversation for more information on this program and other unique offerings from God's Way radio.
Joey:Richard, thank you for stopping by this afternoon.
Richard:It's a joy to be here.
Joey:And you know you originate well, that's not even true because you weren't born there, but for the last 36 years you've been in Jerusalem, that's correct. And so you know we spoke before we started here about some of the things we might cover and you know even that statement you originate from, you've been in, you know where do you come from and how did you end up in Israel and kind of you know just a story that God has done of your life.
Richard:Sure, I was born in Boston, massachusetts, and to a Jewish family. I'm one of a set of triplets, and so I was fortunate enough to experience birth with my two elder sisters, and so this was in 1958.
Joey:You didn't have to give that away. You didn't have to give that away.
Richard:So born and raised in Boston, massachusetts Jewish family, family of six. I'm part of a set of triplets and that's a great, I think that's a great beginning to life. I moved to Israel in 1982 and subsequently came to a saving faith in Jesus, whom we call Yeshua in Hebrew, in 1983. And some people would ask how does that happen? God is a Jewish person, and when I say Jewish person, we were not observant in terms of Orthodox theology in our Judaism, but we were brought up in a reform synagogue, in a very good reform synagogue in Boston, massachusetts. Large Jewish community, family life, great synagogue life, love it always have, was brought up in my own personal journey faith in God, faith in the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob. What happens? How does this young Jewish person come to know Jesus or, again in Hebrew, yeshua? This is quite unusual in the 20th century and some would even argue that it's unusual in the 21st century. I would argue it's not unusual. It is a Hebrew story. It is very much a Jewish story that we continue to communicate from generation to generation. However, how does it happen?
Richard:In Judaism you have a what's known as a right of passage, a spiritual right of passage that's known as Bar Mitzvah. Bar Mitzvah in the Hebrew means son of the commandments, and this is essentially the first time a young Jewish boy, 13 years old, would read from the Torah, would read from the Hebrew Scriptures that you would call the Old Covenant, old Testament writings and books of Moses and the law, and he would read this before, or sing it before, the congregation in the synagogue. And this is one's right of passage in Judaism and at that point you would consider whether or not you're going to take upon yourself the responsibility to walk in his ways, to walk in God's ways, the what ways, the ways that we were given from Mount Sinai and what we read in the books of Moses and the law of Moses. I'm preparing for this. In fact, my sisters and I were preparing for Bar and Bar Mitzvah, daughter of commandment, son Bar Mitzvah, in Reformed Judaism. This is they have this phenomena where you're also celebrating both young boys and girls. They have an opportunity to do that in Reformed Judaism, which I think is a good thing.
Richard:I'm preparing for Bar Mitzvah learning my portion of Scripture that I would recite with this. Two portions that I read from. One was from the book of Amos, or Amos, chapter 9, verses 11 through 15, and another is Leviticus 23 19. Amos 9, 11 through 15, speaks about the restoration of the people of Israel. The restoration of the people, the restoration of the people to their land, restoration of Israel. Leviticus 23 speaks about how we care for others that are in the land. How do we treat the stranger in the land? It's something that a Bar Mitzvah student doesn't choose. Your rabbi would give you these portions to read and that's what you prepare.
Richard:I don't think I fully understand either portions. When I was 13 years old, reading it, we studied it, we thought about it, but I don't think I really understood the word God had given me at Bar Mitzvah restoration of Israel. I didn't know that one day I would be living in Israel. The other Scripture just is challenging. It's challenging to live in Israel, it's challenging to walk in the ways of our God and it's challenging to care for those who are strangers in our land, especially in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood meaning the Middle East. But we have neighbors. We have those who maybe are not born into Israel but are living in Israel and we should treat them with honor and dignity because we will want strangers in a strange land living under Egyptian bondage for about 420 years before God rescues us and then later on, of course, 40 years later, brings us into the promised land, canaan, which becomes the land of Israel, eritz, israel. In other words, prophetic setup for life.
Richard:I had no good reason to believe in what we know today, you and I, as the Messiah, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the lover of our souls, the Messiah, the Christ Jesus. Jesus, the Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world once and forever for us. I had no good reason to believe in Him because, up until the point of Bar Mitzvah and even beyond, but something happened in that season. Up until that point, I had experienced Christianity, christians, in my young life, as those who hated us, as those who called us dirty Jews, as those. In fact, the first time I experienced anti-Semitism was when I was a schoolboy, about eight years old, and it was during a recess time playground that someone walked up to me and said Frieden, you're a kike Now. I didn't know what he was saying. I asked my dad. I went home, dad, what does this word kike mean? And he says well, this is a derogatory word. He called you essentially a dirty Jew and I said why? What did I ever do wrong to him? And the next day I went up to this you know, young boy? And I said you were the one yesterday that called me a kike, is that not true? He said, yeah, and I beat him up. True story, true story, yeah, simple as that.
Richard:From that moment on, I had experienced many, many occasions of verbal abuse, a fights really through, through, up and through high school, post high school, in college, in job places, even when I heard the gospel preached. From occasion I heard things that sounded anti-Semitic. So this never left me. But what did happen? What did happen when I was bar mitzvah, age 13 years old? We prepare for the bar mitzvah. It's about six months to a year preparation. About the halfway point.
Richard:Our rabbi announced that we were going to visit a Roman Catholic church in town. Now, I knew this church very well, not from the inside, but from the outside. It was very close to my elementary school. So during elementary school we walk by it all the time. Oh, that's the Catholic church and there's a Stabit Mata sculpture with Mary and the mournful mother of Jesus with the dying Jesus. Okay, the Stabit Mata is the mourning mother of Jesus. And he said we're going to be visiting the chapel the Roman Catholic. So I mentioned that because it's an interesting period in religious history, because it was post Vatican II. So post Vatican II, vatican II meetings begin around 1962, 1963, and this is already 1971.
Richard:Lot of reforms take place in the Catholic Church. One of the issues is how do we deal with our Jewish brothers, how do we relate to them? And there was a big move forward in terms of ecumenical dialogue and our rabbi had an ecumenical dialogue, friendship with a local Catholic priest and we had the opportunity to visit the chapel. They and I mean they, our counterparts confirmation class also had an opportunity to visit our synagogue and hear from our rabbi. I was sitting in the chapel with the other bar and butt mitts of students and he's talking about whatever he was talking about because, quite frankly, I don't remember everything that he was talking about.
Richard:This was many years ago, but what I do remember is the conclusion of what he was saying and he said you might be asking yourself what this is hung on a cross, this grotesque figure. He says let me leave you with this. This is Jesus, whom we call the Christ, whom we call the Messiah, the Savior of the world and look, you can even see on a sign that the Romans had originally posted on the tree on the cross this is Jesus, king of the Jewish people, king of the Jews, jesus of Nazareth. He says he's one of your people and at that moment I would say in the language of, say, some religious expressions, you would say I had a epiphany moment and another camp of, or expression of, christianity. You could say I had a supernatural experience.
Richard:Something happened because I was riveted to what I was seeing on the cross and I began to ask journalistic questions who, what, when, where, why and how. It was like a tunnel vision kind of experience where I felt like time stood still. I didn't see anybody around me. It was just this confrontation, even with the cross, with this figure, and I wanted to know from that moment on who is he? Why is he? If he's the Jewish Messiah, how come? I don't know, how come it wasn't taught? How could it be? How could it be? This is love, this is redemption and everything that we hear about in Christianity.
Richard:But what I had experienced up until that point was not that, it was quite the opposite. But that set me and anti-Semitism didn't discontinue. I had experienced this as I'm only 13. When I have this epiphany moment, what it did do is that it set me out on a journey, and it was kind of a parallel secret journey in my life. I'd be dealing with life as a Jewish person, dealing with anti-Semitism, getting on with life, going forward and, at the same time, at every turning point, who is he? Where is he? Why is he? Who is Jesus? I didn't know him as Yeshua. I knew him as Jesus, the Christ. I want to know who he is. My entire life has been a search for Jesus, not for anything else. I wanted to know who he is.
Joey:And so that started when you were 13? That?
Richard:started when, in preparation prior to Bar Mitzvah, and that continued through young adult life until I arrived in Erzislea, until I arrived in the Promised Land, until I arrived in the Holy Land, until I arrived in Israel, the land of Israel and the nation of Israel, the reborn, restored nation of Israel that I had read about when I was Bar Mitzvah age. How it expresses itself is simply in trying to find out who he is. While I was in Israel, the very first week that I was in Israel, there's two people that I encountered One, my triplet sister, lea, who had moved there for a season. She became an Israeli citizen. She had come to know Jesus one year prior to I. There isa special relationship amongst twins and triplets. It was also so with us, in fact, until this very day, and she had something that I was looking for. I knew it. As soon as I saw her in Jerusalem, I said Lea, you found it. She goes. Yes, I did. His name is Jesus and she began to open up scriptures and read with me. It wasn't over the top, it wasn't things that I had experienced in the past on campus, campus, this campus that outreaches always had an ear to those who were preaching the gospel. Even if I argued, I always had an ear to listen. Very much an intellectual pursuit.
Richard:Historic backdrop why did things happen as they unfolded since the time the Jewish apostles bring the scriptures to the nations, for the most part Jewish? Why did that? Why did it become so not Jewish? Why did it become so disengaged from Hebrew culture, from biblical culture in context? Why, why didn't I so many years not knowing that this is the way, the truth in the life? So many years I didn't know that this is my Redeemer and he lives. So Lea was very sensitive to all that because she experienced similar. You know questions. You know why were the pogroms? Why were there inquisitions? Why did antisemitism continue, even though in the 1800s, even though we have a period of enlightenment, we think with it, this should be gone already.
Joey:And pogroms for the listeners who don't know what that is.
Richard:So pogroms were? These were violent attacks on Jewish communities in Europe, amongst the Jewish people in exile, essentially in the diaspora. And so for just you know quickly, just saying 70 AD, we have the Romans are still, you know, oppressive rule in, we're living under this rule. Then they destroy Jerusalem for the second time in 70 AD and we're sent into exile for 2000 years. So we have in Eastern Europe pogroms. We have in Europe, germany and other places and I'm talking about prior to the Holocaust, where we were great contributors to society in every place that we lived in, whether it be in East Europe or in Germany or other places in Europe. Though we were great contributors and were part of the Enlightenment where we thought that anti-Jewish sentiment would not be, or anti-Jewish sentiment not be a reality, it actually continues and even gets worse.
Joey:Why.
Richard:I say that is in the light of here is because Jewish people there was a movement in Judaism where they made a decision to integrate more into society and not just be in the small communities and live ultra-orthodox lifestyle, but rather to. It was a kind of a Jewish Reformation, whether they believed in God or not. It was a Reformation. Academia, commerce, we're going to be just like everybody else and we want to do that and we hope that this will also mean that we're accepted. And so this takes place. In the summer of 1982, I arrived in Israel and my sister is my sister whom I love, and my eldest sister in terms of the triplets, and she begins to speak words of life through the word, through Scripture, and pray with me and I was full on interested. I mean just everything that she was saying. She was just reading the Psalms with me, she'd read verses from the Gospel with me and just pray and believe God for me. That was the first person I encountered in my first week in Israel, because I knew she was there, of course. The second person was actually a Catholic priest who was a survivor of a Polish Jewish child, survivor of the Holocaust. Nuns rescued him and many others. He eventually grows up, makes his way to the United States. He becomes Catholic, with always a heart to return to Jerusalem to serve people there. I met him the first week I was in Israel. Now I don't become a Catholic, but I continue on a journey to seek that which is the one who loves my soul and wants to redeem my soul and set me on a new track forward.
Richard:In 1983, I subsequently had an experience with the word of God and my sister had given me my first Bible that included the New Testament, new Covenant Scriptures, and on a Sabbath morning that we celebrate from Friday evening sundown to Saturday sundown. This is biblical Hebrew Sabbath, not to be confused with the church's day of worship, which is on Sundays. I was on a kibbutz in Israel, in the northwestern portion of the Galilee, and it was on a Sabbath morning, alone, in my kibbutz room. A kibbutz is an agricultural community. I opened up the Bible and I said God, I don't really know how to talk to you. I believe in you. I've been searching for you since I was bar mitzvah age. I'm opening up the book and please speak to me. I opened the book, the Bible, and to Matthew, the book of Matthew, chapter 12. I began to read the Scriptures. Of course, we read Matthew 12. We begin to see.
Richard:Well, this is an interesting judicial kind of event that's taking place where Jesus is. Yeshua is preparing food for his disciples. It's kind of a cool thing to do. He feeds hungry hearts and he feeds hungry bellies as well. He's literally doing this on a Sabbath, something that, according to the laws of Moses, is forbidden to do on a Sabbath.
Richard:There's a very interesting conversation that takes place between Jesus and his beloved and I want to emphasize beloved brothers, who are from the pharistetical movement of Judaism, which is not so foreign to Jesus at all. Sometimes we think of it as something very negative because there was just like every human being and every movement under the face of earth, to be a Judaism or Christianity. We find characters and things that don't always function very well or can press buttons and trigger the negativity. Yes, and there was a great discussion, a great exchange of words, and I'm reading this and I said well, this is a riveting story, this is a drama unfolding before my eyes and I'm very interested in it. This is great. I want to see what happens.
Richard:And Jesus in verse 3 of chapter 12, can I read that, please. Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and he and his commandments ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the law that the priests on the Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you would only know what these words mean I desire mercy and not sacrifice echoing words from a Hebrew prophet from hundreds of years prior to that you would not have condemned the innocent, for the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath. Something is greater in your midst than the temple itself. Well, nothing was greater in the first century second temple period than the temple. There was nothing greater during the first temple period than Solomon's temple and the rebuilding of Solomon's temple and, of course, the great temple that Jesus would have seen walk through at Bar Mitzvah age and been many times beyond that when he was teaching as a young man. There was nothing, nothing is greater in our Hebrew paradigm. This is where mercy and truth met. This is this great exchange between what we are directed to do we worship God in the temple? We do our business with God in the temple.
Richard:Once a year, which is coming up soon in Judaism, we're going to be going to celebrate or commemorate the Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, and yet Jesus says something so revolutionary and so revelatory. Something greater than the temple is in your midst. If you'd only realize that I require mercy and not sacrifice, for the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath. If we knew all that, we would not have condemned the innocent one. And when I say that I'm not talking about the Jews killed Jesus, don't understand it. That that's not what we're saying. That's way. You know, that's ill theology. Yeah, the heart of it is this I read the words of Jesus and I said that's it.
Richard:What is the Sabbath? The Sabbath is an eternal covenant between God and the Jewish people, eternal. It's about renewal, even the very elements that we see in the Sabbath. We see the Kiddush, we see the blessing over the fruit of the vine, we see the and remember the bread that he had provided for us. And on the Sabbath, a double blessing, a double portion of Manah. We see this is an eternal covenant, forever. That's the day we set aside to think about what God has done in our lives and in fact, until this very day, even on the Sabbath, we remember what he did and how he rescued us from Egyptian bondage. We think, oh well, that's got to be just for the Passover, yes, that's when it happens. But we remember that every week.
Richard:And Jesus is using these words for the Son of man, his Lord of the Sabbath, that bread of life. I'm here to question, quench your thirst. I'm here to feed your hungry heart and your hungry soul and you'll never thirst again. And the way and the truth, and the life. And this was my moment, which was the second epiphany moment. The first is who is he? Why is he? When is he? How is he? And the second is this is who he is. He's the Son of man, his Lord of the Sabbath. He is your eternal. This is the covenant established with us, the new covenant. I'm the bread of life. I'm going to feed your hungry soul.
Joey:You know, Richard, I've so enjoyed hearing your testimony, your story, part of it, because God has done so much in your life and I don't know how we're going to cut this up.
Tiffany:I mean, I couldn't interrupt you.
Joey:I was so engaged. But just to remind you again, when this is aired, we're talking with Richard, and is it pronounced Frieden Frieden? He currently lives in Jerusalem, in Israel. He's been there for 36 years and the way I got to know him is I just had the privilege of touring the Holy Land and he was our tour guide, and so he's a dear friend of Pastor Raz and I consider him a friend of mine and just learned so much from him while we were touring the land and learning about the Lord of the land. And so, richard, if you have anything left to say in that regard and your testimony, your story, please go ahead. But also if you could share with the family some things that you've seen or learned, or just your favorite moments of being a tour guide in Israel, that sounds like a dream job.
Richard:It is a dream job. It really I love what I do. I'm very grateful to God to have, you know, begun a second career in guiding people through the land. It's a great joy. Number one it is the privilege to serve people and I think that's it doesn't get any better than that.
Richard:We meet people from all the nations, which is exciting, and I think one of the takeaways is and it continues to be strengthened is that there's great diversity in the body of Christ. There's great diversity in this commonwealth of Israel, and the more I think I guide and guide Christian groups, I guide non-Christian groups as well, but I've been in tour and guiding the family of God in Messiah Jesus, messiah Yeshua, I realize how much we really are a family and there is great diversity. There's ethnic diversity, there's doctrinal diversity, there's expressions of Christianity that you meet nearly in every group that you guide, and I think I've come to value greatly diversity, with all that that means, and very grateful that there are brothers and sisters around the world that believe in the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob, yeshua the Messiah, who is God, who is the Son of God, who is the Holy Spirit, and, above all, that, in parallel to that, believe in the Word of God, a living Word, a Word that's true, a Word that is both historic and never changes, a Word that brings life, a Word that has the potential to restore, regenerate a person's life, a Word that provides wisdom and, with God's grace, understanding. And so it's a privilege to be able to guide people, and I think those of us we think about tour guides. In Hebrew the word is morhe derech, which means a teacher of the way. I'm so grateful to God that he showed me the way, the truth and the life, and I get to be part of a family's experience of journeying through the land.
Richard:It's always a learning curve, because when you're journeying together for eight to 10 days, you're also learning, you're observing, you're listening. It could be any given, like, for instance, with Pastor Roz and just a man of God, humble man of God, great teacher Joey you shared music and devotion and others that were involved Pastor, son Zach. So to hear people's perspective, their heart, how they interact with people and how they serve the Lord when we're in the land is huge. I have a kind of motto or expression that I use as a guide and my connection to Israel. It's a place where unfolding stories find expression, and it's not just my story, it's our story, and it's unfolding and expresses itself uniquely as your church, calvary, miami, in Israel, and that's also part of my story that's unfolding, so it's great. I hope that all that made sense.
Joey:No, absolutely, absolutely. You mentioned a couple of things. One of the things that I think is so neat, the Hebrew term or title that you used. It reminded me of the book of Acts that at first, that sect of Jesus' followers was first referred to as followers of the way. That's right, followers of the way. So I thought that's so interesting and, again, it's amazing to read through, in fact, the new way. Yes.
Joey:Yes it's so amazing to read through the scriptures. Just you know, I hope that one of the things, one of many things that people can take away from our conversation is that Jesus was Jewish.
Richard:He was Jewish, and without a doubt.
Richard:I mean I think I think if we're talking about, you know, the average Israeli, you know this is a historical figure, this is a real figure that we know about from historic sources, we know it from new covenant sources and I think that's one of the great joys of not only living in Israel but hosting or meeting people from that come to Israel to tour, to visit, to study, to work, to serve is that they see yet again maybe not for the first time, but yet again and maybe in a different way and with different lenses how great God is, how very real he is.
Richard:Then now, in this and on this biblical stage known as Israel, we see him everywhere. It is like we've heard from time to time, you see the fingerprints of God nearly everywhere you turn in the land of Israel and in the nation of Israel. And not devoid of the reality that we're in the 21st century we have a 21st century miracle celebrating 70 years of Israel's rebirth, with all its complexities and geopolitics and regional politics and local politics, but we still see a real God, real story, real word, that which is prophetic, that which is true, that which is unfolding before our eyes in these very days, a God that intervenes on the biblical stage in a place called Israel. That's not just the holy land, it is the birthplace of faith. It's the place where God is revealed for the first time to humanity. So it's the genesis of everything that we, as the family of Messiah, the family of Christ, believe in and hope for, for better tomorrow. Absolutely.
Richard:And certainly for eternity.
Joey:Yes, and there's no really replacement for visiting the land. You know many people are not able to do it because of costs and everything, but we could pray. We could pray for one another. If you're listening right now again, I'm going to have to be very creative here about how I put this program together but you are listening to God's Way Radio and we're talking with a dear friend, richard Frieden, who, interestingly mentioned, his second career is being a tour guide in the land of Israel, where he's lived for 36 years. But more than that, hopefully, as you've heard so clearly, he's a brother in the Lord, he's part of the family of God, the family of Christ.
Joey:And all that to say that if you're listening to this broadcast or any portion of this broadcast, have you asked God about going to Israel? Have you prayed about that? You know, I say this with respect, with love. A pastor friend of mine said it first, so I'll blame him, I'm just kidding. But he says you know, people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to go to Disneyland, but if it's for a Bible trip, oh, we don't have the money. And I say that with love, I say that with respect. But evaluate, evaluate where your money is going and see if you can come up with a saving plan, see if God would show you to do something, or see if God just wants to do a miracle and how he provides for you and or your family to visit the land of Israel.
Joey:You know, I could say so much about my first time visiting there, but, in reference to what you've already said, I just saw, you know, in one day we would go from ancient ruins to the, the, the rail system of Jerusalem, to downtown, and what I saw there, and one of the things that showed me is, as you said, god's faithfulness, the history and the vibrancy that exists there. In one day, you know, because of modern you know buses, we can get that far in one day, but really, it's really an amazing thing to see. And, richard, I just wanted to give you the opportunity, as little or as much as you want. We did talk about this before the, the program began, but you mentioned that that was your second career, so I don't know what you would want to say about what had God done in your life previous to being a tour guide in Israel.
Richard:Well and well, following my service, following my mandatory service in the Israeli Defense Forces, and every person, male or female, in Israel at the age of 18 would has an obligation to serve in the military Men three years. Women are two years, depending on where they serve. This is mandatory, it's obligatory, and we live in a nation, and again in a neighborhood, where there are those who would want to seek to wipe us off the face of the map. We see that in our modern history, we see it in ancient biblical history, and it's true today as well, that we need to defend the borders of our country and also within our country. So following which is not a career, but following my time in the Israeli Defense Force, my service in the Israeli Defense Forces, I was inducted to the Israeli National Police, where I served in the Jerusalem Prince's Sync Narcotics Division and following that, in the national headquarters in the as a liaison officer for Interpol International Relations Desk, and I'm very grateful for having the opportunity to do that. Interesting enough, in those days in the 80s and 90s, amongst the body of believers in Israel, not every brother that I met would have been so encouraged to hear that I was going to be working with the Israeli National Police not because I don't like police, but there was this concept of, you know, pacifism even though everybody else is serving in the military as a choice and I said, well, I want to serve God and I love people and this is my choice.
Richard:You know, in America they have something of a great expression God and country, you know, serve God and country.
Richard:And the police it's serve and protect, and that's kind of the paradigm.
Richard:That and, more importantly, I knew this is what God wanted me to walk into and I think that gave me not only a greater insight to my people and where I would be serving for the rest of my life, it gave me a burden for the lost. It gave me it was, it was a wake up call that, though we see Jerusalem in Revelation scripture and the New Covenant as paved with gold, you know we can assure our listeners that we have every social issue that nations experience with young people go through, issues of life and things that you know, whether it's by choice or by default, there are abuse of alcohol, drug addiction, abuse, domestic stuff, that that I think during my years in the police I had a God grew in me, a great burden for my people, and especially the younger generation, that they can, they can make better choices. And that actually led I guess it's parallel to my service time and the outreach project that I won't mention too much about but to reach out to young people and that project still exists to this very day. Wow, great.
Joey:Well, I'm glad to hear it. I won't press because you didn't want to talk about it, but we can at least know Can I say that seriously, there's, you know, no need to press because the fact that you just made that statement, anybody that has a heart to pray, we could just say Lord, whatever ministry project that is that Richard mentioned, that it's continuing, lord, would you bless it, lord, would you work through it? And thank you for sharing your experience in the military and in the police, because I don't know if I mentioned this so clearly we have a lot of law enforcement officers and firefighters that listen to our station and so I hope that they're listening. And again, you know, richard, I know that you agree that all the glory and the honor and the credit goes to God, but it's really amazing to have you visit us because you touch on so many aspects of our family of listeners and of our experience here in Miami. You know, as you know, miami is a very international type of city, big metropolitan area, so we have really intense things going on shootings, different seasons of time, there's human trafficking. I mean, there's so much that goes on in this city that we need to be on our knees and just such a melting pot like I experienced in Jerusalem so many different races, nationalities of people, and you've said as much.
Joey:But, richard, again, you know, as we mentioned before we started the program, we could talk all day. You know, we're both talkers here. You buy profession I guess me by profession too with the radio. But as a tour guide you need to know how to talk and keep talking as you're walking, and here on the radio I do the same. But you know, I just wanted to come to the conclusion to allow you to say anything else that's left on your mind, on your heart. You know, I know that we caught you at the very end of your summer tour. You know that you've done of South America, and so just this is your time, anything that's on your heart that you think the Christian or non-Christian community here in Miami that's listening to the station should hear, or if there's something you've learned in your travels, anything at all, want to give you an opportunity to share that.
Richard:Well, I wanted to first, thank you for having me on your program again and it's great, and you know that this is I fly out tomorrow, so we saved the best for the last. And you made mention of the law enforcement community and firefighters in the community. I think it would be an amazing blessing and privilege to be able to serve the men and women that are in law enforcement and firefighters to bring a tour out to Israel for those who are listening and you know, and maybe can't afford to come to Israel. I've seen time and time again the provision of God. God doesn't lack and we will pray for God to for those who are, you know, just wanting to go on one of the next tours that Cavalry Church will be doing, just to provide a way for them. Miraculously, we always see God's hand move and it's great reference. And you know, and in all due respect to you know, vacations anywhere, destinations anywhere, israel is not just a vacation.
Richard:It's really kind of a chosen destination place, a destination where you have seen dry bones come to life, a destination where you've seen valleys blossom because of the God given ingenuity, the God given spirit of perseverance, the God given spirit of innovation, the God given spirit that says we won't give up because we want to build for generations to come.
Richard:You see how the Word of God comes to life, as you see Israel, both in a historic context, biblical context and contemporary context, it really does give us perspective and color and texture and culinary delight to our Bible. You really see the scriptures come alive in a new way in our lives, in context in terms of the biblical and historic and contemporary context of Israel today, because it's the same God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob of Israel that we believe in. And for those of you who are hanging on for dear life, keep on hanging on. God is a God that rescues us. God is a God that understands us. God is a God that intervenes in our every moment. If God is real, we can certainly be real with Him, and I think that's one of the great takeaways for me personally in my life as a first generation believer in Jesus, in the land of Israel, in the nation of Israel that I have to try to just hang on and walk forward and not give up.
Joey:Amen Again, richard, I can't thank you enough and family listening, wherever you are or whenever it is that this message finds you. I hope that you have heard whatever God intended for you to hear. What I mean by that is we've heard very clear things. This is what I did, this is my story, this is how I got saved, this is what God has allowed me to see and experience.
Joey:But the Holy Spirit of God is alive and he takes things we hear, he plies them to a heart and to our lives, and so I hope that's happened for you in this program in this time, and I hope that we'll continue to pray for the land of Israel every day, every weekday, here on God's Way Radio right about lunchtime, around 12.30. There's a program called Pray for Israel and it's pre-recorded prayers. You can pray along. You can be reminded to pray right in the middle of your lunch hour, praying for Israel, and may we be reminded often to pray for the land, to pray for the nation, to pray for every person there. That, the same way that Richard was taken there by the Lord so that he could meet HaMashiach, the Messiah, jesus Christ, and again we'd love to stay, but we'll be with you again soon.
Tiffany:We hope you enjoyed Friends and Family, unique conversations recorded and produced in our studios, where you get a chance to hear what God is doing in people's lives. Jesus tells us in John 15, verse 15, I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you. So that's why we love to share these exclusive interviews with you. Our hope is that through their stories God will be made known to you, but you can only find them here on God's Way Radio. Check God's Way Radiocom for our full program schedule.