Dear appreciated friend,

In a few days I am off again for Israel. Our new Vice President, Christopher Lucey, will be my helper—this young man's first journey to Israel.

I have learned and absorbed much during 25 years of defending Jews from their tormentors around the world, including some 20 times to Israel. The Christian/Jewish/Israel relationship is complex and sometimes volatile. First, mainline Christians support Jews but are negative toward Israel. Second, a great number of evangelicals embrace replacement theology (“God has rejected the Jews and Israel forever in favor of the Church”).

Then, third, there are Christians who take the Bible in its plain-sense context. They rightly believe that God's love for the Jews continues and that Israel's rebirth is a proof of the truth of biblical prophecy.

But here is where the waters turn murky. Wanting desperately to show Jewish people “love”, many of my dear brethren adopt a “dual covenant” theology that says, “We Gentiles need Christ. Jews have their own covenant with God.” They are tolerated and even sometimes applauded by Jewish friends for their refusal to witness to Jews and for their avoidance of messianic Jews.

Fourth, there are those of us whose hearts have been touched by God to love the Jewish people and Israel but who are unwilling to compromise the Saviour's order to share His love with all people—Jew and Gentile. I hurt inside when I see the lack of transparency in Christian/Jewish relations.

Some of my prominent fellow Christian leaders believe that to win favor with their Jewish friends, they must avoid the mention of Jesus altogether—or at least any discussion that would cause Jewish “discomfort”. They even accept—as I did in my early days—Jewish leaders' saying, “Our problem is not with Christians' beliefs; only their behavior”.

That is not true. Many Jews have said, “Eiklor is a champion against antisemitism.” They have seen me defend them for 25 years. Not one has been forced to accept Jesus in order to receive our unconditional love. But when they asked me to say, “Jesus is good news for Gentiles, but bad news for Jews” I had to answer “Jesus Christ is good news for all people!” Applauding my behavior, they condemned my belief—and many shunned me. That's the price for being real.

For true followers of Jesus, there must always be a line drawn in the sand concerning who Jesus says He is. Liar, lunatic or Lord—men can choose what they will concerning Jesus. But He declared Himself the Messiah of Israel and no disciple is authorized to obscure that incredible fact.

We must stand by Israel in her right to life. We must defend Jewish people from any attempt to single them out for hate. But every act of a true believer comes with the hope that those he helps will, above all, see the beauty of the Savior. A rabbi friend of mine, who receives millions of dollars from Christians to help Israel, once told me that his hope is that not one Jew would ever believe in Jesus as Messiah. I told him that my hope was that all Jews and Gentiles would see my life as a reflection of a living Jesus. We were honest with each other—and I still consider him my friend.

I write all this with a prayer that you, my special friend, will always be faithful to the Lord Jesus and never compromise who He says He is—and who you know He is.

In my journeys around the world, I teach all Christians to love Israel as God loves her. Now we shall take His unconditional love to the people of Israel—to those who love Him and to those who do not yet know Him. Will you please pray for Christopher and me? And can I count on you again this month to send the funds to keep Shalom in this good fight of faith?!

“Keep me true, Lord!”,

Frank Eiklor

P.S. You can check out our improved web-site at: www.shalomworldwide.org