The Friends of Israel Today

If God promised the Jewish people a homeland, why did He allow them to be driven from it? Did He change His mind about them? The answer is no—because pain does not mean God has abandoned someone. God remained faithful to His covenants with His Chosen People even while they suffered the consequences for their sins. He has promised Israel both national and spiritual restoration, and one day He will give them renewed hearts and a future under the Messiah! Gentiles and Jewish people alike can look forward to this fulfillment, as it proclaims the resounding truth that God ne...

Does the Bible say we should support Israel? Absolutely! This week, our series on biblical Zionism takes us to several of God’s major covenants with Israel: the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New Covenants. While some believe Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord cancels these promises, all of them are held together by the strength and faithfulness of God. That’s why our support for Zionism isn’t based on confidence in anything the nation of Israel can do—it’s confidence in God alone.

Why do we support Israel? The reason goes beyond the nation’s politics and values. Our support is rooted in God’s covenant promises to Israel and the Jewish people in His Word. We open an important and practically equipping 4-part series on the biblical case for Zionism this week by asking, “Has the church replaced Israel?” The apostle Paul shouted the answer: “Certainly not!” (Romans 11:1). God has distinct purposes for the church and Israel, and He loves them both. Discover how Scripture gives us confidence in that truth today as you support God’s Chosen People and worship our heavenly Fathe...

God is using The Friends of Israel to help young Christians stand courageously with the Jewish people through ORIGINS, a life-changing three-week service trip to Israel. Cameron Joyner joins our show this week to share stories and testimonies from the ORIGINS trips he has led, including the unforgettable 2025 visit that coincided with Iran and Israel’s Twelve-Day War. Through these trips, God is shaping a generation of Christian young adults who are passionate about their faith, teaching them to love Israel and the Jewish people like He does. Enjoy these inspirational stories of young adults who are answering God’s call...

When Gentiles were welcomed into the body of Christ, the apostles set several important house rules. Today we examine the final command: Abstain from things strangled and from blood. Jewish people knew from the Law that blood is connected to life, and life is a sacred gift from God. So when Gentiles and Jewish believers gathered around the table for many of their meals, Gentiles needed to avoid doing things that would hinder their fellowship with their spiritual brothers and sisters. This final house rule is a good reminder for us to serve one another in love!

At the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), the apostles welcomed Gentiles into the church, but they also laid down some house rules. This week, we study the second rule: Abstain from sexual immorality. Why could this be difficult for new believers? Because believing in Jesus meant more than devoting time to worship a new god. It meant making God the Lord of their entire lives—every part of them. As Christians, we don’t follow the rules and culture of the world; we follow Christ’s. And when we do, we don’t regret it!

When the early church was born, God welcomed Gentiles alongside Jewish people into His family. But as the guests of a holy God, this privilege came with house rules. God’s first crucial rule? Gentile converts must leave their idols behind. Since they came from a Greco-Roman culture that boasted a multitude of false gods, leaving their idolatrous worship behind to embrace the God of Israel was a radical notion. But by God’s grace, many Gentiles believed in God, who alone is worthy of worship!

What are you waiting for? Jesus’ disciples were waiting for Him to set up His Kingdom, and He gave them brilliant pictures of His coming rule in the form of parables. Dan Price discusses his latest Israel My Glory magazine article “Waiting for the King” concerning these parables found in Matthew 24—25. He shares how Jesus emphasized waiting with patience and faithfulness for His still forthcoming return, and he digs into the distinction between the church and Israel to identify those the Lord calls “the least of these My brethren.” Find biblical clarity on these incredibly important chapters, and get excited about Jesus’...

Because the apostle Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek” in Galatians 3:28, many people claim that Scripture ultimately renders Jewish identity obsolete today. But how can this be true when Paul immediately makes the same claim about men and women, whose distinct identities clearly still exist? The Bible is clear: Israel is not replaced. Instead, whether Jewish or Gentile, all are reconciled to Christ at the cross. What a great truth for us to remember when we consider God’s special purposes for Israel and His love for the world!

In Romans 9:6, the apostle Paul used the phrase, “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel.” Was Paul redefining Israel to encompass all believers in Jesus as constituting “spiritual Israel”? Chris sets the record straight this week in part 3 of our series on passages misused to replace Israel with the church. He clearly shows how Paul identified a believing remnant of Israel as God’s conduit through which He carries forward His promised purposes, including the salvation of Gentiles. Like Paul, we look forward eagerly to the Jewish people’s widespread return to their God, who will forever remain faith...

When the apostle Paul defined “a Jew who is one inwardly,” did he mean that Christians—who are reconciled to God—are the true identity of Israel and the recipient of the nation’s covenant promises? Many believe so, but they are mistaken. Romans 2:28–29 is one of several passages that have been misinterpreted to teach that the church is the new Israel. Discover how the Romans 2 passage reveals God’s desire for the Jewish people to devote their hearts truly to Him rather than merely to keep a clean external appearance!

Because the apostle Paul used the phrase the Israel of God in Galatians 6, many Christians have concluded that they have taken on the identity and covenant promises of Israel, erasing the Jewish people’s unique standing with God. But context is king. When verses are stripped of their context, the true meaning of God’s Word becomes lost. Reading Galatians 6 in context reveals beautiful truths about the unity of Gentile and Jewish believers in Jesus—and the distinct ethnic and national identity Israel continues to enjoy. Find comforting insight on this important biblical phrase this week!

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...

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...

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 futu

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 ot...

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 despit...

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

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!