 11 says you make known to us the path of life. You fill us with joy in your presence. We're so glad that you've joined us here on Hope Today for the next 30 minutes so that we can pursue the presence of God and be filled with His joy. I'm Anna. This is Tom and Tom, this is my first time being back with you in the new year. Hey, well, happy new year to you. Happy new year. Big year for you coming up for sure. Well, that's true. And you're following that path. And you know, sometimes we meet fellow travelers, Christians that are following that path and we hear their stories. And today we have Jeff Siegel, one of our favorites with us. Do you know that the conflict in Israel is your battle too? It's our battle. It's our conflict. It's a spiritual battle. We see the natural, but it's a spiritual battle. And we're going to be talking about that with Jeff and what he sees with that. Also, just about making disciples. What is the what is the gospel? What does it mean to go around the world and preach the gospel and make disciples? That's what we're commanded to do. And we're also going to hear Jeff's story. We're going to pack a lot into this show, because Jeff's story is powerful, you know, from growing up in a Jewish home to finding Jesus's Messiah. It's just a powerful story. Yeah, Jeff has been a friend of the ministry and just beautiful to see how God truly does pursue the hearts of his people to draw them unto himself. It doesn't want anybody to perish. So his story will be inspiring. Well, today is Monday and that means we have a meaningful Monday story for you. 060 Jewish and Arab musicians came together for an uplifting rendition of Somewhere from the classic musical West Side Story. Originally crafted in 1957 by renowned Jewish composers Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. The heartwarming performance features the song Somewhere in three languages, Arabic, Hebrew and English to convey a message of peace and hope amid the ongoing conflict. Here's a short clip from this moving performance. The performance featured 30 Arab and Jewish vocalists in an orchestra comprised of 30 Jewish and Arab musicians showcasing the power of music to bridge divides and promote unity during this challenging time in Israel. We thank Israel.com for the article. Tom, it really is beautiful to see the unity of all of these people coming together. Yes, I mean, I love that. I noticed they didn't sing the Jets and the Sharks song from West Side Story or the Maria song either. But no, it was really a beautiful thing to see them coming together. And you know, the conflict is spiritual and we're going to hear about that. What is God's purpose though? What is God's desire coming out of this? I know Jeff is going to be talking about that. We're going to talk more about what God wants and what God's real heart at the at the base, but it still was a beautiful thing. Yeah, that's wonderful. You know, thinking about how we are like a vine that spreads all over the earth. We have different languages. We live in different areas, but Jesus is the root and we're all connected in him. So still come together in unity. Yeah, absolutely. Well, we're going to take a quick break and when we come back, Jeff Siegel will be with us. If self help isn't getting you anywhere, it's time for God's power. Have you grown accustomed to bad habits, written off lifelong battles as unwinnable or believe that some destructive behaviors can never be altered? Then the seven resolutions is for you. This book will teach you how to overthrow old patterns, create new life systems and take hold of God's promises, resolve to join God, think truth, kill sin, choose friends, take risks, focus effort and redeem time. Never settle for too little. The time is now for humble dependence on God and a plan to walk in his power. It's time to come alive in 2024. Request the seven resolutions when you give to support Cornerstone Television this month. Call 888-665-4483 or give online at ctvn.org slash donate. Help us spread the gospel with renewed strength in 2024. Thank you. Welcome back to Hope Today. Before we get into our conversation with Jeff Siegel, we want to just give a quick shout out for our Hope Today newsletter. If you don't get it at home this one this month here in January, the cover article is written by yours truly, Tom Hollis and talking about the author and the adventure, the story of your life. You also get our full program guide, the recipes, good testimonies of God's faithfulness. So if you don't get it, give us a call here at 888-665-4483. We'd love to send you the good news in your mailbox. Absolutely. It's good to keep up with everything. Well, our next guest is a tremendous friend of ours here at Cornerstone Television Network. He's been here many times. Jeff Siegel is the founder and president of Go Global Ministries which aims to spread the love of God across the globe to make disciples. We'll be talking about that. I've been with Jeff in Cuba. I've seen that disciple making process. It's awesome. Well, Jeff has also raised a Jewish and he has a tremendous story of meeting Jesus as his Messiah as well and we'll be talking about that. Jeff, it's great to have you on Hope Today again. Hey, it's great to see you. Well, why don't we jump right in. We talked to you saw that little piece at the beginning where the Arab and Jewish musicians coming together. But tell me about your view on the conflict. You know, we were told we're supposed to pray, you know, for the piece of Jerusalem. How do you see this conflict? I see a two-fold. Western thinking believes that there needs to be a two-state solution. But we need to go back to 1948 and 47 when Israel was rebirthed by God using the United Nations to say the Jewish people can go back legally and we're going to give you this plot of land. In one sense, and there was about 157,000 Arabs displaced from other Arabic countries who were living there side by side. But it wasn't so much those people but the other neighboring nations of Arabs, they didn't want the Jewish people there and they attacked Israel. Israel with pitchforks and firm equipment ended up winning that war because God was fighting their battle for them. They won and they expanded territory. That's why some people call them occupiers but what country in the world, people from within being attacked, they win, are told they need to give the land back. This happened in 67, this happened in 73. Israel never started a war from within and so now there's this false speech going around the world like you stole our land, for example Gaza in 2005 that was fully given to the people of that area and they chose to invite in Hamas to be their leadership. The world was donating money to them and instead of building infrastructure they built tunnels under the place and were securing bombs and using the money and for their leaders to stay all around the world in high level hotels or whatever. So they didn't really care about their own people. It was all a deception but in every case even leading up to the Bill Clinton administration he worked with their a fat and he worked with the Jewish people and 95 percent of everything that they said they wanted was offered to them and I don't believe in a two-state solution, I believe in a biblical solution which is full of love and respect and you know the Bible makes it very clear how you settle those those issues but the bottom line is we see that Arafat refused it all and now we have the Gaza war and if you read Psalm 83 we call it the war of extermination. If you look in Ezekiel chapter 38 it talks about a time when Israel is living in great prosperity. It says there are no walls, there are no borders and the towns are not living with high security level. So you say how do you, so this war is not Gog and Magog, but Iran and Turkey and Russia are using Gaza, Hezbollah, Tia, Lebanon and the North. All these areas that are wanting to, this is the motivation is to exterminate Israel. That's the key point isn't it that is that those nations in many cases have said they want to wipe Israel out of there. How is Christians, how is it our battle to? Here's why it's our battle. The scripture makes it very clear and even Netanyahu has been saying we're at war and we're going to win. In other words this war is going to fully secure more land and the borders of Israel and here's how Christians can get involved. First of all Israel needs humanitarian aid and we're getting ready to go back to Israel in November and I used to be part of chosen people ministries and still very very close with them. So we can get funds into Israel and there's frontline people that we are in partnership with, that we can get food, humanitarian aid, medicine and we are hoping rather Tom in November to bring people from American churches, Messiana congregations on a tour of Israel but we're going to secure a period of time in partnership with chosen people ministries to go into the affected areas and we're going to bring food. We're going to bring all of this humanitarian aid maybe even medical team but we're going to bring the love of Jesus because we are in a time period where even from Ukraine there are Jews who've remembered the Lord while being among the northern nations and the scripture says God says I'm going to bring them back and so God through our prayers and our support will preserve Israel but when this war is over Israel will have secured their borders but there will be pain in their heart and we can go in and share the love of Jesus at that time. What's it like when I know I mean you're an evangelistic disciple making ministry go global we want to ask you about that again I know you work in Cuba and we saw it in Cuba I mean I saw it that our team saw it is that there are churches established God is doing great things through go global maybe you should tell us about your ministry and what God is is doing through go global. Well go global we live to make disciples of Christ here's how we do it through sports medical teams humanitarian aid street evangelism partnering with the churches there and they do the follow-up but when we do the past or a leadership training I have a burden not only in Cuba but the door has opened to me so Cuba's 11 million people and we are very situated with the house church movement in the greater Havana area but we're getting ready to push east and make and plant more churches and more disciples. So when we use this term disciple at times it can just be a cliche what do you mean make a disciple God said to Peter Peter do you love me three times he said tend my lambs feed my sheep feed my sheep first calling is the call to salvation but the second calling for a believer is go feed my sheep in other words go make disciples so my burden in Cuba and the Philippines is to give them good doctrine and to through the scripture show them this is what a disciple looks like and the book of Joshua see Joshua what was Joshua he was a disciple of Moses right I call it the Joshua generation Joshua Caleb the elders and that younger generation that made it through and the Bible says they did not deny the Lord a whole generation so it's I believe that even though crazy things are happening around the world incredible things are happening in the church and the church is catching this vision we want to be discipled and so the scripture in the book of Joshua I'll come right to the point God said Moses is dead but as I've been with Moses I'll be with you so Moses discipled Joshua but then a time came when God himself discipled in other words God will raise up elder brothers elder sisters pastors and people to invest their lives in us so that we know what a disciple looks like but then we have a responsibility to also allow God himself through his word God said to Joshua study this word the book of this law day and night he says meditate on it he said speak it and he said live it and then after that when Joshua got the point and he committed himself to being God's disciple he said to the children of Israel make provision we're going in to take the land so there is a promise land actually for the Jewish people but even to the Jewish people God then said to his disciples go begin in Jerusalem then in Judea and the uttermost part of the world disciples make disciples and disciples may have a local context a promised land but God gave the Jews a physical promised land God gives to us a spiritual promised land and part of my promised land is Cuba the Philippines wherever God sends us we are living in exciting days we are living in exciting days you know another thing that I love about what God spoke to Joshua when he was about to go into the promised land was be strong and courageous because Joshua was about to face all kinds of hardships and fears and he needed that strength and that courage can you talk a little bit about God's encouragement us as disciples that are called to the world and to be strong and courageous in our faith and spreading the gospel you know what's exciting about that scripture and God speaking to Joshua he said if you do your part I'll come behind you and you will have success do you know that God wants you to be successful we're not talking about a wrong prosperity gospel where it's all about taking it for yourself God will bring the resources we need but God wants you to be successful yes there's an enemy out there but God is bigger than our spiritual enemy and God as um you give yourself to the reading of his word to spending time privately with Jesus God will bind the enemy the enemy will try to attack but God will take care of the enemy himself on your behalf and he will open doors and he Tom and sister and cornerstone God is going to open doors for you in the days ahead when this thing happened with Israel God took an hourglass and he said new season guys just like 9-11 and some of the other in the pandemic that began a new season because as it goes with Israel therefore I know you to be disciples of Christ and you can stand on the word of God that the doors that God opens for you you will be successful oh I love that Jeff because I think that's that's in the heart of every Christian I think or should be every true disciple to see the kingdom of God expanded I just have to get to your story because I love your story I know you've shared it on here before but there's many people out there that have not seen it could you just tell us about your life and and maybe what God did in your life well I think a good starting point I had the privilege I grew up in Chicago I love all that against to there but no just hey so I'm long suffering I was a cub fan right Chicago hot dogs and the Chicago Cubs what could what could be better right um but anyway so I went to the University of Illinois and I was on scholarship I was a pitcher with the university and beginning with my junior year I made the spring trip and I actually got to pitch at University of New Mexico and they played in a minor league stadium the air was a little thinner it was high altitude pretty cool and after a day I came in relief my roommate who also played on the football team said hey Siegs Billy Graham is doing a crusade right on campus he said I'm gonna go why don't you come with me and I thought to myself Jewish kids from Chicago don't do this kind of thing I said I'll take a rain check you tell me what Mr Graham says Tom it was the John Travolta era I had my silk shirt I went out with my Italian and Greek buddies and we disco danced the night away I came back to my room and Doug said Siegs you missed it I said what did I miss he said I got saved tonight I said what did you get saved from he said I I gave my life to Jesus I became a Christian I said wait a minute you've been going to the church building every Sunday on campus how does a Christian become a Christian he said well Mr Graham straighten me out he said just because a mouse is in a cookie jar does not make him a cookie just because you go to the church building on Sunday doesn't make you a Christian he Mr Graham used this term that we needed to be born again and he said I invited Jesus into my heart I asked forgiveness for my sins I believe that he's Lord and Savior and on the third day that God rose him from the dead and he said that Mr Graham said the scripture says if we confess with our heart we believe in our mouth that Jesus is who he says he is and that God raised him on the third day we will be saved he said Jeff I was saved wow it blew my mind and I went to bed now my senior year my friend Doug there was a move of the Holy Spirit on our campus through the fellowship of Christian athletes and there was a famous Christian lady on Thursday night of my senior year going to speak at the campus huddle my friend invited me again to go here this person speak and um you know me Jewish kids go go to these kind of gatherings I had my silk shirt my Italian and Greek buddies we went on campus it was pre-weekend we just go dance the night away but my friend who is a Gentile we grafted him into our Jewish fraternity house he said Siegs this time you really missed it I said what did I miss he said a lady named Corey Tenboom was the speaker and he said this Dutch lady was from a family of clockmakers but during the Holocaust they were hiding Jewish people behind the pictures in the walls of their home they got caught and the whole family died either in concentration camps or jails but Corey was witnessing her love for the Jewish people right in a concentration camp and through a miracle she got released from the camp I think it was an error but a Holy Spirit error it was God getting her out to tell her story about what they did as a family and their love for Israel and I said to myself why would a Gentile family want to risk their neck for a Jew during such times but they didn't fear for their life they were more concerned about honoring God and they knew that the Jewish people were God's chosen people but Corey wanted to reveal to the Jewish people what they were chosen for and that their Jewish Messiah had already been here I said to myself in private wow whatever the real deal is she's it her family's it I went to my grandfather a Romanian Jew who'd actually been in a program in Romania I said grandpa who do you say that Jesus is he said Jesus oh he was a great rabbi he was a magician like Moses you know my grandpa never said a negative word about Jesus he said negative words about people who claimed to be Christians who wanted to hurt Jews but see now through this testimony through my friend making me jealous I saw a different Christian and then as I would walk the campus from my fraternity house heading on my way to class all of a sudden all these FCA people who loved Israel would cross the streets and they would just hug me and they go brother Jeff we love you man you're one of God's chosen people and I would say to myself what the heck are these people smoking whatever it is I want some then my best friend growing up in Chicago Jewish Neil Siegel Dan Beaver who was the president of the huddle his roommate was Jeff Goldberg he led Jeff Goldberg through the fellowship of Christian athletes to the Lord Jeff Goldberg slipped my best friend Neil Siegel who played on the hockey team slipped him a Bible my last day pitching for University of Illinois I was pitching against Michigan State and Neil came in and really upset me our nickname to each other is Sieges he said Sieges I need to tell you something after a careful examination of the Hebrew scriptures I've come to the conclusion that the promised Jewish messiah has already been here I said Neil do you believe in Jesus he said yes I said were you baptized he said yes I said Neil what have you done you're out of your mind I said you're not Jewish anymore he said Jeff I'm a completed Jew now he said if you read the Old Testament for yourself I believe you'll come to the same conclusion as me and I did I read the Hebrew scriptures beginning in the book of Genesis I held it up to heaven just like this Bible I borrowed my brothers to knock that he got as a birthday present and I said God can I have a burning bush experience like Moses and is Yeshua or Jesus my burning bush I came to the same conclusion that Neil did it was all there the prophecies it all pointed to Jesus I was beside myself alone with God and my Bible I fell on my knees I said I wasn't looking for Jesus I didn't think it was Jesus this is a different Jesus this is the real Jesus the Jesus who lives inside of people like Cory Ten Boom I said dear Jesus I don't know how to do this I'm a sinner please come into my heart and I ask you to forgive me for the sins of my life I told my dad a week later that I gave myself life to Jesus and that my friends fellowship of Christian athletes baptized me he immediately kicked me out of the family 26 years later my baby brother gave his life to Jesus my dad apologized and God turned my whole life around wow wow yeah I mean I know that was an abbreviated version but it's almost all we have time for but a fantastic story Jeff Siegel thank you so much for being with us thank you for what you're doing around the world and in Israel as well yeah thank you so much what a powerful testimony of God's faithfulness to continue pursuing the hearts of his people to draw them closer to himself know today that God is pursuing your heart if you don't know Jesus seek him while he may be found draw near to him and he will draw near to you he wants to reveal himself to you today so that he can take you in as one of his own thank you so much for being with us on hope today have a blessed day on tomorrow's hope today inspiring you to stand for life and be a voice for the voiceless Pastor Jay and Tiffany Gilbert are joined by founder and former CEO of 40 Days for Life David B. Wright as they share how you can make a difference for the lives of the unborn that's tomorrow on hope today cornerstone television wishes to thank all our faithful viewers whose consistent prayers and financial support have made this program possible