A Divine Appointment in Israel and a New Ministry

 (Photos - Kevin reading my book, Jewish Roots Journey: Memoirs of a Mizpah and me, Kevin, and Janice in the lobby of the Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem, photographed by Penny)


My friend and ministry partner, Janice Bell-Lewis, and I went on a tour of Israel last December. This was my 9th trip to Israel and the third for Janice and me together. Little did we know that God was going to introduce us to a couple from Colorado who had prayed for a "divine appointment." It turned out to be us! They sat with us at dinner the first night and listened with rapt attention to Janice as she told about her encounter with Jesus, her Messiah. I told them her testimony was in my book, Jewish Roots Journey: Memoirs of a Mizpah, but I didn't have the book with me. I did have another of my books with me, Why Christians Should Care About Their Jewish Roots, and I gave it to them the next day. This started our relationship with Kevin and Penny Spencer.

After we returned home, we received an email from Kevin, stating that God had called them out of retirement, and they were starting a new ministry. The Lord gave Kevin a "download" one night for a ten-session Bible study, and Kevin wrote that my little book was "spot on," and he would be drawing from it. He and Penny had seen Janice and me as an example of the "one new man," Jew and Gentile, and that would be a focal point of the study (Eph. 2: 11-22). Then as Kevin proceeded to write it all down, he sent draft copies for Janice and me to proofread and edit. In our correspondence, Kevin and Penny said more than once that meeting us was the divine encounter they had prayed for.

Kevin and Penny Spencer's study was published this June. The tenth session is a Photo Journey by Penny, who is a professional photographer. Janice and I are listed on the copyright pages as "contributors." We are both highly honored to have been used by God in the development of this outstanding Bible study, Understanding Our Roots: the Forgotten Stories and Promises of Our Hebraic Heritage. 

Understanding Our Roots is a detailed, but easy to read study program, focused on major Biblical topics. Sessions 1 - 9 discuss the Bible, God’s Appointed Feasts, Jesus in Creation and the Old Testament, the Covenants; Old & New, Grafting In (Romans 11), and the “One New Man.” Session 10 is a tour of Israel through unforgettable photographs.

The Spencers' new ministry is called Lion's Gate Foundation. You can purchase the book at this link - Understanding Our Roots

One very interesting part of the book is the explanation of "theophanies" and "angelophanies." Have you ever wondered about the seeming contradiction in God telling Moses, "You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live" (Ex. 33:20), and yet Moses speaks to God "face to face, as one speaks to a friend" (Ex. 33: 7-11)? Several instances of seeing God face to face in Scripture are thoroughly examined, and the conclusion that Kevin Spencer reaches is well-grounded in the text and satisfying to the mind and heart!

Another part of the book concerning "concursive authorship" of the Bible was especially illuminating for me. Spencer compared "the word of God" and "the Word" (John 1:1). We know that the Word was made flesh, Jesus in His incarnation. We also know that God's written word was passed on to us through human authors. But so did Jesus come to us through a human vessel, the Virgin Mary. I had never quite linked the two before. (II Peter 1:20-21)

In conclusion, the major themes of the Bible are made so clear in this study, and there are beautiful color illustrations throughout. It is packed with Scripture and also has great reference material, such as a list of Messianic Hebrew Scripture Prophecies: New Testament Fulfillment. Jesus is shown in the Feasts of the Lord (Lev. 23) in detail. I learned a lot in Session 4: Understanding the Covenants. And the union of Jew and Gentile is the goal, as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "... that they may be ONE, as We are ONE" (John 17:22). This book was written for both Jews and Gentiles.

My experience reading this book, Understanding Our Roots, was a sheer delight! I wholeheartedly recommend it! It is available on Amazon.com.