Master Minded Ministries Newsletter - March 2023
Introducing the New Teacher of “The Teacher and the Preacher”
by Pastor Dave McGarrah
Aaron Lipkin
Master Minded Ministries welcomes Aaron Lipkin as the new “Teacher” on The Teacher and The Preacher radio program and podcasts! As many of you may know, our previous teacher and partner for the past six years has been Harold Berman. Harold was a wonderful partner, contributor, and friend. Harold stepped away from the seat back in October, and we have been praying that God would provide the right next person. These are not easy shoes to fill. Harold was a big contributor to the radio programs every week. He brought many fantastic guests for us to interview. He’s been a wonderful blessing!
Back in January, God led me to reach out to a longtime friend to ask him to prayerfully consider filling this empty seat, and graciously Aaron accepted. Aaron was born and raised in Israel. He is an observant Jew. Aaron has been working in tourism since 1997, bringing thousands of tourists to Israel. Aaron is also an Israeli Bible scholar who specializes in the Biblical archaeology of Israel and lectures in many churches, synagogues, TV and Radio stations.
But that’s not all, because Aaron is also a film maker and has created several videos that incorporate Biblical text, archaeology, the geography of Israel and stunning drone videos.
Aaron is a member of the "Manasseh Hill Country Survey Team” founded by Professor Adam Zertal of the Haifa University. Aaron is a "Joshua's Altar· activist and was involved in the finding of the Mt. Ebal Inscription - The oldest Hebrew text, dating to the year 3300 BCE. To round things out, Aaron is also a spokesperson of his town, Ofra, a Jewish township in Samaria.
One of the reasons that I hoped Aaron would join The Teacher and The Preacher as “The Teacher”, is that Aaron values and appreciates interfaith dialogue between Jews and Christians and serves as a liaison between pastors and rabbis.
Aaron has been married to Esther for 25 years and is the father to five children.
Let’s get acquainted with Aaron…
What is the main focus of your activities these days?
“Promoting the connection between Jews and Christians and between them and the regions of Judea and Samaria through visits to archaeological sites, lectures in churches and production of Bible teachings. Also, proving the historicity of the biblical account about the early Israelite settlement (Joshua – Kings) through the publication of archaeological discoveries.”
How long have you been doing that?
“More than 30 years.”
What are some of the successful related programs or projects that you have done recently and in past years?
“Four Bible teachings about Bethel, Shiloh, Gilgal and Joshua’s Altar, group tours to Israel with churches from different denominations, tree planting project for the reforestation of Judea and Samaria.”
How did you get to where you are today?
“For the past 30 years I’ve been visiting churches in the U.S. with my father, Avi Lipkin. In addition I was part of the Birth Right Israel project bringing young Jews from all over the world to tour Israel and learn more about their identity.”
What is your “testimony”?
“I see a special and positive connection forming between Zionist religious Jews and parts of the Christian evangelical world. The two sides are starting to understand that in order for the prophesied redemption to occur, both sides need each other and need to stand together:
The return of the Jewish people and Jewish sovereignty to the land of Israel is a clear sign to both Jews and the nations that redemption is at hand, while the reaching out of the nations to take part in this process shows Jews that redemption is not just for Jews but for the whole world, and that the role of the nations should be acknowledged. “
What do you think God is doing with regard to Jewish-Christian relations?
“I think that Zionist evangelical Christianity is looking for a stronger connection with the Jewish people. A connection that would give more meaning and a clearer destiny to the Christian faith.
Without believing that Jesus is the Messiah, Jews should not be afraid to teach Christians the Jewish Roots of their faith. This will bring more depth to the connection and will help bring more Christians from different denominations to a closer relationship with Jews and Israel. On the Jewish side, it would be beneficial to start discussing the historic role of Christianity and Jesus in the spreading of the Torah among the nations and to the ends of the world as Rambam says. It would also be very useful to see what we, as Jews, can learn from evangelical Christianity for example, sincerity of prayer, openness to the renewal of prophecy and commandments which we as Jews tend to disregard.
You can expect that Aaron and I will enjoy not only connecting with you each week, but we will also be bringing you great conversations about great topics, and including great guests. You can catch The Teacher and The Preacher at theteacherandthepreacher.com. You’ll be able to access the current and archived podcasts at the website. This is a most wonderful gift to have Aaron as my partner.
MMM Student Ministries and 2024 Tour
by Jerri McGarrah
Master Minded Ministries is venturing out to explore more opportunities, and this one came through a grandson! Dave and I have always wanted to include our family in this ministry and the exciting things that God has shown us through our trips to Israel and beyond. Last year our oldest grandson was able to join us on a trip to Israel, and it was thrilling to us to share this with another generation. When we returned home our next oldest grandson expressed his interest to join us in 2024. He’ll be 17 and a senior then. He has some great spiritually- minded friends, so started talking about other friends of his who might like to make the trip with us, and that’s when MMM Student Ministries was born. Our first informational meeting brought over 50 people to see what this might look like. Amazing! Of course, there were parents who will want to join us, and I’ll need them if we take almost 30 kids to Israel!
I told them that in order to go with me I will want to disciple them before we go, so we are endeavoring to spend two Sunday’s a month together to become disciples and to understand the Jewish culture and why that affects the words of Jesus. We have shared several times together now, and the hunger for understanding is growing and through all of this we will need some help!
How You Can Help –
I want to raise $100,000.00 to put toward the cost of everyone going with us. I know that sounds like a lot, but here’s my thoughts. I can find 100 people to donate $1000 – and that would be awesome – but we are going to have significant ministry opportunities that happen because we say “yes” to the Lord and watch Him work – I love that idea!
Our Part –
We are preparing a drama that we will perform for a dinner/drama evening (you saw this in the dates to remember). This has been a God – thing from the beginning. The scene takes place after WW2 and it’s about the Holocaust. You won’t want to miss this. Come find out about that, too! May 19
We are planning a Flea Market Fun day on May 27. If you have some things you could donate, it would be greatly appreciated. You are also welcome to help put it together and man a table, or some other job that we may need.
Praying
I believe that God is going to show these amazing kids that He is God, and we are not! (Shema – find out what that is!) The God who calls us – “supplies all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.” We need your prayers. I see God’s hand on our students, and He’s pouring Himself out to call them to action. I think we will need them – sooner rather than later!
Did I say I could use some help? I invite you to become the miracle that God is working in young lives through this ministry. If you can give towards this, please mark your check or donation to MMM Student ministries and I will put it in their fund.
Thank you for your generosity, your prayers, your support and heart for God. It means the world to us!
A Present-Day Pilgrimage to Mt. Sinai
by Robert Wittenberg
“Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, ‘…Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation. This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.’ So Moses returned from the mountain and called together the elders of the people and told them everything the Lord had commanded him. And all the people responded together, ‘We will do everything the Lord has commanded.’ So Moses brought the people’s answer back to the Lord.” - Exodus 19:3,5-8
We’ve all read and heard these verses countless times, for certain. For that matter, we can recite, at least in general terms, the whole story of Moses’ and the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and their 40-year wilderness journey to the Promised Land in Canaan. Everyone, especially as children, has tried to visualize the scenes of these historic Biblical events. Reading these Old Testament accounts, we can’t help but wonder, let our imaginations meander and mentally recreate the scenes and events from approximately 3,500 years ago.
Mt Sinai Saudi Arabia 2023 Trailer
Much of the mystery was removed for twenty-four men on a recent trip led by Pastor Dave McGarrah to Saudi Arabia. Our pilgrimage began on January 25th. We flew from Boise, Idaho, to San Francisco where we boarded a flight bound for Tel Aviv, Israel, arriving there 14 hours later at 7:30 p.m. on January 26th. Technically, on the morning of our first day in-country, we were already at the beginning of the third day of our ten-day trip. After spending the night, we boarded a tour bus the following day and traveled to southern Israel to the Neot Semadar Kibbutz where we stayed two nights. While there, we took an SUV day-trip to Har Karkoum, a mountain that some archeologists believe is Mt. Sinai. This location is in the Negev Desert, which our guide explained covers over 60,000 square miles – 60,000 square miles of desolate nothingness.
Leaving the Kibbutz the following day, we transited into and out of Jordan and then into Saudi Arabia where we were met by our guide and drivers with six large SUVs. We first visited the 12 springs and 70 palm trees of Elim where Moses led the Israelites to fresh water. The springs and palm trees are still there.
“Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the LORD set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.” After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.” - Exodus 19:22-27
Elim: The Desert Oasis on the Route to Mount Sinai (jabalmaqla.com)
We spent the night at a hotel in the city of Haql located on the shores of the Gulf of Aqaba. The following morning, we went to the site of the Red Sea crossing, which is really the Gulf of Aqaba, but ancient maps didn't differentiate Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba. King Solomon had a pillar emplaced at the crossing site on both sides of the Gulf of Aqaba, on the Egyptian side at Nuweiba Beach and on the Saudi Arabian side, to memorialize the crossing location. The pillar remains on the Egyptian side but, the pillar on the Saudi Arabian side was destroyed in the 1980s, when it was discovered by the Saudi Arabian Government.
“Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!” - Exodus 14: 21-22
We drove east for approximately two hours, much of it on desert sand roads between rugged mountains, until we reached a prominent rock formation. The location was Rephidim, and the rock formation is commonly called Split Rock. This is where Moses struck the rock at God’s direction, and water flowed for the thirsty Israelites. This is also the location where the Israelites defeated the Amalekites who attacked them. (Exodus 17:8-16) For the twenty four men in our group whose average age was approximately 50 and who had been taught in church and Sunday school since toddlerhood, the perception – the mental visualization – of Moses tapping a rock for water was shattered by the reality of the gargantuan size of the Split Rock and the surrounding dry lake bed.
To Be Continued. . . to see the video of these places, please go to Mastermindedministries.org.
Thank You
Master Minded Ministries is a work of love and grace. God has done it all and just when we are wondering what’s next, He’s stepping up the game. A new teacher for the The Teacher and the Preacher, next year expanding our travel opportunities, offering two guided tours to Mount Sinai, two tours to Israel, and another option of Greece and Turkey in the Steps of the Apostle Paul. Our student tour will be in March, and again, you will be hearing more about this in upcoming days. I am planning to announce a new book I’ve been working on called; As a Man Thinks. It is a forty-day journey with Abraham. Thank you for your love and support.
About Masterminded Ministries
We’re a 501©3 non-profit organization that connects Christians to the Jewish roots of our faith. We offer Biblical Journeys to the holy land and more. We have a radio program/podcast for The Teacher and the Preacher, and we also teach and preach to that end. Our mission is to build bridges of understanding so that we gain the rich heritage that God intended for us, as well.
You can contact us through our website at MasterMindedMinistries.org or TheTeacherandthePreacher.com
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6
