A personal update and teaching from the Goldman family — Shepherd of Israel Ministries Dear friends and partners in this incredible journey, As we write to you from Eastern Europe, our hearts are full of thanksgiving for each one of you who stands with us in prayer and support. The season we've just walked through—from the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) through Sukkot—has been especially meaningful this year, filled with fresh encounters with the Lord and powerful reminders of His faithfulness to Israel and the nations. This newsletter is longer than usual because there's so much we want to share with you—not just ministry updates, but the stories behind them, the scriptures that are burning in our hearts, and some deeply personal family news that we're inviting you to pray with us about. As always, we want this to feel like a conversation between friends, not a corporate report. So grab a cup of coffee or tea, and let us tell you what God has been doing. The Book of Life: More Than a Blessing During this season, you've likely heard Jewish people greeting one another with "G'mar Chatimah Tovah"—may you be sealed for good. It reflects the longing to be written and sealed in the Book of Life. But friends, Scripture adds a sobering and glorious depth to this ancient blessing that many of our people have yet to discover. Malachi speaks of a book of remembrance written for those who fear the Lord (Malachi 3:16–18). When those who fear the Lord speak to one another—in contrast to the current trend of that time where people were thinking incorrectly about God and His ways—God is very attentive. He listens. And He says, "Let these words be documented before Me, written before Me." For what? For that day. What day? The day of the Hebrew word Segulah (יום אשר אני עושה סגולה)—His special treasured possession day. That day when everything will be revealed and everything will be out in the open. That day towards which God is moving all of human history. Daniel saw the heavenly court convened, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:10). And John, in Revelation, saw the Son of Man, Yeshua, given all glory and authority, and the Lamb's Book of Life opened. So you see, there is documentation. There is a theme of books by which people are evaluated. And there is one special book—the Book of Life, the Lamb's Book of Life. The books—all of the books—contain documented arguments and actions in God's view, not in our own view. Not comparing ourselves with one another, but being evaluated according to what God knows, not what we know. But as believers, we know that although there is a great deal of judgment for all by the books, there is one book called the Book of Life of the Lamb. And if we are written in this book, we pass from death to life. We have passed from being judged by our own works in terms of salvation, to being judged by what He has done for us. Although I strongly believe our own works will be evaluated—and each person's works, including our own who have been written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will be passed through a fire, through a test and an examination and evaluation by fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)—I do believe strongly in eternal rewards. But regarding our salvation, those of us who have been sealed by the precious blood of the Lamb have gone from death to life. So it's a common blessing for Jews to say, "I want you to be sealed and signed in the Book of Life." But our people have yet to find out that this is a very specific Book of Life. It's called the Lamb's Book of Life. So as I bless the Jewish people during this time of the end of the old year, the beginning of the new year, and the Day of Atonement, wholeheartedly when I bless them "G'mar Chatima Tova"—may you have a good sealing—I bless them in my heart that they will be firmly signed in the Lamb's Book of Life. The Day of Atonement: Holiness and the Chasm He Bridged One of the major passages we meditated on during Yom Kippur was from the Book of Hebrews: Hebrews 9:13-15: "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." When we speak to many people today, asking them if they deem themselves as a "good person," most will say "yes, pretty good," or some version of this. But friends, we need to understand something crucial from Scripture. In Leviticus, right after the sons of Aaron tried to offer fire to YHWH on their own terms (Leviticus 10:1-3), we see that the King has His protocol—we do not get to choose our own protocol. He is HOLY and we are not "as God" (Genesis 3, the serpent's words). He is God alone and determines the way and the time we come into His presence. Right after this tragic event, God mentioned the Day of Atonement practices and shared with us that His presence—and even the sanctified things such as elements of the tabernacle and the tabernacle itself—needed to be purified (Leviticus 16:1-19). Why? Because they would in some way absorb all the defilement of the people, in whose midst God was dwelling (Leviticus 16:16). Think about that. Even the holy things themselves, the sacred items used in worship of the King—even these things had to be cleansed in light of the absolute holiness of God Almighty. This is so contradictory to how many people describe God today. The Truth About Us In us, friends, there is NO good thing. As Paul wrote, "in me, that is in my flesh, there is no good thing" (Romans 7:18). But Thanks Be to God! He bridged the gap. Although we fully believe in the FREE gift of GRACE, it wasn't cheap. It was priceless—and priceless does not equal cheap. If we fail to realize the holiness of God and the chasm that lay between us, we will fail to appreciate the grace that was offered in Yeshua by His very blood. Yes, 100% God is our loving Father now in Yeshua, who loves so much the WORLD that He GAVE (John 3:16). But He has not changed His holiness, and the fire of His presence has never dimmed one bit. Many people in the global structured church seem to have never known what true Teshuvah (repentance) is and never learned the fear—that deep, trembling reverence which leads to appropriate actions—of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:10). And so, many seem to have not really been "converted" or "rebirthed" truly, and they cause no small "headache" for pastors and leaders who constantly try to defibrillate their hearts and give them spiritual CPR. But friends, you don't get resurrection benefits if you haven't died first! Both/And: The Paradox of Grace and Reverence 100% Grace It's 100% grace and the free gift of forgiveness and acceptance (Ephesians 2:8-9) 100% Response And yet we respond by giving 100% of our life back in response and working out our own salvation with holy fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) As humans, we tend to think in terms of either/or boxes. But regarding some theological topics—as we term them—it's not the same with our Lord. For example, this paradox I just mentioned. When you feel you have to fit things into an either/or box, in a case where the Word of God might indicate BOTH, don't try and figure it out in your own natural mind. Just bow down in reverent worship and worship. It's okay to live in that tension. And so yes, He is 100% our Father, to whom we can approach with boldness to His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). But—and that's a very big, critically important point—that came at a horrible cost. That came because of the finished work of our Messiah (Hebrews 9:13-15). And so as we come to God boldly, we should similarly come to Him in reverence, in trembling, and in awe (Hebrews 12:28-29). This is a good reminder for the Day of Atonement. This is a good reminder for people who tend to think—whether they are Christians who think, "We're protected because I said yes one time to Yeshua," and can now live as they please—or whether it is my own Jewish people, who many times feel that because we are Jews, God will somehow give us a "discount" in how He treats us. But when you read Amos 1–2, you see God's judgment on the neighboring nations surrounding Israel—and then on Judah and Israel themselves—for even more minor and simple things. Because in God's book, or in God's principles, "to whom much is given, much will be required" (Luke 12:48). So we all must come reverently before God to obtain mercy, to ask for open hearts, and to use this time—even after the Day of Atonement—to search our hearts before the Lord every week, every day. To worship Him as He is: a merciful, amazing Father, yet a righteous, unbiased Judge of all the earth (Genesis 18:25). Prayer Over Answers: A Story from the Field I want to share something personal that happened recently. I was sitting with a Jewish man who is not yet a follower of Yeshua. He claims to be atheist. We went over some of his questions—about a good God and human suffering, specifically the Holocaust. Although I have philosophically and theologically sound answers, it's always the HEART of the person we want to reach, not only their mind. I did share with him and his wife, gently and humbly, some things that would give him a clearer view of life and death and eternity and free will and forgiveness and the goodness of God. Mainly to show him the heart of God and the amazing message of that terrible tree—the cross—which bridges God with people through Yeshua. But here's what I want you to know: for several hours BEFORE I met him, I was in the woods, PRAYING earnestly for him and his whole family. Because I know—more than anything else—I need the PRESENCE of God and His Spirit on my life. More than answers, I need HIM to show up. More than a prepared altar, we need the FIRE from heaven to come and touch and turn the hearts of the people back to God. This is at the core of everything we do in ministry. This is why we spend so much time in prayer, in seeking His face, in intercession. The answers matter. The training matters. The strategies matter. But without His presence, without His Spirit moving, we're just making noise. We need Him to show up.

A call for clarity in an age of confusion and distortion - October 27 2025 By SOI Team A quick note: This reflection comes from a Jewish Israeli follower of Messiah Yeshua. I usually refrain from public theological debates, focusing on my home, my work, and building communities wherever we are. But for some time, I’ve felt a growing burden to write this — to help those seeking clarity amid the mounting confusion surrounding Israel, prophecy, and God’s faithfulness. This is written for readers who are biblically aware — or at least curious about how Scripture frames these events. It is not meant to minimize real political complexity, human pain, or moral failures in our region. It is a biblically informed reflection — not propaganda, not politics. Its goal is to help readers discern truth in an age when deception has become mainstream. Across the global Church, even in circles that once stood firmly in biblical solidarity with Israel, something is changing. More and more voices — including those from evangelical backgrounds — are now turning against Israel. Yes, some do so from sincere moral concern. But others have been swept into what can only be called a spiritually charged, media-engineered narrative, funded and amplified globally, designed to erode the historic link between believers and the Jewish nation. This narrative trades in distortion, selective outrage, and emotional manipulation. It portrays Israel as uniquely wicked, as though her human failings somehow nullify her right to exist. But its deeper goal is far more dangerous: to disconnect the Church — especially younger generations — from Israel’s biblical calling and prophetic destiny. And in doing so, to disconnect them from their own. Because Scripture ties the destiny of the nations to Israel’s redemption. As Yeshua said: “Whatever you did to the least of these My brothers, you did to Me.” (Matt 25:40) The way nations treat the covenant people will play a role in their own judgment. Now, let me be clear. I am not among those who think any nation or leader is above accountability. Truth invites scrutiny. But what we are witnessing today is not scrutiny — it is deception, meant to rewrite both history and theology, to portray God Himself as one who breaks His word. We humans love simplicity. We want clean categories: good or evil, right or wrong, holy or unholy. But the God of Scripture rarely fits into our boxes. When Joshua asked the Angel of Adonai, “Are You for us or for our enemies?” the Angel replied simply: “No.” (Josh 5:13–14) The question itself was wrong. God’s purposes are larger than our sides. He judges and redeems at the same time. He disciplines and restores simultaneously. And the same is true for Israel. We must reject both extremes — the idolization that says Israel can do no wrong, and the condemnation that says her flaws prove divine rejection. We are called to love Israel biblically, not blindly — prophetically, not politically. Truth can withstand the light. One of the loudest objections I hear today is moral: “How can this secular, political, and as human and sinful as any other, state possibly be the fulfillment of God’s promises regarding the return from exile?” Part of the answer can be found in Ezekiel 36, where God outlines His sequence of redemption: “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I act, but for My holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations… I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean — from all your defilements and from all your idols will I cleanse you.” [Ezek 36:22–25] The divine order is clear: regathering first — cleansing later. Israel’s imperfection doesn’t disqualify her restoration; it confirms it. God Himself declares that He will act “for His Name’s sake.” If He waited for the nation to become righteous before restoring her, He would never act at all. But because His integrity is at stake, He gathers first, then purifies. Prophecy always unfolds in layers — partial, growing, then final fulfillment. And this brings us to Jeremiah 30–33, which forms the theological backbone of Israel’s restoration. Many claim these prophecies were fulfilled under Ezra and Nehemiah. But that view simply cannot hold. The northern tribes of Israel never returned. Only Judah came back from Babylon. So when Jeremiah speaks of both Israel and Judah returning, he is pointing to something that never yet happened in history. Critics often reply that these promises are “metaphorical” — fulfilled spiritually in the Church. But Jeremiah’s language will not allow it. He writes of “the land I gave their fathers” and of “their own nation dwelling in safety.” He introduces a New Covenant made “with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” — not an abstraction, but a concrete people and place. If both simply meant “the Church,” there would be no reason to name them separately. The pattern is unmistakable: Historical layer: Judah’s return from Babylon — partial. Spiritual layer: Redemption through Messiah — available to Jew and Gentile alike. National layer: The final restoration of Israel and Judah under Messiah’s reign — future and literal. Ezekiel shows how God restores; Jeremiah shows whom and when. Together they reveal the heart of divine sequence: mercy before merit, faithfulness before worthiness. Some argue modern Israel cannot be of God because its birth involved secular leaders, flawed politicians, and even global agendas. But since when has God restricted Himself to perfect instruments? Cyrus — a pagan emperor — is called “My anointed” in Scripture, chosen to rebuild Jerusalem. Herod — by some theologians — fulfilled the prophecy that “the glory of the latter house shall be greater than the former.” Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Artaxerxes — all pagan rulers — became tools in God’s redemptive timeline. If He could use them, He can surely use secular Zionists, imperfect leaders, and even hostile powers to fulfill His purpose. The tool does not sanctify itself — the purpose sanctifies the outcome. As with Cyrus, God can use and then judge the very instruments He employs. God’s restoration of Israel has never been a reward for righteousness — it is a testimony to His character. If His covenant depended on human virtue, it would have collapsed long ago. But He swore by Himself. “If My covenant with day and night stands not… then also My covenant with David My servant may be broken.” [Jer 33:25–26] When He restores Israel in her imperfection, He magnifies His own faithfulness. Her unworthiness becomes the stage for His mercy; her repentance will one day display His justice. As Hosea reveals, He redeems her because of His love, not because of her worthiness. A newer form of replacement theology now claims that God’s promises apply only to born-again Jews — that the Messianic remnant is “true Israel.” But Paul dismantles this in Romans 11. “A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved.” [Rom 11:25–26] If “all Israel” referred only to believing Jews, the sentence would make no sense. Paul explicitly distinguishes between the remnant now and the nation that will yet turn. Even Peter, in his first sermon after Yeshua’s resurrection, said: “To you first God, having raised up His Servant Yeshua, sent Him to bless you, in turning every one of you from your iniquities.” [Acts 3:26] And Paul echoed: “The gospel is the power of God unto salvation — to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.” [Rom 1:16] “Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Gentile.” [Rom 2:9–10] If the Church had replaced Israel, such distinctions would be meaningless. God’s covenant faithfulness still begins with the people He first called. If God covenanted eternally with Jacob’s descendants, then “fulfilling” it through an unrelated group called “spiritual Israel” is not faithfulness — it’s deception. It’s like signing a lifelong contract with John Smith and his heirs, then transferring it to another family because they share the name. Would any honest court uphold that? Then why attribute such dishonesty to the God of Truth? Jeremiah is explicit: as long as the sun, moon, and stars endure, Israel will remain a nation before Me forever. [Jer 31:35–37] Divine faithfulness cannot violate its own word. Some critics go further, claiming modern Jews aren’t even descendants of Israel — that Ashkenazim are Khazars, impostors. Yet these same people call them “Christ-killers.” You can’t have both. If they’re not Israel, they bear no guilt of Israel. If they are Israel, then they remain the covenant nation. And the myth ignores millions of Sephardic, Mizrahi, and North African Jews — some tracing their lineage straight back to Babylonian captivity and beyond. Among them are my own mother’s ancestors, Levites who preserved ancient forms of worship. The Jewish people are not a political invention; they are a 4,000-year-old covenant community that has outlived every empire on earth. Let’s be clear: none of this is political. It’s about truth — biblical, historical, and spiritual. Israel has failings like any nation. Many Arabs suffer deeply and deserve compassion and justice. The political landscape is complex and imperfect. But none of this negates the prophetic reality of what God is doing. Ethnicity, politics, and prophecy are intertwined in ways human analysis cannot untangle. Isaiah foresaw a day when Egypt, Assyria, and Israel would be “a blessing in the midst of the earth” (Isa 19:24–25) — a regional awakening of reconciliation yet to come. We can labor even now for glimpses of that promise. Without truth, we wander in darkness. With the God of Truth, we begin to see again. The message of Messianic Jews to the sons of Ishmael has never been one of superiority or conquest, but of reconciliation and redemption. If you are willing — if you will repent as we all had to — if you will come in humility as we all must — then you too can return to the tent of Abraham. In Messiah, there is redemption and restoration, not through war, but through humility and honor, through the Spirit of Truth and the Prince of Peace who unites both Isaac and Ishmael under one covenant of grace. While some cry in Arabic, “Bi-rūḥ wa-bidam, nafdeek yā Falastīn” — “By spirit and by blood we will redeem you, O Palestine” — we say instead, “Bi-rūḥ wa-bidam fadaytani ana” — “By Spirit and by blood You redeemed me.” For we are the ones who need redemption first — our hearts, our nations, our destinies. This is not political. It is the universal invitation of the Redeemer of Israel, who heals the family of Abraham divided for millennia. Friends, this is not a theoretical argument — it’s a battle for truth itself. If God could break His covenant with Israel, then He could break His promises to the Church. But He will not. Stand for truth. Examine everything. Critique without hatred; support without idolatry. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for the repentance and redemption of all peoples — Isaac’s sons and Ishmael’s alike — that together we may glorify the God of Abraham. Because the same God who keeps His promise to Israel will keep His promise to the Kehila — the Ekklesia, the Church. And may the Spirit of Truth lead us beyond politics, beyond fear, beyond deception — into the full revelation of His faithfulness and His glory. SOI team October 2025 May be shared freely with attribution for educational and spiritual use.