Baby Boy #4, Welcome to the Chaffee Family!
We are pleased to announce the arrival of our sixth child, Roger Fenn Chaffee! Roger was born on October 30th, 2021 at 2:41am. He weighed 6 lbs 14oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. His name is taken from his mother’s grandfather on her mother’s side (Kenneth Roger Maggert), and his father’s grandfather on his father’s side (Elmer Fenn Chaffee). Baby and mother are both doing wonderful. Rejoice with us as we celebrate this beautiful new life!
The Tale of Two Jews.
Ministry on the streets affords me the opportunity to interact with many different types of people. Among this variety, I very much enjoy speaking with Jews. The Jews are definitely a special type of people. They are usually quite intelligent and, more often than not, embrace that pertinacious attitude that we read about in the Bible. I encountered two very different Jews this month at the college campus. I had a fascinating conversation with the first young man, who approached me out of curiosity more than anything else. I showed him through the scriptures that he stood condemned before God. He reluctantly acknowledged this fact but was quick to point out that forgiveness came through Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. This opened a fabulous door for me to speak about Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. I told him that the Day of Atonement required blood sacrifices (Leviticus 16) and a temple–but the sacrifices have ceased, and the temple is not there. I told him that the book of Jeremiah spoke of a New Covenant that was to come, a covenant ‘not according to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt’ (Jeremiah 31:31-32). Yom Kippur was a part of that Old Covenant. But this New Covenant involves a once-and-for-all sacrifice by which we may obtain forgiveness of sins. I told him how Daniel spoke that the Messiah must come before the destruction of the temple (Daniel 9:26) and that the temple, being destroyed, was a sure indication that this New Covenant was upon us. I told him that it was Jesus who died for us, sacrificing Himself for the forgiveness of sins. The Jewish Messiah for the Jewish people. Yet they rejected Him.
He listened well, but his heart was not open. I challenged him to read the New Testament, but he balked at the idea. I pray he has a change of heart.
On the other hand, I was delighted to meet another young Jewish man who sat to listen to me preach for at least 30 minutes one afternoon. Afterward, he asked me a few questions about the bible and left. A few days later he approached me again with more questions. It was then that I found out that he was a Jewish believer in Jesus! I could tell by his questions that he was quite studious. His faith was somewhat a secret, for he told me that his family would be very upset if they were to find out. But he seemed steadfast, and his faith felt real. He is proof that God has not forsaken his people ‘whom He foreknew,’ but is part of the remnant, like the 7000 that God had reserved who had not bowed their knee to Baal.
What’s Next
We plan to head to Florida at the end of this month and spend the winter there. I hope to find like-minded Christians and ministers who would like to join me preaching on college campuses and city streets in the north-central Florida area. If you know anyone who has a heart for street evangelism in the north Florida / Gainesville, Fl area, please let me know.
If you would like to support us in our work, please visit our giving page.
Hal Chaffee 