Chris Suitt
read Chris’ bio
Chris Suitt was born and raised in Southern California. He came to faith in Yeshua at the early age of ten years old through a friend inviting him to a youth camp. He came to realize even then that he sinned and needed a Savior. The Spirit moved in his heart at that camp and brought him into the family of God.
From that point on, he was committed to following Yeshua and loving Him more every day. He also knew that the L-rd wanted him in ministry somewhere in the world. He started leading Bible studies for children, youth and collegiates while in high school as well as being involved with reaching people for Yeshua around the world by going on various mission trips.
Though his faith was solid, his college years cemented his faith. Attending California State University at Long Beach, he came into contact with people all faiths and non-faiths through his professors and contacts with fellow students. These people forced him to re-examine his faith. Is a faith in Yeshua "as The Way, The Truth and The Life" at minimum reasonable and factual and true at best?
During his senior year in college, this search led him to give a speech on the "Free Speech" platform before a couple of thousand college students testifying to the truth that Yeshua not only historically lived and died, but indeed also rose from the grave proving Yeshua's claim that faith in Him was the only way to have a relationship with G-d.
He then went on a year's sabbatical to help a congregation get started in Mexico, before he returned home to earn a Masters of Divinity for Talbot Theological Seminary. After earning his Masters Degree, he followed Yeshua's call to start a congregation in Menifee, California, which he currently leads with his wife Jan and their two teenage children Doug and DeAnna.
It was while shepherding this congregation that led him to another cementing of his faith. Being led by the Spirit to teach on Genesis, he began a search for the Jewish roots of his faith. In applying a basic bible study method, he attempted to crawl inside the author's head in order to discover what the Spirit had the author write. One is to never look at Scripture through their eyes, but through the eyes of the author. And since Moses is Jewish and was the human instrument the Spirit used to pen Genesis, it was important to understand the Jewish mindset and culture.
This led him to read many books about Judaism, Hebrew Christianity and Messianic Christianity, to talk with rabbis and cantors, and even to begin learning Hebrew. Though, he has always believed Yeshua was coming to sit a literal throne in a literal Israel, his studies further cemented his belief that Yeshua is not only the Son of G-d, but He is also the Messiah that the Tanakh prophesied would come. His studying of both the Tanakh (OT) and the B'rit Hadashah (NT) has led him to even deeper understanding of the Bible as one book written by one G-d. It fits like a hand fitting into a glove. They both go together as one book.
This new understanding has led Chris to reach out to Jewish people as faith in Yeshua is not only a reasonable conclusion to reading the Tanakh, but it is a truth one can base their life upon. This reaching out to Jewish people led to his first visit to Israel in 1999. He didn't take a tour, but toured the entire country - literally. He went from Elat in the south to Rosh Ha-Nikra and Mt. Hermon in the north, from Tel-Aviv in the west to the Jordan River in the east. He stayed in Guest Houses (aka Youth Hostels), ate only Israeli food, talked with Israelis and even overdosed on olives!
In 2002, the Spirit told him to go to Israel again, but this time it was to meet a person. He told his congregation before he went that he was going to have an Acts 16:9 experience. And he did. It was on this trip that he met Moran Rosenblit for the first time.
His love for Israel, her people and her culture led him to step down from his position on a district church planting board to become part of Moran's Hope for Israel Board of Directors. As he has continued to work with Moran and reach Israel's here in the US, his desire to lead groups to Israel to not just see Israel, but experience her increased. He and Moran have put together a trip to Israel that will not only allow people to see where Jesus walked, but to also experience the Israel of today - her people, her culture and her land. This Tour will hopefully increase your love for the people of Israel and your prayers for them to come to faith in Yeshua.
Yeshua in Acts 1:8 said that the early disciples were to take His message from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and then to the ends of the earth. Yet He also told Saul that this message needed to come back to Israel (Acts 9:15). It's Chris' desire that you will come experience, not just see, Israel. And hopefully, you will join Hope for Israel in reaching Israelis with Yeshua's message.
