Spring 2019 Newsletter
Partnering with congregations
Pastor Leonid with a smile, “We invite you to come to our Passover Seder!” In April, hundreds of people in Ukraine and Israel received invitations to attend one of the dinners at Messianic Jewish congregations. We praise the LORD that many new Jewish people did come for the first time, and several responded to the offer for prayer of receiving the Passover Lamb as their Messiah! This ministry, Messiah’s Compassion, partners with six Messianic Jewish congregations in Ukraine, and currently, two congregations in Israel. It has been wonderful to see these young gatherings of believers grow both numerically and spiritually. Thank you for significant support to invest in these outreaches to Jewish people! Approximately 300 Jewish homes received Passover food packages in April / May provided by your donations through Messiah’s Compassion.
Increase in anti-Semitism
Unfortunately, there has been an increase of anti-Semitism in many parts of the world. The U.S. and Canada have seen a significant number of incidents, including attacks on synagogues in Pennsylvania and California. Let’s remember to keep Jewish people worldwide (including Israel) in prayer for their protection and salvation in receiving the Messiah Jesus. Encourage your prayer groups and local church leaders to engage in intercessory prayer for this need too. Doing so, we will find ourselves in fuller obedience to the LORD of Israel.
Israel and specific promises being fulfilled
“The Lord will return you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will possess that land again.
The he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors!”
Even under Moses’s leadership, we see the prophetic revelation and promises made for the Jewish people tied to their inheritance of the land of ISRAEL. Gratefully, Messiah’s Compassion has had the opportunity to bless the Return to Zion congregation led by Leon and Nina M. Pastor Leon attended Assemblies of God Galilee Bible School in Haifa while I was resident and taught in Israel during the early 1990’s. Together, we are praying about ways to minister among the Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants to Israel who keep coming from war-torn East Ukraine and from Russia. This congregation has a special program to teach these new arrivals about the biblical roots of Jewish holidays. They have Hebrew language classes, music and art classes for children, and special prayer and discipleship groups.
Near warzone in eastern Ukraine
In SE Ukraine, near the warzone, Pastor Alexander and his wife, Oksana continue to develop relationships in the city of Zaporozhe. We assisted them with some costs of the Passover dinner and have sent funds to help needy Jewish families with medicines and food packages. The young Jewish mom on the left is just one home of many that are being reached. Oksana continues to teach the handcraft program at the Mazal Tov Jewish youth center. Their home congregation and Bible Studies are being well attended! I look forward to the next visit there.
Odessa prayer need
In early April Pastor Leonid V. from Odessa let us know of vandalism regarding their Promised Land congregation location. These intimidators have been upset about Jewish people coming to this place of worship. Please help us pray for them to come unto repentance. Thankfully, this act only strengthened the resolve of the believers, and the Passover dinner was wonderfully attended! Pray for upcoming ministry this Summer and Autumn as travel plans are being made to return overseas for the next trips.
