PRAYER UPDATE - JUNE 2012
Dear Prayer Partners,
The fight for Israel continues. Israel is in the sense of both the people the Jews and the Land Israel. Many teach that the promises made to Israel will not be fulfilled. The Jews will not be restored to God nor to the Land and will not get a 1000 years with Jesus Christ in their midst in the land of Israel. The 1000 years reign of Jesus Christ on the earth is found in Rev 20: 1-7. In John 4:22 Jesus said to the Samaritan woman "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: salvation is of the Jews." Jesus here identifies Himself with the Jewish people. If the Jews no longer exist as a part of God's program then what are we to think of the salvation we got from them? Will God still honor it? If God does no longer honor the Jews then perhaps He no longer honors the salvation He gave to man through the Jews. I believe the Bible teaches that God will one day receive the Jews living at that future time into His salvation and He will put his Son their Messiah in their midst in the Land of Israel with Jerusalem as the capital. Zeph 3:17, Zach 14:9-21 I believe our salvation in Jesus Christ will stand forever, it is eternal. Jn 3:16 The promise of the New Testament was given first to the Jews. Jerem 31:31-37 Verses 36-37 tell us that Israel will never cease from being a nation before God.
My last mailed out prayer letter was Nov 2. I was in Israel and I stayed there until Dec 18. In Baer Sheva Olavi Syvanto needs a replacement for the massive literature mission his father started. It needs to be a Finnish speaking person because most of the money comes from Finland. In the Baer Sheva market I gave out literature in Arabic, Hebrew and Russian. A retired Russian engineer was familiar with Biblical themes but lacking faith in God. A Russian woman took in Hebrew but returned to get something in Russian. A Sudanese Muslim asked questions. One was what is there that I need to learn from Israel. I shared that the Jews are God's chosen People and Israel is God's chosen Land. He was glad to get a Bible. He said he is going to marry a Bedouin from the area and will stay in Israel. I was glad to have visited again Arad. There has been intense persecution of Jewish believers in Jesus here since 2004. It is done by the orthodox group Hasidei Gur. Yad Leachim-Hand to the Brothers is also active here. The day I was there a sister from the meeting was harassed on her way to the meeting. I met Eddie & Naomi H. whom I knew before they were married. They have 4 children and now have 2 grandchildren. Jerry Lund & I tried to encourage Naomi in her teen years in Jerusalem. She has remained faithful all these years. Walking the streets of Haifa offers wonderful opportunities to witness. A woman grabbed the booklet in my hand. I did not see her coming. But she was eager to talk and she knew the OT. Soon after I met a man who was knowledgeable of the OT and he quoted from Is 53. But his friends came and he was gone. Arab lit. always goes out in Haifa, and so for Nahariya. I went into The Galilee and passed through the mountains of Naphtali. Near Montfort I stopped in an Arab Christian village and gave some lit. That night I stayed in a Jewish hostel and had 2 good chances to witness to mother & son. I was blessed to visit David Williamson and his wife and 2 boys in Metulah. David I knew before he married. He works in a milk machine factory. There is a believer in a church I visit in Antony, FR that went to Israel to visit a milk factory by the Sea of Galilee. He is Br. Cassajust and his French company may have work with the Israeli company. The Israeli co, asked Cassajust to speak to the 2 companies at a meal by the Sea of Galilee at Ein Gev. Br. Cassajust gave a testimony as best he could. A Jew by the Sea of Galilee after I witnessed to him asked what is important about this place next to the sea! I told him of Israel's Messiah that was here. I was soon in Tiberias and again there had contact with believers. I was given the Bible study in an evening meeting and I taught on fasting from Is 58:1-6 in Hebrew. The message was received and questions followed. I visited my old friend Issachar and we did some witnessing together. A woman saw me handing out lit. and she asked what it was. Issachar said it talks about God. She wanted one. I gave her the gospel of Matt. God directed me as I walked on the streets of Israel and as I traveled in the car or on the public transport. Often in Jerusalem area I slept with Abdullah Khoury. He lets me use his car when I come to Israel. He is the assistant pastor at the Jerusalem Bible Baptist Church where Atif Himadeh is pastor.
I was in France less than a week and I went on a 2 week trip in France. I spent Christmas with Jean & Ginette Massinchaud in Vichy, FR. They work among the Jews of France. I visited Fred Frank & family. Fred loves Israel and the Jew and has spent a few years in Israel. I then visited Francois & Veronique Blum and one of their sons who is a doctor doing his internship. Francois is a Hebrew Christian and is in finances in a French company and is on the board of Jew for Jesus. Another of the Blum's sons, Nicola is in theological training. I was with Jean Paul Burgat and was able to teach in the small church in Saone, FR. In May I returned for 2 Sundays to Saone to help Jean Paul in his absence from the church. As I travel in France I put up Biblical posters. I stopped to put up a poster on the way back to Paris and offered a tract to a man. He looked at it and said it was not for him as he is a Jew! I was able to talk to him and in the end he kept the tract. I was putting up posters in Chilly Mazarin near my apartment and was having trouble positioning it as it was up high. A man stopped and tried to help me. There were 2 couples. The poster said Jesus is returning are you ready? He asked when is He coming? The other man soon came and he asked the same question. The first man asked where I came from and I said Florida. He said No! I have a house in Florida. I soon found out he was from Israel so we talked some Hebrew. He told his friends that in the USA there are Christians who love the Jews.
Bill Barnard a high school friend came to Paris in April and I visited him. I got there early so I handed out tracts. I noticed an orthodox young Jewish boy going into a business. I went into the business and the Jewish man was open to talking and I gave him the Drummer Boy which is a testimony of a Jewish doctor saved in the American Civil War. Bill and his wife Sandra and I walked to the Jewish area for a fillaphel (chick pea) sandwich. On Rue Rossier there are many Jews. The salesman in the restaurant took the gospel of John in Hebrew as he is from Israel. In Starbuck's the server took Matt in Hebrew as she is from Israel. She said she would read it.
11 Sam 11:1 "at the time when kings go forth to battle." David did not go and sinned in Jerusalem. June is here and I must go again to East Europe. June 5 I leave, 7 get literature in Germany, 8-10 visit Dieter Rheinbold in Rheinfeldene, D near Switzerland, 12-14 with Michael from Jerusalem living in D near Stuttgart, 15-17 WOLD Starnberger Sea near Munich, 18-19 Austria, 20-21 WOLH Budapest, 22-25 Beius, RO, 26 Talmachiu with Costica Mararu, 27 Pitesti with Adrian Marinescu, 28-July 6 Bucharest, Daniel Racine comes from France to be with me for a week & with Daniel Sandu & Pishti Benedeck, 7-8 Rasnov-Brasov John Poenar, Serge Segal from Israel, 9 Iasi, RO, 10 Chernovsy Ukraine, 11 Bible school in Dunaiyevsky, 12 Vinitza Baptist church Vladimir & Nadia Iokumetz, 13-15 Kiev with Michael Misteceki, 15-16 Rovno Pastor Olenic, 16 Costopol with Stefan & Inna Yanchuck (she has breast cancer), 17 Vinitza, 18 Chernovsy, UA. 20 Brasov, RO, 21-28 Camp Arpas, Aug 6-11 Camp Rucar. I plan to buy potatoes in RO to distribute to believers as in the past. I want to be in France by end of August. In late September I plan to go to Israel for 3 months. I would like to be there before Tabernacles eve Sept. 30 to eve Oct. 8.
In much weakness,
Michael D. Bentley 11 Cor 12:10
Your prayers appreciated.
