PRAYER LETTER – UPDATE NOVEMBER 2017. JERUSALEM, ISRAEL

Dear prayer partners,

  My last prayer Letter was written as I began the 2017 summer tour.  It was by Christ’s power & grace I accomplished the tour.  Thank you for your prayers  & finances. God miraculously provided the funds during the trip. Some of the churches I visited helped financially.  It was 6500 miles.  In Germany-D at GBV Literature supply a brother gave me  extra lit.  which  I was thankful to have.  Among the lit.  were 750 Ukrainian calendars which I distributed some myself and some to other distributors.  I am blessed when I distribute tracks in mail boxes in D & Austria (A).  Irmgard near WOLD as each year loaded me up with gifs, some of which we used in MIOVENI-Rucar Camp.  I was able to share to workers in Word of Life- WOLD-Germany Camp.  I again was blessed to share in nearby to WOLD in WOLFRATSHAUSEN church.  On the border between D & A there are always Turkish trucks as the border between Italy-IT & A.  Camping in A,Croatia-HR,Slovenia-SLO,IT & D gave opportunities to distribute and witness.  Jews were met in Budapest, Hungary-HU especially from Israël.  A Russian Jew was open to receive a witness.  WOLHU is a needed place to rest and organize, pray and reach Jews in nearby Budapest. 

  A message which I preached during the summer wasThe Progressive Revelation of the Lamb in the Bible.  From Gen 4 Abel’s lamb to Rev 21 & 22.  The Lamb is first an animal, Gn 22 Abraham & Isaac, Ex 12 Passover lamb, Lev 4:32 Lamb of sin offering, then in IS 53 a Person the Messiah and in NT it is Jesus The Lamb of God, Jn 1:29, Acts 8:29-35, 1 Ptr 1:18-21, and the Lamb of the New Jerusalem in Rev 21-22 where the Lamb is mentioned 7 times!  I got this from J. Sidlow Baxter.

  As I enter Romania I visit 2 Independent Baptist churches-IBC in BEIUS & Hunadoara.  In Cisnedia I visit Ovidiu & Nelly Domnariu.  They help in the Mioveni-Rucar Camp.  I preached 4 times in RO before I entered Ukraine-UA on July 5.  The new director at the Baptist camp outside of Chernovsy, UA Vitali, welcomed me on my first and last day in UA (20 days).  I pushed on to ROVNO where I visit the IBC  Pavlichenko.    Saturday I spoke in the Messianic meeting in Rovno and retired pastor of Pavlichenko came as he would not be in ROVNO church on Sunday.  He is over 90 and came by train by himself.  His parents kept Jews during WW 11, as other believing families did.  The visit with Stephen & Ina Yanchuk & their daughter was nice as usual.  Ina got through cancer treatments.  Stephen’s health has lessened.  Domca, Stephen’s mother lives with them but she has Alzheimers.  Then to Kiev to be with MYkhylo & Masha Mistecekiy.  MYkhylo leads a Messianic Assembly meeting in IBC Pochovo on Sat.  I spoke Sunday night in Pochovo IBC.  Sura, Mykhylo’s Jewish Mom died earlier this year.  Masha is now very sick.  I gave out Literature on the streets of the capital.  Eugene translated for me in the Messianic meeting and in Pochovo IBC.  I went to Uman where is an Orthodox center to the Rebbe.  I talked to a Jew but no witness and tried to give lit.to another but he refused.  But many on The streets of Uman took lit. Then to Vinitza to retired Baptist pastor Vladimir Yukhomets who is the old age pastor for several years.  We went outside of Vinitza to 2 old age homes.  He had a team and they ministered, they sang, preached, gave presents and visited in rooms.  We visited a newly formed Bapt. Church. Back in Chernivtsi I visited The First Baptist church near the large old Jewish Cemetry.  I met a saved Jewish woman Larisa in the cemetery who is s member of this church.  Her husband is not saved.

  I returned to RO and visited Zenovia in Baia. I have visited her many years and her son that returned from work in IT is building a new house.  At least her living conditions have improved.  I pray for her salvation.  While visiting Nelu Anton in IASI we went one night into Moldova-MD and I spoke in the camp for children where I was before.  In RO I went to a camp with John Poenar in Bicaz district in the mountain with young people mainly from PIATRA  NAMETS Church.  Teebee Timofti was the organizer.  In Bicaz district there are many Hungarian-Romanians. Again I got potatoes, 3 times this summer.  We had the Mioveni-Rucar Camp and we were about 60.  They were mostly teenagers.  I taught the first lessons in The Life of Jesus Christ.  I did not say much about the Sermon on the Mount Matt 5, 6 & 7.  I will teach that next year.  With Baptist pastor Ioan Tone of Bucharest we did an outreach in a Gypsy community where Ioan has ministered before.  I am thankful to have visited several churches in RO.  In HU in Budapest on way back to FRANCE-FR I met Yossi from Israël and we read Is 53 in Hebrew together.  Passing through HR, SLO, IT & A lit. was distributed mainly in mail boxes.  In SLO in camping I met the Orter family.  They are believers and I stayed a night on their mountain farm in A.  I taught Friday night in Brno, Czech-CZ and Sunday morning in PRAGUE, CZ.  I met and witnessed to Jews in Brno & PRAGUE.  In Brno I met a Jew from Boston at the Jewish cemetery.  That morning I asked my host for Czech stamps for my friends that collect stamps.  The Jew from Boston collects mint CZ stamps.  I looked among the used stamps and I found mint stamps for him!  Lit. was distributed to mainly Jews from ISRAEL in PRAGUE.  One couple lingered to talk and asked several questions.  In Annaberg-Bulholt, D I stayed with Gerhard Goetzel a believer. He sold his optician store to a believer that worked for him.  The new owner fixed my glasses.  I met the new owner in a church in Jerusalem.

Back in France I put up Biblical posters.  It was a good time as not many others were postering.  While distributing tracks in Paris one week before the Day od Atonement I spoke to an Orthodox Jew with his son about 13.   We spoke in Hebrew.  I quoted Lev 17:11 in Hebrew, it says the blood upon the altar makes atonement for the soul. He asked what does that mean?  I said there must be a sacrifice.  God sent His Son the Messiah to be a sacrifice.  He asked, will Jews go to heaven?  I said no because they have no sacrifice.  I will go to heaven because I have a sacrifice.  He was not angry as he left.  On Oct. 18 I entered Israël .  It is a joy to walk the  streets, talking to some.  Lit. mainly in Heb., Arabic, Russian & Eng. is given.  I have visited Beit Hesda Assembly in Haifa, First Baptist Bible church an Arab church in East Jerusalem & Jerusalem Assembly.  J.A. averages about 350 on Saturday.  The dentist Dr. Said Fadi is working on my teeth.  I will be in Israel until Jan. 14,2018. 

  As the year approaches it’s end, I pray blessings on Thanksgiving Day remembrances.  “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”   1 Thes 5:18.   May our hearts be prepared to review the history of God the Son, the Messiah taking on human flesh to become our Savior.   “But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”  Gals 4:4

  The trip to RO is planned in Feb.2018, The 7 day conference in Mioveni is scheduled Feb. 11-18.  We will study the miracles in John.  Then from RO I will go to Crete the first 2 weeks in March then back to FR.

In appreciation for what Jesus Christ and you have done,  

Michael  Bentley. 1 Thes 5:28