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"Am Yisrael
Chai": |
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| As we flew back from our ministry in Kiev, Ukraine, I reflected on how the Lord has opened the doors for ministry in Eastern Europe these past 12 years, and a verse from Jeremiah 33:3 came to mind, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” What a privilege to be a small part in the extension of His kingdom. | |||||
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History of Ministry: An Open Door In the late 1980’s the Soviet Union began to open their doors to ‘the West.’ With such promising opportunities, Sam attended a conference in 1989 where leaders of a number of missions were discussing reaching Eastern Europe for the Gospel. As Sam was sitting next to a noted mission leader he asked him, “What can we do to reach the Jews of Eastern Europe?” This mission leader responded tersely, “Forget about the Jews, Christians aren’t interested in them. Communism was started and led by the Jews.” I remember when Sam returned from this conference, though he was disappointed in the response of the mission leaders, he was convinced that now was the time to go to Eastern Europe and investigate the opportunities to reach Jewish people with the Gospel. In 1990 he and a Russian Jewish believer planned their trip. They would begin in Moscow, then on to Kiev, Ukraine, which at that time had a Jewish population of at least 200,000. One of their contacts, a Baptist pastor of a former underground church, invited them to speak at his Thursday night meeting. But only after he had several deacons interview them to be sure they were real believers! It was “Ascension Thursday”, so Sam spoke from Romans 1:16 about how our “ascended Lord” would want them to share Messiah, Yeshua with their Jewish neighbors. After Sam spoke the pastor got up and said, “We have never heard this before, but here it is right in our Bibles, that we must go to the Jews first. We will have these men come back on Sunday morning and preach. I challenge you to invite your Jewish friends and neighbors to come and hear them.” Sam and his translator could see God’s hand in opening this door of ministry so they changed their plans and stayed in Ukraine. During the following days they did evangelistic street ministry through out the area. When Sam and the pastor arrived to preach on that Sunday morning they were overwhelmed to see about 200 unsaved Jewish people along with about 400 Ukrainian believers. Sam was the third speaker that morning. The first two speakers were Ukrainian Pastors who berated the Jewish people in attendance. In that tense, embarrassing atmosphere Sam’s turn came. When Sam stood up to speak he began in Hebrew: “Am Yisrael Chai” (“the people of Israel live”)! That certainly got the attention of the visiting Jews, and their faces glowed with the thrill of hearing Hebrew spoken in a Russian church! He then spoke about God’s love for Israel and the Jewish people that was demonstrated through Messiah Yeshua. “God has not forsaken you! For 70 years He has waited for this opportunity for you to hear the Good News of Messiah!” At the invitation that morning over seventy Jewish people came to faith and came forward to pray, and that evening over twenty more Jewish people came to faith. As a result of these outreaches two Messianic congregations started in Kiev. When Sam returned home, even though he was exhausted from the jet lag, he couldn’t stop talking of all the Lord had done. Over the past several years Sam has returned a number of times as well as sending others to disciple and encourage these new believers. |
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| Fast Forward to 2002 I have often desired to go to Kiev and see for myself the wonderful works that the Lord was doing. This past month God granted this desire and I accompanied Sam to teach in the Messianic Congregation that was planted as a result of that first visit. When we arrived Alex and Anna, the congregational leader and his wife, invited us for dinner. They had picture albums that gave a history of the ministry there since 1990. There were pictures of a younger, dark-haired Sam handing out evangelistic literature! I was amazed to see so many Ukrainian Jews who had been saved, discipled, and then immigrated to Germany, the United States and Israel. |
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| These believers have begun and in some cases are leading their own outreaches into the growing Jewish communities throughout the world. There were also pictures of those who had responded to Sam’s invitation to come Kiev to help build up the congregation through teaching, discipleship and pastoral care. Dan and Arlene Rigney from Ariel Ministries, Jay and MaryAnn Feld from The Navigators to name a few had spent much time building up the believers there. The congregation is currently being led by a couple from Chosen People Ministries. It reminds me of the wonderful truth from I Corinthians 3:7 “so that neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.” Our first evening in Kiev Alex and Anna shared the needs of their area. Though it appears Kiev is prosperous I learned that it’s actually a false impression. When Communism fell the KGB simply “turned their hats around” and became the Russian Mafia. Corruption is rampant, and the average person in the city is struggling, and those in the country are even worse off. |
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The next morning Sam began intensive training with the congregational leaders from Kiev as well as leaders from other areas of Ukraine & Moldova. In facilities courtesy of Light of the East ministry, the men met all day Friday and Sunday as Sam taught | ||||
| from Acts, Exodus, and I Timothy, on principles of leadership for both the home and the congregation. Sam challenged the men to have vision for biblical leadership and mature love; between sessions and during meal times Sam would counsel individual leaders on applying the principles to their particular circumstances. Before the conference was over they invited Sam back to teach them further in these vital ministry areas. | |||||
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While Sam taught the men, I taught the women of the congregation from their newly formed women’s ministry. For two days we studied women’s discipleship from Titus 2:3-5. One of the issues that we covered was how a believing wife relates to an unsaved husband. | ||||
| In an in-depth look at I Peter 3:1-6, we talked about the need to show respect and loyalty to your husband. The next day my translator Lesya shared how one of the older women in the group had applied the Scriptural principle of giving respect to her unsaved husband, and amazingly, their relationship was restored! | |||||
| The Saturday morning service was a time of rejoicing with wonderful music, and Sam spoke on “Why Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.” At the invitation several indicated their response to follow the Lord, and afterward, Leysa introduced me to her sister who visited that morning. Later Leysa related to me that her sister was not a believer, and had been through some difficulties, but that she responded to the invitation to accept the Messiah. She was thrilled that her sister had come to faith and was following up on the decision her sister had made. |
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After the service I noticed Sam hugging a man. This was Vladi*, who, on one of Sam’s earlier visits to Ukraine, had been Sam’s ‘taxi’ driver. (In the early days if you had a car in Kiev you used it as a taxi to help pay for it.) Vladi had accepted the Lord during Sam’s teaching back then. Now he is studying in biblical seminary. Saturday afternoon Sam taught the men and women from 1 Timothy ‘course correction’ for leadership in the home and congregation. People were amazed to understand these previously difficult portions of Scripture. |
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| Sunday evening we spent time counseling and praying with the leadership of the congregation, trusting God to give the increase as He has so many times over the last several years. As we returned home I was reminded of God’s faithfulness to accomplish the work that He has called us to. The believers in Kiev, need our continued prayers and love as they reach out with the Good News to the many Jewish people still in Eastern Europe. Thank you for praying and caring. Y *Names have been changed to protect individual’s privacy. |
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Kiev, Ukraine Ministry Report December 2002
