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As I looked over the crowd gathered in Berlin, there was a special joy
and thankfulness in my heart. Observing my reaction, a friend and leader
of another Jewish mission who knew my ministry history in this part of
the world said to me, “This must be a real blessing for you, Sam, to see
so many of your spiritual children and grandchildren.” I was speechless.
I am so thankful that the Lord gave me the privilege to make an impact
in the lives of a number of these Russian Jewish leaders from various
parts of the world. When I first met many of them they were lost or
brand new believers, but now I was thrilled to see them as growing,
effective servants of Messiah!
When The Wall Came Down
In 1989 when the Berlin Wall came down, I
found myself burdened to bring the Good News of Yeshua to Jewish people
behind the Iron Curtain. Once the Soviet Union fell in 1991, the doors
of Eastern Europe opened and Russian Jewish people immigrated to various
countries including Israel, US, Western Europe, and Australia to name a
few.
Since there was limited outreach to Russian Jewish people, this would
actually be a pioneer work. However when I shared my burden with other
leaders in the US, it seemed like a strange idea to them. Other mission
leaders suggested that I should rather to go to Rome, where those who
could get out of the Communist countries were going. Despite the
discouragement and warning of anti-Semitic reactions that I may face, I
was determined to go and share the love of Messiah with the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. I was convinced that God has not forsaken His
people, and neither should we (Romans 11:1).
In 1989 I arrived in Russia and Ukraine. In those days we ministered in
poor, impoverished areas, sleeping on floors and standing in bread
lines, identifying with the people we were trying to reach. The response
to the Gospel was overwhelming, beyond any experience I ever witnessed
in Jewish ministry up to that point. It almost had a surreal quality
about it. All the preaching, teaching, training, discipling, and
affirming-- all through translators--is a blur of activity as I remember
the “24/7 ministry” of those days.
In the early 1990s I went to Berlin because of reports that there were
100,000 Jews immigrating to Germany. The German government invited
Russian Jews to immigrate, where they were offered benefits including
community housing in apartment complexes throughout the country. I
traveled with a translator throughout Germany, proclaiming that Messiah
has come, and Yeshua is His Name. The response was similar to what we
had seen in Russia and Ukraine, where so many came to faith in Messiah!
These outreaches became Bible studies, and then developed into
congregations. Now, fifteen years later, Berlin was chosen as the
gathering place for a Russian Jewish Messianic Leadership Conference
where I saw leaders from around the globe ministering just as they had
been taught.
Future Opportunities!
At the conference it seemed like I spent
every waking hour counseling, teaching, and encouraging one man after
another. I have been invited to return to conduct evangelism,
congregation planting, and leadership seminars in Eastern Europe, Israel
and Germany. God is also opening doors to minister in new areas like
Kazakhstan and South America!
As I ministered during the week I was thrilled to see leaders thriving
in their ministries, but I also recognized that in some locations there
is an urgent need for further teaching and training. I am desirous by
the grace of God to do what God has enabled me to do, to train and
assist leaders to succeed in furthering the Good News of Messiah. As
thankful as I am for what God allowed me to achieve by His grace in the
past, I still desire to see even more accomplished as the Lord leads. So
presently plans are being made for 2007 ministry in Kazakhstan,
Stuttgart, Berlin, and many other places, as God will provide what is
needed in both grace and finances. Please pray that the Lord will raise
up many who will stand with us this year and help us to bring the Good
News to the Jew first, and the Gentile too, both in the US and around
the world. Y
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A
Little Background
The Messianic movement among Russian Jews
started in the late 1800’s when Josef Rabinowitz an influential
religious and community leader traveled to Israel in order to see if he
could establish a Jewish community there. But, when he came to the land
of his forefathers it turned out to be a pivotal moment in his life. It
was there in Israel that he made a life changing discovery: Jesus was
the King of Israel and the Jewish Messiah! After his return to his home
city Kishinev, in south-western Russia (currently Moldova) he
established the Messianic movement proclaiming Jesus as the Jewish
Messiah to his brethren. And by the way it is interesting to note that
in 1885 Josef was baptized at a church in Berlin. Those seeds that were
planted by Josef Rabinowitz came to fruition more that a 100 years
later. God’s Word is true, He is faithful, and His promises are “Yes”
and “Amen” (2 Cor. 1:20). It is truly amazing to see His Word coming to
pass. Just 15 years ago it would have been impossible to plan this kind
of conference, for then there were only a handful of Russian Messianic
leaders. Today by God’s grace and His providence over 100 Russian Jewish
leaders from many countries gathered together to testify to God’s love
for Israel and the Jewish people. The God of Israel has brought life to
those who were once spiritually dead, and has restored to service the
natural branches-- to their own Olive Tree (Romans 11:24). Praise the
Lord for His infinite wisdom and the power of His resurrection!
I believe this Messianic conference is only a small, but great
beginning. It’s never easy in the beginning, but the future will be
glorious. I pray that what is happening among Russian Jewish people is
an encouragement to your heart as you see your prayers for the salvation
of Jewish people being answered. What a testimony of God’s unfailing
love.
Casting a Vision
As the Word of Messiah
Russian Ministry
Coordinator I was asked to spearhead a session for women and to teach a
class on women’s discipleship. At first I was hesitant to accept the
invitation since in Russian culture women’s ministries are still
underappreciated and have not been developed. But as I prayed the Lord
encouraged me to go and minister to those in need of encouragement and
to cast a vision for establishing outreach to women in their local
congregations.
WMM has developed material that specifically ministers to women. Miriam
Nadler’s book, Sense and
Sensibility…Honoring God with My Life based on Titus 2:3-5, proved
to be a great tool, and provided a platform for me to show the Biblical
premise that women are to mentor and disciple women in their walk with
the Lord.
I chose to teach the chapter on Our Divine Calling as women. The
Lord has blessed above and beyond what I prayed. To my surprise those
who attended the women’s seminar were not only congregational leaders’
wives, but also congregational leaders who wanted to understand and to
learn how women’s ministries could work in their local congregations and
how they could implement what they learned to encourage their women to
minister to one another. This was an incredible encouragement to me
because I could see that the goal in casting a vision for women’s
ministries had been reached; I saw the result and fruit of this
initiative right then and there. After I finished teaching women came up
to me asking for my notes. They also expressed their desire for the book
to be translated into Russian so they could use it as a tool to mentor
and disciple other women in their congregations.
I believe that women have great influence on people around them, whether
it is to their husbands, children, friends, or neighbors. My heart’s
desire is to see women mature in the Lord and for them to discover their
unique calling to be lived out in their daily lives. We can make a
difference in this world and bring honor to the Lord. Let us pray
especially for those women who are in leadership and pray that in the
near future God will provide an opportunity to translate Sense &
Sensibility into Russian . Shalom!
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