Dear brothers and sisters, greetings to you from Jerusalem!

I write this letter on a day when Israeli cities are, once again, being fired upon by rockets from Gaza. Please pray for the end of the war and that there will be peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

My 99-year-old father, Abram Banchik, died at the end of July in San Jose (California, USA). He has been in a rehabilitation center for many months. He was visited three times a week by a home attendant called Anatoly, who constantly told my father about Christ. Dad loved listening to these stories. He told me on the phone: “Anatoly is agitating me to switch to your faith. I believe that all decisions come from God.” Unfortunately, I cannot say that my dad accepted Christ into his heart.

In the Jerusalem Church, I began teaching on the Epistle to the Galatians, which is a stumbling block for modern Messianic Judaism. They argue that the Epistle to the Galatians is written only for the Gentiles and has nothing to do with the Jews. Therefore, I believe it is essential to explain to people the true meaning of this beautiful message.

At the bible studies in Jerusalem and Jaffa, we study the Book of Psalms, as well as stories about Christian martyrs of the 20th century. In the last lesson, we studied an interesting passage:

“Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.” – Psalm 45:6

Rabbis usually translate this as, “Your throne, given by God forever…” They do not want to admit that the King of Israel, the Messiah, is God. We know that Jesus Christ is King and God and constantly thank the Lord for the opportunity to serve Him. Pray with us that the Lord will give us the strength and health for this service for His glory.

Prayer Requests:

  • The cessation of acts of terrorism in Israel and other countries.
  • The physical health of those in the church.
  • That people would hear the Good News of Christ with open and willing hearts.

I thank you for prayer and material support. Let our Lord bless you and keep you!

Yours,

Leonid B.