Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings to you from Israel! I went again to a prison near N_____ to minister to the prisoners. Some of them have come to faith in Christ, and we teach them the Scriptures. Others are open to hearing the Gospel, and we seek to evangelize them.
Nikolay is one prisoner who has recently come to faith in Christ. Nikolay has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering four different people. During our previous meetings he expressed hope that he will possibly be released one day. He submitted an appeal that the court rejected. Now he understands that will be imprisoned for the rest of his earthly life.
Nikolay believes in Jesus, and he shares the Gospel with all the Russian-speaking prisoners. He reads the bible and constantly seeks to pray with other believing inmates. This time I spoke with Nikolay about John the Baptist and his death. Nikolay admitted to me that it is painful to read how Herod cruelly executed this man. I told him that John the Baptist is sometimes called by theologians the last prophet of the Old Testament. He was Christ’s forerunner, an extraordinary and courageous person, and now he is with the Lord! I encouraged Brother Nikolay that all of us who know and walk with the Lord can have that blessed assurance that we will be with Him, no matter what happens to us. Before I left, we had a wonderful time of prayer together.
I continue conducting bible studies in two different cities. We are currently going through the workbook by Paul Washer entitled The One True God. We just finished the first lesson devoted to the Trinity. This lesson was very helpful to all of us. The leaders of some messianic congregations in Israel try to avoid teaching on the Trinity. Most often they claim that because the specific word “trinity” is not found in the Scriptures, any teaching on it isn’t essential. Some messianic leaders even admitted to me in a private conversation that they don’t believe in the Trinity. I am seeking to help them understand the truth and importance of this doctrine. Please pray with me that the Lord will cure them from this heresy!
I thank the Lord for an older lady named Natasha who lives in the nursing home. After sharing the Gospel with her, she has been regularly listening to sermons and reading the bible. It seems clear that the Lord has given her new life in Christ!
We praise the Lord for how He is working among us here. Please pray for:
– Nikolay
– The growth of our church and God’s blessing on the bible studies
– The messianic leaders who do not believe in the Trinity
– Natasha
– Our evangelism and outreach efforts
– Peace in Israel