Shalom Aleichem (Peace unto you).
“So then, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where He had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own Land.” (Jeremiah 23: 7-8)
Two things are very striking in the verse above. First, it reveals that there will be a Second Exodus greater than the first one 3500 years ago out of Egypt. Secondly, it is very apparent, looking at a world map and with biblical scholars in agreement, that this Second Exodus out of a land north of Israel is from none other than Russia, the former Soviet Union.
Now let’s look at a little bit of history. In 597 B.C., the Babylonians began conquering Israel and the Jewish people. There were three different waves of deportation in the Babylonian Captivity. It was Jeremiah who prophesied that the Babylonian Captivity would last 70 years, which scripture testifies was fulfilled.
It just so happened, King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon at the end of the 70 years and declared that Jews were free to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their Temple. Some did return, but many stayed in Babylon or moved to other countries, such as Russia, where millions of Jews have lived and suffered persecution for centuries. The census in the late 1800’s recorded the Jewish population in Russia at over 5 million. Once again, because of God’s love for His people,
it just so happened that the total dissolution of the Soviet Union took place on December 31, 1991, with many Jews finally free to make Aliyah - the return to their Ancient Homeland of Israel. It was then in this atheistic world of the USSR, spiritual revival came down as fire and light in great power after
70 years of Communism with many Jewish people discovering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through faith in Yeshua as their Messiah! Halleluyah,
it just so happened God planted me in the former Soviet Union at "such a time as this" (Esther 4:14) to stand up for His people in an anti-Jewish depressive place!
And so it was in 1993 during this outpouring of the Holy Spirit wooing the Chosen people to their Heavenly Father, that God’s Grace International focused its ministry on the former Soviet Union. Little did I know then I would be moving to Russia in April of 1994 to plant the first Messianic Congregation in Moscow because we needed to proclaim the Good News of Yeshua the Messiah with a culturally sensitive Messianic Jewish synagogue with seeds from Jonathan Bernis’ Hear O Israel outreach festival.
Much spiritual fruit blossomed, but it was tough going the first year because of the need to acclimate myself to a different culture without knowing the Russian language! But gradually, all began to fall into place as our Moscow Congregation became my "second home"! We enjoyed amazing spiritual and numerical growth in three years with many home groups established, Jewish leaders raised up in positions of Zakenim and Shamashim (elders and deacons), and a Rabbi commissioned. As a result of these leaders and my Associate leader, we began to plant and establish other Messianic Jewish congregations in Russia and Ukraine. It had finally come to the point in time to release the congregation to these indigenous leaders’ care as my Associate and I pulled back into an oversight position.
As more congregations were planted, it became necessary to have leader's conferences twice a year for accountability, teaching, goal setting, fellowship, and encouragement. I have shared this to let you know that I just returned from Russia where we held our leader's conference for 17 leaders at our congregation in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. What began 17 years ago is thriving with people coming to faith and growing spiritually, with new works being established in other regions of Russia. God Is Good! I gave the Shabbat message in two of our congregations, taught a number of times in our leader's conference, and had many timely opportunities of sharing, counseling and praying individually with people in need.
Next week I will be in Texas for our Executive Board meeting and the yearly banquet for the Messianic Jewish Bible Institutes as a member of their Executive Board. Two days later, I will be on a plane bound for Israel involved with our affiliate organization, Helping Hand Coalition. God has favored us with amazing opportunities in Israel to present our compassionate loving God to many who need to know Him personally in their hearts, not just their heads.
Some of you have entered into our ministry by praying regularly for our endeavors while others are involved in additional partnership with your donations for the key projects God has given us to do. Whether you have partnered with us in one of these blessed areas of service, or both, we truly thank you for your involvement and confidence in us. We know there is much need in the world, including right here in our own backyard, and therefore we understand if you are unable to give at this time. But let me encourage you that whether it is $5,000 or $5, your gift will be a blessing providing much needed sustenance to those who have so little in the former Soviet Union and Israel. There are still many Holocaust survivors in the former Soviet Union as well in Israel who are living from meal to meager meal, needing to know God’s love for them in the few years they have left on this earth.
Large or small, a gift of any amount is very much needed to care for the desperate needs of God’s people. Thank you for your gift.
Click here to use our secure online donation. As always, all overhead and administrative expenses for God’s Grace International are 100% paid for by its founder. Any gift from you goes
fully to GOD’s work.
