Dear Friend in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah,

 

 Shalom and warmest greetings to you in Emmanuel’s Precious and Exalted Name! (Psalm 57:5 and 11).

     As 2009 draws to a close, I pray you are well and that this letter will be a great blessing to you. I thank God for each friend who is

 sacrificially giving and remembering this work of the Lord as partner in their prayers. Thank you very much for encouragements and standing

 with me in 2009 to bring the Gospel to lost souls. Through the Lord’s grace and your prayers, and giving, the Beth-El Ministries continues

 evangelizing Jews, Muslims, Israelites, Russians, Ukrainians, Chinese, Polish and others. I pray that we continue to go together in 2010, too.

 We know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. I would like to wish you abundant blessings for this bright holiday season of Hanukah and

 Christmas, two holidays, the history of which are full of light and great wonders.

 

      In the Gospel of John we read, “And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only

 begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The eternal Word of God, who was from the beginning, and through whom

 everything came into existence, became flesh and dwelt on earth. What a marvelous truth, that the Son of God, our Lord Jesus the Messiah,

 came to this world.

 

     Hanukah (Feast of Dedication or Feast of Lights) is celebrated for a period of 8 days. On the first day (this year on December 11), every

 Jewish home lights up for the Hanukah (Hanukah menorah). According to the tradition, the shammas (helper light) is lit first. Then, from the

 shammas on additional light of the menorah is lit each night. It is a Jewish tradition among many. However, it contains such a deep messianic

 meaning, such an evident symbol of The Messiah. Just like the shammas- the candle bearing the light, has separated from other candle lights

 of the Menorah and placed higher above higher above the others- God has exalted the Messiah Jesus “to be Prince and Savior” (Acts 5:31).

 The shammas candle is placed on the Hanukiah as the ninth candle, but it is as if it’s not to be reckoned on it( for the days of the holiday are 8

 in number). Is it not the same as the Bible presents Israel to us? As a “people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations”

 (Numbers 23:9). Is it not the same as Jesus not being counted among the sons of Israel? “He came to His own, but His own did not receive

 Him” (John 1:11). Is it not only the same, as the ones who are saved by Him are lit up not from an independent light, but only from the

 Shammas- the light of His resurrection?

 

     At the end of each year, are 2 holidays, the history of which are full of light and great wonders –Hanukah and Christmas.

 It was not the light of Hanukah that renewed the world with great hope, but the One whom the Lord has sent into the world “that we might

 live through Him” (1 John 4:9) He allowed for His temple to be destroyed, but God has built Him up, again. He resurrected the Messiah from

 the dead and lit up as the Everlasting Shammas. Christmas- is a holiday of those who burn along with Him in the same hanukiah,

 the holiday of everyone born again through Him and His resurrection.

 

     In the last month, I continued to witness in the streets, hospitals, nursing homes, and malls. More than 700 hundred people received

 witnesses by the Lord’s grace. I also visited cities of Philadelphia (where 300000 Russian speaking Jews live) and Seattle, where we had 

 missionary work.

    In Philadelphia, within 3 days we witnessed to more than 500 people. In 3 malls I met more than 25 Israelites. In the first mall (I forgot the

 name of the mall) I met K. who is a Russian speaking Israeli lady. She took from me a Bible. A., another Israeli, also got the Bible. 

 Another 2 Israelites refused to receive the Holy Scriptures.  Young Israeli S., was very open and took the Holy Scriptures.

 I also met one man and woman from India and witnessed them. After one hour of witnessing in that mall, the security stopped us and

 asked us to give them all the Bibles. After that they asked us to leave the mall. They said that they don’t allow people to witness about Jesus.

 We left the mall. On the same evening we went to witness to the Russian food store where we met more than 200 people. Most of them

 were Jewish. But also we met people from Romania, China, India, Turkey and people from a couple Arabic countries. Some of them were

 open to witnesses. But a lot of them were not open. I met one young Muslim lady from Uzbekistan. She told me that she cannot even touch

 the Holy Scriptures. Another woman said that she is Jewish and doesn’t need Jesus because Jesus is only for Gentiles. One man told me that

 he is so sorry that people don’t want to hear about Jesus, and asked me to give him literature. After that he asked me to give some for his

 wife. At the end of the day, the owners of the store came to us and told that they are going to call the police because they received a lot of

 complains from people that we’re witnessing about Jesus. Really we witnessed on the street, but not on their property area. We decided to

 leave. On the next day, Pastor B.M. (from Slavic Bible Church) ,and I went to two more malls. We were so blessed by witnessing to more

 than 15 Israelites, a couple of Turkish people, people from Puerto Rico, China, India, and Albania. I met 2 Israelites in the mall that were so

 glad to accept 2 Bibles. One of them told me that she wants to know who the Messiah is. Another Israeli told me that she not allowed read

 NT because she is Jewish. Young Israeli T. told me that he received the witnesses before, but Jesus is not for him. I had a conversation with

 him. After that he asked me about the people, who denied Jesus, if they are going to hell? He asked me a direct question. I said that Yeshua

 loves him and without Yeshua there is no life and no hope, and people who denied Yeshua will be in the hell. Two other Israelites were open,

 and one of them gave me an address to send him a Bible. We also met a young lady from Albania, whose mother is Christian and father is

 Muslim. She asked a lot of questions about life and its purpose. We witnessed to her for a long time, and suggested her to read the word of

 God. Another man gave me his address to send him a Bible in Turkish. I already filled all those requests.

 

     The next day we witnessed in another Russian food store. I met one Rabbi from Israel who told me that I do a big sin that never can be

 forgiven because I speak about Jesus. I said that the God already forgave me on the Calvary. The rabbi took his hands and covered his ears

 and said that he can’t hear this (Look at Acts 7:57). Another family told me that they are Jewish and “born again” for Moses. After that they

 cursed Jesus. An Azerbaijanian family from Iran received a Scriptures in Persian. A young Palestinian Muslim lady from Jerusalem received

 from me an NT in Arabic. She said that she is really interested to read this book. One Jewish man told me that he believes that Jesus was sent

 by God, and maybe he is a prophet. When I told him that Jesus is God, the Jewish man became so angry.

 

  

     Thank you again for your partnership with us. If God leads you to help us financially, send your donation to the Beth-El Messianic

 Congregation, P.O. Box 360165, Cleveland, OH, 44136. All donations are tax deductible. 

 

    Thank you for your prayers for my family and Congregation. Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas.

    May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Almighty God of Israel, richly bless you. 

                                                                                                 In the Lord-Messiah Yeshua, Pastor Igor.