• Michael Bentley

    PRAYER LETTER JULY 2019 SUMMER TOUR – Michesti, Romania-RO

    Dear supporters of my ministry,

      The summer tour of 2019 has started.  I consider it a day of miracles that I left on the day planned-1.6. God’s hand was evident. First  let’s go back to summer tour of 2018.  Florin of Hunedoara, RO was blessed of Christ when his wife was saved. I visited Linda Callahan Sinopidis in 2018 in Katerini, Greece-GR.  Her husband Yiotis died in 2019.  Linda has 2 children, Virginia in NY with 2 children and Nomi in Athens, GR engaged to be married.  In heat of summer 2018 I was distributing in Zagrev, Crotia-HR.  I was pressed to finish before leaving for SLOVENIA-SLO. A woman asked me if I wanted a glass of cold water!  I saw in her hand God’s hand.  

      My furlough in USA was mid-Sept. 2018 to mid-May 2019.  Casper Koning of Gospel Text Mission turned over the mission he founded to 3 other men in 2018.  Then Casper’s health worsened and he now is slowly recovering from a heart attack.  I gave out about 60 of their gospel signs while in USA.  In Jan. 2019 I visited Florida supporters.  Faith Baptist Church in Silver Springs has a new pastor Joshua Sweet, a grad of Crown College of The Bible in Powell, TN.  Pastor Roger Walton the last pastor is fighting cancer and is in NC.  Pastor Sweet gave me some truckers’ NTs which were a joy to distribute, he also gave me Arabic lit. which I gave to Gary Johnson of Huricane, WV.  I knew Gary when he was a missionary in Israel among the Arabs.  Diana Spence is from FL.  She saw my contact on Facebook with Maranatha Village Retirement Center.  She checked it out and has moved there in Sebring, FL.  I am thankful for the fellowship I had with Lance & Debbie Rossier in Jacksonville, FL. I met with his brother Rand in Lakeland, FL.  Tim Judge is 79 and is a retired Independent Baptist missionary in Milton, FL.  He is blind but somehow does read the Bible with a tablet.  He still sends out English lit. to the Philippines.  A fellow student of Tenn. Temple Schools died in Milton, John Perkins in April 2018.  I visited his daughter Janice and her brother Rony.  A Baptist pastor Jim Renfro  a friend of the Perkins was very helpful to them and to me.   He arranged for me a meeting in a Baptist church I had never visited.   This furlough I spoke in 4 churches I had never visited.  In Arkansas Pastor Dwight Scott arranged a meeting in his church Lone Grove Missionary B. C.  I had good fellowship with his pastor Billy.  Richard Brogdan in Ohio who was a missionary in Jerusalem, IL got me a meeting near his home.  I visited Br. Sam & Damaris Bolet in Davenport, Iowa and spoke in his church, Berean Baptist.  Sam was a missionary in Madrid, Spain.    

      In Alabama I met with Herman & Beverly Pinion.  Herman went with me on the 1990 summer tour to Ukraine, UA.  I was able to speak in Bluff Park Bible Church in Birmingham, AL.  Renewing fellowship with supporting churches helps the missionary to be aware of up to date information about the church.  Acts 15:36. In Athens, AL I visited the Wahl family farm. A lot of activity there in the home. You can see part of their work at website: wisementrading.com  They purchased additional land which is helpful for their butterfly business.  They use the Gospel Text Mission posters.  In Oklahoma I visited David & Martha Langley. David helps me with my computer and with correspondence with my financial supporters.  He & Martha will stay in my apartment in France in August for their 47THanniversary.  

      It was helpful to visit the CMC Headquarters in Houston, TX. Linda Bridges is in charge of the office.    CMC cares for about 700 missionary families.  They have run out of office space and are seeking a solution.  Pastor Larry Maddox is pastor of Central Baptist church & is head of CMC.   I was blessed with the time spent with him.  In Lubbock, TX Skyline Baptist with pastor Glenn & Judy Harlin stand behind my ministry.  Glenn has been dealing with an infection in his knee where his knee replacement is.  I was not able to stay with the Harlins so I stayed with Royce & Cynthia Blair in Plains, TX.  I was able to speak in Royce’s Sunday school class in First Baptist in Plains.  I headed north after TX and I went to Davenport, Iowa to be with Sam Bolet and I spoke in his church.  I am thankful to have renewed fellowship with Norm & Kathy Oswald.  They were friends in Israel.  Kathy is now in a retirement home.  I stayed also with Dan Flasman in Chicago area.  I was a student at TTS with his brother John.  John has been seeking many years for assurance that he is saved.  Then on my way to Burntwood Baptist in Thompson, Manitoba, Canada I stopped in Winnipeg. MB.  There Elvin Ensign and I visited a Jewish man from Israel and his son. His son showed some interest.  Elvin worked in Winnipeg among the Jews for many years.  He wrote a book on Jewish testimonies he knew of in his ministry.  It is on Amazon & Kindle Books.  Eternity with YeshuaHamashiac.  Several of the churches I visited this furlough have been supporting my work since 1972.  So is the case with Burntwood Baptist.  The present pastor is Br. Lee & Donna Picket.  He often goes to Israel.  I was thankful to teach 2 Sundays in the church and I showed slides of Israel.  I enjoy showing the Valley of Jezreel & The Shefelah & Jerusalem.  Shefelah is the lowlands between the mountains of Judah and the Philistine plain. In Deut 1:7 Shefelah is translated “vale”.  

     In Ellerslie, MD I visited Calvary Bible Church with pastor Greg & Autum Miller.  Br Greg is dealing with Lymes disease.  It is a challenge for his stamina.  The retired pastor Ken & Carol Korns is still able to drive and minister but he is limited by his macular degeneration and other problems with his body.   I said good bye to my brother & sister in Jacksonville, FL, and 2 supporting churches: Trinity Baptist & Cornerstone Baptist.   

      I was 2 weeks in Athis-Mons, FR and by many miracles I left June 1 for Switzerland-CH.  Pastor Hans & Sylvie Rufenacht from Port, CH support my ministry.  I was glad also to visit Dieter Reinbold in Teningen, Germany-D.  I had missed him for 3 years.  GBV gave me literature as since 1990.  I saw again Michael Gabi and family in Ludwigsburg, D.  He was saved in Jerusalem from a Muslim background.  I stayed the weekend in Word of Life D and I visited the church in Wolfratshausen which is interested in my ministry.  The Rainer & Valerie Nothaf family as usual was very hospitable.  Irmgard as every year gave me many things to distribute in Eastern Europe, especially new children’s clothes.  As last year Pastor Stefan & Claudia Kuoniger in Salzburg, Austria-A received me. I again distributed in the area of the church.  I stayed  at WOLHU near Budapest Hungary.  Shabbat offered me wonderful contacts with Jews, especially from Israel.  I only had 9 pieces of Hebrew lit. as the rest was hidden in my packed utility van.  I had good conversations in Hebrew handing them out.  At the end of my 9 pieces I had a New Testament.  I believe it went to the right person.  She was open and appreciative of the NT.  I had two short talks with her.  In RO I spoke in 2 Independent Baptist churches of Beius & Hunedorara.  I spoke in Cisnedia then had the 7-day conference on Revelation in Mioveni assembly. I only covered 10 chapters so we will continue in 2020, God willing.

      I trust to enter Ukraine-UA by July 11 to visit Chernivsy-, Costopol-Stefan Yanchuck, 16-18.7, Rovno-Independent Baptist Pavlichenka-20.7, Kiev-Michael Mistecsy & Pixova IBPC-26.7, Uman, Vinitsa-Pastor Vladimir & Nadia Yuhymets-30.7.  Our Rucar, RO camp  is 3-10.8. We will study Matt 8-10 or 11. After camp I will visit Bucharest, RO then head back to FR by HU, Croatia-HR, Slovenia-SLO, Italy-IT, A, Slovak-SK, Czech-CZ, D.  I pray to be back in FR by 10.9, God enabling.  In October I will visit Crete, Greece-GR for a week & Israel-IL for 3 months.  Asking your prayers.

    Praising Jesus Christ for eagle’s wings,  Isaiah 40:29-31

  • Alexandru Fintoiu

    La cine alergi?

    În general, oamenii așteaptă miracole de la Dumnezeu. Și acesta ar fi principalul motiv pentru care Îl urmează. Setea de nemaivăzut, de supranatural, e ca o febră care cuprinde inima. În general omul nu dorește să urmeze un Dumnezeu care promite o viață liniștită, normală dar schimbată. El dorește artificii.

    Poate din acest motiv când apar musafiri în biserică se strâng mai mulți oameni ca de obicei. Vor să audă ceva nou, spus altfel sau realizat altfel. Deși Cuvântul este același, deși motivația urmării Lui ar trebui să rămână aceeași, oamenii se satură de stereotipuri și uneori se întind mai mult decât îi ține plapuma.

    Din cauza setei de nou îi paște pericolul devierii de la traseul racordat în Hristos. Cercetarea personală ar trebui să fie simplă. Dacă umplu biserica doar atunci când apar noutăți, oameni, înseamnă că motivul principal pentru care merg nu este Dumnezeu.

    Dacă merg la închinare de fiecare dată, dorind să mă las cercetat de Duhul Sfânt, se schimbă raționamentul. Avem nevoie de Hristos, nu de spectacole. Chiar El spunea că cei care cred în Dumnezeu doar pentru semne și minuni, nu-L urmează decât până la o vreme.

    Credința trebuie să fie zilnică, indiferent ce invitați sunt în biserici, Cel mai mare este Hristos. El este motivul, dorința, bucuria și nădejdea. Dacă  ne bucură în biserică altceva, mulțimea, oratoria, muzica, în afara lui Isus înseamnă că avem nevoie de o viață nouă.

    Ce nu pricep oamenii este că ei trebuie să meargă la Isus.