Category Archives: from the Balkans

Conference

gatheringOn a Friday afternoon where the cold had pushed away the spring and the snow had begun to fall, folks from as far away as Belgrade, from five or more churches, gathered for a Bible conference. Our assigned text is:

” if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Last night we focused on who really are God’s people. Our attention was drawn to the sufficiency of the work of Jesus on the cross and in his resurrection.

teaching

 

I told a story of the work our Ukrainian partners have been doing for the sake of orphans and how they seek to see every orphan adopted! Then we considered what Paul teaches us about being adopted by God. I mentioned how expensive it is to adopt a child and then I reminded us of the GREAT price God paid to adopt us… the death of Jesus. Our sins put him on the cross, his righteousness imparted to us. His adoption of us planned by him, paid for by him, we simple receive… indeed, as we sang…

 

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His grace IS enough.

Today at 9, 11, 4:30 and 5:30 pm we will continue (trust me, I DID NOT set up such a heavy schedule).

Please pray that God will continue to speak in and through us to one another as we study:

– humbling ourselves and repentance

– humility and forgiveness

– how will God use us as HE heals our land

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Filed under being a disciple, from the Balkans, photos along the way, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings

Sojourner

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I took this picture yesterday as I walked across this bridge crossing the Danube river from Croatia to Serbia…

Peter talks about our being sojourners in this world. When I travel I am not a tourist, nor am I a “local.” I am not “just passin thru” with no cares or concerns. But I am also not tied to the places I go to and invest in. Indeed, if my heart is right there are things about each place, things that are compelling that are different than the others. Some places are more comfortable than others, some provoke more thought than others. I have to think about the way I relate to people culturally which is different, perhaps from the last place…

This is what Peter means in his first epistle about the way Christians ought to view this world. Being travelers who know and care but are not from there, we are from and belong to another place, yet as we visit, we care and we invest. How are you investing in the place you are visiting and the people therein?

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January 24, 2014 · 07:21

pastors meeting and lunch in Serbia

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Two leaders gathered 20 pastors and leaders for singing, prayer and lunch today.

I was blessed to speak on the humility of Jesus as our example. Leaders responded to God in prayer.

CEO is blessed to be able to make this happen…

Many ministry partners worked  together to make this happen. Thanks be to God for this collaboration.

Tomorrow and Saturday I will be serving as preacher/teacher in Backa Topola for one session Friday night and 3 on Saturday.

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Filed under from the Balkans, photos along the way

stunned

Today was my first time on a bus from Sarajevo northward to e. Croatia. I was stunned when I observed the conditions along the road in north central Republika Srpka (the ethnic Serbian part of BiH).

I feel like I saw more ruins of houses from the war (presumably) than I have seen since my first visit to Vukovar in ’03, a little over a decade.

Indeed, the conditions in this part of the region rival southern Serbia for being run down but compounded by the war damage, which appears untouched. My heart goes out to these people.

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Filed under from the Balkans, travel notes

view from a hill

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Just after noon I stood on a hill where about 1/3 of Sarajevo was in view. I prayed for the mercy of God to be made real to this city…

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At sun down I was perched on a mountain praying as the Muslim call to prayer began… I prayed for the Gospel to be real to this city and for the small group of workers who God has here for that reason.

Sweet hours of prayer indeed.

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Filed under from the Balkans, photos along the way, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings

Travel Day

At 6am tomorrow morning, three of us will load up in a car…no train… 😦
and drive from northern Hungary (almost Slovakia) to eastern Croatia. I’ll hang out there for a few hours and then board a bus to Sarajevo to visit some of Jesus’ followers in this Muslim city in SE Europe.

I have two goals: encourage leaders who are bringing the gospel of Jesus to this city and pray over the city that God would draw many to Himself.

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Filed under from the Balkans, travel notes