Thank you for praying. The following report gives some insight to the recent trip.
David's friendship and prayer was vital and, as always, Elaine's tireless support and the encouragement of text messaging was a great blessing!
Friday evening
Two churches gathered, and several responded to the challenge to put away idols and to serve the Living God. We returned home at 2am in the morning!
Saturday
We had 13 leaders including wives, and it was encouraging to see several churches represented. One of the leaders has 100 members, which seems quite large for Poland. He also wants to come to Africa. We have been well received, the people are hungry for God's word. They are working very hard here, and are longing for spiritual break through. They have needed (and responded well to) encouragement.
The response to the Prayer Day on 21 July was very good. They are eager to participate. We also met someone who was aware of the INSPIRATION NETWORK, and there is the real possibility of some Polish brethren watching on 21 June. PRAISE THE LORD.
Sunday Morning
We were in a church in a poor part of Warsaw, where I have been before. The people were very welcoming and excited to see us. I preached on John 5, and the response was very good. One woman came for prayer, and I asked about her necklace. It looked like it was strangling her. She said that was what was happening, like an enemy held her by the throat. After prayer, I told her to discard the necklace as a symbol of freedom in Christ, and she knew God's touch. Another woman needed prayer, and I asked about her children. She had a son 20 years ago and her husband left the same time. After prayer for forgiveness, and giving her son consciously to the Lord, she felt a burden lift, and was happy.
A family was prayed for, and encouraging the husband to give his wife space for herself went down well as a cure for anger boiling inside her. We also encouraged them to plead the blood of Jesus over each room. We are looking that now the children will sleep without nightmares.
Many more responded for prayer, some confessing bondage to sin. The man in John 5 was told to stop sinning.
Sunday Evening
The meeting was very encouraging, with over 100 present, the largest church so far this trip. I preached on John 2. Three professed salvation, and others seemed to pray the prayer of repentance without coming to the front. Only the Lord knows what was happening whether renewing commitment or first time commitment. People responded to prayer for chest pains, defects from birth, many admitted that they were handling situations by themselves instead of inviting Jesus into it. SEVERAL WERE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, and there was a very strong sense of the Lord's presence moving among us.
After a morning tour of Warsaw, we went to a church for an evening meeting. It was valuable to have fellowship with the pastor before the meeting, and again we gathered that expectation for a breakthrough in their church life was high. I preached on Matthew 24, and it was good to discover afterwards that as the church had lost momentum in evangelism, so the encouragement to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to speed the coming of the Lord Jesus was timely. Many responded to the encouragement to receive a fresh filling of the Spirit to have power to preach the gospel. Also, people struggling with hard issues were encouraged to respond to the Lord and realise that the gospel of come to Jesus and everything will be wonderful is not the Gospel.
Overall, this trip seemed to be the best of the trips to Poland. Relationships are being built, the teaching is well received, I was invited in the informal/meal times to say anything I felt the Lord was showing me about how they are building church, and my impression of their progress, which was a great privilege. The response to joining in the DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE NATIONS on 21 July was tremendous, and there is a genuine stirring in their hearts regarding Africa, which has much potential. Generous giving from these brothers and sisters will be diverted to Bibles for Africa.
Thank you for praying. The trip was very tiring, and the enemy always tries to sow distractions, but on the ministry level it was so obvious that the Lord was present. I now have contact with the following pastors. Please pray for them.
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