In Whom We Have Redemption

The church is beautiful

2012-01-30T14:31:00.000-08:00

After we spent some time working on it, the church looks beautiful!

We had some great new flooring installed and with the new paint, and new stain on the podium, it turned our very nice.

Working on the church

2012-01-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

We had a great time working on the church for a couple of weeks. Plus, I got to wear those neat Croatian overalls! You can't beat that.

Great day soulwinning

2012-01-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

Knocking doors tonight, we met a man named Josip. He looked at us a little strangely as if he didn't know what to think. Then, as the conversation progressed, he said he had been seeing people on the street with gospel signs and it had made him start thinking about eternity. He wanted to know more about what to expect after this life, so Bro Johnny was able to share the plan of salvation, and Josip said he wants to bring his family to our church services to learn more. (I love it God gives a great affirmation like this! Amen!)

A great day in the House of God on Christmas Day

2011-12-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

We had great day in the House of God on Christmas Day! The Lord blessed through the preaching of His Word. Bro Johnny Leslie, preaching in the Croatian language, did a marvelous job. God met with us! We had a total of three services, and over 100 people in attendance over the course of the day. The photos show some of the highlights of our services.

Some of the children doing a skit for our Christmas program

The big finale - Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Amen!

Hannah Leslie singing a special in our evening service. She sang beautifully!

Bro Scott Holcomb singing Silent Night in English AND in Croatian. Wow.

Bro Scott Holcomb and Bro Kevin Brown playing a special in the morning service. Praise the Lord!

Special Project, Please Help:

2011-12-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

Stjepan Juras, a kind and gracious man about 65 years old came up to us on the street today. He was happy to see us standing for Christ with our gospel signs. After he found out we were from America, he told us he has family in America, but has lost contact with them. He lives with a broken heart wanting to find his lost family members. I have his complete address and would love to help him reconnect with his loved ones. Please re-post the following or whatever you can do to assist.

**********************************************
Stjepan Juras is searching for his loved ones in America. He heard they may be in the Carolinas, but really has no idea. He is about 65 years old and misses his family dearly.
If anyone in America knows the Juras family from Croatia, please contact SAM WARD through http://www.godsavecroatia.com/ for Stjepan's complete address.
**********************************************

Are you quoting the King James Bible?

2011-12-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

Many common English sayings have their origins in the King James Bible.
English speaking people have quoted the King James Bible for generations, whether they know it or not, and whether they intended to or not.

This is a small list of sayings I found in the King James Bible in my regular
reading. I am sure there must be more that I haven't yet noticed.

Do you know of one? If so, leave it in a comment.

blind lead the blind - Matthew 15:14
drop of a bucket - Isaiah 40:15
leopard change his spots - Jeremiah 13:23
gave up the ghost - Lamentation 1:19
in the mean time - Luke 12:1
good while - Genesis 46:29
put words in his mouth - Exodus 4:15
high time - Romans 13:11
such and such - 2 Kings 6:8
heard tell - Numbers 21:1
the other day - Judges 13:10
holier than thou - Isaiah 65:5
used to do - Judges 14:10
now a days - 1 Samuel 25:10
played the fool - 1 Samuel 26:21
heard say - 2 Samuel 19:2
take it to his heart - 2 Samuel 19:19
the half was not told me - 1 Kings 10:7
light thing - 1 Kings 16:31
here and there - 1 Kings 20:40
his day shall come - 1 Samuel 26:10
wit's end - Psalm 107:27
hold ye your peace - 2 Kings 2:3
skin of my teeth - Job 19:20
see eye to eye - Isaiah 52:8
showers of blessing - Ezekiel 34:26
apple of his eye - Deuteronomy 32:10
salt of the earth - Matthew 5:13

Golden opportunity on the corner

2011-12-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

Today as I was standing on my corner with a gospel message at rush hour, two older ladies with worried looks came up and one asked me if I thought there were any taxis in town. There are none, so I let her know that and asked where they needed to go.
It turns out they had locked themselves out of their car at the nearby hospital and needed a ride across town to get another key.
I was only too happy to oblige and this gave me a perfect opportunity to be a blessing and a witness to them, and to practice a little Croatian along the way.
Praise the Lord!

Glorious time on the streets today

2011-12-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

We had a glorious time during "School Bus Rush" time in Cakovec today. Matthew Holcomb, Xavier Holcomb, and Josh Leslie all came out to take a bold stand for Christ. The Lord gave us good weather and PLENTY of traffic.
Hundreds and hundreds had the opportunity to read the gospel message as they drove through town, including all the high schoolers who ride all those buses in the background.
We praise the Lord for the opportunity to stand up for HIM.

Only Jesus Saves. Ye must be born again

2011-12-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

This is Bro Scott Holcomb standing with me recently during rush hour in Čakovec, letting the whole town know, Only Jesus Saves. Ye must be born again.

Talk about Ice Cold

2011-12-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Croatia is a beautiful place and I love it. However, this year we apparently skipped right over fall and went straight into winter. During many recent days, I have looked at the weather on the web and seen the words "freezing fog". The photos I took on the way home from church the other day show what happens to the grass and trees when fog freezes.
So far this year we have had no snow, but we've certainly had a fair share of ice.

Redemption is in Jesus Christ, Not Santa Claus

2011-11-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

(Originally posted Sunday, November 30, 2008)

Redemption is in Jesus Christ, Not Santa Claus

Unfortunately, even Christians in America often teach their children more about the mythical and magical Santa Claus than they do about the true and living Jesus Christ who really loves them and can really answer their prayers, and who is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him.

It breaks my heart to see how the mythical Santa has stolen so much glory and worship from our Saviour, and how he has managed to steal the hearts and imaginations of the children in America.

It breaks my heart to know that the manger scene has been outlawed in many places because it "infringes" on the rights of others, but the mythical Santa is welcome everywhere.

It breaks my heart to consider that teaching children the lie of Santa Claus can often inhibit their ability to trust in the True and Living One. How much damage is done to the faith of a child when that child realizes his faith has been misplaced and his parents have deceived him?

If a survey were to be done, I would imagine that many more children in America would be able to answer a series of questions about the myth of Santa than could answer a similar series of questions about Jesus Christ. Kids in America memorize rhymes and songs and lists having to do with the mythical Santa at an early age.

Children are taught the song,

He knows when you are sleeping

He knows when you're awake

He knows when you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake

Are they also taught the Scripture? Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

Who is Santa trying to imitate? Whose invention is he? I remember the Scripture where one who was lifted up with pride declared, "I will be like the most High".

Children learn of Santa, who sees everything, goes everywhere, was not born and never dies, hears their requests, knows their behaviour, rewards good, punishes evil, lives in the north, and has an endless supply of whatever they need. That sounds like characteristics possessed by only one who is real - the Most High.

Santa has effectively replaced our God and Saviour in America and has done so with all subtlety, where even Bible-believing Christians think articles like this one are ridiculous.

Consider that the early years of life are a time when a young mind can be led to Christ in simple, child-like faith, but instead we make the mistake of deceiving them and leading them to Santa. What a tragedy.

For as long as I have breath, I will sing praises to the One who loved me and gave Himself for me. Santa will not get an ounce of the Lord's glory from me.

Christmas is about Christ and no one else. He is the one who came that we might have life.

Let us remember that glorious night:

Luke 2:8-14

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Let's sing praises to the One who alone is Worthy

Oh come all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant

Oh come ye, oh come

ye to Bethlehem

Come and behold Him

Born the king of angels

Oh come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Sing choir of angels

Sing in exultation

Oh sing all ye bright hosts

Of heaven above

Glory to God all glory

in the highest

Oh come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Ye Lord we greet Thee

Born this happy morning

To Jesus to Thee

be all glory giv'n

Word of the Father

Now the flesh appearing

Oh come let us adore Him

Oh come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord

Let us give ALL the glory to the One in Whom we have redemption.

A double dose of encouragement

2011-11-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

After fighting the flu last week and feeling fairly worthless, it was good to be able to get back out on the street today. As I was preparing to hit the street, I stopped by the ATM near the grocery store where a Christian man recognized me from seeing me on the street with a gospel sign many times before, so he called out to me and wanted to talk for a few minutes and tell me how much he loves to see someone lifting up the word of God on the street. He also said his teenage son brought home a gospel tract I had given him and he thanked me for reaching out to his son with the gospel message.

My next stop was the sign shop where I needed to pick up three new signs. The owner of the shop told me that he knows for a fact many people take notice of the signs during rush hour. He enthusiastically said the times he has left one of my signs standing in his lobby he has received all kinds of comments about it. He said people remember seeing them and are amazed that anyone has the courage and faith to stand that way. He reminded me that no one has ever seen anything like this in Croatia before, so it is amazing to them.

Well, we all know that God gives the courage and all the glory goes to Him. But, what a blessing it is to have these two words of encouragement today just before hitting the streets again. God knows exactly what we need when we need it.

Praise His holy name.

Andy Rooney - Heaven or Hell?

2011-11-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

Anytime a famous person's death is published in the news, the first thought I have is, Did their eternal soul go to heaven or hell?

Admittedly, I can only know that I am saved and going to heaven and I cannot possibly know about anyone else.

However, I do know from the Bible that strong intellect, fame, and business success won't take anyone to heaven.

The only One who can save is Jesus Christ. By faith in Him you can be saved, guaranteeing you a place in heaven for all eternity, regardless of your popularity, talent, or wealth.

Did Andy Rooney ever place his faith for salvation in Jesus Christ and Him alone? Only he and God know that. Although apparently a gifted writer, the only thing that matters to Andy Rooney today is his relationship with Jesus Christ.

This is what the Bible says about how to be saved:

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Ro 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Ro 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Ac 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ...

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Building a reputation as a great writer and making a mark on a worldly profession doesn't purchase a place in heaven.

God is not impressed with worldly success. God is not impressed with great wealth or talent.

God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for Andy Rooney's sins. God offered him the free gift of eternal life, if only he would believe on Jesus Christ and call out to Him for salvation. God gave him 92 years to accept the free gift of eternal life.

Andy Rooney was quoted saying he was an atheist, but God's mercy is so great that if Andy Rooney turned to him in faith even in the last moment of his life, God would have saved his soul.

Did he ever accept Him? If not, it is eternally too late for him. One thing is certain. Andy Rooney is not an atheist anymore.

It's too late for him, but it's not yet too late for you.

On the streets of Varazdin

2011-10-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Here is about 100 good reasons to stand up for Christ in Varazdin.
We saw at least 1,000 of these young people today as they prepared to board buses. We are doing a big push here this week, hoping to see the Word of God make an
impact on the hearts of these precious people.

The Gospel in Romanian (Evanghelia în limba română)

2011-10-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

The Gospel in Romanian (Evanghelia în limba română)

ISUS CRISTOS SALVATORUL

În primul rând, omul trebuie să creadă că există Un Adevărat şi Real Dumnezeu. Iar în al doilea rând, că Dumnezeu poate face orice pentru el aşa cum se scrie în Biblie: că a făcut şi face tot binele pentru om. Numai Dumnezeul Acela care salvează sufletele este Dumnezeul Bibliei. Si numele Salvatorului este Domnul Isus Cristos. Biblia spune în Fapte 4:12 "Nici nu este salvare în nimeni altul; fiindcă nu este nici un alt nume sub cer, dat printre oameni, prin care noi trebuie să fim salvaţi."
O persoană este salvată numai punându-şi încrederea completă în ISUS CRISTOS, deoarece nimic altceva nu o face ca să ajungă în Rai. Şi încrederea aceasta este adevărata credinţă. Credinţa adevărată trebuie să vină, nu din minte, ci din inimă. Iubeşti şi te încrezi în soţia ta sau în soţul tău, cu mintea sau cu inima?
Plato, Aristotel sau Einstein au putut gândi numai atât de departe cât mintea lor finită le-a putut permite. Nu au putut rezolva probleme ale acestei vieţi: dureri, suferinţe, boli, foamete, moarte.

TOŢI SUNT PĂCĂTOŞI
Ai păcătuit vreodată? Doar o dată? Doar o minciună? Doar o hoţie sau un furt? O singură dată şi este destul, pentru că Dumnezeu spune în Romani 3:23, "Fiindcă toţi au păcătuit şi nu ajung la gloria lui Dumnezeu;". Un păcătos salvat are păcatele iertate prin credinţa în ISUS, iar un păcătos nesalvat rămâne cu păcatele asupra sa atunci când moare. Nimeni nu poate intra în Rai cu păcatele neiertate, căci nimic necurat nu poate intra acolo.
Deci, problema este ce trebuie făcut că să scapi de pedeapsă pentru păcatele tale?
Se adună şi se înmulţesc zi de zi păcatele tale! Sunt prea multe ca să ţi le mai poţi reaminti! Ştii zicala: "Atunci ce este de făcut?" Isus ne spune în Matei 11:28, "Veniţi la mine toţi cei ce osteniţi şi sunteţi greu împovăraţi, şi eu vă voi da odihnă." Poţi spune aceasta la cineva? Nu? E drept! Numai ISUS CRISTOS poate.
În venele tale şi ale mele curge sângele tatălui nostru, Adam. Deci, suntem născuţi păcătoşi fiindcă Biblia spune în Romani 5:12, "Din această cauză, aşa cum printr-un singur om a intrat păcatul în lume şi moartea prin păcat; şi astfel moartea a trecut asupra tuturor oamenilor, pentru că toţi au păcătuit;". Tu ştii că eşti vinovat şi un păcătos şi ştii că vei muri.
Sângele nostru nu este bun şi nu este curat, deoarece tot Biblia spune în Ezechiel 16:6, "Atunci eu am trecut pe lângă tine, te-am văzut tăvălit în sângele tău, şi am zis: Trăieşte chiar şi în sângele tău!", şi de aceea vom muri.

SINGURA SOLUŢIE
ISUS CRISTOS nu a fost conceput de OM, pe aceeaşi cale cum am fost concepuţi tu şi eu. Biblia spune despre Maria în Matei 1:20b, "fiindcă ce a fost conceput în ea este din Duhul Sfânt." Aceasta înseamnă că ISUS, ca OM, a avut ca tată pe Dumnezeu. El a avut în venele sale propriul sânge al lui Dumnezeu.
Tot Biblia ne mai spune în Evrei 9:22a, "şi fără vărsare de sânge nu este iertare." Sângele nostru este poluat sau întinat şi din cauza aceasta nu poate îndepărta păcatele noastre. Numai sângele lui ISUS poate curăţi păcatele tale, fiindcă numai sângele Lui este fără păcat sau cu adevărat curat. Sângele Lui poate curăţi păcatele tale; chiar de ar fi atât de multe încât ar acoperi pământul de la est la vest. Şi Dumnezeu a zis că nu Îşi va mai aminti de ele. Nu este aceasta o veste minunată? Nu doreşti tu aceasta?

SINGURUL PĂCA
Acum citeşte următoarele! Oamenii nu merg în iad pentru păcatele lor! Ei merg în iad datorită faptului că Îl neagă, adică, Îl resping pe ISUS CRISTOS ca Singurul lor urtător de păcate, sau Singurul lor Înlocuitor, Singurul care a murit în locul lor şi pentru păcatele lor. Biblia ne spune în Ioan 3:18,"Cine îl crede pe el, nu este condamnat; dar cine nu crede este deja condamnat, petru că nu a crezut în numele singurului-născut Fiu al lui Dumnezeu."
Isus a ştiut cât de multe păcate ai săvârşit, dar te-a iubit pe tine şi a murit pentru tine. A primi salvarea este ceva supranatural petrecut între tine şi Dumnezeu. Omul nu are nimic de făcut sau de adăugat la aceasta; doar să creadă! Nu doreşti chiar acum să te rogi lui Dumnezeu şi să te încrezi în ISUS CRISTOS ca în Unicul tău Salvator?

DECIZIE PROPRIE
Cred că sunt un păcătos şi cred că ISUS a murit în locul meu. Îl primesc chiar acum, ca pe Unicul meu Salvator şi mă încred în el, ca în Singurul care mă poate salva de la pedeapsa iadului. Cu ajutorul lui întenţionez să îl mărturisesc înaintea oamenilor. "Dar tuturor celor ce l-au primit, le-a dat autoritatea să devină fiii lui Dumnezeu; chiar celor ce cred în numele lui," (Ioan 1:12)

Missionary Scott Holcomb singing the great hymn 10,000 Years

2011-10-16T03:56:00.000-07:00

My friend, Missionary Scott Holcomb, sang for us at a recent Bible Conference in Budapest. He did a marvelous job. (Buckle up before listening...just to be safe. )

Mormonism is a cult

2011-10-12T03:52:00.000-07:00

Mormonism is definitely a cult. Mormons are not Christians.
What follows is a summary of some of their beliefs. These beliefs are in contradiction to the Bible.

Mormons believe God is not eternal, or even the only God, but one who inhabited a planet in the star system Kolob.
They believe they can be saved by obeying Mormon doctrine.
They believe that God had a god that elevated God to godhood and that they, too, can be elevated to godhood.
They believe they lived as full-grown adults (the Doctrine of Pre-existence) in a spirit world before they were born. In Pre-Existence, they had friends and family and relationships and knowledge. While there, they were presented with the Plan of Salvation, which included being given a choice to be born as humans with the prize at the end being godhood of their own planet. They didn't have to and some were content to stay in the spirit world where they were already in heaven instead of taking the plunge and getting a shot at being God.
They believe that when their spirits passed into existence, they also passed through a Veil of Forgetfulness where they forgot their previous spirit lives. Here, they recreate their pre-existent families as eternal families.
Jesus and Satan were brothers and God liked Jesus' plan best so Satan rebelled. Mormons don't believe in the sin nature, or 'original sin'.
Mormons believe the purpose of human existence is to become like God.
Mormons also believe it is ok to lie about their beliefs and affiliations to non-Mormons and to new Mormon recruits under the 'principle' of "milk before meat.". So they are free to deny the crazier parts, (God was a man, there are lots of Gods, including them, they take spirit wives to become goddesses, etc.) on the principle that until a Mormon has been sufficiently indoctrinated (brainwashed), they will recognize how crazy it sounds and maybe refuse to join or even quit and then spread the word.
Mormons believe that after they die, they move back to the spirit world. Some of them are imprisoned for not believing the Mormon gospel while on earth. Those that never heard the Mormon Gospel will be visited by Mormon spirit missionaries.
Mormons believe that the dead can be saved after death if they are baptized by proxy by living Mormons. Mormons in this spirit world can still sin: "Those who are righteous in this life will still be righteous. Those who were unrighteous will still be unrighteous. We will have the same desires after we die as we had while on this earth" (Gospel Fundamentals, "Life after Death," pg 195.).
Resurrection is a several parts and only those that had a perfect knowledge of the divinity of Christ yet chose Satan will be damned. The rest will go through various stages of perfection while in the post-life spirit world.
If you miss your dog, don't worry. Fido, (as well as every other dog, cat, hamster, pigeon, aardvark and platypus) will ALSO be resurrected during the last of the seven different resurrections taught by the LDS (Latter Day Saints, i.e. Mormons).
The Mormon Plan of Salvation is in seven parts as well, with final stage, logically enough, called the Final Judgment. At Final Judgment, those finally judged go to one of three heavens, as befits their works, or to the Outer Darkness, which is Mormon hell.

Great Time at a Bible Conference/Fellowship in Budapest

2011-10-10T02:56:00.000-07:00

Bro Scott Holcomb and I had the privilege to attend a Bible Conference/Fellowship in Budapest this past week from Wednesday through Saturday at the home/church of Missionary Jim Pranger. It is safe to say that "heaven came down". The preaching was marvelous and the fellowship was tremendous. And, on top of that, Mrs Laura Pranger and a few precious helpers did a wonderful job preparing all the food and we ate very well.

People attending the conference also included American missionaries to Romania, American missionaries to the Gypsies of Europe, Romanian pastors and preachers, as well as Hungarian pastors and preachers. As the preaching was going on in English, there were translations being given for the Romanians and Hungarians. There is something about hearing that that really blesses your heart. Just knowing that all these groups were hearing the same things from God's word at the same time was very encouraging.
God truly blessed this conference and we returned home refreshed, excited, and fired up about what God has done and is doing here and in other parts of Europe.

Bible Baptist Church of Budapest

The Lord prepared a table. Amen!

Bro Jim Pranger singing a special.

One of the young men playing special music.

Missionary to Romania, Isaac Lawrence

Missionary Scott Holcomb singing "10,000 Years". God blessed him in a mighty way. He did a tremendous job.

Romanian pastors and preachers singing a special for us.

Conference preacher, Pastor Roger Green from Ohio. God spoke through this man.

Missionary to the Gypsies of Europe, Walter Stevens. Also from Ohio, and himself a Gypsy.

Hungarian father and daughter. He is a man of God. Debora is a ray of sunshine.

Romanian pastor playing hymns on a tree leaf. Yes, only a tree leaf. Sounds like a harmonica. A blessing.

Bro Scott Holcomb and I singing, "What a day that will be!"

Hungarian family singing a special for us.

Bro Phillip Flannagan giving a testimony. He travels the world with his pastor, Pastor Green, and is his pastor's right arm. What a great blessing this man is! He even went out of his way to be a blessing to me.

Missionary Isaac Lawrence again, This time playing the guitar and the harmonica. He also speaks English, Spanish and Romanian fluently, preaches and sings. God really gifted this man.

Bro Jim and Mrs Laura singing a special for us. She cooks too!

Gypsy missionary Walter Stevens giving a testimony. That is Hungarian pastor Zsolt Kovacs providing the Hungarian translation.

Most of our group got into the final group photo, but some had to leave early to catch flights back home. We praise God for all these servants of the Lord. What a blessing!

Debora (Ray of Sunshine) and her brother getting in some practice time.

Crossing the beautiful Danube heading home, refreshed and rejoicing in the Lord.

Steve Jobs - Heaven or Hell?

2011-10-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Anytime a famous person's death is published in the news, the first thought I have is, Did their eternal soul go to heaven or hell?
Admittedly, I can only know that I am saved and going to heaven and I cannot possibly know about anyone else.
However, I do know from the Bible that Buddhist faith, intellect and business success won't take anyone to heaven.
The only One who can save is Jesus Christ. By faith in Him you can be saved, guaranteeing you a place in heaven for all eternity, regardless of your popularity, talent, or wealth.
Did Steve Jobs ever place his faith for salvation in Jesus Christ and Him alone? Only he and God know that. Although apparently very gifted as a businessman and designer, the only thing that matters to Steve Jobs today is his relationship with Jesus Christ.

This is what the Bible says about how to be saved:

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Ro 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Ro 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Ac 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ...
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Building a great business and making a mark on the technology of the world doesn't purchase a place in heaven.
God is not impressed with worldly success. God is not impressed with great wealth or talent.

God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for Steve Jobs' sins. God offered him the free gift of eternal life, if only he would believe on Jesus Christ and call out to Him for salvation. God gave him 56 years to accept the free gift of eternal life.

Did he ever accept Him? If not, it is eternally too late for him.

It is not yet too late for you.

My office in my home town of Čakovec, Croatia

2011-09-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of my office in Čakovec Croatia! The heat only works in Summer and the AC only works in Winter, but utilities are free and the city even sends a big truck to sweep it for me once in a while. (Also at no charge!)
I love standing up for Christ on the streets of Croatia.
Glory to God!

I Received A Great Email

2011-09-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

Monday morning I awoke to find the kind of email that I wish I could get every day.
A man in the capitol city of Zagreb had found our Croatian gospel tracts on my website, which I had scanned and uploaded along with several others in hopes of getting the gospel around the world.
On the website, there are gospel tracts for Croatian, Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Italian and Polish.
http://www.godsavecroatia.com/gospel.html
The man who sent the email has a burden for his people right here in Croatia, and now is about to receive the tools necessary to help him get the gospel out.
I was able to ship a shoe box full of tracts to him today and we will stay in touch and keep him supplied. Soon, we may be able to meet and find out more about him and his potential there in the capitol.
It was an encouraging day!
Praise the Lord!

This is a powerful anti-abortion testimony from someone not ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ

2011-09-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

Pat Robertson strikes a nerve

2011-09-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

Pat Robertson, a well known personality in America, was quoted this week as saying something to the effect that it's ok to divorce your spouse if your spouse gets alzheimer's.
Well, Pat Robertson struck a nerve with me on that one and I cannot remain silent.
Not only is he completely wrong on that foolish notion. His comments go against the direct teaching of the Bible, against most marriage vows I know of (you know that pesky "till death does us part" thing and "in sickness and in health"), against human decency, and against all common sense.
So, husband or wife, if your spouse has been diagnosed with alzheimer's, don't go rushing out to find a new mate just yet.
First consider what the Bible says. In Matthew 19:6, God says (still says-present tense), Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. When two are married, they become one and God views this as permanent. When was the last time we considered what God thought instead of our usual situational ethics.
Robertson was quoted as saying that alzheimer's is a "kind of death", so he could see where it makes sense to divorce. Well, Mr Robertson, we don't "kind of bury" alzheimer's patients when they are diagnosed so your logic there is seriously at fault.
Furthermore, this life is not about you - husband or wife - skulking about trying to fulfill your fleshly appetites. This life is supposed to be about glorifying God. Remember 1Co 6:19-20: What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. Those words are still in the Bible, even to this very day.
You may say, "Well, my spouse is so far gone, they won't even know I left." Sir, madam, God will know you left! Your children, friends, associates, and enemies will know you left. Will that Glorify God?
If you are in a circumstance like this, I feel for you. But you do not have the green light from God to begin your search for someone else to fill the void in you life. God is there to fill the void. Try giving Him the opportunity to do so, and see what He can make of your life as you honor him and obey His word. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Heb 13:5b.
He also says in His word Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. God knows your circumstance and your need and His promises still stand. He means what He says.
Pat Robertson is absolutely wrong, and he owes God an apology and the world a retraction. I will be waiting to see his retraction.

God is smarter than we are

2011-09-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

Many months ago I posted a blog about a man I met in the mechanic shop lobby while waiting for my car to be repaired. We had a great conversation, and I was able to witness to him and invite him to church, etc. I was very excited about the possibility of this man coming to church, getting saved, and living for God. Well, sadly I had not heard from Drago again.
However, today, after our church van failed inspection, we had to go back to the same mechanic shop to have it looked at. Lo and behold, Drago was there again having his car repaired. We were able to have a nice visit and he was able to meet Pastor Telebar. Then, he said to me, "I have been wanting to ask you something. I see you on the streets a lot of times with the signs (my gospel signs) and I wonder what kind of response you get from that."
It blessed my heart that he had been seeing the gospel messages on the street and it had been on his mind. I had the joy of explaining that God wants to speak to people and is trying to do so, and the signs are one way to get people to think about what God wants.
I told him about people who stop to talk to me about the signs and also about believers who have been encouraged to see someone standing up for Christ. I also told him how I run into people all the time that say, "Hey! Didn't I see you out on the street with a Bible sign?" and things like that.
The man seemed to take in all in very thoughtfully. His car was soon ready and it was time to part ways once again. Perhaps his heart will be burdened to find out more about why God so clearly wants to speak to him.
If we had passed our inspection today, this encounter would not have been possible. But God is smarter than we are and He knows what He is doing.

Amen.

Propovijedi o radosnoj vijesti na hrvatskom jeziku

2011-08-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

Za propovijedi o radosnoj vijesti na hrvatskom jeziku molim Vas kliknite ovaj link:

http://stablozivota.com/Propovijedi.html

Efežanima 2:8-9 Jer milošću ste spašeni, po vjeri, i to nije od vas, to je Božji dar! Ne po djelima, da se netko ne bi hvalisao.

Spancirfest in Varaždin

2011-08-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

We have been busy over the past few days passing out gospel tracts and talking to people in the streets at the Spancirfest in Varaždin. These photos show a little bit of what kind of event it is and why the crowds flock there to see all the attractions.

A couple on electric bikes making beautiful music with symphony-like sound and operatic singing.

Crowd following an act of acrobats on stilts.

Many products (some home-made) on display for sale.

Discount book dealers are always around at festivals.

An artist making another painting for sale.

Children's play area set up near one of the most beautiful castles in the country.

One of the entry ways to the downtown area.

Crowded streets.

Multitude of eternal souls

2011-08-25T01:04:00.000-07:00

Spancirfest is the largest annual festival in the city of Varaždin and multitudes attend, giving us a great opportunity to stand for Christ and pass tracts to thousands, and witness to all who will listen. For ten days, thousands come to town from all over Croatia as well as several other countries.

This year's attendance is very good and we rejoice in this opportunity to stand for our Saviour, who so graciously stood for us all the way to the cross.

He died for me. I will gladly stand for Him.

Getting the Word out

2011-08-11T04:17:00.000-07:00

Bro Scott Holcomb has a goal to put a copy of John and Romans and several gospel tracts in every mailbox in every village around Čakovec. Čakovec has already been done, so now we are going after all the surrounding communities.
In the photos are the Holcomb boys doing their part on a Thursday morning in the village of Belica. In a little under three hours, we were able to fill over 700 mailboxes with the Word of God and God's plan of salvation.

May God bless the distribution of His Word.

We look forward to the day when we know the language well enough to go back and knock every door and give a gospel witness to every one. In the mean time, we will do all we can.

On the brink of being a blessing

2011-07-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Bro and Mrs Ralph Juliuson from Oklahoma City are "teetering on the brink of being a blessing!"
They arrived a couple of weeks ago to visit the Holcomb family and do what they can to be a help to the work here.
They have played piano, sang specials, and taken part in the street ministry and everything else that is going on. Bro Ralph has also preached for us a couple of times.
They dove right in and have really been an encouragement to us all.

Great blessing during afternoon rush hour

2011-07-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

This young couple saw us standing for Christ during afternoon rush hour, and they were so excited to see the Truth being proclaimed on the roadside that they stopped to find out more about us. They live in Lendava Slovenia, just a few kilometers to the north, where they attend a Baptist church. It was a great blessing to see their excitement and joy and for them to have a desire to lift up Christ with us.

Amen

Amy Winehouse - Heaven or Hell?

2011-07-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Anytime a famous person's death is published in the news, the first thought I have is, Did their eternal soul go to heaven or hell?
Admittedly, I only know that I am saved and going to heaven and I cannot possibly know about anyone else.
However, I do know from the Bible that musical talent and fame can't take anyone to heaven.
The only one who can save is Jesus Christ. By faith in Him you can be saved, guaranteeing you a place in heaven for all eternity, regardless of your popularity, talent, or wealth.
Did Amy Winehouse ever place her faith for salvation in Jesus Christ and Him alone? Only she and God know that. Although apparently gifted as a musician by some worldly standard, her life was sad and pathetic. The only thing that matters to her today is her relationship with Jesus Christ.

This is what the Bible says about how to be saved:

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Ro 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Ro 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Ac 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ...
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Being idolized by the world doesn't save anyone from Hell.
Having a great fortune doesn't purchase a place in heaven.

God is not impressed with worldly fame. God is not impressed with great riches and musical talent.

God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for Amy Winehouse's sins. God offered her the free gift of eternal life, if only she would believe on Jesus Christ and call out to Him for salvation. God gave her years to accept the free gift of eternal life.

Did she ever accept Him? If not, it is eternally too late for her.

It is not yet too late for you.

Romanian Roadside Auto Repair & Evangelization

2011-07-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Not being much of a mechanic makes my experience at Romanian roadside auto repair all the more special to me.
One road I needed to get back across the border from Romania to Hungary was closed for construction, forcing me to detour through a region that was not on the GPS systems at all. As I meandered through the Romanian countryside vaguely knowing I was headed in the general direction of Hungary, there was a lady standing on the road trying to flag down some help after her car broke down.
Thinking this was going to be strange, since I don't speak Romanian, and I am not good at fixing modern cars and I only had one small tool (a miniature Swiss Army Knife/Nail Clipper), I quickly decided to pull over to assist.
After all, no one leaves a lady standing on the road in need of help.
Strange as it may seem (shocking really), I was able to diagnose the problem with the car in about one minute. It was the exact same problem I had fixed on a friend's car in 1981 (30 years ago). All I had to do was cut one small wire, peel the rubber coating back from it and re-attach it. All of which can be accomplished with just one tool (a miniature Swiss Army Knife/Nail Clipper).
Even though the lady spoke no English, I was able to understand that she was glad I came along.
Then, and most importantly, I was able to pass along to her some Romanian gospel tracts and gesture to her that she should read them. With a look of appreciation in her eyes, she readily indicated she would read them.
How often does a guy from America drive a car from Croatia through
the countryside of Romania and stop to fix a lady's car, and just happened to have gospel tracts in the language of the lady he stopped to help?
I wonder if she got the message and got saved. God was sure working hard to see that the message got delivered.
Thank God for detours.

(Do you carry gospel tracts on you? What kind of an opportunity might you get if you did? What opportunity have you missed?)

Great time in Brasov Romania

2011-07-16T04:23:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I arrived in Brasov, Romania to spend a few days working with and learning from Bro Gerald Sutek, who has been street preaching for many years.
We are having a great time preaching in the town square along with a group of over 20 young Americans who came for an intense 7-week Bible course taught by Bro Sutek and Bro Brent Logan.
I had the opportunity to attend 5 days of classes with them and it has been a blessing.
Friday night is street preaching night in the town square. The police come regularly to harass the preachers, attempting to stop the preaching. The law in Romania permits public preaching, but the police have continued their pattern of intimidation for the past seven years anyway. Please pray the brethren will remain bold and continue to declare the word of God.

Great Trip...Great Blessing

2011-06-23T04:19:00.000-07:00

My recent trip to Dubrovnik was a tremendous blessing. I never thought I would be able to see my eldest son here in the land that God brought me to. He and his wife booked a cruise they knew would stop in Croatia. We spent the whole day together in the old city of Dubrovnik and had a great time.
Isn't it just like God, to bring an unexpected blessing our way?
As planned, on the return trip, I was able to makes stops in Split, Šibenik, and Zadar to evangelize. I stayed gone for six days, gave out hundreds of tracts, preached a few times to several groups in the streets, and stood for hours with gospel signs during rush hour traffic. It was a rich blessing.

Photos are not in specific order, but I hope you enjoy them.

Jeff and his wife Taylor

Overlooking Dubrovnik

The cruise ship that brought them

On the way home, I had mountains on the right and the Adriatic Sea on the left. A beautiful drive.

Sitting at the Bosnian border checkpoint on the way home

Who would've thought I would ever be in this part of the world?

Standing with gospel signs in Split

Standing with Gospel signs in Zadar (busy place)

Harbor inlet at Krk (yes, KRK)

Old City - Dubrovnik

The stars of the show in Dubrovnik

Meeting some friendly guys near the High School in Šibenik

Main flower shop in Šibenik

Main market area in Šibenik

WW2 Memorial in Šibenik

Old Gate to Ancient Zadar

Harbor at Zadar

View on the way home

Big Trip Ahead!

2011-06-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

It’s early Sunday morning and I will soon get ready for church. Right after the morning service I will leave for a 10 hour drive to the city of Dubrovnik in the deep southern end of Croatia’s coast on the Adriatic. My eldest son, Jeff, and his wife, Taylor, will be disembarking for one day from their cruise ship and I will be waiting at the dock Monday morning to greet them. We will spend the day touring that beautiful ancient city together, which Croatians say is the most beautiful city on earth. It is a unique and unexpected opportunity to see my son again. I am thrilled that they have planned their vacation in such a way as to work in a visit with me. Praise the Lord.

After Monday’s visit with Jeff and Taylor, I will begin working my way back up the through the coastal cities, witnessing as I go. There are several large cities which have little to no Christian witness of any kind. I hope to spend time witnessing in Dubrovnik, Split, Šibenik, and Zadar, as well as anywhere else I can find a crowd.

I’ll be spending the entire week working my way back home, finding rooms to stay in where I can. I pray the Lord will bring some fruit from this effort. I look forward to contacting many people and sharing the gospel over and over.

We rest upon the promises of God.

Isa 55:10-11 - For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

How many lives passed through this house?

2011-05-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

Returning from a witnessing trip to Križevci on Tuesday, I had to stop and look at this old homestead in a village called Martijanec. It is impressive in size but very sad in appearance. Obviously abandoned for many years, it is in complete disrepair. As I looked at it, I began to wonder how much laughter this house had seen, and how much sorrow. How many lives were touched by this place? How many grew up here and how many died?

It is not known when this home was built, but there is evidence that it existed in the 18th century.

Imagine all the wealth and all the fine things that accompanied life in this place. Then realize that it is all nothing but a forgotten ruin. How sad it is that some labor to be rich in this world and miss out on the eternal mansion in heaven that is available to all who will put their trust in Jesus for salvation. How very sad indeed.

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(Evanđelje po Mateju 6:19-21 Ne nakupljajte sebi blaga na zemlji, gdje ga moljac i hrđa kvare i gdje lopovi provaljuju i kradu; nego nakupljajte sebi blago na nebu, gdje ga moljac i hrđa ne kvare i gdje lopovi ne provaljuju niti kradu. Jer gdje vam je blago, ondje će vam i srce biti.)

Mark 10:24-27 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

(Evanđelje po Marku 1:24-27 A učenici su se zapanjili zbog njegovih riječi, ali im je Isus ponovo odgovorio i rekao: "Djeco, kako je teško onima koji se uzdaju u bogatstvo ući u kraljevstvo Božje! Lakše je devi proći kroz ušicu igle negoli bogatašu ući u kraljevstvo Božje." A oni su se neizmjerno zaprepastili govoreći među sobom: "Tko onda može biti spašen?" A Isus ih je pogledao i rekao: "Kod ljudi je to nemoguće, ali nije kod Boga! Jer kod Boga je sve moguće!")

Great day in Dugo Selo

2011-05-28T04:19:00.000-07:00

I spent Tuesday this past week in a place called Dugo Selo, about 1-1/2 hours from home. Dugo Selo is a small suburb of the capitol city of Zagreb. I was able to put gospel tracts in the hands of 400 people that day, including a number of teens from the local high school.

In addition, I stood with gospel signs along the main road through town for rush hour from 3:00 to 5:00 and found out they have a LOT of traffic (Praise God for traffic!). When the police came to see what I was up to they were very gracious, and after concluding their check of my documentation they told me, "Go with God" ("Bogom" as they say over here), and went on their way.

I met a lot of interesting people on this day, including an 80 year old man who was very joyful and testified that he had been saved "by faith" ("vjerom"as they say over here). He saw my gospel sign and could not resist coming over to talk about his salvation. I was overjoyed to hear his testimony and see the joy written on his face.I also met a sweet Bosnian lady who was surprised to learn that you can't be saved by good works and was very interested to receive the tracts so she could learn the truth.

Hopefully it won't be too long and I will be able to carry on a full conversation with these precious people, instead of just a few words here and there. Thank God I can already understand a lot of what they say if I know the context.

One interesting landmark near this town is this old building on the highest hill around. It dates from the 16th century and the site was once owned by the Templar Knights. According to the posted sign, archaeologists have excavated graves nearby dating from the 13th century.

Great time in Virovitica

2011-05-28T03:58:00.000-07:00

On Thursday this week I had the joy of visiting Virovitica, a town about two hours from home.
After spending about 6 hours on the streets, 500 people had received gospel tracts, giving them a chance to learn the truth about salvation through Jesus Christ.
The four young people pictured were very kind and spent a few minutes talking with me on their way home from school. We have followed up on the internet to stay in touch.
Virovitica is a beautiful town, with two large schools, and lots of young people to reach for Christ.
I'm hoping return there frequently to water the seeds that have been planted.
Praise the Lord!

Great Day in Nagykanizsa Hungary

2011-05-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

Bro Scott Holcomb and I had a great day on Thursday in Nagykanizsa Hungary - a city of 60,000 located about one hour from our home base of Čakovec Croatia.
Armed with hundreds of Hungarian gospel tracts, we set out early to catch the morning downtown foot traffic. After a lunch break, we returned to downtown to catch the afternoon school rush.
In all, we hand delivered about 1,400 tracts. The people there seem very curious and almost everyone will take a gospel tract from us. We don't speak a word of Hungarian, but thank God for the printed word that we can deliver to give them a chance to know the Truth about the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
One gracious man was so glad to see us there that he went and bought an ice cream cone and gave it to me. That was a great blessing. He didn't speak English but his gesture said a great deal.

We are thankful to God for the opportunity to be used in this way.
God save the Hungarian people!

Big blessing in a small package

2011-05-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Halfway through the second hour of standing for Christ during peak traffic time today, I received a big, unexpected blessing in a small package.
As I was holding signs that read, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" and "Where will you spend eternity?", a car did a u-turn in front of me and pulled over to the curb. As the window rolled down a young lady began speaking to me in Croatian. As I was explaining that I am still learning the language and could not understand everything she said, a big voice from the other side of the car exclaimed in English, but with the thick Croatian accent that I dearly love, "We are brothers!" Then, the young lady handed me an ice-cold Coca-Cola they had apparently just purchased for me.
Obviously, they were a young family of believers who wanted to be a blessing today. For them to see me there, go somewhere to purchase a drink, and return took quite an effort on their part since the place I stand is not easily approached from both directions during peak traffic. They had to be determined to make this happen. Apparently they had been encouraged by the sight of someone standing for Truth.

I was so blessed. My God is determined to encourage those who will stand for Him. Praise His name.

Another lady had stopped earlier as she was walking by. She had a lot on her mind that she wanted to communicate and I was able to get Pastor Telebar on the phone to speak with her. Now they have an appointment for a further discussion. Who knows what that might lead to?!

I am going to stand a while longer, go a little further, try a little harder, and just see what God will do.

Unexpected Blessing

2011-05-07T04:22:00.000-07:00

Today, as we were soulwinning in beautiful Varaždin I had the unexpected blessing of running into some fellow Texans. They were with a group on a vacation tour and would be heading out of town in just a short while. We had the opportunity to chat for a minute or two as I explained my mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ that others might be saved.

It was odd that it seemed I could almost tell by looking at them (before they spoke a word) that they were from Texas.

I gave each of them a tract from Pobjednici Baptistička Crkva to remember us by.

Thank you Lord for unexpected blessings.

Božji Plan Spasenja

2011-05-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Bozji Plan Spasenja from Sam Ward on Vimeo.

Osama Bin Laden - Heaven or Hell?

2011-05-02T00:31:00.000-07:00

Is Osama Bin Laden now in heaven or hell?

Since he chose to worship the false god allah and rejected Jesus Christ, it is clear from the Bible that he is condemned to hell for all eternity.

The Bible says in John 3:36, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Therefore it is plain from Scripture that the wrath of God abides on those who reject the Son as their Saviour.

Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

It could not be clearer that the only way to the Father is through Jesus the Son. No imaginary god will get you into heaven – Only Jesus Saves. Jesus shed His precious, sinless blood to pay for all sin for all time - including Osama’s. But, Osama had the same choice everyone else has – to receive Christ as Saviour or to reject Him, to trust in Jesus alone for Salvation or not.

Osama made his choice to trust in his imaginary god, and it is now too late for him to change his mind. It is not too late for you. You are still alive, so you can still believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved … as said in Acts 16:31.

This is what the Bible says about how to be saved:

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Ro 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Ro 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ac 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ...
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Put your trust in the only One who has the power to save - Jesus Christ. For neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. He is the One who died for you and rose again and is seated on the throne in heaven waiting to hear from you.

Call on Him today and be saved, while you still have time.

Saturday Morning Soulwinning in Varaždinske Toplice

2011-04-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning witnessing in a nearby town named Varaždinske Toplice (Hot Springs of Varaždin). This little town is not highly populated but every soul there needs Jesus.
Offering gospel tracts to everyone, I had quite a few takers today, so more Croatians have a fighting chance to learn the truth about salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. I was really blessed when one man came back and asked for another tract to give to his friend, and another man stopped his car to find out what everyone was getting from me.

As I walked around the town, I was intrigued by the signs pointing to the Roman ruin excavation site. It is unbelievable to me that I have the privilege to be in places like this standing up for Christ. I followed the signs from "downtown" and within 10 minutes I walked up on 2,000 year old Roman ruins. Wow.

The photos below show some of the ruins (which are covered with a protective canopy) and a couple of artist's depictions of what it might have looked like.

The Romans made bath houses here, taking advantage of the Hot Springs just as the Croatians do today. The area is known for it's healing waters. Hopefully they will heed the gospel message and learn of the living water.

Oddly enough, the old water well is located downtown. I thought it was interesting.

A Hitchhiker Ministry? - Who would've thought?

2011-04-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

I met a new hitchhiker today and his name is Petar. I had the privilege of getting to know him a little bit and giving him a brief gospel presentation in our few minutes together.

Croatia tends to be safe and people here commonly use hitchhiking as a means of transportation.

I have now been blessed with the chance to witness to about six people in this way.

Petar was actually traveling in the opposite direction from me, but given the place he was standing I guessed where he was headed and knew it wouldn’t take too long to get him there. We had about ten minutes together and it was a blessing to get to know him. I am sure that he and I will meet again.

Now I am tuned in to watch for hitchhikers and I am disappointed when I don’t find one. (It’s funny how that works.)

If someone would have told me years ago that I would have a ministry to hitchhikers on the opposite side of the world I would not have believed it.

They that sow in tears SHALL reap in joy.

Mailbox Blessing

2011-04-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

I checked the mailbox after language class this morning and was blessed to find a small yellow slip of paper showing there was a package at the post office for me.
I suspected what the package might contain, and sure enough, I was right. Something of immense value had arrived.
I received 9,000 gospel tracts in the Hungarian language.
These tracts represent 9,000 opportunities for Hungarians to learn the truth about free salvation in Jesus Christ; 9,000 opportunities for Hungarians to read how Jesus died to pay for all their sins; 9,000 opportunities for there to be rejoicing in the presence of the angels over each sinner who gets gloriously saved; 9,000 opportunities for new names to be written down in glory; 9,000 opportunities for Hungarians to be in heaven one day to glorify the Lord for all eternity.

What a great blessing from my mailbox today!

Now, we are once again well equipped for our trips into Hungary and for the Hungarian tour buses that frequently come to our city. Thank you Lord!
And, the really great thing about gospel tracts is that they not only tell the gospel message to the first one who reads them, but they keep on telling it to everyone else into whose hand they happen to come.

I don't speak Hungarian, but these tracts certainly do.

Great Day in Church Sunday - Baptism

2011-04-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

The church was full

The Telebar quartet sang beautifully

Kevin Brown and Scott Holcomb played beautifully

Preparing for the baptism

Matej testified of his faith in Jesus as his personal Saviour

Matej about to be immersed - the Bible way.

Just coming back up out of the water (Camera would not focus fast enough to catch the immersion, but he definitely went all the way under - the Bible way.

Getting a few concluding remarks from the Pastor

We had a great day in church this past Sunday. Pastor Rajko Telebar baptized his youngest son, Matej, and many of the Telebar family and friends were in attendance to honor the special occasion.
We had a full church and everyone heard a gospel message.

It was so good to hear young Matej boldly and clearly answer his father (his Pastor), testifying to his personal faith in Christ for salvation.

Some Scriptures regarding baptism: (First in Croatian and then English)

Djela Apostolska 8:36-39 I kad su tako putovali došli su do neke vode i eunuh je rekao: “Gledaj voda! Što me sprečava da budem kršten?”
37 A Filip je rekao: “Ako vjeruješ od svega svoga srca, možeš.” A on je odgovorivši rekao: “Vjerujem da je Isus Krist Sin Božji.”
38 I zapovjedio je da se zaustave kola. Tada su obojica sišla u vodu, i Filip i eunuh; i krstio ga je.
39 A kad su oni izašli iz vode, Duh Gospodinov je odnio Filipa, tako da ga eunuh više nije vidio, i on je otišao svojim putem radujući se.

Acts 8:36-39 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

Poslanica Rimljanima 6:3-4 Ili ne znate da svi mi koji smo kršteni u Isusa Krista, u smrt smo njegovu kršteni?
4 Dakle, s njime smo ukopani po krštenju u smrt da bi, kao što je Krist bio uskrsnut od mrtvih po
slavi Očevoj, isto tako i mi hodili u novini života.

Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Printable Gospel Tracts in Croatian

2011-04-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

If you are searching for "Printable Gospel Tracts in Croatian",
they are available at:
http://godsavecroatia.com/gospel.php

Click the link and Scroll to the bottom of the page.

Hitchhikers are a blessing

2011-04-12T02:39:00.000-07:00

I had the blessing of picking up a young family of three as they were hitchhiking home the other day. As it turned out, they live in a village not far from my home so I was able to take them all the way to their destination in a matter of a just a few minutes.

As I made the short trip to Mala Subotica, I introduced myself and gave them gospel tracts and a brief introduction to the gospel along with all my contact information.

I am certainly hoping to see them again, and praying the Lord will direct them to the church this Wednesday at 7:00 or Sunday at 6:00!

On my way back from a witnessing trip over an hour and a half from home, I had the privilege to pick up another hitchhiker who was on her way to work. As it turns out, she lives one hour from here, but attends a college during the week that is less that a ten minute walk from our church. I am certainly hoping to see her again as well.

Praise the Lord for opportunities to meet new people and be a witness to them.

Interesting encounter at rush hour today

2011-04-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

As I stood with my gospel signs on the busiest corner in Cakovec during rush hour, a lady came up behind me and asked very boldly, “Why are you standing here like this?”

She went on to ask who I was and what church I am from. It was a golden opportunity to witness!

I told her I was standing there with those signs because the message they contain is truth from the Bible and God wants the message delivered. When I told her I am Independent Baptist, she turned her nose up and wagged her hand toward me and started to walk away. (There are lots of ugly rumors going around over here about Baptists.)

That’s when I said, “Wait a minute. Do you have a Bible?”

She said, “Of course I have a Bible.”

I told her she should look up the verses that were in the gospel tract I was holding out to her and explained that Baptists are Bible believers.

I said, “Jesus is God, and he is the only one who can save” and “God wants to save all these people because he loves them. That’s why I am here.”

I told her I speak to many people in Croatia who are without hope and I want them to know that God loves them and there is hope in Christ.

I asked her if she agreed with my sign that says, Christ died for our sins” and she said yes.

I asked her if she agreed with my sign that says, Only Jesus Saves, ye must be born again” and she said yes.

I asked her if she thought my sign that says, Where will you spend eternity?” was an important question and she said yes.

Then she said, “I could never stand here with a sign like that. I would be afraid.” I told her that I don’t fear the people, and I just want what God wants – to see people believe in Christ and be saved.

She became friendly again and told me she would read the tract and very pleasantly bid me farewell, going on her way to make a hospital visit.

Praise the Lord for a planted seed.

(The other things I am thankful for in this encounter is that it all took place in the Croatian language. As broken as my Croatian is, she was patient with me and we understood one another.)

Another Great day in Budapest

2011-04-07T03:39:00.000-07:00

Monday we returned to Budapest so our guest preacher Bro Bill Smith could catch his flight home.
Then, we met up with Bro Jim Pranger (photo) and hit the streets of Budapest to give out the gospel message.
It was a glorious time! Bro Pranger is always armed with thousands of gospel tracts so we were well-equipped as he took us to a busy corner. People were everywhere. (LOST PEOPLE WHO DESPERATELY NEED JESUS.)
In the space of a couple of hours, we had talked with a few who could speak some English and given out hundreds and hundreds of gospel tracts, giving precious Hungarians a fighting chance to learn about the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ who loved them so much he laid down his life on the cross to pay for their sins and proved his ability to save when he triumphantly rose from the dead.
O Praise the Lord with me for his glorious power and the opportunity to serve him!
I thank God for Jim Pranger and his dedication to the work of the Lord.

Hungarian Gospel Tracts

2011-04-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

To the one who has been searching the web for

“Hungarian Gospel Tracts” and “Evangelistic Tracts in Hungarian” here is a link for you:

http://godsavecroatia.com/gospel.php

Whoever you are, I consider it my personal responsibility to assist you in receiving the gospel message, and in passing it on so that others might be saved.

God bless you for searching! If I can be of any further assistance, please let me know.

Sorry, but it is my problem.

2011-03-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

As I walked through a bus station crowded with teenagers today, I came upon a young man who had no interest in talking with me and was quick to let me know.

I asked him why he was so adamant to get rid of me, but he was unclear about his reasons.

Then I told him that Jesus is the only way to heaven and that I cared about his eternal soul and wanted to see him get saved.

He quickly said, “Ït’s not your problem.”

I said, “Sorry, but it is my problem.”

Obviously puzzled, he asked how that could be. I pulled out my New Testament and showed him Mark 16:15 which states, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” I said God made it my problem when He put that in the Bible. Jesus clearly tells me to come and tell you about Him.

The young man realized it was going to take a little more effort to run me off, so he started talking honestly with me. He did not understand how everyone needed to go only through Jesus to be saved.

He asked, “What about the people in China?”

I said, “We’ve got people in China telling the same truth that I am telling you.”

He asked, “What about the people in Africa?”

I said, “We’ve got people in Africa telling the same truth that I am telling you.”

He asked, “What about the people in the jungle?”

I said, “We’ve got people in the jungle telling the same truth that I am telling you.”

He asked, “Even in the Amazon?”

I said, “We’ve even got people on a boat in the Amazon River stopping and preaching this truth to people along the way.”

Clearly stumped, the young man listened to me a little bit more , but then his bus was about to leave and he had to go (for now).

Thank you Lord! for giving me the answers to give to this young man. Please grow the seed planted in his heart and save his precious soul.

Thank you Lord for making him my problem!

Great time in Budapest sharing the Word

2011-03-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

The arrival of our annual guest speaker, Bro. Bill Smith, presented the opportunity to go to Budapest to pick him up today. Anytime we venture into Hungary we like to go equipped with gospel tracts, ready to distribute them.

We had a great time giving out the Truth today with Kevin Brown and Scott Holcomb. The bus station was packed with people and we gave out several hundred gospel tracts (all that we had).

We were very pleased to see that the response was well above average, with over 75% gladly accepting the tracts.

One lady asked for 10 more so that she could give them to her friends. That's always a blessing.

My heart aches for the millions in Hungary, since most are lost in darkness. But at least several hundred got a fighting chance to learn the Truth about salvation today.

God help us to be busy about spreading your Truth that others might be saved!

One year ago today...

2011-03-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

One year ago today a plane landed in Zagreb Croatia with me on it. As I got off the plane I was blessed to discover that all 6 of my suitcases (everything I own) had successfully made the trip with me.
That day was the beginning of a new chapter of life serving my Saviour on this mission field.
Thank you Lord! What a blessing and honor it is to serve you in this way and in this place.
God Save Croatia!

Victory in Jesus

2011-03-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord for another victory. There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels today!

A man in New Hampshire has a friend (also in New Hampshire) who is Croatian and speaks very little English.

The man has had a burden to share the gospel with this friend for some time and has been praying for a way to do it. The burden seemed heightened by the fact that the friend has cancer.

So, while searching the internet for some help the man came across my website, http://godsavecroatia.com

and sent a message to see if I could assist in some way.

I put him in touch with Pastor Telebar and they quickly scheduled a phone call appointment with the lady to witness to her.

Last night, Pastor Telebar had the privilege to explain the gospel message to her, and through her tears she asked the Lord Jesus to save her eternal soul.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

Thank God for a man in New Hampshire with a burden for the lost and a pastor in Croatia who is always eager for an opportunity to share the gospel.

Praise the Lord.

Elizabeth Taylor - Heaven or Hell?

2011-03-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Ro 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Ro 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Ac 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ...
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Being idolized by millions doesn't save anyone from Hell.
Having a great fortune doesn't purchase a place in heaven.

God is not impressed with worldly fame. God is not impressed with great riches and acting talent.

God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for Elizabeth Taylor's sins. God offered Elizabeth Taylor the free gift of eternal life, if only she would believe on Jesus Christ and call out to Him for salvation. God gave Elizabeth Taylor 79 years to accept the free gift of eternal life.

Did she ever accept Him? I certainly hope so. If not, it is eternally too late for her.

It is not yet too late for you.

What if....

2011-03-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

What if a little church in Čakovec Croatia went to the capitol city of Zagreb to pass out John and Romans and witness in the streets?
What if twenty-five people scattered out downtown and passed out hundreds of these John and Romans?
What if every John and Romans had gospel tracts tucked inside?
What if a man received one of these, but was soon detained by the police for some reason?
What if that man was kept in jail for hours with that John and Romans and those gospel tracts in his hand?
What if he decided to read the information he had received? (After all, he had a little time to kill.)
What if the gospel tracts made perfect sense to him?
What if he realized he is a sinner who deserves to go to hell for all eternity but Jesus loves him, died for his sins, and wants to save his soul?
What if he decided to receive Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour right then and there?
What if he was so excited to have found Jesus that he shared that information with all the others who were detained with him?
What if he was released in a short while, just after the scheduled time of his planned protest?
What if he was the well-known, public leader of the protests that are happening all over Croatia?
What if this man called your pastor on Sunday to rejoice about his salvation and say, Thank You! ?
What if they had a good conversation and agreed that salvation through Jesus Christ is the answer for all of Croatia?
What if your pastor told you all about it at church on Sunday evening?

I bet you would be rejoicing just like I am.

My God, How Great Thou Art!

Talk about great timing!

2011-03-12T04:41:00.000-08:00

Today, as we were in Varaždin witnessing in the town square we noticed a large number of police on every street, including special police forces in riot gear.
After questioning a few locals about what was going on, we were told that another anti-government protest would be taking place in about 45 minutes.
Thankfully, I had my gospel signs in the car and could retrieve them in time for all the protesters to have an opportunity to read a few verses of Scripture.
My friend, Alen Dubravec, was with me and he was glad to have the opportunity also.
We don't know how many people were there, but we do know they all had a chance to read "Only Jesus Saves. Ye must be born again" and "Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust".
Thank you Lord for giving us such great timing today, and for having the opportunity to publish the Word to so many people.

Amen.

Another great day in Hungary

2011-03-11T03:31:00.000-08:00

Ištvan Horvat - A man with a desire to serve the Lord

Pastor Telebar and I went to Nagykanizsa, Hungary again to make a deposit for our Hungarian missionary. In preparation, we equipped ourselves with hundreds of Hungarian gospel tracts. Last time we were in Nagykanizsa, we were greeted with a receptive spirit from the people, and the same was true once again. We walked around the town center for a couple of hours trying to get tracts into the hand of everyone we encountered. With few exceptions, almost everyone there received a tract.

One very special blessing came when we encountered Ištvan Horvat. Bro Rajko handed him a tract and after looking at it for a few seconds, he called out to get us to back and talk to him. Although neither of us can understand Hungarian speech, Ištvan was able to make it clear to us that he already had Jesus in his heart. He gestured to us, asking if he could have some tracts to pass out himself. We gladly accommodated him. What a great joy to encounter this precious man with a desire to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was there, in the perfect spot,at the perfect time, waiting for his opportunity to serve the Lord. Wow!

Publishing God's Word

2011-03-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

We received advance notice of a protest march happening in our city and thought it would be a great opportunity to get God's word out in a big way.
We selected a spot downtown to stand where we knew the protesters would come by and we were amazed at the large number of people that had gathered for the event.
As they made a circle through town we took up another position so they would all have the opportunity to read the verses again. What a great day to stand up for Christ in front of hundreds! Praise the Lord!

Victory in Jesus

2011-03-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

As I walked up to the door of our church in Varaždin this evening, I was met by the man in the middle of the photo. His name is Marijan and he was looking for the Baptist church!
It turns out that Marijan had received a gospel tract from Missionary Kevin Brown (on the left) just a few weeks before. Kevin had spoken with him a little bit and invited him to attend. Praise the Lord he showed up.
After the service, Bro Rajko Telebar (on the right) and Bro Kevin teamed up and led Marijan to Christ. That's right! Marijan got gloriously and eternally saved today.
That's Victory in Jesus.
Marijan said he will be back next week AND he wants to join us when we go and pass out gospel tracts.
Somebody stand up and shout AMEN!
Praise the Lord for a great victory such as this.

No ordinary cookie

2011-02-28T12:40:00.000-08:00

This is no ordinary cookie in my hand. This cookie is very special. It is special, not because of what it is made of, but because of who it came from.
Here in Čakovec, I have a favorite street corner where I stand daily during rush hour holding gospel signs for the hundreds who pass by.
My first time on that corner, a month or so ago, a very large man walked by. A few minutes later he walked back by in the other direction with a little boy holding his hand. Apparently the man had walked to a nearby nursery school to pick up his youngest son.
As he passed I reached out to offer him a gospel tract and he politely received it.
Since that day, this man and/or his wife (sometimes both) have passed by that corner to get their little boy. They don't speak English, but I have managed to invite them to church and exchange basic greetings. They are
always polite and are becoming more and more vocal as time goes on. Thankfully, I have also come to know the names of both of their sons, Kristijan and little Sebastijan.
Today, as they returned from school, both boys came by with their mother, and they had their hands full of cookies. Since Kristijan, Sebastijan and I have gotten to know each other on the street corner over the past few weeks the boys couldn't wait to share their cookies with me.

Thank you, Kristijan and Sebastijan, for sharing your cookies with me.
Someday soon, I hope to share Jesus with you.

This is a very special cookie indeed.

Thanks Mom!

2011-02-25T05:33:00.000-08:00

My mother sent some money for Christmas and said to use it for whatever I wanted. After considerable thought, I decided, "Nothing could be better than three new signs for the sign ministry"!
So, here they are, and we are thrilled to be using them regularly.
From left to right, the translations are:
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."
"Christ died for our sins."
"Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust."

There is nothing better than standing up for Christ and wearing His name before a lost and dying world.

Thanks Mom!

A Rock Concert in Varazdin!

2011-02-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

One of our group, Kevin Brown, saw a sign in our city and figured out that it was for a rock concert Friday night.
After some detective work on the internet, we found out the time and place.

We donned our reflective vests (required in Croatia for roadsides at night) and took our reflective signs in search of a good place to stand to share God's word with all who would attend.

The place we found was right near the facility and the traffic was tremendous. For over an hour, we had a steady stream of slow moving cars coming by reading our gospel signs as they searched for parking spaces.

What an incredible blessing to be able to share this many Bible verses with hundreds and hundreds of people all in the course of an hour or so.

I wonder how many people went into their concert talking about eternity instead of rock music.

Amen.

My home Church - Reaching people for Christ

2011-02-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

During the week of the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas, multitudes came to town for the game and all the other activities leading up to game day.

My home church, Trinity Baptist, was right where they were supposed to be - trying to reach the lost
with the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Amen! I am so proud of my church for working to win the lost.

Oh, and the man in the red vest - THAT'S MY PASTOR!

Help from God getting the Word out

2011-02-08T04:21:00.000-08:00

We are just a small group of soldiers for Christ, trying to reach a large of number of Croatian people with the gospel message. Knowing this, God reached down from heaven and helped us in a mighty way. As we stood in the freezing weather a few days ago during rush hour, a newspaper photographer stopped by and took our photo. Today, this photo and story in appeared in the weekly edition of one of the most widely circulated papers in our county.

Now, everyone who picks up the newspaper (possibly 25,000 people or more) will get to read the signs in the photo which say,

Where will you spend eternity?

Only Jesus Saves You must be born again

None righteous, no not one. None seek after God.

While we were yet sinners, Christ dies for us.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

In addition, this paper has an online edition which should be updated to include this story later in the week.

To our delight, the article is also very positive and translates closely to this:

Signposts to eternity

Quite a few were surprised who were in the January 28 peak traffic moving from the direction of the Čakovec to Šenkovec seeing people who are at the edge of the road with signs.
The column of vehicles slowed down because drivers were trying to read the text, hoping that they had just one last chance to save money or find a bargain on some expensive product.
But there was none of that. The inscriptions on the signs, held by members of the Independent Baptist Church Stablo Života from Čakovec, pointed drivers to the right path to eternity.

Thank you God, for your help in getting the message out. God is not willing that any should perish.

On the streets again

2011-02-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

Standing up for Christ is such a joy!
Today we "braved the beautiful 65 degree sunshine" and stood for a total of three hours, delivering the gospel of Christ to hundreds and hundreds of Croatians.

What a gorgeous day the Lord gave us in which to do His work.

Amen.

I will sing of my Redeemer

2011-02-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

I was watching the video from the Sunday morning service at my home church, Trinity Baptist in Arlington and one of the hymns sung during this service is I will sing of my Redeemer. This hymn blesses my heart so much.

My God is so holy and righteous and loving and merciful, and I am so excited about Him that I can hardly see straight. This hymn makes me want to jump and shout. (In fact I did do some shouting. I'll leave the jumping to the younger crowd.)

Dear God, I just want to say that I LOVE YOU and THANK YOU for saving my soul. I WILL sing of my REDEEMER. I will serve you and honor you all the days of my life. I am not ashamed to wear your name.

O magnify the LORD with me, let us exalt HIS name together!

Here are the words to this beautiful hymn. I found them here, http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/y/myrdeemr.htm

I will sing of my Redeemer,
And His wondrous love to me;
On the cruel cross He suffered,
From the curse to set me free.

Sing, oh sing, of my Redeemer,
With His blood, He purchased me.
On the cross, He sealed my pardon,
Paid the debt, and made me free.

I will tell the wondrous story,
How my lost estate to save,
In His boundless love and mercy,
He the ransom freely gave.

I will praise my dear Redeemer,
His triumphant power I’ll tell,
How the victory He giveth
Over sin, and death, and hell.

I will sing of my Redeemer,
And His heav’nly love to me;
He from death to life hath brought me,
Son of God with Him to be.

A great day of witnessing

2011-02-01T12:54:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day for witnessing in Čakovec. I walked through the downtown this morning and was able to give out around 70 gospel tracts.
Then went to the bus station at 2:00 and talked with many teenagers who were waiting for their 2:15 departures. Eighty-five of them accepted gospel tracts and I had a very pleasant time chatting and making them laugh a little to put them at ease.
Then, after holding up a gospel sign for all the bus riders to read as they departed, I made my way to the south of town to stand with the gospel signs for rush hour. (It got all the way up to 27 deg F today - It felt like a heat wave!). A higher-than-usual number of people responded positively to the Bible verses as they passed by.
As rush hour ended I went to meet Pastor Telebar so that we could make a visit to the Gypsy village of Kuršanec to encourage Brother Dejan and his family. While there, I had the joy of watching Brother Telebar lead a man named Damir to Christ.

What a wonderful day!

Praise God for an opportunity to serve the Lord.
God save Croatia!

Psalam 126:5 Oni koji siju u suzama, žeti će u radosti.

(Psalms 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.)

Providence of God - Part 2

2011-01-31T07:30:00.000-08:00

Today at 2:00 in the afternoon, I decided to go and have the rubber stamp we use for gospel tracts changed to show the new web address of our church, http://stablozivota.com.

Arriving at the rubber stamp store at 2:15, I was surprised to find the door locked and a note taped to it saying, “Vraćam se u 14:30“ (meaining “I will return at 2:30“).

Well, there I was, stuck in a cold hallway having to wait for 15 minutes. Shortly, a man who looked about 50-55 (in other words, very very young) walked up to the door of another business just down the hall. That door was also locked, prompting the man to say something to me in Croatian. I responded, explaining that I was American and spoke very little Croatian. To my delight, the man said in perfect English, “So, you are an American! I was in America in 1976-77.“

He quickly spotted a sign on the door stating he needed to ring a doorbell to bring the business owner downstairs to wait on him. As he rang the bell, I quickly pulled out a gospel tract and said, “Let me show you why I am here“.

He read the question on the front of the tract which says, “Äre you 100% sure if you died today that you would go to heaven?“

As soon as he read the question he began to weep and tell me that his 26 year old son had died just 15 months ago. I put my arm around him and told him how much God loves him and that God was reaching out to him today. I told him that Jesus died for Him and wants to save his soul and take him to heaven one day. As the business owner walked up to let him in, I asked the man to please come to church and let us talk more about this. He said he is seriously thinking about it and thanked me very much.

My rubber stamp guy never did show up.

Mudre izreke 3:5-6 Uzdaj se u Jahvu svim srcem i ne oslanjaj se na vlastiti razbor. Misli na nj na svim svojim putovima i on će ispraviti tvoje staze.

(Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.)

Providence of God

2011-01-31T04:26:00.000-08:00

Today's great blessing is a demonstration of the providence of God. My car had an unusual defect that caused the speedometer to quit working periodically, and the car to die unexpectedly. My regular mechanic could not figure it out so I had to go to another mechanic about 10 miles away and I had to be there at 8:00 AM this morning.

Expecting to have a long and lonesome wait while my car was being worked on, I took along my Croatian New Testament to read. Shortly after I sat down in the waiting room, a man who appeared to be in his early thirties walked in and asked me a question in Croatian. I replied in Croatian that I am an American and I understand only a little Croatian. To my absolute delight, he said very clearly in perfect English, "OK then, so I will speak English."

His question was, "Why does your car have green license plate letters while most have black?" This question is very exciting for those of us here to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ because the reason our license plates have green letters is because we are not from Croatia. This inevitably leads to the question, "Why did you come here?"

Over the next 1-1/2 hours, I had the great joy of getting to know this precious man and getting to share the gospel with him. Oh, and since I brought my Croatian Bible with me, I was able to show him directly from God's word about Jesus Christ and the necessity to trust Him for salvation.

During our very pleasant conversation, I learned a great deal about him, his family, and his business. We exchanged contact information and I gave him some gospel tracts to read and invited him to church.

So I have a new friend in Croatia, the seed of God's word and been planted, and I have a new family to pray for.

Oh, and Yes! My car got repaired too. The mechanic speaks no English, but asked my new friend to hang around an extra few minutes to translate for him, which he was glad to do.

Praise God. Maybe my car will develop a new problem next week. I hope so.

Traffic Heaven

2011-01-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

We had a great day standing up for Christ in Čakovec, Croatia! With a chill factor of 18 degrees, it is hard to find people walking the streets, but sharing the gospel with hundreds as they drive home from work is easy using our gospel signs.
We stood for about an hour today and had solid traffic during the afternoon rush hour. We were so blessed by all the responses we received - both positive and negative. (If the people who respond negatively had any idea how that charges us up, I am sure they would never do it.)
The photographer from the local newspaper showed up today and took some photos. If they put a photo of all of our signs in the paper, we will be thrilled. It would be just like our great God to bless in such a way. After all, His main interest is getting His Word out. What a great way to do it!

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow it is supposed to be REALLY cold, and we are excited about hitting the streets again in the morning. Hallelujah.

Jeremija 33:3 'Zazovi me, i odgovorit ću ti i pokazat ću ti velike, nevjerojatne stvari, za koje nijesi znao!

(Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.)

Amen.

A Great Day At The Local Bus Station

2011-01-25T05:32:00.000-08:00

With all those buses in the background being filled with high school students in preparation for their daily departure at 1:20, it seemed perfectly natural to be standing at the exit with our gospel signs. We've been through the terminal several times passing out tracts and witnessing to people as the crowd gathered for departure, and today we thought we would make it easier (if not irresistible) for all of them to read a few Bible verses as they left town.
The response (reaction?) was very encouraging. Young people are not afraid to let you know what they think. Most of the response was positive, but in every case we knew the message was received and understood. I can't wait to see what God is going to with this segment of our ministry. (Rush hour is coming at 3:00 PM, so I have to get to the other side of town to catch more traffic.)

What a blessing to stand up for Christ!

Great Children's Program Sunday

2011-01-24T05:03:00.000-08:00

Bro Scott Holcomb leads a children's program at Stablo Života, the church in Čakovec, Croatia, on Sunday afternoons at 4:00 and is doing a terrific job.

Just last week we had more kids stand and recite their Bible memory verses than ever before. Well, this week that record fell. As you can see in the photo above, MOST of our kids got up to recite their memory verse!
Bro Scott always brings good, practical Bible lessons for the young people and they really seem to be enjoying it. Attendance and participation are way up.

We are so blessed. Praise the Lord.

Prva Petrova Poslanica 2:2 Kao tek rođene bebe čeznite za čistim mlijekom riječi da bi po njemu uzrasli ...

(1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:)

Great Day Standing Up for Christ

2011-01-22T06:34:00.000-08:00

A 19 degree chill factor was not enough to keep us off the streets of Varaždin today. I was joined by all the men of the Holcomb family - Bro Scott and his sons Matthew and Xavier.
We had a great time standing up for Christ. The traffic was outstanding and the interest from those who passed by was obvious.
We pray the Lord will pierce their hearts with His word and convict them of their need for a Saviour.

At least a half dozen police drove by today - very slowly - and said nothing to us. We have prayed for grace in the eyes of the police and God is answering our prayer. Amen!

God help us to make a difference for Jesus' sake! God save Croatia!

Prva Poslanica Korinćanima 3:11 Jer nitko ne može položiti drugog temelja osim onoga koji je već postavljen, a taj je Isus Krist.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Another day on the streets

2011-01-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

A wind chill of 25 degrees was not enough to keep us off the street. The young man in the picture is Matthew Holcomb, and he gladly withstood the cold winds to stand up for Christ in Čakovec during rush hour today. Matthew is the son of Scott and Traci Holcomb. He is a great blessing to me personally and to the ministry here.

We were blessed to make contact with several who passed by and are hopeful that they will follow through and attend a service so we can speak with them further about their need for Christ.

We cannot imagine what the townspeople think seeing us stand on the street with the gospel message. This has to be something totally new to them, so it definitely has their attention and we are thrilled. Police also drove by today and said nothing, which is a very good indicator that we will be permitted to continue this part of our ministry unhindered.

Tomorrow morning we will be standing in Varaždin.

Praise God.

Poslanica Hebrejima 13:13-14 Izađimo stoga k njemu izvan tabora noseći njegovu sramotu. Jer ovdje nemamo trajnog grada, već tražimo budući.

(Hebrews 13:13-14 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.)

International Smorgasbord Extravaganza!

2011-01-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

I went to the post office here in Čakovec today to pick up two unexpected packages, having no idea what had come in. I was definitely in for a pleasant surprise.
Several months ago I sent a request to the Fellowship Tract League for gospel tracts in numerous languages so we could reach out to more of the people we come in contact with.
When I opened the boxes tonight, I was ecstatic. As you can see in the photograph, I have before me an International Smorgasbord Extravaganza of gospel opportunity!
With tracts in Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Bulgarian, Albanian, Romanian, German, and even English we can now reach more people than ever before. It's as if Christmas keeps on coming.

Printable tracts posted online at:

http://godsavecroatia.com/gospel.html

Glory Hallelujah!

Rimljanima 1:16 Jer se ne stidim evanđelja Kristova, jer je ono snaga Božja na spasenje svakomu koji vjeruje; najprije Židovu, onda i Grku.

(Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.)

Dreams do come true

2011-01-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

Dreams do come true!
After several months in Croatia, I have finally been able to get gospel signs made in the Croatian language, and I can once again stand up for Christ on busy street corners.
The sign pictured here is the first of a set (the prototype) that the signmaker produced last Friday. The others will be ready this coming Friday and I can't wait to get them all.

This sign says, Only Jesus Saves. Ye must be born again. Today, I was on the street corner at rush hour and already the results are exciting. I had the privilege to preach the gospel to a group of teenagers who came by on their bicycles. They all took gospel tracts and listened to me telling them about Jesus for about 10-15 minutes. As hundreds of cars passed by I could see the drivers and passengers intently reading the sign.
It's such a joy to share God's Word with hundreds of people in a short span of time.

Hebrews 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Thank you God, for the opportunity to stand up for You!
It is my dream come true.

A great day in the house of God

2011-01-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful day in God’s house today in Varaždin and Čakovec! Praise the Lord!

Two first-time visitors were gloriously and eternally saved by placing their faith in Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God who died for us all and triumphantly rose again from the dead.

One man who got saved today, Petar, is brother-in-law to Dejan from the village of Kuršanec. Dejan continues to work hard for the Lord in bringing people from his village. It is always a blessing to drive the church van to Dejan's house and have so many people pile in that we could not possibly fit another.

The other person who was saved today is the classmate of one of Hannah Leslie's friends. Hannah's friend was saved just a few months ago and now she is bringing her friends. Praise God!

In addition, Bro Scott Holcomb is currently running a special promotion in the children’s program that he leads every week. The promotion involves Bible memorization, attendance, bringing your Bible to church, and bringing visitors. This is the first week of the promotion and already we are seeing good things happen. Attendance was excellent, and EVERYONE remembered to bring their Bible – EVERYONE. The spirit of today's meeting was very good and, as shown in the photo, more kids got up to say their memory verse today than we ever had before.

What an incredible day! Thank God!

Glory to His name.

Hallelujah!

2011-01-08T05:02:00.000-08:00

With ice, snow, sub-freezing temperatures, and several holidays, it had been a little while since we were able to get outside and greet people with gospel tracts in hand.

Today, it warmed up just enough for people to venture outdoors, so once again were standing in the town square of Varaždin giving out gospel tracts and talking to as many people as possible. In spite of the 40 degree temperature and 15 mile per hour wind, there were still enough people outdoors to enable us to give out nearly 500 gospel tracts, personally invite a number of people to church, and have a few interesting conversations.

It is so refreshing to stand up for Christ. Thank God for the opportunity.

More seed has been planted, and we are counting on the Lord to grow it for His glory. Hallelujah!

To get a view of the town square of Varazdin, click on this webcam link

http://www.foi.hr/FOI_Korzo.html

NOTE: The camera doesn't appear to be on today (Saturday), but check back again on a weekday. This camera is run by the local college and shows only the town square.

Christmas in Kuršanec

2011-01-03T03:32:00.000-08:00

On December 28th, I got a call from Dejan, our faithful member from Kuršanec. He needed some help hauling some Christmas gifts to his village from a local doctor's office. This doctor, a very nice lady about 60 years old, has been collecting Christmas gifts for the Gypsy families in Kuršanec for many years. Today, they needed transportation.

I took the church van to her office and we loaded it up from top to bottom and headed to the village. It was a joy to behold as the crowd gathered and the gifts were distributed. Everyone was so happy. These dear people live with practically nothing, and for someone to care enough to help them genuinely blesses their hearts.

I was so privileged to be a part of this big day. Praise the Lord.

Sad Irony

2011-01-03T03:01:00.000-08:00

For a panoramic view of the entire site, see http://www.salaj.net/

As a church, we went to a special place in Croatia where over a million "Christmas" lights are set up. This is an amazing sight.
It is indeed brilliantly decorated and beautiful. There is even a manger scene to celebrate the birth of Christ, and the name "Božićna Priča" (Christmas Story) over the entrance.
The sad irony in this is that it is done in a country where most do not realize that Jesus came to die to pay for all our sins. Sadly, for the most part, the people of Croatia worship Mary rather than the Saviour, and believe that good works will eventually earn them a place in heaven.
They do not realize that the birth of Christ was not Mary's miracle, but God's miracle. They do not comprehend that Mary has no power to save, but only Jesus saves. They fail to realize that Mary also needed the Saviour, just like the rest of us.
This display shows that people can know a few facts concerning a historical event and completely miss its true meaning and value. We can have something in our head, but until we understand it with our heart, we are lost and without hope for heaven.
The fact is that we are all sinners in need of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We must receive Him in our hearts to be saved, realizing that He alone can save us and take us to Heaven. Our good works, baptism, church membership, and charitable giving are all polluted by our sin, making us unworthy to be with God. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse our sin and assure us of eternal salvation.
I am saved, and headed for heaven. How about you?

Evanđelje po Luki 19:10 Jer je Sin čovječji došao tražiti i spasiti ono što je izgubljeno.
Druga Poslanica Korinćanima 5:21 Jer ga je on učinio grijehom za nas, njega koji nije upoznao grijeha, da mi u njemu postanemo pravednost Božja.
Poslanica Rimljanima 3:23 Jer su svi sagriješili i ostali bez slave Božje, Evanđelje po Ivanu 3:16 Jer je Bog tako ljubio svijet da je dao svoga
jedinorođenog Sina, da svaki koji u njega vjeruje ne propadne, nego ima život vječni.
Djela Apostolka 4:12 Nema spasenja ni u kome drugom, jer nema pod nebom drugoga imena danog ljudima po kome mi trebamo biti spašeni.

(Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.)

Watch Night Service 2010

2011-01-03T02:12:00.000-08:00

We had a great time of fellowship together during our Watch Night Service in Čakovec Croatia.
We are looking forward to great things from God in 2011, and watching for our Lord's return.
It is our heart's desire to reach all of Croatia (and Bosnia, Serbia, Herzegovina and others) with the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.

Praise the Lord for a mission-minded church!

Xavier Holcomb showing his great style in a game of Wii Tennis.

Magi is taking down Bro Scott Holcomb in a riveting game of Operation

Matthew Holcomb and Danijel going at it in a game of Sorry!

What it's all about

2011-01-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Sunday night, January 2nd, was a very special day in Čakovec, Croatia.
After taking a church van out on icy roads to the Gypsy village of Kursanec and picking up a "bunch" of people, we had a great church service.
After the service, Pastor Rajko Telebar sat down with four of the men from the village and led them to Christ!
Seeing four men gloriously saved was definitely the highlight of our day!

Thank God for Bro Telebar and his heart for the souls of men.

Especially exciting to me is the fact that the man in the plaid shirt had not planned to come. He happened to be standing near the van where I stopped to let everyone on. I motioned to him to come with us and he shrugged as if to say "Why not?" and got in. Praise the Lord.

Salvation - That's what it's all about.

Amen.

Evanđelje po Ivanu 1:12 A svima koji su ga prihvatili, njima je dao moć da postanu djeca Božja: onima koji vjeruju u ime njegovo;

(John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:)

Joyful time in Hungary

2010-12-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

Pastor Rajko Telebar had some business to tend to in Hungary on Monday this week and asked me to accompany him.
We drove about 25 km into the country to the large city of Nagykanizsa.

We had already been equipped with some Hungarian Gospel tracts by our friend Jim Pranger, missionary in Budapest.

As we walked from the car to the place of business, we tried to give a tract to everyone we encountered.

In spite of temperature in the low 20’s F, many people gladly accepted the tracts from us. Even though we could not carry on a conversation with these dear people, we were able to give them the incorruptible Word of God. Now they have the truth and an opportunity to get saved.

It is a great joy to spread the Word of God, wherever you may be. Who knows what God might do? Perhaps one who will become a great evangelist in Hungary was one of the people who got a tract from us that day. Wouldn’t that be something? I always like to say, “You never know”.

A day of great sorrow

2010-12-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

It was a day of great sorrow in Croatia. Today we held the funeral for the 15 year-old son of one of our dear church members.
Jasmin was struck and killed by a drunk driver Friday night while walking down a street near his home.
Thank the Lord this young man had been gloriously saved not long ago. We will be with him in heaven, as will his precious mom and dad.
The pain of this day is unspeakable, but the gift that makes hope possible at such a time is also unspeakable.
Through the blood of Christ - freely given to pay for sin - this young man was saved for all eternity.
Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.

Jasmin, we will see you soon.

Great Snowfall

2010-12-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

We're not in Texas anymore

2010-12-01T04:47:00.000-08:00

We are blessed in Croatia with much beauty from what God has created. Now that winter is upon us, we get to see more of the majesty of God in snowfall that frequently comes to Croatia.

These are pictures of the first big snow of 2010 - and the first I have seen since arriving in the spring.

It reminds me of the verse, Isaiah 1:18, that says,

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ...

I am not in Texas anymore, and that is made clearer from the heavy snow.
But that's OK, God is with me.

Great Day in Samobor

2010-11-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

Thursday the 25th, Thanksgiving Day in America, was a great day for witnessing in Samobor Croatia. Samobor is a town near to the capitol city of Zagreb with a population listed at 36,000.

I had the privilege to stand between the high school and the bus station and greet many young people, offering gospel tracts to all. The people were very friendly and most of them gladly accepted a gospel tract.

After the school rush was over, I walked through town to greet as many as possible.

As I was walking through the town, I noticed on the hill just down the main road an old castle ruin. I had to make the climb and check it out. Although it is in ruins, it is still an amazing sight. On that day I had the hill and the castle all to myself. As I quietly stood there surveying the sight, I thought about how this castle represented one of man's best efforts to build a lasting kingdom, but as with all of man's work every kingdom of man will fall, but the kingdom of our Lord shall stand forever.

Luke 1:31-33 says, And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Philippians 2:9-11 says, Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

Enjoy the photos!

Koprivnica Croatia

2010-11-09T01:57:00.000-08:00

These photos were taken on Saturday night, 10/30/10. These young people are precious in the eyes of the Lord and it is my joy to know and befriend them.

Poslanica Rimljanima 1:16 Jer se ne stidim evanđelja Kristova, jer je ono snaga Božja na spasenje svakomu koji vjeruje ...

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ...

Amen.

Trnovec Children's Service - Another Blessing of God

2010-10-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

We were so blessed once again to have service in the Gypsy village of Trnovec. Today's weather was so nice that we had the chance to meet outdoors. Our attendance was down a little from previous services because today was time-change Sunday and some of the kids were not aware.

Even so we had a great time. The kids are learning truth straight from the Bible and are able to accurately answer questions about the previous week's lesson.

Some of the photos are of today's game time.

Anyone can say, Ja sam put, istina, i život. (I am the way, the truth, and the life.) But the challenge is, Can you say it with a mouthful of marshmallows? These precious children love the services and look forward to them each week. Please pray the Lord will enable this work to continue and that they all will be saved.

A Blessing In The Park

2010-10-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

The parks in Croatia are often busy places on Saturday nights. I was blessed on this past Saturday night to find several large groups gathered in the park of a beautiful town called Koprivnica, about an hour from home.

They were so gracious to accept the gospel tracts and listen to me preach the gospel to them for quite some time. It took nearly four hours to witness to the four main groups there, but it sure didn't seem that long. Preaching the gospel to these young people is an incomparable joy to me. They seem to be genuinely touched that someone reaches out to them. I look forward to seeing them again soon and watching the gospel begin to bear fruit.

Praise the Lord for enabling me to find this venue for reaching these precious people.

It grieves me so much to know these young people are lost, and to see how they desperately need the Truth. I can only imagine how much my eternal God grieves for their souls.

Oh God! Please save them all! I am clinging to your promise that, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He took My Place

2010-10-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

Out soulwinning the other day, I took note of this handicap parking sign in Čakovec, Croatia.
The part with the yellow background essentially says,"If you take my place, will you also take my handicap?" Of course it is an appeal to people who are able-bodied to not take the parking places made for the disabled.
Having needed handicap parking myself until just a year or two ago, I can certainly understand the necessity of the appeal.
However, seeing this sign made me think of Someone who did take my place, and also took my infirmity.
When I was lost in sin without hope for heaven, I was made aware of a Saviour, who died on the cross to pay for my sins and rose again with the power to save my eternal soul and give me eternal life. When I placed my faith for heaven in Jesus Christ, He saved my soul and assured me a place in heaven,defeating the infirmity of this body of flesh, conquering sin, death, hell, and the grave.

1 Peter 2:24 says, Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
(koji je sâm u svome tijelu grijehe naše ponio na drvo da bismo mi, pošto smo umrli grijesima, pravednosti živjeli; čijim ste modricama ozdravljeni.)

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
(Jer ga je on učinio grijehom za nas, njega koji nije upoznao grijeha, da mi u njemu postanemo pravednost Božja.)

He took my place, He took my infirmity, and He saved my soul.

Glory to His name!

I am the door (Ja sam vrata)

2010-10-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

Soulwinning in Varazdin the other day, this door caught my eye. In addition to its age, I suppose the fact it is all wooden had something to do with drawing my attention.
I noticed the date carved in the arch above the door. It says 1883. This door has been in place for 127 years. It is a custom in Croatia to carve the date above the door, and I have actually seen many that are much older than this one.
As I stood in front of this door, I could not help but think of all the people that have passed through it over the years. What were their lives like? Who were they? Did they have family? Did anyone care for them? Was their life hard? And, most importantly, Did they know Christ as their Saviour? Undoubtedly, thousands have passed through this door over time, but I wonder how many of them received Christ as Saviour?

God's Holy Word quotes Jesus proclaiming, Ï am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
In the language of Croatia the Bible says, Ja sam vrata. Ako tko uđe kroz mene, spasit će se, te će ulaziti i izlaziti i pašu nalaziti.

Jesus is the only way of salvation. We must go through Him in order to go to heaven. No matter what else we do in this life, we have no hope for heaven without Jesus.
How many people went through this door in Varazdin over the past 127 years, only to face an eternity without Christ? They may have had tradition, religion, ritual, custom, church, and even good works. But if they did not have Jesus as their personal Saviour they had no hope for heaven.
Thank God I get to stand here and tell the people of Croatia of the ONE - the only ONE - who has the power to save. Only Jesus Saves. (Samo Isus spašava.)

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Jer je plaća za grijeh smrt, a dar Božji je život vječni po Isusu Kristu, Gospodinu našemu.)

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(Isus mu je odgovorio: "Ja sam Put, Istina i Život. Nitko ne dolazi k Ocu, osim po meni.)

Place your faith in Jesus Christ and be saved today. He is the door to eternal life.

God's got people everywhere

2010-10-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

Tuesday I was standing alone on the streets of Karlovac, a city about 1-1/2 hours from home, witnessing mostly to high school kids as they made their way to and from the school.

After a couple of hours a man walked up with a great big smile on his face and one of my tracts in his hand. He firmly shook my hand and, with his wonderful thick accent, said, "You are my brother!" This man's name is Dario, and he explained to me that he had been saved several years ago and was very excited to see someone preaching the gospel on the street.

He was excited enough to find me and offer me words of encouragement.
As he shook my hand again and turned to go his way, he said, "Preach Brother!"
What a great blessing this was to me! Thank God for Dario.

God's got people everywhere.
Amen.

Another Great Lord's Day in Trnovec

2010-10-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday brought another great service in Trnovec. Once again, there were
over 80 kids present.
Brother Johnny brought a good lesson on Jesus being the Light of the World.
Brother Dean, our Gyspy translator, arrived looking sharp wearing a new
suit. God is doing a work with him, and it is a great blessing to behold.
It makes a world of difference having a Gypsy man there with us.
We are excited about what the Lord is doing with this work. The
possibilities are endless.
The other photo shows the whip cream eating contest in full swing. The kids
loved it and had a great time. They are a joy to be with.
This is the Lords doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

What matters to Tony Curtis today?

2010-09-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

When someone of great worldly fame dies, I cannot help but wonder if they are in heaven or hell.

What matters to Tony Curtis today? Worldy fame? Great wealth? Acting ability?
No. The only thing that matters to Tony Curtis today is his relationship with Jesus Christ. Did he ever come to a place in life where he realized he was a sinner who did not deserve heaven? Did he ever understand that Jesus Christ gave Himself on the cross to pay for Tony’s sins? Did he ever call out to Christ to save his eternal soul from hell?

I hope that he did, but if not, it is forever too late for Mr Curtis. If you are reading this, it is not too late for you.

You must understand that none of us are good enough to go to Heaven on our own merit. Because we are sinners, no matter how much good we do, we always fall short.
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Realize the penalty for sin is an eternity in hell.
For the wages of sin is death... (Romans 6:23a)
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Rev 20:14)

Believe Christ died for you.
Christ showed His great love for us when He died on the cross to pay our sin debt.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Jesus, who never sinned, took our sin on himself, that we might be saved.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Cor 5:21)

You need to trust Christ alone as your Saviour.
...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23b)
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 3:11)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)

Everlasting life is a gift purchased by the blood of Jesus and offered freely to those who call upon Him by faith.
Will you trust Christ alone as your personal Saviour? Will you "believe" on Christ? Will you simply call on Jesus, trusting Him alone, to save you from Hell and take you to Heaven when you die? If you will, God promises that you shall be saved.

Will you believe God? If so, earnestly, sincerely pray this simple prayer, trusting Christ:
Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner, and I cannot save myself. Please forgive my sins, come into my heart and save my soul from Hell. I’m trusting you alone to take me to Heaven when I die. Thank you for saving me, Jesus. Amen.
Please receive Christ as your Saviour today. Don’t delay. We’re not guaranteed a tomorrow.

More Outreach to High School Students

2010-09-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Monday brought a trip to the town of Krapina (about 1-1/2 hours away from home) to reach more high school students with the gospel. (Thank the Lord that school has started again!)
Although I did not see anyone saved today, I had the joy of presenting the gospel several times and giving out several hundred gospel tracts. This town is a county seat and has a large high school with 800 students.

God's desire is that every one of them be saved. So, we stand.

The photos show one very large group of kids at the bus stop.

A Great Lord's Day in Croatia ....

2010-09-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Lord's Day in Croatia. One of the highlights was our first service in the Gypsy village of Trnovec.

We were so blessed to have over 100 Gypsies in attendance!

As you can see from the photos, we had a full program with singing, preaching, and of course a cracker eating contest for the kids.

Bro Dean, a member of our church, came and translated Bro Johnny's Croatian into the Gypsy language so that even those who do not know Croatian could fully understand. Bro Dean was so excited all day long. He was beaming with joy the rest of the day. He is such a great asset to our church
family.

These people are precious in the eyes of the Lord, and we are beyond rejoicing, having an opportunity to carry the gospel to them.

Praise the Lord for His mercy and His goodness to us. An opportunity to serve Him is a great blessing indeed.