Trnovec Children's Service - Another Blessing of God

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

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

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)

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

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

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.