Split

I recently had the privilege to travel to the ancient city of Split on Croatia's Adriatic coast with our Croatian pastor, Rajko Telebar.

The trip was a long one - approximately 7 hours each way.

The main purpose of the trip was to deliver thousands of gospel tracts to one of Bro Telebar's converts who makes use of them spreading the gospel in his area.  While there, Bro Telebar and I had the joy of speaking to a number of people on the streets and sharing the gospel.

This is a tourist city and the main attraction is the ancient palace of Diocletian. We walked through it and took the photos below. He was the emperor of Rome from 284 AD to 305. This was a summer palace for him. Diocletian is known for orchestrating a violent and fierce persecution of Christians.

I would just like to say: "Well Diocletian ("Cleetus"), your persecution didn't work out. We are standing on the ruin of your empire sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

The thought came while we were there that one of our group should possibly rent an apartment or hotel room during the offseason to use as a base to spread the gospel all over that region. During the winter months, there will be a lot of snow in Cakovec, keeping people from getting out and about, but not in the area of Split, Dubrovnik, and Zadar.  Pray with us that God will give us wisdom to know exactly what to do. All of Croatia desperately needs the gospel message.

Sisak

In my quest to reach all of Croatia with the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have created a list of the cities of Croatia, with their populations and distance from my home base of Čakovec and have begun to work my way through the list. I plan to go to each city and spend a day witnessing and planting seed and then make the circuit over and over.
Having already been to Koprivnica, Bjelovar, and Đurđevac, this week I made it to Sisak, which is about 2 hours from home.

Arriving there at 10:30 Tuesday morning, I began witnessing a passing tracts to people on the streets. Within about two hours, I met a young man name Stjepan. After we talked for about an hour, Stjepan happily bowed his head and asked Jesus to save his precious soul. Glory Hallelujah!
Throughout the day, up till about 9:00 PM, I was able to share the gospel with about 24 people, and give tracts to hundreds. 
It was a glorious time - glorious because God saved Stjepan, and glorious because God's name is glorified when the gospel is preached!
As has been the case in every city, I met a group of teens and presented the gospel to them.  They now have all the information necessary to know how to receive Christ as Saviour.  I pray they will.  My heart is broken for the teens of Croatia, and they receive me and listen to me.  I just know God is going to do great things with and for them. 
On this day, the weatherman had predicted rainstorms.  God had other plans.  As you can see from the photos, it was a clear and beautiful day.

During the heat of the day, while people retreat indoors, I took a break at the local castle.  This castle was built in 1544 with bricks from a cistern that the Romans built 2000 years ago.  I was told the castle was built in 6 months and was used to repel an invasion by the Turks in 1593.  Enjoy the view.

Built where two rivers come together, it is a natural place for defense. (And beautiful too.)

Some of the old cannonballs from the period.

I was hearing a noise downstairs and decided to check out the basement.

Of course, the noise is coming from the bats in the basement. I should have known. (An added point of instruction: Flash photography tends to aggravate bats. Please don't try this at home.)

The view from behind the castle. Croatia is so beautiful!

Seed planted, soul saved, God glorified. It doesn't get better than that.

Glory Hallelujah! Somebody Got Gloriously Saved!

This gospel tract was mailed to the church in Cakovec by someone who read it and got gloriously saved saved saved!  Somebody stand up and shout Hallelujah!
The man apparently received the tract in the capital city of Zagreb during a recent "Street Ministry Extravaganza" near the big downtown train station. We had stood for 5 hours passing out thousands of gospel tracts one Thursday morning from 6:30 to about 11:30.  (We also had two professions of faith that day.)
Bro Johnny was overjoyed to find this in the church mailbox today, and when he announced it in church we had great rejoicing.  The man gave his name and address and our Croatian pastor will be following up with more information for him.
God is saving Croatians on a regular basis and we are thrilled to see His hand at work.

Thank you God for saving this man's precious soul!
Mercy there was great and grace was free.
I love living on shouting ground.
Praise the Lord.

A Place Called Plitvička

We took a Monday off recently and went to a place called Plitvička, in central Croatia. I have never seen a place so beautiful! It was breathtaking.
I was in awe of God and His creation as I viewed this place.

I was also in awe that I could hike uphill for 5 hours - and do so without a walking cane! God is amazing.

We were so blessed and so refreshed by such a wonderful place.

You've Got To Be Kidding Me!

Eight of us entered Varaždin this morning at 10:15 for soulwinning and, as we paired off and made our way into town, I spotted the vegetable and flower open market and saw something that really interested me - PEOPLE! Hundreds and hundreds of people were flocking through there. There were so many people, I thought, You've got to be kidding me!  My partner and I immediately turned left and joined the melee. We were passing out tracts as fast as we could. It was glorious.

The gospel tract is very clear and plain (blunt maybe?) - and almost fluorescent green - so it gets lots of attention.

After about ten minutes in there we had already handed out several hundred gospel tracts. The place was buzzing with conversation. Apparently prompted by the Lord, one sweet lady who spoke great English motioned me aside and said that she had been saved 18 years ago and was so happy that we were giving out the gospel message. She said it's all that people are talking about inside the marketplace! Glory to God.

Things were definitely stirred up this morning. We also had two gloriously saved when they called on Christ today! It doesn't get any better than that.

After we returned to the van and discussed the morning, we realized that the eight of us together had passed out around 1600 gospel tracts, the town's conversation had been turned toward eternal things, and two souls had been gloriously saved.

Missionary Johnny Leslie summed it up best when he said, "Glory to God! It feels like punching a hole in the darkness!" Amen Brother Johny.

A Saturday morning can't get any better than that.  It was so wonderful I thought, You've Got To Be Kidding Me!

God is so good!

Reminders of Croatia's Struggle for Independence

During a recent day trip in Croatia we passed through the city of Karlovac, which was very close to the front lines during Croatia's struggle for independence. We stopped at a memorial where relics from the war are positioned near what was a school before it's destruction.
As we drove through the city, it was apparent that many of the businesses and homes still bear the wounds of war, a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom.
I could not help but think of the families that must have huddled together in fear as the aggressor's artillery rained down, uncertain of what terror was to come.
Thanks be unto God that the guns are silent, Croatia is free, and the doorway is open for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Remnants of an aircraft shot down during the war.

Actor Dennis Hopper - In Heaven or Hell?

Actor Dennis Hopper just died of prostate cancer at the age of 74.  Anytime someone's death makes the news, I immediately ask myself, Is that person in heaven, or are they now screaming in torment from hell?
The truth is, only the Lord knows for sure if he is in heaven or hell.  I do not know if he ever received Jesus as his Saviour. 
Did some Sunday school teacher reach out to Dennis when he was a small child, and lead him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, or did he die and go to hell for all eternity?
Did a concerned neighbor reach him in time with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or is he in hell for all eternity?
Did a faithful pastor visit Dennis and tell him about the free gift of salvation that is available to all who put their trust in Jesus Christ for heaven, or did Dennis die in ignorance and go to hell for all eternity?
Did his mom or dad tell him about Jesus when he was a little boy, or did they let him grow up only to die and spend eternity screaming from hell?
Was Dennis Hopper given opportunities to receive Jesus, only to mock and reject the offer of free salvation, and end up screaming in torment from hell?
Did Dennis ever believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and get saved, or did he think he would take care of that some other day, only to die and spend eternity burning in hell for his unbelief?
If Dennis Hopper did die without Jesus, it is eternally too late for him, but it is not too late for you.  If you are reading this, you have the opportunity to be saved.

Understand what the Bible about salvation:

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death;
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Romans 6:23b ... but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ephesians 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.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
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.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
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.
Romans 10:9-10 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 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.