Resurrection Message in Malawi
Category: Uncategorized
Andre’s Ordination Service
(A few pictures and videos, we will share the professional video when we get it)
When your in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Airport , eat pizza at Pizza Hut
After I finish my hand tossed Hawaiian Pizza I’m heading to the Ministry of the Treasury. I want a first hand account from the Eunuch about his encounter with Philip.
I choose Pizza Hut over Burger King.
Driving in Cameroon
I’m in Africa again, Yeah!
I love Africans and being in Africa!!
Wednesday, my first day in Cameroon I enjoyed being with Andre and his family; Naomi, Herione, Israelia and Darlene.
Jesus Your Portion
Transcript of a recent conversation.
M sent Psalm 73:26 to D;
“My flesh and my heart fail, But God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.”
D replies;
“What does it mean when it says my portion forever?”
To which M replies;
“Imagine sitting down for a meal, a feast, and the chef placing your meal/portion in front of you and you know that you know this is the best food for your body, the perfect amount of food for your current needs and the best tasting meal ever. It is your portion.”
“Jesus is your portion. He is the best for you and your needs, the perfect amount of Grace, and he is the best tasting relationship you will ever experience.”
“Jesus is our portion. Perfect in every way for each of us,” forever.
Ukraine Military Family Christmas
Dear friends.
It is now Christmas Day in Ukraine and at the same time it is the 668th day of Russian aggression against Ukrainians. Almost nothing has changed in this part of the world in the last 1000 years. Since the formation of moscovia, it has been waging aggressive imperial wars aimed at seizing neighboring territories and other peoples. For nearly 1,000 years, people living in the lands around Kyiv have been repelling these moscow attacks, sometimes successfully, and sometimes not. When the Ukrainians lost defensive wars, moscovia always seized Ukraine, terrorized us and went to war in Europe.
So, my wife and I live in Kyiv: in the church we praise God and sing about Christmas, and at home we worry about the news about war, think, pray and collect help for our militaries and chaplains.
On December 22, my wife, our third son and his wife, our fourth son and I went by car 70 kilometers to a military town in the Kyiv region on the way to Chernihiv. Members of our Church “The Way of Truth”, where I am a pastor, collected 85 Christmas gifts for children from military families. Therefore, we prepared a Christmas program and gifts and came to this military town. It has its own life support system, its own elementary school, and kindergarten, but the school and kindergarten have not been working for two years because it does not have an anti bomb shelter. Russian troops tried to capture this military town in March 2022, but failed, so they fired at it. The military has now repaired almost all the damage, but there are still holes in the asphalt and on the walls of the mark.
The leadership of the military town gathered the children in the building of the kindergarten, because they did not begin to gather in the military club due to possible Russian missile strikes. It was a good time when at the beginning of the Christmas holiday there was a moment of silence for the fallen soldiers, then the children sang for us, and the teachers showed a Christmas puppet show. Then I told the children the Christmas story, we sang the songs “Silent Night”, “Oh in Bethlehem” and others songs for the children, we played with the children and showed them a Christmas cartoon. We gave the children of the military our gifts, which we bought with our own funds. I had a very pleasant feeling in my soul when I gave my gift, which I had collected myself from the things that I had bought personally. Perhaps, I think that those of the American people who provide their personal assistance for God’s victory in Ukraine also feel in their souls the same pleasant feeling of belonging to God’s cause.
Dear friends, we congratulate you on the Birthday of the Baby – Lord.
Glory be to God in heaven and peace on earth.
PS: I continue to look for a new area to conduct an English-language camp for teenagers from military families, continue to work at the Kyiv Theological Seminary as the director of the program “Pastoral Chaplaincy Leadership”, I also still serve as a pastor at the Church “The Way of Truth”, and of course, I have the honor to serve as the head of “Olive Branch” in Ukraine. But I have less energy lately. Remember us in your prayers.
Шановні мої друзі.
Зараз в Україні Різдвяний день і одночасно це є 668 день російської агресії проти українців. За останні 1000 років майже нічого не змінилося у цій частині світу. З моменту формування московії вона веде агресивні імперські війни, що спрямовані на захоплення сусідніх територій і інших народів. Біля 1000 років люди, що живуть на землях кругом Києва відбивають ці московські атаки, часом буває відбиваємося вдало, а часом буває ні. Коли українці програвали оборонні війни, то московія завжди захоплювала України, робила у нас терор або голодомор і йшла воювати далі у Європу.
Отак, я і Марина живемо у Києві: у церкві ми славимо Бога і співаємо про Різдво, а дома хвилюємося від новин, думаємо, молимося і збираємо допомогу для наших військових і капеланів.
22 грудня я, Марина, мій третій син Костянтин зі своєю дружиною Настя, мій четвертий син Марк поїхали за 70 кілометрів у військове містечко у Київський області по дорозі на Чернігів. Члени нашої церкви «Шлях істини», де я є пастор, зібрали 85 різдвяних подарунків для дітей з родин військових. Тому ми приготували Різдвяну програму і подарунки та приїхали у це військове містечко. Там є своя система життєзабезпечення, своя початкова школа, дитячий садок, але школа і садок вже два роки не працюють, бо не має бомбосховища. Це військове містечко російські війська у березні 2022 року намагалися захопити, але не змогли, тому вони його обстріляли. Зараз вже майже всі пошкодження військові відновили, але ще є дірки в асфальті та на стінах відмітини.
Керівництво військового містечка зібрало дітей у будівлі дитячого саду, бо у військовому клубі збирати не стали із-за можливих російських ракетних ударів. Це був добрий час, коли на початку Різдвяного свята була хвилина мовчання за загиблими військовими, потім діти для нас заспівали, а вихователі показали різдвяну лялькову виставу. Потім я розповів дітям Різдвяну історію, ми заспівали для дітей пісні «Тиха ніч», «Ой у Віфлеємі» та інші, ми пограли з дітьми і показали їм різдвяний мультфільм. Ми передали дітям військових наші подарунки, які ми придбали на свої кошти. Я мав у своїй душі дуже приємне відчуття, коли я дарував свій подарунок, який я сам зібрав з тих речей, що я купив особисто. Можливо, я думаю, що ті з американських людей, хто надає свою особисту допомогу для Божої перемоги в Україні також відчувають у своїй душі таке ж приємне відчуття приналежності до Божої справи.
Шановні мої друзі, ми вітаємо вас з святом народження малюка – Царя.
Слава Богу на небі і на Землі мир.
Я продовжую шукати нову територію для проведення англомовного табору для підлітків з один військових, продовжую працювати у Київський богословський семінарії, як директор програми «Пасторсько капеланського керівництва», також я ще служу як пастор у церкві «Шлях істини», і звичайно, я маю честь служити, як керівник «Оливкова гілка» в Україні. Але сил у мене в останній час стало менше. Згадай нас у своїх молитвах.
Valentin.
Valentyn Korenevych,
Colonel (retired)
President of the Public organization “Olive Branch” Ukrainewww.olivebranch.com.ua
Program director of “Pastors-Chaplains Leadership” of the Kyiv Theological Seminary
www.ktsonline.org
+38 097 9638406
This letter was translated by an electronic translator, so I apologize in advance for any errors that you may have noticed.
Embrace the suck
Written by Dave Coffield
“God is far more likely to use pain, suffering, sorrow, grief, troubles, and such to grow us up into the character and image of His Son than He is to use happy times and pleasure. I know what I like better.”
“There is a reason that James says to ‘count it all joy when you encounter various trials’ and Paul says, ‘not only this but we also exult in our tribulations‘. What would it be like to rejoice in the goodness of the Lord in the difficult times that He brings into our lives to accomplish good things in us?”
“The Army has a term I like. ‘Embrace the suck’. The understanding that you will be in environments that are difficult, painful, stressful, etc. You endure it. Hebrews says of Jesus, ‘Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame…‘”
Brand New Dad Reflects On Sleepless Nights
Shared with permission, written by an Airborne Artillery Officer.
Zechariahs Prophecy. Yet another cannonball-sized movement in my heart from the Spirit.
Luke 1:78-79
78 “because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Those last four words are what did it for me. ‘The way of Peace‘. That sounds like a distant dream for me right now. We were up nearly all night trying to figure out how to calm our two-week-old Son; ultimately, we tried everything and made him so overtired that he didn’t fall asleep until he was on his Mom’s chest around 3 am.
These days feel like combat for me, far from the way of peace. The days are unpredictable, and there seems to be no routine despite our efforts to set one. It’s combat. That’s the only way I know how to describe it. I thought last night, during the chaos of my all-nighter air assault mission that led directly into another movement at 3 am during my artillery platoon’s evaluation cycle at the National Training Center before deploying to Iraq. I remember feeling so deflated when I was called to the commander’s Humvee less than an hour after finishing this long, drawn-out failure of an air assault mission. I couldn’t believe I was going to have to do it again, and I was going to have to lead another platoon movement to a new firing position. This was insanity, and I could barely keep my eyes open. I remember leading the convoy, literally dozing in and out under my night vision goggles…
Yep, that’s how the nights feel right now. Exhausted and battered, only to be called to the commander’s Humvee again and again. So why do those words ‘the way of peace‘ stand out to me so much? In my angry prayers for respite last night, I began to sense that this was indeed a time of testing from the Lord. How to answer the test? I haven’t figured it out yet. Except that these words this morning point me back to the purpose and mission of Jesus. And to the way in which he accomplished it.
In my journey of faith, at least in recent years, I don’t think I have been physically and emotionally tested in the way that I am now. So, what does this mean, Lord?
He leads my eyes back to verse 79… “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.” Wow, I actually chuckled to re-read that. That’s exactly how it feels in the midnight hours—sitting in literal darkness, under the shadow of death, in this case, death being physical exhaustion and weariness. But the word clearly states that Jesus will be a light in this place, and that he will guide us out of it, into the way of peace.
Hebrews 12:11
“For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Thinking back to that all-nighter air assault mission. Why did they [the evaluating cadre] allow it to go on for that long? How was it beneficial? It taught me how to keep going. When there is nothing left. Literally nothing. It taught me to endure. To put on my helmet, brief the platoon, and get moving. To get through the breach and know that there would be rest on the other side, at some point.
I don’t know that I can pinpoint a time in Iraq when this testing came to bear fruit. Except maybe the night our howitzer exploded, and a mass casualty event kept us awake until the sunrise. And what did I do then? I got it done, and eventually I slept when it was all said and done.
The way of peace is narrow, as Jesus himself said it. The way of being a new parent is rough. And I have a choice to make, each and every night. I have to choose that I am going to trust the one who is training me. I have to choose that I will believe in the fruit it will yield.
Prayer
Jesus, as you always do, thank you for giving me space and clarity to write. To think through these things occurring in life. To see, to hear, and receive your teaching. My heart is full again now that I have understanding. My heart has joy to know it is all for good. Jesus, I will try, I will not quit, but will keep on trying to commit my heart to you during these late nights. Teach me when to engage our Son. Teach me Lord, to be following your way for my feet, and to let go of my own way.
Judgement is Not Punishment
Part of the presentation by Jennifer Smallwood from You Are Worthy Ministries
You can view the entire presentation using this link: Maturing in Christ
God is Pro-Life and Pro-Choice
I acknowledge I don’t know, understand or can comprehend the pain you are experiencing about the choice(s) you need to make. But, God does!!! The God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob does. The One True God who revealed his Name, Yahweh, to Moses, which means the all sufficient one, does. The God and Father of Jesus does. Jesus himself, the Son of Man, does. And of course Holy Spirit, the comforter, does. When we choose life we have their full support, love, grace and kindness.
King David said he choose to fear no evil while in dark valley’s becasue he knew his Shepherd was with him (Psalm 23.1). Is the Good Shepherd Jesus with you and his comforting Spirit within you?
Posted as part of the ministry of J3 Khai Restoration Ministries.
Living Life In The Middle
No More Bi-Polar Ups and Downs
J3Khai.fun 