This afternoon we returned to Cluj, to get back into the ministry here after a 7-week, 3 state trip in America, during which time we had blessed ministry at 8 churches. It was a great trip and we very much enjoyed the time ministering to and with our brothers and sisters in Texas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. We’re looking forward to seeing what God does in partnership with teams later this year who might join us in Cluj for evangelism.
Now, after a couple days to try to adjust to jet-lag, etc., we’ll be back into our regular ministry schedule, and looking forward to proclaiming the message of salvation in the Easter season.
Our family is glad to be back, and our daughter Briana is reunited with her precious kitty, Phoebo, which is making both of them happy.
Category: Ministry Updates
A friend in Haiti writes… ‘you always hear wailing in the distance’
Our church in Garland has a missions team that arrived in Haiti last evening. The trip had been planned before the earthquake, by a God who already knew it was coming. So the team isn’t doing the same kind of ministry they thought they would when they answered the call to go.
Here is what our friend Jeremy has written about the trip so far–it gives a view of what it is like and how to pray for God’s servants there.
Last night:
My #1 assesment is apocalyptic the devastation is vast as an ocean. The unity is strong among our 3 man team, which is good, because we are being stretched beyond anything we could have imagined. We have already 2nd guessed our being here, because of the immensity of the challenges these people face. But I believe this will drive us deeper in our trust of the Lord. We will have 2 trust Him more than we ever did before and we will be tested like never before. This is a desperate dangerous place. Yet God is on the throne and there’s no place I would rather be. He called us here 2 b stretched and refined and 2 b light in this place. I pray we can live up 2 it. When we are weak, He is strong. He will see us thru.
Update 2 early this morning:
Just experienced our 1st aftershock! Crazy ! This city never sleeps! Dogs forever barking and roosters constantly crowing , seems like u are always hearing a wailing in the distance. Don’t see how anyone could ever rest. This is challenging, but i know God will see us through. We will have 2 find our rest in him.
Next Two Sundays preaching in TX churches
We’re in Texas for the next two Sundays. Here’s where you can find us and hear me speak, if you’re interested: This week Feb 14 == Calvary Fellowship Forney, TX — where I’m planning on bringing a message from John 6 on what the church really has to offer the world in Christ. Then Feb 21 == Calvary Chapel Garland — where I’m planning a message on the way to a happy life from Psalm 1. Follow the links on the church names to their websites, where you can find directions to the services, both of which are at 10 am.
Upcoming Teachings
Thursday night’s home fellowship: Earthshaking Encounter with God, from Isaiah 6:1-8
Sunday morning: Never Give Up Praying, Luke 18
Upcoming Studies
For Thursday night’s home fellowship, Lord-willing, we’ll look at Matthew 5:3-16 — Salt & Light; Then Sunday at the church, a message looking to The Coming Kingdom in Luke 17:20-37. If you’re in Cluj, please come. If not, there should be recordings of both sessions posted here within a couple hours after the services.
Eternity whispers your name
“Don’t live for now; Live forever.” That’s the title of the upcoming Sunday’s message at the church on Luke 16:14-31. Lord-willing, the recording will be available here that afternoon.
În tăcerea-acestui ceas
A few of the members of our church worship team singing one of the church in Cluj’s favorite worship songs on a homemade video.
Complete Galatians Study
At our home fellowship Thursday night, we completed the 11-week study through the book of Galatians. You can listen to the study in its entirety here. It is in English with Romanian translation.
Galatians 1a Not Another Gospel
Galatians 3a-Let the Spirit Finish
Don’t go along to get along
After last night’s home fellowship study in Galatians, I began to feel some self-doubt, wondering if I have of late perhaps been too hard on apostate priests coming in the name of Christ and misleading people with a false gospel replacing God’s grace with religious works for justification.
God answered today during my personal devotional time in the book of Titus, which says in chapter one: “For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach…. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach…. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of men who turn away from the truth.”
Next message
Tomorrow morning at the church, Lord-willing, we’ll look at “God or Money” from Luke 16:1-13. A new website is under construction through which all of my recorded messages can be archived and played in streaming audio, coming soon.
Thanksgiving List
Before you get to making your “Christmas wish list,” don’t forget to make your Thanksgiving List.
Here’s the one from our family for this year:
1. We thank God for our marriage, our family, our home, and His protection of our health and lives this year.
2. We thank God for His salvation through Christ who died for our sins, and His continual outpouring of grace and mercy on us.
3. We thank God for giving us a ministry, for the opportunities to proclaim Christ, for the many who have believed the gospel, for those of them who have gone on with the Lord in growth and discipleship, and for the opportunities we have to continue ministering to many of them in the church in Cluj.
4. We thank God for His goodness and faithfulness in continuing to provide abundantly for all of our financial and material needs.
5. We thank God for our colaborers in ministry here in Cluj, and for our supporting churches, families, individuals, friends, and prayer partners in the US.
6. We thank God for letting us live in a place and time where His precious Word is so readily available to us, combined with the freedom to both read and teach it.
7. We thank God for the gifts and talents to do the ministry to which He has called us.
8. We thank God for the blessings of technology that help us both in ministry and in keeping in touch with others around the world.
9. We thank God for the assurance that Christ is coming again, and for the joy of knowing we will be together with Him forever.
Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless you and your loved ones!
Dave, Lili, and Briana Bunnell
Video of Church Thanksgiving Celebration
The video includes the worship team leading a song of praise, following some still photos of the evening. (Click on “A Day of Thanksgiving” to view it.)
A Day Of Thanksgiving, Cluj 2009 from Liviu P on Vimeo.
Walk of Faith - Dave Bunnell 