Follow this link for a look at an album of photos (from my facebook) of our church in Cluj’s celebration of Thanksgiving this week.
Here is one additional photo, not in the facebook album, of the enjoyment of a wonderful meal that evening:
Category: Ministry Updates
Galatians 3b – 2morrow nite
Tomorrow night, Lord-willing, in the return of our home fellowship after two Thursdays away, we will look at Galatians 3:15-29, at the question of what was/is the law for, if it wasn’t/isn’t useful to justify us before God and bring us salvation by obedience to it? If you’re in Cluj, come and join us for a time of worship, communion/Lord’s supper observance, and study of this passage together, at our place at 6 pm. If you’re elsewhere in the world, pray for God to be glorified in the time, and if you wish, you can enjoy the audio of the study after the fact, when it will hopefully be posted here.
Back to Cluj
Posts on this blog have been scarce since October 27, because I have been in the US for meetings with church and ministry leaders who Lord-willing, will bring teams on short-term mission trips to Cluj in 2010. God has blessed, and it looks like He is opening a door for us to work with four such outreach teams in the coming year. It is exciting to think of the ones who will hear the gospel as a result.
Anyway, I’m scheduled to fly tomorrow and Saturday to return to Cluj and get back into the regular ministry in that city, and the prayers of anyone who reads this for my travel will be appreciated.
Perfecting Our Prayers
Sunday at Calvary Chapel Garland (TX) I brought a message from Matthew 6 on “What the God Who hears wants to hear.” The message audio is now streaming online from the church’s website. Click here if you’d like to listen to it.
Upcoming Teachings
Here’s what is planned, if the Lord wills, for my upcoming Bible teachings:
Thursday night’s study at the home fellowship in Cluj: Study through Galatians continues with chapter 3 verses 1-14 “Let the Spirit finish what He started”
Sunday am at the worship service, the study through Luke continues in part of chapter 14 on “The Three Best Reasons to Reject Christ–And Why None of Them is Good Enough”
Then next Sunday on a one-weekend visit to the US, preaching at Calvary Chapel Garland TX–(10am Sunday Nov. 1 if you’re a Texan and want to come) on Matthew 6:5-13 — “Repairing Your Prayer Life.”
New worship song/our church’s team
For those who would like to see our church’s worship service, here is a clip from Sunday Sept 27’s service. The church is singing a brand new worship song written the week before by Ajay Torres, who ministered here with us for three weeks last month. The words in Romanian and English for the song, “Meriti Toata Slava” (You Deserve All the Glory), are printed below so that English speakers can know what is being sung.
Lyrics in English:
I want to give You my praise
I want to give all my worship to You
I want to give my whole life to You
For You gave Your life for me
You deserve all the glory
All honor belongs to You
All the world can know my love
I lift up my hands to You
Lyrics in Romanian
Vreau să-Ți dau lauda mea
Vreau să mă-nchin numai Ție
Vreau toată viața mea să Ți-o dau
Căci Tu mi-ai dat-o pe-a Ta
Tu mi-ai dat-o pe-a Ta
Meriți toată slava
Cinstea toată e-a Ta
Toți pot vedea iubirea mea
Mâinile Ție le ridic
Ministry Updates
This evening Ajay and our church worship team will have an open-air concert for outreach in the neighborhood of the church, for which invitations have gone out to all of the people nearby. We pray that this will be a fruitful time and that it will also draw some to join us for worship in the church tomorrow morning. Our study through the gospel of Luke brings us tomorrow to a passage that is evangelistic in nature, so pray also for my message to meet ears prepared to hear and hearts prepared to understand and believe the gospel.
Tomorrow evening, Lord-willing, we’ll be having our second baptism service of the month, which is something to praise God for, so the service will be a praise service with a lot of singing.
Preaching to those in chains
We’ve returned from the men’s penitentiary in Aiud, after holding meetings for two sets of prisoners there today. Ajay did Christian worship music about a relationship with the Lord and seeking His presence, and the men were very happy he was there and listening to him with smiles. Between songs, at each meeting I preached a gospel message, one from Luke 23 for the first group and one from John 4 for the second group. All of the men were at the very least respectful and listening to the word being proclaimed, and some had a very favorable response to the invitation to trust Christ as their Savior. An ongoing open door for ministry remains open for our church there, and Liviu will continue to minister there at least once per week, as he did in the past and has been doing again for the past month, while I will also go on occasions when my schedule allows to teach God’s word there. Several also signed up for a mail correspondence course in basic Bible study.
Another possible door may be opening for outreach to a maximum security facility elsewhere.
Please pray for God’s blessing, guidance, and provision for our church’s work to make disciples of Christ among those in prison.
Tomorrow I’m going to prison
Lord-willing, first thing tomorrow morning, my friend and visiting worship minister/musician Ajay Torres will join me and colaborer Liviu on a trip to the men’s penitentiary, where Ajay will minister to the two groups of prisoners in song, followed by my sharing of God’s word. Christ died for all of our sins, including those whose sins also offend man’s conscience enough to land them in prison. And I pray that tomorrow God will be present there in a special way, speaking to their hearts, and letting them know His love and receive His forgiveness, cleansing, and life.
Not another gospel
Tonight at the home fellowship we had a full room to begin our new book study of Galatians. The first passage of the book was taught and discussed and the recording of the message is available for your listening here.
2morrow’s message, a brief preview
Preaching a special message tomorrow at the church, Lord-willing, on 1 John 1–the basis for our assurance of salvation in Christ. Many young disciples struggle with fear and doubt, and we pray that they will know that Christ is able to save completely those who trust and walk in fellowship with Him. Recording will probably be posted here tomorrow afternoon.
“Repent or you will likewise perish”
Friday afternoon in Iasi, Romania, a train smashed into a microbus that was being unwisely driven across the track in front of it, killing 13 people. The tragic event very much related to the passage we were already going to study at church this morning, in a gospel message.
Praise be to God there were some new professions of faith in Christ at the church this morning, after this message from Luke 13. Jesus gets VERY direct in that passage in His warnings to us to come to repentance and faith for salvation before it is too late. The message is in English and Romanian. I hope that it ministers to you and to anyone you share it with.
Walk of Faith - Dave Bunnell 