Dear Prayer Partners
Now, in July, I have a few much-needed days for rest and prayer before flying to Norway for a week of evangelism in a 4000-seat tent! Yes, Norway is in Europe and part of my evangelistic vision, which I share with my good friend Dennis. There are still open doors in Western Europe, and with the danger of the present war in Ukraine expanding into Europe, we must take every opportunity to preach the Gospel. On my return I go to Switzerland by invitation for both prayer and ministry.
For those of you who don’t receive my email updates, June was a non-stop travel month, starting in Ukraine, holding a United Day of Prayer on 12th June in Lviv – joined by churches of every denomination across the nation – praying not just for peace, but for Victory in Ukraine. Broadcast live on YouTube, up to 3000 attended in Lviv itself, the largest Christian gathering permitted since the war began! We were honoured to have the Governor of the Lviv Region Military Administration taking part in the prayer with us. This was an exhausting trip, as we could only fly into Poland, then cross the border by road into Ukraine, first to Lviv, then the long road to Kyiv, then a day seeing for ourselves the areas around Kyiv completely destroyed by the Russian aggressors – and then the whole trip in reverse…
Only a few days at home, then six flights which took us into Armenia, then Georgia, back to Armenia and home – without a full night’s sleep at any point, and hardly time to eat! But vital to the year’s planning.
Unfortunately, as you know, flying at the moment is extremely difficult and uncertain, always with long delays and many cancelled flights. I have to spend time in prayer over each flight so that I arrive on time. I travel with only carry-on luggage to avoid the long delays and even loss of baggage on arrival!
So again, only few days at home, then on Friday 1st July I flew to Poland for an open-air meeting in Krakow Jordan Park with the support of local Polish Churches for the Ukrainian Refugees. I was able to share the Gospel and pray with the sick several times during the day – women wept as I preached, but I also walked about the field, praying with different ones – a good many of whom already knew me from my long ministry in Ukraine; the local churches put on an excellent programme of social and medical care for the refugee families.
As fulfilment of God’s strategic plan in the vision which He gave me for Europe many years ago, the main mission is ahead of me – the best is yet to come, but the pressures are increasing. In 2019 we had big evangelism planned for Georgia, agreed at government level – but Covid intervened! I praise God that these plans are being resumed as originally planned! On this visit, I was met by the Head of the State for Religious Issues in his Government Office at 9.00 pm at night. He fully supports our ministry, spending the next day with us to establish my relationship with the Orthodox Archbishop, 4 hours’ drive away! The Archbishop, a humble, open-hearted man, received us in his simple home and, sharing my vision and concern, agreed to support our major mission in November. Georgia was the second nation (after Armenia) to become Christian, in 326 AD. Today this Christian nation is internally threatened by a resurgent Islam coming from neighbouring Azerbaijan; and, like Ukraine, in 2008 Georgia was invaded by Russia, which seized 20% of the country and still threatens. Georgia needs Christ. My large evangelistic Mission in Georgia, in November, supported at governmental level in their national stadium in Tbilisi, will be supported by all Christian traditions.
The dates are fixed for November 17-20 this year. Please pray and support: the overall cost is £350,000 to rent the big stadium, advertise, provide buses and cover all other costs in Georgia. We have already started to pay this on a monthly basis but as ever, need your urgent support.
Also, this year I will be back in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Poland, and organising our national ‘Days of Prayer’ for Ukraine – and evangelising! By faith – but depending on the military situation – we are planning our 7th major Day of Prayer in the Kyiv Sports Palace, seating up to 10,000, for September or October (costing over £300,000). As soon as Putin and the Russian army are defeated, we have promised the Ukraine Council of Churches to hold a massive celebration of evangelism in the Olympic Football Stadium, in Kyiv, seating 100,000!! The cost is enormous, especially as, with the devastation from the war which has affected both state and churches, they cannot contribute. But what a glorious opportunity! They are believing for revival!
I know that many of you are experiencing difficulties, firstly Covid and delays receiving medical care, now the cost of living, and the disruption to transport – so many things. We need prayer for our office staff, not only difficulties getting into work because of the bus strikes in West Yorkshire, but as I write, 3 staff members off work with Covid, and one who has lost his mother to cancer and Covid. This has put extra pressure on staff ability to get to the office. We, like you, are compelled to depend on Scripture for help in time of trouble.
Prophetically speaking, the world is in turmoil, and Putin is threatening, not just Ukraine, but other European nations, where our overseas staff live. We need a miracle to stop Putin, or we may end up in the Third World War! However, war, hunger, migration, finance, climate change, these are not the end, but as the Bible says, ‘the beginning of sorrows’. We now have no strong political leadership in the West, so need a deep confidence and faith in God to keep us from wavering, and to realise that everything around us is the fulfilment of prophecy leading to the return of Christ. I count it a privilege to be alive in this time of Spiritual Awakening and Evangelism, as Jesus said, immediately before the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, we must go out and compel the people, even the outcasts from the streets, to come into the Kingdom. That’s our job now – rescuing the lost before Christ comes! How can I rest?
Despite the serious cost-of-living crisis and resulting social unrest, we have a bold faith this year that God will bless you, our faithful supporters, in such a way that you can continue to be a blessing to those in such desperate need. Psalm 37:19 says even in famine the righteous will have more than enough. And remember, throughout the famine in Israel, the oil and the flour of the widow woman who supported Elijah never ran dry.
David
Our ministry is only possible because of faithful praying, giving people, like you. Each week the Gospel is preached on TV, Radio, Podcast, Online and in-person. We continue to provide humanitarian and spiritual relief to the cities and regions of Ukraine which have been liberated from Russian occupation. The damage to infrastructure is incalculable, but the damage to people’s souls is so much greater. Thank you for your generosity and kindness.
‘Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.’ It is so easy to become discouraged when we see destruction and division all around us. But the Apostle Paul gave us the key to living a victorious life in Philippians 3:1, Rejoice in the Lord! Our joy, our hope, our confidence is not in politicians, but in the Lord; and in Him we always have a reason to rejoice!