San Francisco Nights (2015 update)
Several years ago, while visiting San Francisco on our way to preach at the Bulgarian church in Las Vegas, we were completing our research on Ivan Voronaev’s biography at Berkeley, who studied there after his arrival to the States in the 1912.
While there, we decided to call a high school friend who lives and works in the area. He had moved to the States in 1998 while I was working in D.C. We tried to keep in touch since then, but I had not seen him for years. And with all our travels it had never worked out to cross paths.
So early one morning that same week, we were having coffee at Starbucks near San Rafael. He shared some of his experience as an immigrant, about his family spread thin between here and Bulgaria and about his brother who had just moved for work to Phoenix.
I’ve already written about these events with more detail in “Finding Friends in Phoenix or the Story of an Arizona State Quarter”. In short, this is how the idea for twin Bulgarian churches in San Francisco and Phoenix was born in the spring of 2009.
Today, when this dream of two churches is so close to become a reality, I look at this rather incidental and spontaneous meeting and wonder. If God can bring two old friends to start two new churches, what else does He have stored for us in the future?
Church & Politics 2015
The paradigm of ministry has changed away from caring for souls. And this has so consumed us that we cannot see the dying world for all we see is ourselves. Thus righteousness for us has become but a stumbling block in our own passions, and goals, and career. And in all this, the righteous suffer and struggle, while the unrighteous rule and shine to the point where we ourselves have grown used to this standard of spiritual antipodes.
And not realizing this truth, so profound and so deep, we have remained oppressed by our own ambitions to the point that truth cannot liberate us any more. And instead of carrying for the sinners in the world, through caring for ourselves alone, we have become the sinners in the very church God calls His own…
N.Scotia, 2014
2015: Year of Rebuilding the Walls
2015 is the 70th Jubilee Year in the history of Israel. It follows the Shemitah or Sabbatical Year. Both carry a great significance into Bible prophecy.
By the time the final Jubilee begins on the Day of Atonement in the fall of 2015, there will have been 40 complete Jubilee cycles following Christ’s death and resurrection.
In such a significant year, when the inheritance of the covenant is restored, rebuilding of the walls is not just appropriate but mandatory in order to protect the results of our return to God as people and as a nation.
Naturally, the enemy is determined to shock and stop the rebuilding of the walls, especially in regard to our families and churches.
A personal encouragement comes from 2 Chronicles 20:15: Thus says the Lord to you: “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
14 Ministry Projects Completed in 2014
In 2014, we celebrated 15 years since the establishment of Cup and Cross Ministries International in the fall of 1999. After facing many challenges this past year, we were able to complete the following 14 ministry projects:
1. Published About the Bible Series in Bulgaria, essays on paleography, ancient manuscript sources and the story of the Bulgarian Bible translation
2. 19th Annual Missions Conference at Good Shepherd Church of God
3. Published “Ancient Recipes of Bulgaria”
4. Spoke at the Annual Conference of Bulgarian Churches in North America in Minnesota on the state of Bulgarian churches around the world
5. Completed the building and release of the Pneuma Review website, one of the greatest Pentecostal resources on the web
6. Preached the Revelation Revival Services in various churches across Bulgaria and the continental United States
7. Completed another Annual Young Ministers Training Camp
8. 11th annual Revival Harvest Campaign with guest evangelist Johny Noer
9. Over 3,000 men, women and young people nationwide rededicated their lives to Christ
10. Began building project for Young Ministers Training Camp
11. Renewed Sunday Night Services at the Citipointe Church
12. Scroll Signing Services in various churches in Bulgaria
13. Scroll Signing Services with all Bulgarian Churches in London
14. 20 year celebration since the beginning of our work in Chicago
![51Sa1IcA8OL._SY344_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_BO1,204,203,200_[1]](https://cupandcross.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/51Sa1IcA8OL._SY344_PJlook-inside-v2TopRight10_SH20_BO1204203200_1.jpg)
