CONFESSIONS of a Pentecostal Preacher (9.1.20.)

This book should have been published seven years ago in 2013. Its original subtitle was going to read “7 Years in Bulgaria.” Instead, it took seven years to finish it with all documents, research archives and new cases. Now, it is finally here and it finally reads like a story – not just choppy interviews, deposition documented testimonies or court records, but a story of struggle, strength and solitude. A story of life and a story of us.

1995-96 The establishing of the first Bulgarian Church of God in Chicago and its first split

2000-01 The contracted building of the ministry center for the Central Church of God in Sofia

2002-03 The church split in Southaven and what followed next

2005-06 The post-communist split of the Bulgarian Church of God and consecutive sub-denominations

2010-13 The social media network that cost us millions (of souls)

2016 The vote that forced to kill a church

2019-20 The sale of the ministry center for the Central Church of God in Bulgaria

READ: CONFESSIONS of a Pentecostal Preacher

Cooking Traditions of Bulgaria (now on Kindle)

Now also on Amazon’s Kindle Store

This cookbook features authentic recipes in attempts to further the tradition of keeping alive century old recipes of Bulgarian cuisine. Here you can learn how to make dishes from moussaka to baklava and others in between. The variety of tastes of authentic Bulgarian foods is much desired and the chosen recipes are easy to follow.

Go to amazon to see the table of contents and purchase

or purchase directly form CreatSpace eStore here: https://www.createspace.com/3890623

FIRST EDITION, 2012
Copyright © February, 2012 by Dony & Kathryn Donev
Cooking Traditions of Bulgaria

© 2012, Spasen Publishers, a division of www.cupandcross.com

Go to: Amazon’s Kindle Store

Looking Over the Wall (now on Kindle)

Looking Over the Wall: A Psychological Exploration of Communist and Post Communist Bulgaria

This book is the result of over a decade of research and personal experiences of living in Bulgaria for the past seven years. It embodies documents, articles, personal interviews and essays dealing with psychological explorations of communist and post communist Bulgaria. Along with a historical overview of Bulgaria, the author presents the development of psychotherapy throughout the country and addresses future concerns for the state of counseling within a post communist context. Furthermore, the author examines the Pentecostal experience of the Bulgarian evangelical believer drawing on a paper presented at the 36th annual Society of Pentecostal Studies Conference. As well included is original research which develops a theoretical account of the sequences of internal motivation in addition to student survey results regarding counseling practices from the first Master’s in Chaplaincy Ministry Program in Europe at the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute.

Get your Kindle copy today at: Amazon Kindle Store

ALL BOOKS CHRISTMAS SALE

Since 2011, we have authored over two dozen books related to our ministry and mission work in Eastern Europe. As several of the prints are now almost exhausted and second/third editions and several new titles are under way, we are releasing all currently available editions in a Christmas sale through the month of December. All titles are available at up to 30% off and Amazon offers free shipping and extra savings for bundle purchases.

A.J. Tomlinson’s Diary (in 3 volumes) [full view, search, download]

A.J. Tomlinson’s Diary (in 3 volumes) [for full view, search and download]
Catalog Record: Diary of A. J. Tomlinson | Hathi Trust Digital Library

Vol. 3. p. 13 “Received the Holy Ghost about March, 1896” – [referring to… ?]

Vol. 3, p. 36 note on August 4, 1904 “Just arrived home from Drygo, Tenn., where we held a ten days meeting. Some converted, some received the Holy Ghost

Vol. 3, p. 49 June 14, 1907 Glorious results. Speaking in other tongues by the Holy Ghost.

Vol. 3, p. 52 August 19, 1907 One received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues.

Source: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067290775;view=1up;seq=42

ALL BOOKS CHRISTMAS SALE

In the past five years since 2011, we have authored over two dozen books related to our ministry and mission work in Eastern Europe. As several of the prints are now almost exhausted and second/third editions and several new titles are under way, we are releasing all currently available editions in a Christmas sale through the month of December. All titles are available at up to 30% off and Amazon offers free shipping and extra savings for bundle purchases.

Christmas Book Sale: Psychological Exploration of Communist and Post Communist Bulgaria

In the past five years since 2011, we have authored over two dozen books related to our ministry and mission work in Eastern Europe. As several of the prints are now almost exhausted and second/third editions and several new titles are under way, we are releasing all currently available editions in a Christmas sale through the month of December. All titles are available at up to 30% off and Amazon offers free shipping and extra savings for bundle purchases.

Our book available on sale today is:

Psychological Exploration of Communist and Post Communist Bulgaria

Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Surrounded with insecurity and uncertainty, the Bulgarian Evangelical believer finds great hope and comfort in the fact that God holds the future in His hands. Christianity is a reality that is certain. While having lived in a culture of oppression and persecution, the Bulgarian Evangelical believer now can trade a downtrodden spirit for one of triumph. The once atmosphere of turmoil is being transformed to one of liberation in the Spirit where chains of slavery are traded for a crown of joyous freedom. Living in the 21st century in a context of post communist and postmodern transformations, Bulgarian Evangelical believers must remain true to their historical heritage and preserve their identity in order to keep their faith alive. This unique testimony must be passed on to future Bulgarian generations by telling the story of the true Pentecostal experience.

Obama, Marxism and Pentecostal Identity

Time and time again in the past several years, while ministering in churches across the United States, friends and partners ask us about our opinion on the political situation at home and around the world. Many of them ask the direct question of America becoming more and more socialist-like. Our response is that while people have the right to own a business, there cannot be communism, but this barely scratches the surface.

“Looking over the Wall” answers this and many other important questions about the current global reality from a very distinct Pentecostal and the same time post communist point of view. Yet, the text does it in a way, which can actually relate to popular American culture and current economic reality. The book provides Christian answers as of what defines our identity and makes us human – a right communism strips from the persona, the family and the church without much regard of the consequences that follow.

But this drastic dehumanization has an almost irreversible effect on the human psyche – a slavery mentality that penetrates the very heart of men and women and leaves forever its mark of fear, depression and insecurity. The book traces how Pentecostalism as faith and ideology has the power to deliver post communist communities from the grasp of oppressive governments and transform them into a socially relevant culture changing force. At the same time, it remains a warning to theologians who dare to flirt with Marxist idealism being fulfilled in the context of the New Testament ecclesia. And rightfully so!

The book is a must read for any and all who are ministering or planning to minister in a post communist culture or among post communist groups regardless of their geographical locale. For the principles it shows are valid for post community mentality everywhere. Preview and purchase your copy directly at Amazon.com

Books & Publications by Cup & Cross Ministries in 2014

   
 

Prophetic and Persecuted Movement

Since a social movement that purposes liberation of the individual is always rejected by the present political and economic powers, Pentecostalism arises and develops in the midst of constant persecution and resistance. The constantly present struggle against evil, wrong and unrighteousness is the power that moves Pentecostalism to its final purposes. Once persecution disappears, Pentecostalism loses its original power and turns to a nominal religious organization, which continues to function and exist, however, outside the boundaries of its original purpose.

The theology of the Persecuted Church is a theology of martyrdom. The context of persecution is a constantly present formational factor in Pentecostalism worldwide, and as such it is a universal characteristic of the movement. Only as such can Pentecostalism act in its God-given prophetic authority. In the same prophetic power in which John prophesies of the coming Baptiser with the Holy Spirit, the Early Pentecostals preached about the Fire from Heaven prior to the actual experience of the Holy Spirit baptism. The message of the movement then becomes a prophetic utterance under which the movement grows and develops to the point of fulfillment of the promise given by God.

Movement with a Message

It is an indisputable fact that the Pentecostal movement has experienced tremendous growth in the twentieth century. Very similar to the ministry of John the Baptist, the message of Pentecost has drawn crowds to the small mountain churches where in contrast to the rather primitive theo-praxis the power of God has been evident.

Similar to the ministry of John, the powerful results of Pentecostalism are produced by preaching that may seem unreasonable. For Pentecostals, however, it is words of life. It is obedience to the Great Commission of Christ to preach the gospel to all due to determination deriving from realized eschatology of the already-not-yet Kingdom of Heaven. The reality of the message then becomes a reality of the Pentecostal community in which the believer lives and witnesses even to the point of martyrdom. What seems to be an unreasonable message to the world becomes the identity of the Pentecostal community.

A loss of the message then means a loss of identity. In order to protect its identity Pentecostalism strives to deliver the message and experience to the generations to come, forming a genuine Pentecostal catechesis. This is much similar to the educational strategy of John the Baptist and his discipleship formation. The restoration and reclamation of the past heritage moves toward preservation of the experience and message. The context of technological and scientific progress, affects the development of the Pentecostal movement transforming its original primitive purpose, theology and practices. The only way to preserve the power of Pentecostalism then is through preservation of its primitivism.

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