Revelation Revival
We just returned from a week long revival on the book of Revelation with the Bulgarian Evangelical Church of God in Chicago. We were able to cover the whole book in a verse-by-verse expository setting and finished with a great service on Palm Sunday exploring Jesus’ entrance in Jerusalem and its meaning for the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. The event was covered by local Bulgarian press and attended by various churches in Chicago. We are grateful for the opportunity and are prayerfully considering a larger event for Bulgarian youth in the area later this year.
Revival in North Dakota
We successfully returned from a mission trip to the Native American reservation in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota. Our participation there was in partnership with long-time friends in the ministry from Matters of the Heart and upon the invitation of Rev. Daniel Bean, founder of Wind of the Spirit Ministries and pastor of the Dunseith Church of God.
We held a three day revival, as at the same time participated and helped with the work on the reservation. For all revival services, we were blessed by Jeff Harrison from Matters of the Heart with his ministry in worship and special songs for each occasion. One of them was specifically dedicated to the ministry of Bro. Bean and his family, and Jeff was able to present them with the original hand written lyrics after his performance. We brought a brief sermon every night with a special message on Father’s Day Sunday.
Meeting new people and ministering to them was a true blessing. At the same, we were encouraged by the work of Pastor Bean, his family and his team. Their testimony and the ability to continue the ministry, even in hard times as the ones we live in, are commendable. For it is important that faithful Church of God people lead by the Spirit continue to build the local church as a ministry to our communities wherever they may be located. As we are preparing for the 73rd General Assembly of the Church of God, it is our prayer that such ministries are given further consideration and support by the general Body of Christ.
Revival in South Georgia
We just returned from a revival in the Shelter Church of God in Ambrose, GA – a new ministry started by pastor Kevin Bounds. The small, but growing congregation, which meets in a store front location in downtown Ambrose, already has a vision for establishing a strong ministry center in the area. We had three days of revival and enjoyed the wonderful fellowship of the pastoral family and the congregation.
But our connection with Pastor Kevin Bounds and the Shelter Church of God began long before Kevin was a pastor and the church ever existed. It began several years ago one cold winter morning in Bulgaria, while we were struggling with the dilemma of how to continue ministering there with a virtually exhausted annual budget.
Just as we prayed in our office in Yambol, Bulgaria asking the Lord for direction, we received an email from Pastor Kevin. We had never met before and there was no way he knew of our situation. But led by the Spirit after reading about us on the internet, he delivered a prophetic message over our ministry, which brought about a miracle which empowered us to continue to minister in Bulgaria in the years to come.
So needless to say, although we were meeting for the first time in this revival, we had been partners in the ministry for a very long time. In times of crises like the ones we live in, it is this prophetic move of the Spirit that the Church must follow. And it is this unity created by the leadership of the Spirit that empowers us all to continue in the ministry even when times are tough and keep building for the Kingdom.
Revival BULGARIA
Revival in the Dupnitsa Church of God
The Dupnitsa Church of God has been on our hearts for almost a year now, before we were able to return and minister there. The congregation is emerging from having undergone several church splits in the years past and is now growing stronger than ever. Ministry teams are being formed along small group studies and village extensions in the region. With no help from anyone and very small income for the area, the people of the church are completing a building project with over 1,000 square feet two story sanctuary, which will incorporate various ministries like computer courses for children, soup kitchen and ministerial training. When we visited with the church last year, they only had the foundations ready, but during this visit their team had been able to finish the roof right before the rainy season in Bulgaria.
It was only natural that our team had a desire to contribute to such a great project and upon the recommendation of the pastor during October 2-4, 2009 we held a three-day revival with services in the evenings and training workshops during the day. Several of the services had a powerful impact on the congregation as virtually every night we stayed in prayer and fellowship till midnight. At the end of our stay we were asked to return very soon to the Dupnitsa Church of God for two parallel events: a parenting seminar and a Bible Study on the Book of Revelation.
Fresh Revival Fire in Yambol
After the storm in Plovdiv quieted down some, our team returned to one of our bases in the city Yambol for a special service with Bulgarian Church of God Roma Bishop Iliya Panov. As his praise band from Sofia’s Life Church of God worshiped the Lord and ministered the Word, the Holy Spirit fell with power over the Yambol congregation. Some hundred people came to the altars raising their hands toward the heavens, crying and praying. They pleaded with God for a spiritual revival in a way that we have not seen in Bulgaria since the early 1990s.
While this mighty move of the Spirit was literally being absorbed by the people, the director of our regional ministries gave a call for prayer for the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Immediately, prayer groups were formed around the people who raised their hands for prayer and only minutes later several received the baptism and were speaking in heavenly languages. People were crying and praying all over the church house now transformed in a heavenly sanctuary by the presence of the Holy God. A lady with a spiritual gift reported seeing a vision of the Holy Spirit descending as a cloud over the church during the service.
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We realize while writing these words how close they sound to the reports of the Azusa street revival from the beginning of the 20thcentury. And having seen the power of God moving through churches and people all across the country of Bulgaria, we cannot remain silent any more. We must testify what our eyes have beheld, that we have seen the glory of God and He is doing a new thing in Bulgaria again.
Preaching on II Timothy 4
Revival Bulgaria 2 Film Released
Cup & Cross Ministries is proud to announce that it has released its new film, Revival Bulgaria 2. The release of this film has been long awaited for since the release of the first Revival Bulgaria film in 2004. The current release gives report of the ministry of Cup & Cross in Bulgaria in the past three years and provides helpful information about our context of ministry. The film overviews several of our ministry’s efforts such as the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association, the X Events, revival campaigns and youth rallies, as it concludes with an invitation to the 2008 national camp meeting planned in the Heart of Bulgaria. The film is distributed as a free promotional DVD and can be obtain upon request. Parts of the movie can be viewed at our ministry’s media center at: www.cupandcross.com
Mission Maranatha in Revival
Mission Maranatha, a Bulgarian local mission’s branch of Cup & Cross Ministries continues services at the Black Sea. Close to 100 revival services have been held during the past four months by various team members in the Black Sea towns of Ahtopol, Pomorie, Sinemoretz, Varna, Bourgas, Chernomoretz, Sinemoretz and Varvara. The mission’s attempt to establish a ground for future work in towns with no evangelical church presence has been rendered successful and we trust that the initiated strategy will be brought to completion in 2007.
Revival in Zlatare
Zlatare, Bulgaria is located 30 kilometers southwest of Yambol in the southern part of the country. It is a small village with a population of only approximately 200 people. Yet, regardless of its size, God has not forgotten its inhabitants. Zlatare is just one of the many villages in the Yambol region where we have witnessed a spiritual revival break forth during these past several months of ministry in Bulgaria. The people there have long waited for and fervently expected God’s presence with much prayer and fasting. The church in Zlatare began with a small group of ladies gathering each evening in an old village home for prayer. The number of people in attendance soon grew and they began regular Sunday services as well. As a result, the mayor who heard of these gatherings provided a building in which the village people could hold service. Services will begin in the new location as soon as it is remodeled for the needs of the congregation. Last week, the congregation had its first experience with the baptism of the Holy Spirit in which believers in attendance were baptized with the evidence of speaking in tongues. For such a time as this, God has chosen to pour out His spirit on the people of Zlatare.
