Monthly News Updates
Thank the Lord, we have positive news of recent ministry in Ukraine. I have just returned from holding prayer for the nation in Lviv, West Ukraine. Two and a half thousand filled the magnificent Golgotha Church in Lviv. Worship was led by an inter-church choir, and prayer was led by pastors from Lviv region.
77 years ago, aged 15, God clearly called me to the former Soviet Union and Europe. Through 74 years in Ministry, He has confirmed that call – evangelistic crusades, confirmed by signs and wonders following. Hundreds of thousand saved, tens of thousands of incredible miracles, not just healings but every kind of miracle just as in the days of the Old and New Testaments.
Over the 74 years of my ministry God has never failed me, meeting all my needs in sickness, in that communist prison, in the extremities of ministry, even the 3 months’ evangelism in Siberia in the chaos after the collapse of communism, and all the hardships of so many sacrifices, away from my wife (who had to care for our family) for weeks and months at a time, yet never losing their love and support. My two special blessings now as I still travel and work harder than ever, are my phenomenal health (which shocks the doctors) and the never-failing love and support of all my family. Truly God is a good God who keeps every promise!
On June 22nd, in the 3rd year of the unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 8000 people gathered in the Sport Palace in Kyiv for our 7th Major National Day of Prayer. Held under my initiative and led by Bishops of 20 Christian Confessions, military chaplains, government representatives, men on active service and ordinary people filled the venue… Yet even as the Prayer was taking place, at any moment a power cut or incoming missile attack could have closed the meeting... Praise God there was no incident!
By the time you read this I will be in Kyiv, leading thousands in prayer for God to deliver their nation. No, I am not afraid to go into what is a war zone. I lived in London as a boy in the 1940s when Hitler was destroying London during the ‘Blitz’ – I was not praying for safety, but that God would bring Revival to London! …Reading the Bible during my teenage years I saw the challenge, what was the purpose of the Church and of every born-again believer: ‘Preach the Gospel, heal the sick.’ That’s what I have done for the last 74 years – it’s what I understand ‘following Jesus’ means.
Our prayers are with you for the Lord’s blessing on your life during the coming year. Times are difficult. The danger of the two wars in Ukraine and Israel escalating, and political uncertainty in Europe, Britain and especially America, make for an uncertain future. Thank God, Jesus is coming back to take over the government of the world! Isaiah 9 is clear, ‘The Government shall be on HIS shoulders’!
My best greetings to you all and to your families this Christmas. May it be a time of renewal and blessing. In a world of uncertainty, we enter the New Year with Christ. I have just returned from our day of prayer in Essen, Germany. The response was tremendously encouraging, especially as the vision they have is to work with all three generations. Since my last newsletter I can report that we had a powerful day of prayer in Armenia in October. 3000 Pastors and Leaders attended.
There has never been a greater need than now to both act and pray! As we look at the desperate situation in Ukraine and now Israel, both are involving a much wider impact on the West. Either or both of these scenarios can lead to a third world war, or a total impasse, as neither Israel nor Ukraine can afford to lose. Israel is getting closer to its prophetic conclusion by the hour!
All the signs are of the possibility of the Rapture drawing nearer. The Bible predicts the signs – the frequency and impact of earthquakes, the rapid changes in weather patterns, with floods on one side and drought on another, and massive raging fires in several countries, bigger than normal. The Bible speaks of these, and signs in the heavens.
Thank you for your support in prayer and finance, especially during my latest evangelism in Central Asia: 12 days’ ministry in Kazakhstan and one week in Kyrgyzstan. What I am seeing, and what God is about to do in these Moslem nations, HAS to be Joel’s 2nd outpouring without limit – the latter rain greater than the moderate rain on the first Day of Pentecost! So I am calling for another Day of Prayer here, in the UK, Saturday November 11th to bring the power down here.
Jesus said, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you to bring forth fruit and it shall remain” – the evidence is so positive in every area to which the Lord has called us! But we need much prayer because these new areas of evangelism are difficult and dangerous – and strenuous to get to!
This year is proving one of the busiest for me, it seems that the older I get the heavier the demand for my involvement! However, this year is recording some remarkable events.
As I write this, we have returned from Armenia where the Day of Prayer was a phenomenal miracle. Though we have been working towards a United Day of Prayer for Armenia for some years now, the developing critical situation with Azerbaijan precipitated action; with only one month to pull all our plans together and make it happen, on Saturday 27th May, 5000 people from all over the nation – some travelling up to 5 hours to get there – gathered in the Meridian Expo Centre, Yerevan, to pray for God’s protection over their land.
As I write this, I am about to go to Ukraine. In addition to meeting many church leaders, I shall be preaching in Kyiv. Despite the war the church is full of people praying for their nation! Shortly after my return, I will go to Germany to renew my relationship with our German friends and partners where Eurovision began as a charity in 1988. This time my visit is to hold a powerful Day of Prayer for Ukraine on April 29th in Altensteig. Germany is part of my ‘vision for Europe’ and I want to join with some of the churches to hold further Days of Prayer, not only for Ukraine but also for Germany.
I have just spent a further time in prayer and fellowship in preparation for the next move of God. From March 20th to 27th I will be in Uzbekistan to begin the next part of our move into evangelism in Central Asia. This is a critical region almost untouched by powerful evangelism with miracles and signs following. While Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan were exposed to traditional Orthodoxy under the Russian Empire, both were Islamic countries until Soviet Russia suppressed even that. There has never been real freedom to evangelise and even now we have to use whatever opportunities we can, as fast as we can. Armenia and Georgia were the first Christian countries in the world from the 4th Century, with a form of Orthodox faith and they resisted Islam, then communism took over.
We have started this year at full speed. I left for Ukraine on Tuesday January 3rd. The only way is to fly to Poland, then go by car across the Polish and Ukrainian borders, then into Lviv. The first day was spent being shown how, for hundreds of years, Ukraine has had an independent identity from Russia, and has every reason to fight to be free from Russian intervention and control. In this New Year we are expecting to do more than in previous years – which means we need your support more than ever! To fulfil all that God has put in my heart this year, we will need your prayer support – and almost double our financial income.
Thank you for your support both in prayer and giving during this challenging time. I praise God for you, without whom our evangelism would not be possible! We are living through a very difficult period, and I am deeply conscious of the many problems facing us all. My heart and my prayers are with you. Let us keep on praying in Faith that God will answer – prayer changes things – and changes us. Paul reminds us to pray without ceasing. To me prayer is part of my daily conversation with the Lord.
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! This year I will be back in Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Poland, and organising our national ‘Days of Prayer’ for Ukraine – and evangelising! 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, like you, are compelled to depend on Scripture for help in time of trouble.
By the time you read this I shall have been in Ukraine for the National Day of Prayer on June 11th and 12th which is being held in Lviv, with live uplinks to churches all over Ukraine, followed by my visit to Kyiv itself, returning on 16th June. The situation in the war is very serious with thousands dying, both soldiers and civilians. God began calling me five years ago to Central Asia, which is now a powerful mission field. That is why I will be in Armenia now, and in November will hold a massive Evangelism in next-door Georgia, so big, it is planned for me to meet with the President of Georgia and the Orthodox Patriarch very soon in order to secure their support for this event to be accepted nationwide!
Thank you for the financial aid to support Ukraine: this money is going to Kyiv, also Poland and Germany, where more than 4 million refugees are being fed, clothed, and given a place to live. As I write I have had a Zoom conference with the leading Bishops in Ukraine – the first interconfessional event since the war started. I have promised our support until total victory, both spiritually and with the aid which you are sending.
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