Prophetic Bomb
“And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul…and when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom He gave testimony and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all My will.” (Acts 13:21-22)
Nicky, Gloria, Alicia and I and our children just finished an outreach in Riga, Latvia, and Donetsk, Ukraine. Nicky spoke multiple times during Slavic conferences that took place in both countries. He was able to minister to hundreds of pastors and their families in addition to conducting citywide outreaches. In both nations, the ministers are extremely discouraged by the lack of salvations and growth in their churches. The results were miraculous. What follows is part of a blog that we posted on our website (Nicky Cruz speaks in Eastern Europe).
Donetsk, Ukraine
Nicky at Pastors Conference in Ukraine
We are in eastern Ukraine, in Donetsk, near the Russian border, in an area known as the bread basket of Russia. Coal and mineral reserves lay under fields of corn, wheat and potatoes. For centuries, this country has fed the vast Soviet Empire. Nutrient-rich soil erupts in bumper crop after bumper crop, year after year. Even though Ukraine won her independence more than a decade ago, this region still makes no apologies for affections and loyalty paid to Moscow. I was told that as NATO courts the nation, this part of it would probably seek to secede from the state and join with Russia.
Prophetic Bomb – Today’s conference for the pastors was nothing less than historic. Nicky spoke passionately about not forgetting where you come from, never forgetting what it was like not to know Christ. He exhorted the ministers not to make Jesus so inaccessible through laws and legalism that the people couldn’t see or reach Him. He implored the People of God to fall in love – romantically, no less – with Jesus. None of us has the power to change anyone, only the Holy Spirit. Our condemning people pales in comparison to the Spirit’s power and desire to bring conviction and forgiveness.
(For it is His kindness that leads us to repentance.)
Nicky charged the people to grab a hold of God’s heart for people and to fight to bring His hope and deliverance to the streets. He then asked the people to come forward and cry out to God for a new heart, a new vision, a new burden.
Silently, steadily they came. Baptist. Pentecostal. All denominations. Old school. New school. No school. Just men and women, with raised hands, silently crying out to their God for their families, for their cities in Russia and the Ukraine and other countries, and for their churches.
Then it happened: the bomb was dropped.
“God is not going to put up with you not having His heart – a heart for worship, for evangelism, for people. A heart for passion and for mercy. If you don’t get His heart, you Sauls, He is going to replace you with a David who will have His heart.”
Pastors at the altar call
It was like Muhammed Ali had just hit everyone in their solar plexus. I was taking pictures, but I couldn’t catch my breath. Besides, the tears made it impossible to see through the viewfinder. Hundreds of men and women, the redeemed, weeping and gasping for breath…for the breath of God to breathe afresh on them…
…on us…
…on me.
Final Thoughts - As these nations and these churches continue to shake off the grave clothes of their past, what will they will find? Will it be the emptiness of capitalism with its fleeting, transient hope for a better life? Will these people grab onto man’s dream – a dream that is just exchanging one form of slavery (collectivism) for another form (materialism)? I pray that we/they will give up our petty dreams and become bathed in God’s dream of freedom and hope, that we will bear fruit for His Kingdom. For we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28).
Thank you again for you faithfulness to God and to this ministry. I truly believe that these are the glory days for Nicky and this ministry. I have seen a level of anointing, brokenness and conviction in the crusades that is unsurpassed. Large crowds are fine. But when you see hundreds at the altar – in countries where we were told that salvations are rare – then you sense that God is doing something historic. He is sovereign and faithful. Please continue to lift us up in prayer and support us with your finances as you are able. Let us know how we can pray for you.
Continue to pursue Him,
Patrick Dow
CEO, Nicky Cruz Outreach
“Prophetic Bomb”