Speaking Ministry Updates

An overseas trip I will never forget…

I traveled to the country of Macedonia in Southeastern Europe for a ministry trip in June. While I have had the opportunity to travel to many nations over the last several years, this trip was especially significant for me. That is because my wife and I lived as missionaries in Macedonia back in 2010 for nearly a year and a half. For those who know my story, they will be familiar with the fact that our term there ended prematurely due to my confession of sin, leading me several months later to Pure Life Ministries in Kentucky. While I have kept in touch with some of our Macedonian friends over the years, I have not been back into the country until this trip.

I landed in Skopje, and was hosted by Assembly of God world missionaries Tim and Elle Bentley. It was amazing to get to know them better and see firsthand the incredible impact they are having in the country. If you are interested to learn more about a ministry doing fruitful work in that part of the world, I highly recommend connecting with the Bentleys’ ministry by going to this link.

One thing that was very interesting on this trip was how much of the Macedonian language came back to me by being immersed in the culture again. I had not spoken it for almost 14 years, and yet, when I landed in the country, most of what I had learned years ago came back with clarity. And I was even more surprised at how much I was able to understand after all that time had passed. In fact, I understood almost every conversation that took place around me enough to pick up the context of what was being shared.

Ministry in Strumica

My first service was in a church in Strumica. Reconnecting with Pastor Tony and his wife was a rich blessing. Before the service, he took us to see the new church building that they have been praying to complete for many years. In fact, the project had been sitting idly for some time, waiting for funding to come in. However, recently, they have been able to do a lot of work to it, and he was very encouraged with how the project is moving forward. It will be a great facility once it is finished, where the Evangelska Crkva in Strumica can flourish.

Pastor Tony shared with me many of the challenges that the church has experienced over the last several years, something that was reiterated several times by other leaders throughout the trip. In a country with strong Orthodox roots, and also a large presence of Islam, ministry for the chuch can be challenging. The evangelical churches are seen as a cult by the Orthodox churches and as a competing religion by the Muslims. This creates difficult soil for the churches that preach that people must be born again and have a true relationship with God through Jesus Christ. However, on top of that, the evangelical churches have experienced a very difficult season as three additional challenges have come their way over the last several years.

First, their president, Pastor Mirche, passed away, leaving a vacuum of leadership that needed to be filled. Second, many never returned to the churches due to the pandemic after getting out of the habit of being in church (an issue not unique to Macedonia). Third, due to the economic conditions in the country, many young adults have moved away to other parts of Europe and the world because they are able to make much more income outside of Macedonia. This has left a large gap in generations, as young families who were very involved in the churches have left the country for better opportunities. So, please remember the churches in Macedonia in your prayers. We are believing God for a move of the Holy Spirit that brings revival and a harvest of Macedonian souls.

In the service in Strumica, I shared my testimony and spoke a message about protecting the passion of God in our hearts. I spoke specifically on discouragement and how the enemy seeks to use it to wear us down. One young lady in the congregation came to me afterwards and was very moved by my testimony and the message. She said she was overwhelmed at my transparency and was very encouraged by what I had shared.

The next day, I was able to be a part of a homeless feeding program called Retweet a Meal in Skopje. This ministry cooks meals every Friday to be delivered to a place in the city where people are living in great need. We teamed up with a couple from France and prepared the meals that would be delivered by the ministry later that day. It is great to see the Body of Christ teaming up together to meet the practical needs of people in the country.

Ministry in Kavadarci

We had a joint service in the city of Kavadarci with the congregations from the Evangelska Crkva of Kavardarci and Negotino. Pastor Goran is the pastor of both of these congregations, and he was one of the pastors that Brittany and I worked most closely with when we were missionaries. It was a blessed time reconnecting with him and his wife, Daniella and their family. I had an opportunity to sit down with them and share the story of what the Lord has done since I left Macedonia in 2010. They were very encouraged to hear what had taken place and very encouraging toward me. It is amazing how I could be gone for so long, and yet, sitting in their living room after all of these years, it felt like I had never left. That’s one beautiful thing about the Body of Christ. Though we may be apart physically, our spiritual connection never leaves.

I shared some of my story that night in Kavadarci. There were several that I knew from my time in 2010, and others that I met for the first time. I also preached a message from the story of Achan from the book of Joshua, using my own story to illustrate what happens when we do not walk in the light as Christians. We had a time of response at the end and several acknowledged that the Holy Spirit was speaking to them through the message and asked for prayer about issues in their lives. It was a great service and the presence of the Lord was evident.

Ministry in Prilip/ Time in Bitola

We ministered for two days in the city of Prilip. As we were traveling to the city, I mentioned to Tim that I know I had been to Prilip when we lived in the country, but I couldn’t remember for sure what we did there. We got to the church where I would be ministering and when we met Pastor Edian and his wife, I recognized them. I looked at the church building and thought it looked familiar. Then, I remembered that I had been a part of hosting a missions team to help build that church. I went inside and on the wall was a photo of the team that helped build the church hanging on the wall, and it was the team that I had helped host. It was a really cool connection and the pastor was very excited about it.

That evening, we had a small conference with two sessions on the topic of obedience. Tim translated the messages for me. The first message was about the calling of the original disciples and how Jesus’ expectation of discipleship should impact the lives of believers today. In the second session, I used the life of King Solomon to illustrate what it looks like when we do not obey the voice of the Lord. Pastor Edian was very happy about the teachings and the people were very appreciative.

That evening, we spent in the nearby city of Bitola at the Evangelska Crkva there. The next day, I had the opportunity to meet Pastor Josef and his family and to hear how the Lord was working in Bitola, specifically through the building of relationships through Alpha Course. He shared a powerful testimony of a Muslim who had come to Christ and been water baptized as a result of the classes they offered.

That evening, we headed back to Prilip to a local coffee shop that we rented out to offer a teaching on addiction to anyone in the community who was interested in the topic. Earlier that day, I shared with Tim that I felt a spiritual fight in my spirit while preparing for that night. What we hadn’t realized was that that it was a Muslim holiday celebrating the beginning of Ramadan. The coffee shop was just about a block away from the local mosque, and the streets were filled with people joining in the festivities. It was quite a different spiritual atmosphere in the coffee shop than what was happening just outside.

I shared my story of battling with addiction and also declared that Jesus is the way to find freedom from demonic bondage, sin and all addictions. Though there were a handful of people who showed up, one young man in particular felt that it had been orchestrated just for him. We had a chance to sit down with him afterwards and hear about the things he was struggling with, and he felt the Lord used that night to help him to learn to walk in greater freedom. Another man shared with us about the demonic practices he had been a part of in the past and that he was trying to get free and live for Christ. We prayed with both of these men individually and I believe the Lord spoke to their hearts in a significant way that night.

Afterwards, we went out to eat with Pastor Edian and he shared his incredible testimony of growing up in a nominal Muslim family, and how the Lord used people in his life to slowly open his heart to the Gospel and eventually get saved and water baptized. Now, he is leading a church and preaching Jesus to anyone who will listen. What a mighty God we serve!

Ministry in Skopje

Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to speak at the main Evangelska Crkva in Skopje. This congregation is now pastored by a friend of ours named Stole. When we were in the country, Pastor Mirche was the leader of the church in the capital city as well as the Evangelical movement. However, his passing has been one of the challenges the church has had to navigate over the last couple of years. It was a great joy to see Pastor Mirche’s wife and talk with her and one of their daughters after the service. And there were many others who we knew personally that I was able to connect with that morning.

I shared my testimony with the church, repenting to them and asking their forgiveness for my failure to practice what I preached when I lived among them. Then, I shared a message about seeking the presence of God above all other endeavors in our lives. Afterwards, Pastor Stole came up and spoke to me publicly, saying they forgive me and that the door to Macedonia will always be open to us. Sharing publicly about one’s failures is something that is not normal in a shame-based culture. So, by doing it, I was modeling something that I believe had a significant impact on the people in the service. It was a very special moment, and I was very grateful for how the Holy Spirit moved in the service. Several came to me afterwards and spoke about how my testimony and the message had impacted them.

That evening, we went back to the same building to preach at the International Church that meets there on Sunday nights. Pastor Marino, a friend of ours from the past, is now pastoring this congregation, made up of people who speak English and are in Macedonia for a variety of reasons including ministry, military and business. I felt led to share about the story of the two sons from the parable in Luke 15. I spoke about the prodigal son who ran away, but also the older brother who stayed in the father’s house, but still did not have intimacy with the father. I encouraged everyone to search their hearts to determine if they are truly walking in relationship with the Lord, or if they can relate in some way to either of the sons in the story. It was a great time to connect with these believers and make some new friends.

Ministry in Gevgelija

We held a men’s conference at the Royal Ranger’s campground in Gevgelija. Men from several churches traveled to the camp for our time together. We opened with a couple of worship songs and I spoke about the topic of purity for men. I was told that this was not typically spoken about openly in the Macedonian church, but my own experience speaking in many places in the world has taught me that this is an issue that transcends culture. Several men expressed their gratitude for the way I candidly shared about this common struggle. After the message, we broke the men into discussion groups to talk about sexual purity, and there were a lot of great conversations taking place.

After that, we had some outdoor games for the men to take part in. We also went swimming in the river that runs along the property. The campground is on a beautiful property. After a great meal together, we headed back to Skopje. I believe the Lord used this to spur the men to greater holiness in their lives and to encourage them to develop accountability relationships with other men. One of the young men who attended, Vlatko, was a part of our youth group in Negotino, so it was great to see him again after all of these years.

The Final Two Days

The next day, we travelled down to the city of Struga with the new president of the Evangelical movement, Pastor Pieter. It was a blessing to have a chance to get to know him on a deeper level, and to hear about how the Lord has helped him settle into his new role. We visited several places to secure a location for a pastor’s conference that will be held this September.

While we were there, we were able to visit the Evangelska Crkva in Struga and meet Pastor Emil and Pastor Robert, who ministers in Radovich. Each of them had been saved out of heavy drug addiction through the ministry of Pastor Pieter in Stip. I had a chance to hear their testimonies and learn more about how the Lord is working in that area of the country. It was a great time of fellowship and building connections with the current pastors in the country.

The following day, I had a chance to reconnect with Igor, one of our Macedonian language teachers and friend, who is now serving at a church in the capital city. It was a joy to hear how the Lord has directed his life and provided a wife and kids to serve in the ministry together.

We also spent some time with a good friend, Zivko, who is pastoring another Evangelska Crkva in Skopje, planted a few years ago. Their church has an amazing worship team, and his wife, Fani, is involved with recording Macedonian worship music. It was a blessing to see him again and to catch up on how the Lord has grown the church plant and faithfully provided for them.

My final meeting was with Svetlana, a great sister in the Lord, who also translated for me on Sunday morning. She invited us to come to the pregnancy center that she leads in the capital city called Lydia. We sat down and had a chance to hear many testimonies of how the Lord is using that center to convince women to keep their children instead of choosing abortion. Svetlana has the opportunity to travel all over Europe and the world sharing about the work that they do. Something I found particularly interesting is that in Macedonia, the average woman seeking abortion is not a single mother or a teenager in distress, as we might expect in the US. Many of the women they minister to actually have children already, but due to the economic pressures in the country, they feel they cannot properly take care of another child in the home, so abortion becomes an option. I was so blessed to learn about the work they are doing to reach these mothers and try to help them make a decision for life. To find out more about this ministry, please go here.

Overall Thoughts

This trip was above and beyond anything I could have asked the Lord for. When we left Macedonia in 2010, it was abrupt, and I never had a chance to explain or say goodbye to many in the country. We assumed that word had gotten out over the years and that most of the leaders had an understanding of what took place. But I found out when I arrived on this trip, that was not the case. They only knew something had transpired and that we needed to leave quickly. So, this trip gave me the opportunity to fill in the gaps of my story, repent and ask forgiveness and share about the incredible mercy of God in my life. It was a vivid illustration of the restoration power of the Holy Spirit.

As I walked the same city streets on my prayer walks during the trip, the difference between what my life is like now was on hi-definition display. And to come back to the same place and walk the streets in freedom must have been powerful in the spiritual realm. I felt the enemy was probably cringing with every service that I preached. To God be the glory!

I also felt a deep burden for the people of Macedonia. The Lord has a plan to reach those in the country who do not know Jesus personally and I believe He is going to move in a powerful way. Please pray for the churches in the country, that God will send refreshing and revival, that pours out of the church and transforms the nation for Jesus Christ.

I’m super grateful for each of you who took the time to pray and sacrificed in finances to make this trip happen. You are such an integral part of what the Lord accomplished. Thank you for being a part of the trip. I also recorded a six part series of short vlogs about the events of the trip. You can watch it here:

What a powerful time of ministry we had in Nicaragua this March!

This trip was unique for me as it was the first time we took a team on a Make Way Ministries trip. I felt led by the Lord to assemble a small team of people with medical and ministry backgrounds. God provided a great group and we saw Him use our team to impact the country for His glory.

We partnered with our good friends, missionaries Rob and Nita Wehrley with Project Samuel. They continue to minister to those in great need with both physical and spiritual support. They are actively ministering to children and raising up a generation of young disciples through their children ministries and Bible League ministry. To connect with their ministry in Nicaragua, please visit their website at: Let’s Get Bold. It was a blessing to be reunited with them and also see our friends Jonathan, who translated for the services and Aaron, who did kids ministry throughout the trip.

Our team landed on Tuesday, and we spent the evening settling in and assembling food and hygiene packs for distribution. We gave away 165 packs of food containing rice, beans, salt and sugar and 200 hygiene packs containing soap, loofahs, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other items to the people in the two communities where we ministered. We also had our first set of Spanish Romans Road cards printed and we brought 500 of them with us. These proved to be very helpful in sharing the Gospel and we got them into the hands of hundreds of people in the country.

Wednesday- Thursday: The Valley of the Volcano

We spent two days ministering to the people in an area called the Valley of the Volcano. It has that name because it sits at the base of an active volcano in Masaya. This particular town is built alongside a landfill, so that people can work throughout the day to gather anything valuable they can find to recycle for money. Our outreaches during the day proved to be very well received.

We teamed up with the local church in the community under the leadership of Pastor Jose. In the Valley, we had around 150 people come to be checked out. Each person that came through had an opportunity to receive attention for their physical needs, but we also shared the Gospel with them and offered to pray for them. Many of them were noticeably touched by the Lord as we prayed. I look forward to hearing testimonies of how He healed them physically as well. We had several who prayed to receive or rededicate their lives to Christ!

During our outreaches, we had children’s ministry meetings also taking place for the kids in the community. It was a blessing to see the kids having such a great time learning about God, worshipping and playing games. Our team also had the opportunity to bring water and sandwiches to those working in the landfill each day. It is hard to imagine working all day in the heat of the Nicaraguan sun, searching for whatever you can find to try to make a living for your family. The people were very grateful for the small gesture of love. For those who had so little, the joy they had in their hearts and the love they had for people was such a blessing to experience.

On the first night, we held an outdoor evangelistic meeting in that community. We were told that there were people in the town who practiced witchcraft, and several told us personally how they were under a curse. Our team could feel the spiritual tension in the air. The worship leader that night began to declare the name of Jesus over the community, and you could feel the atmosphere shift. Two people manifested demons that night and received prayer for deliverance. I preached a simple message, and the Lord anointed it powerfully. I shared about healing, deliverance and salvation. Several people responded to the call for salvation at the end. Our team ministered to many who came forward for prayer. I went into the crowd with one of our interpreters, named Gustavo, and we shared Jesus with several people. One group of three young men in particular stand out in my mind. They heard the message but told us, “We will give our lives to Christ at a later time.” We encouraged them that there may not be more time and asked them to take a Romans Road card and pray about it. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to sow seeds of the Gospel.

Thursday Evening: Rock of Salvation Church in Ticuantepe

It was such a blessing to reconnect with Pastor Ernan, who I met on my first trip to Nicaragua last year. He is the leader of a network of churches, and this was my first time preaching at his home church. I spoke a message about the fire of God and our need for His presence and glory in our lives. Many people came forward to seek the Lord, and we had a powerful time of altar ministry. One girl around seven years old came forward with her mother. They both cried out to the Lord with tears streaming down their faces. To see this young girl so sincerely desperate for God touched my heart in a profound way. It was a great night!

Afterwards, I asked Pastor Ernan if he would be willing to share some of the lessons that he has learned about spiritual warfare. He shared with our team three specific encounters that he had with the demonic in his ministry as well as the principles that he learned about spiritual warfare from each experience. It was such a rich time of training for our team, and it led to many conversations throughout the trip.

Friday: Granada

On Friday, our team had a chance to go to the oldest city in Nicaragua, called Granada. I took advantage of this time to share the Gospel with several people. At one point, I looked around at hundreds of people in the crowd and prayed, “Holy Spirit. If you want us to talk to someone specific, please let us bump into them in some way.” Within about two minutes, a man came up to me and Gustavo and introduced himself. We shared the Gospel with him and prayed with him. It was an almost immediate answer to prayer, and I was reminded of the importance of asking God for divine encounters. The Holy Spirit is so willing to help us reach people for Jesus if we will just make ourselves available.

Saturday: Project Samuel and Ticuantepe

On Saturday, we were a part of a childrens program for the kids in the neighborhood of Project Samuel. They had so much fun playing the games and acting out the story of the walls of Jericho. That evening, we traveled to Ticuantepe and I was asked to speak at a gathering of several churches from Pastor Ernan’s network. The worship was amazing, and I spoke about the need for the church to reach the world with the Gospel. Afterwards, we prayed for many who felt a specific call to be an evangelist. We then prayed for many who needed a touch from the Lord. It was a special time as the Lord moved in the room in a tangible way.

Sunday: Two Church Services

On Sunday morning, we were invited to Mount Horeb Church by Pastor Yasir. The people were warm and welcoming. After a time of worship, I shared a message about not allowing the enemy to put the fire of God in our hearts out. The people were very responsive. We prayed for many at the altars and the Holy Spirit moved in a powerful way. Pastor Yasir asked if we would anoint and lay hands on his leadership team. The Lord touched them and I believe that what God stirred up that morning will continue on.

That evening, we travelled to an area outside of Managua to a church that I spoke at on my first trip. It was a blessing to be reunited with Pastor Oskar and Pastor Henry. This year, they set up an outdoor evangelistic meeting outside the church. We had a great time of worship and afterwards I shared a message highlighting Jesus’ ability to deliver people from bondage, heal their bodies and save their souls. One young lady came forward at the altar to give her life to Jesus. She was pregnant and I’m grateful for how the Lord will touch generations in her family through this mother’s faith. Another elderly man came forward to rededicate his life to Christ. He had a lot of pain in his knees, and after praying for him, the pain had decreased exponentially. We prayed for several others for their needs as well. They had the children from the church come up front and our team prayed for them. It was a beautiful moment, and we could see how the Lord is raising up a generation of young people on fire for Him. The Lord ministered to many that night.

Monday-Tuesday: Los Altos

We spent Monday and Tuesday in a town called Los Altos. Pastor Noel pastors a church there, and they opened their building for us to host two outreach days to minister to those in need. Between the two days, we saw over 150 people. Several came to the Lord, and on the second day, several were physically healed as we prayed. One young lady who had pain in her thigh said that heat came into her leg when we prayed and all the pain left. Another was healed of back pain and a man with knee pain was also touched. Many others we prayed for had ailments that were not possible to know if there was an immediate touch from God, but we believe in faith that many others experienced miracles that day.

On both Monday and Tuesday nights, we held outdoor street meetings in Los Altos. We set up the meeting right on the street in a residential community. The first night, I spoke from the Gospels and gave a call for salvation. Several came forward to pray to receive Christ. We then began to pray for people who were in need. When we prayed for one gentlemen, something didn’t feel right in my spirit. I asked the translator to find out what the man needed from the Lord. He shared that he had stomach pain and had gone to a local witch seeking healing. I asked if he was ready to renounce that tie to witchcraft and he responded that he was. As we prayed, a demonic spirit began to manifest, and as we took authority over it, the man began to vomit blood and it left him. He will receive further ministry from the church there. Praise the Lord for His delivering power!

There was a man standing outside his home listening to the message and I felt drawn to speak with him. We asked him if he was a believer, and he said he was not but that he was ready to become one. We prayed with him and he asked us to pray with his wife as well. She was not ready to receive Christ, but she sat through the whole message the second night. I believe the Lord is going to touch her heart and transform that family. We left a Romans Road card with them and the husband was reading through it intently as we were packing up after the meeting.

On Tuesday night, I preached a message about the blood of Jesus. When I gave the altar call, no one responded at first. However, after a few moments a man came forward, followed by a couple of women. Then several children came forward. As I led them in a prayer of repentance, the children prayed out loud sincerely. It so touched my heart. I realized that this was a moment that many of them would remember as they responded to the Lord and He washed their sins clean. Pastor Noel expressed his deep gratitude to our team for coming and ministering to so many in his community. He was grateful that we not only ministered to the physical needs of people, but also the spiritual needs.

Final Thoughts

The overall theme of this trip was definitely 1 John 4:4: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” We were constantly aware that the enemy was not happy that we were doing what we were doing. However, in the midst of the warfare, we saw time after time how prayer was effective in pulling down strongholds. Many of our prayers were answered almost instantaneously by the Lord. In one instance, we were in a customs line and it seemed the clerk was giving people a hard time. We prayed as a group and within seconds, a security guard waved us over to another line. We saw God move in this way all throughout the trip, and we were so encouraged at the power of prayer.

I was also reminded of what an encouragement it is to the church in other nations when we come to pour ourselves out in their country. Several of the pastors expressed heartfelt gratitude for the fact that we would bring a team to bless them. However, we left feeling that they poured more into us than we gave to them!

So many lives were touched on the trip through the ministry, only Heaven knows the true impact. But we were so blessed to see many people touched right before our eyes. I am so grateful to the Lord for how He moved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for praying with us along the way!

If you would like to donate toward our International Ministry to help make trips like this happen, you can do that by clicking here. Just select the “International Ministry” fund and all of those donations will go directly to our overseas work.

I shot a seven-part vlog of updates throughout the trip, including many of the testimonies of what the Lord did and video clips of the prayer/ worship in the services. You can watch it here:

The fire of God fell in Brazil!

I set foot in Brazil for my second time this year and God showed up in a powerful way. Each time I go back to a country, my awareness of the culture and spiritual atmosphere grows. Relationships are also strengthened and these elements help to make ministry more effective and fruitful. This trip definitely built upon the last, and the favor God has given Make Way Ministries in the country is very evident. This year, PLM Brazil made the decision to publish my book, Pile of Masks, in Portuguese. We made the book available throughout the trip and many people purchased copies, with the proceeds going to help PLM Brazil. It is humbling to have the book getting into the hands of many people throughout the country. Several people shared with me that the church in Brazil needs to address the issue of hypocrisy, so the message of my book was timely and warmly welcomed.

Brasilia- First Sunday Morning and Evening

After nearly twenty-four hours of travel, I arrived in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, on Saturday night. The next morning would be the start of twelve days of preaching and traveling. On Sunday morning, I was invited to preach at Pastor Airton’s Church called ICCR in Brasilia. I spoke there last year, and it was a blessing to come back and have a chance to minister this year as well. The Lord put a message on my heart from Matthew 24 and 25, about being prepared for the return of Christ. I shared from three parables and spoke about how a lifestyle of preparation should impact our priorities. It was a great time together and we were all challenged by the Word. It was a blessing to fellowship with the precious believers of ICCR.

That evening, I spoke at Igreja Famílias Benditas in a neighborhood called Vincente Pires. This was my first time ministering at this church. Pastor Eronaldo and his wife are passionate people and they are pastoring a church made up of mostly young families. Our service that night was powerful, as the Lord gave me several prophetic words before I ministered and many people were touched even before the sermon. I shared a message about reaching out to the world with the Gospel. Our altar ministry was filled with the presence of God. Many lives were touched, and many children and young people were hungry for a touch from the Lord. One young boy in particular really touched my heart. We wept together as I prayed for him. Afterwards, he told me through the translator that he couldn’t put into words how special it was to him that I would come and what the Lord was doing in his life that night.

Caldas Novas- Monday and Tuesday

Monday morning, Paulo, the Director for Pure Life Ministries Brazil, and I traveled to a city about four hours from Brasilia called Caldas Novas. I spoke at an Assemblies of God church on my last trip, and they had us back for a two-day conference. It was a rich blessing to see so many people I had connected with last year, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship after each service. Both of the services were powerfully anointed by the Holy Spirit. On Monday night, I spoke from the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel and shared about how the presence of the Lord is like a fire in our hearts. We sought the Lord for His presence at the end of the message and had a move of the Spirit as people passionately pursued Him.

On Tuesday night, I shared about developing a lifestyle of evangelism. Before the worship, I felt the Lord give me a word for a mother who had an estranged relationship with her daughter. Out of several hundred people in the service, one woman raised her hand to acknowledge that it was her. I shared what the Lord had put on my heart and we prayed with her. She fell to her knees weeping under the power of God. It was so special for the Lord to speak to one of His daughters and call her out from the crowd. A couple of people responded to an altar call for salvation as well, praise the Lord! After the message, we prayed for many who felt a call to missions/ evangelism. The Lord moved again, and afterwards, there were many who wanted personal ministry and prayer, so we stuck around and ministered to many who needed it.

Uberlandia- Wednesday and Thursday

From Caldas Novas, we traveled a couple of hours to another city called Uberlandia. A large Presbyterian Church called Quinta Igreja Presbiteriana de Uberlândia had invited us to do a two-day conference as well as speak at a city-wide ministers meeting. On Wednesday night, I spoke a message about King Solomon, with principles from his life that can help us avoid many of the mistakes that he made. The people were very responsive and Pastor Lucio and his wife were very gracious to us.

On Thursday morning, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of ministers from different denominations throughout the city. I shared much of my testimony and also talked about how to deal with sexual sin in the ministry, from both a personal perspective as well as a ministry perspective. One young man in particular seemed to be very affected by the message. Afterwards, my translator and I had an opportunity to speak with him, and he broke down weeping about some personal issues in his life. Because of that, he proactively sought out biblical counseling and I believe the Lord is going to do a great work in his life.

That evening, I spoke a message about the return of Christ and encouraged the people to pursue holiness, have healthy relationships, share the Gospel, serve God wholeheartedly, pursue God passionately and be prepared to suffer as needed. We took some time to seek the Lord and allow Him to speak to our hearts. There was a strong connection made between the church and PLM Brazil that I believe will open up many doors in that area of the country.

Brasilia- Friday and Saturday

On Friday evening, I was invited to speak at a National Baptist Church of Brasília. They asked me to come in and speak specifically about the topic of sexual sin. I shared my story as well as basic biblical principles of sexuality. Before the message, I felt led to give a call for salvation and several men stood in their seats to pray to surrender their lives to Christ. Afterwards, we gave a call for anyone who was personally struggling or knew someone who was and wanted to pray for them. Several responded, and by speaking with some of them after the service, it was evident that God was touching their hearts deeply.

I ministered at the Baptist Church that Paulo and his family attend on Saturday night. I spoke a message about not allowing the fire of God in our lives to be put out through distraction, compromise or neglect. There was a sweet presence of the Holy Spirit during the worship and message and the people were very grateful for the ministry. I believe God ministered to many hearts that night.

Brasilia- Sunday Morning and Evening

On Sunday, I spoke at two services in the same building. Each church was affiliated with the same denomination and their congregations share the building on Sundays for their worship services. On Sunday morning, the church had many young people and Pastor Frederico was a passionate man who had trained many of the teenagers on the worship team to play and lead worship. I felt led to pray over their worship team before the message. I spoke about the story of Achan and gave a warning about what can happen if we hide our sin from others. It was a blessing to be with these believers.

On Sunday evening, I returned to the church to speak in Pastor Atila’s church. During worship, the Lord redirected my message and I ended up sharing about what happens when the fire of God falls in our lives. We had a powerful time of ministry after the message and the leadership of the church laid hands on me and prayed. I experienced the Lord’s presence in a special way, and I’m grateful for how the Holy Spirit ministered to their congregation.

After the service, we went to pick up my wife, Brittany, who had flown into the country to spend the final week with me in ministry. The Lord opened up some doors for us to minister together, and it was a blessing to have her there with me.

Brasilia- Monday and Tuesday

A church called Dokimos in a local area called Gama invited us to do a two-day conference on Purity of Heart. They asked me to speak on the themes of repentance and holiness. The church was filled with many young families. After a rich time of worship, I spoke Monday night on the beauty of repentance. I shared some basic principles about repentance and closed with the stories of the rich, young ruler and Zaccheus. When we had a time for people to seek the Lord, many came forward to be prayed for, crying out to the Lord. One couple in particular shared about a significant breakthrough they had experienced that night. They said that they believed the Lord had orchestrated the trip just for them!

On Tuesday evening, we returned to Dokimos Church and I spoke about the world system and why we need to be separated from it as believers. It was a tense atmosphere, which is typical when I share these kinds of messages. At the close of the service, I thought about giving a salvation call, but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to. After praying for the people, Pastor Luis came up and gave a call for salvation, and several responded. I was so grateful that the Holy Spirit had laid the same feeling on his heart. Our two evenings at this church were a real blessing and the Lord was faithful to move. In the final service, the pastor and leadership team had Brittany and I come on stage to pray over our family and ministry. It was a special time being ministered to.

Brasilia- Wednesday and Thursday

On Wednesday evening, I had the opportunity to be a part of a podcast for a church in the city. I was interviewed on the topics of repentance, holiness and sexual sin. We had a rich discussion and I strongly encouraged all who might be listening and are struggling with sin in their lives to bring it into the light and reach out for help. I pray that many will get in contact with PLM Brazil who are in need. It was a great experience to be a part of the podcast and I pray many will hear its important message.

On Wednesday night, Pastor Eronaldo from Igreja Famílias Benditas invited Brittany and I to speak at his church. We shared our story together, each highlighting lessons that we have learned through our experience that we thought would be a help to the families in the church. The Holy Spirit’s presence was evident. We offered to pray with anyone who wanted prayer, and many came forward. While we were praying for one woman, a demon began to manifest, and we took authority over it and commanded it to leave. We then prayed with the woman a prayer of repentance. The Pastor’s wife took over ministering to her and she testified that the woman got free that night, praise the Lord! Many of the families wanted prayer, and we laid hands on many and prayed into the night. It was an incredible time in the Lord.

On the final night of ministry, Brittany and I were invited to share with a group of about forty people at the home of a precious family who hosted us for most of the trip. Hamilton and Vanessa lead a small group in their home, and they asked if we would share our story with them. Brittany felt that we should also conclude with a foot-washing service. We shared our testimony together and the people were touched. Then, we went out to the pool area and asked the couples to wash each other’s feet while Brittany and I washed the feet of those who were without a spouse. We prayed many prophetic prayers over people and many were deeply ministered to. As I looked around the pool, many couples were praying for one another and weeping in each other’s arms. It was a special, intimate time, and we were told that many were talking about it the day afterwards.

Final Thoughts

Trips like these are both incredibly exciting and very exhausting. Preparation before the trip can be extensive, and the hardest part is that many of the places I go, I have never been to, so I am preparing for a service in a culture and denomination that I am unfamiliar with. This usually leads to feeling unsure and inadequate going into the trip.

But then, when I step foot in the land, and begin to see God moving, I realize how much of the second-guessing and insecurity is really just spiritual warfare. I am so amazed at how the Lord continues to open doors, anoint the ministry and change lives as we go out to minister. As is typical of my ministry, I was able to speak to multiple denominations and church cultures. I so appreciate the diversity of the Body of Christ. This trip was also special because it provided a couple of opportunities for me to minister alongside Brittany. The Lord has given her a lot of wisdom and the women were very grateful to have a chance to hear her speak as well.

Brazil is a special country, with a diverse culture and its own unique spiritual challenges. However, the same Holy Spirit who moves in other places is alive and well in Brazil, and He is doing a great work in the hearts and lives of those who are open to Him. I was so humbled and grateful to play a part in what He is doing in this wonderful nation.

Thank you to each of you who prayed for the trip as well as financially support Make Way Ministries. Trips like this do not happen without the prayer and financial support of people who give their time and money sacrificially so that lives can be touched around the world. To make a tax-deductible gift to Make Way Ministries to help us reach the nations for Christ, you can go to our Donate page.

I shot a nine-part Vlog of the trip describing what the Lord was doing each day and it also contains footage from the services. You can watch the first Vlog here:

A Great Time of Ministry in Europe!

My fourth trip to the Netherlands was a fruitful one. I’m so grateful for the connection that the Lord has made between Make Way Ministries and several ministries in that country. The Netherlands has an interesting culture, with a rich Christian heritage and significance in world history. As I’ve traveled there over the years, it has become more clear to me how Satan has used both worldliness and religion to keep many Dutch people in bondage. On the one hand, you have about fifty percent of the country who claim to be atheists or agnostics today. The lure of sex and drugs brings people from around the world to Amsterdam, where prostitution is not only legal, but considered one of many other career choices a person can make. I was told by a pastor that other cities in the country are now starting similar “red light district” areas and that prostitutes have even unionized. The sensuous culture and worldly influence has created an atmosphere for the enemy to seduce people away from the faith.

On the other hand, there is a deeply religious half of the country that trace their Christian heritage back to the time of the Protestant Reformation. Theology is held in very high regard among the Christians in the Netherlands, and unfortunately, an intense dedication to the teachings of John Calvin have left many people in a religious rut. Being taught that salvation is something that we can do nothing to obtain and a very strong emphasis on God’s sovereignty keeps people from engaging with simple aspects of true faith including repentance and believing in Jesus for salvation. Because of this, many young people in those churches live in open sin, with the belief that if God is going to select them to be saved, it will happen without any effort on their part. It’s interesting to see how truth can be distorted just enough that it can bring great deception into the lives of people. Many of the born-again believers that I have met over the years had grown up in these churches that they refer to as “hypercalvinist.” Some have left those churches for other churches with a more evangelical message. Others have chosen to stay in the traditional churches in hopes of being a testimony to the people there. Thank God that He can get a hold of someone’s heart who his open to Him!

The First Sunday Service

I made it to the Netherlands safely after two flights and reconnected with many of my friends and ministry partners after a year and a half. The next morning, I preached in a church for the first time in the town of Ermelo. They have a vibrant community of young families who prioritize relationships with one another. Each week, they take communion together, worship, eat a meal and then fellowship at each other’s homes into the afternoon. The church has a policy that if their attendance grows close to 100 people, they will split off, as they do not want to grow too large to keep their intimacy. They already started a sister church for this reason. I spoke from Matthew 12 about Jesus’ clash with the Pharisees over the issue of the Sabbath and talked about the difference between religion and relationship. I had a chance to go to the elder’s home and have a great time of fellowship with many of the believers. It was a blessing to connect with many of the students from my previous trips to the Netherlands, some even from my first trip in 2017. It was humbling to hear how many of them could still remember some of the things I taught and they shared how it had impacted their lives, glory to God!

Teaching at the Gospel Mission Bible School

The next day, I began teaching a series of six lessons with the Gospel Mission Bible School students. These lessons took place Monday-Wednesday for three hours in the morning. My previous trips have all been in November, so this trip was unique in that I was teaching on the final week of their school year. At the end of the week, they would all pack up after a year of study and head to other parts of the Netherlands and some even in other countries to serve the Lord. To hear their zeal for the Gospel and willingness to sacrifice to serve the Lord was very encouraging. The weeks’ lessons were all based on the topic of “Principles for the Worker in God’s Vineyard.” I taught on the fear of man, finances, loving the people you serve, pride and humility, prayer and fasting and several other topics. The students were hungry to learn and had some very thoughtful questions and comments. It was a blessing to get to know them, just before they launched out into their own ministry assignments.

Men’s Night with Heart for the Family

On Tuesday evening, I was invited by Job, the leader of a ministry called Heart for the Family, to speak to a group of men on the topic, “Men, Rise Up!” I’ve worked with their ministry several times in the past, and I so appreciate Job’s heart to provide quality ministry to families in the Netherlands. We traveled to a town called Krimpen aan den IJssel. After a time of food, prayer and fellowship at the home of some friends, we headed to the meeting. Gideon was my translator for the night, and he did a great job. Quite a few men came out, some I’ve met in the past, and others I met for the first time. I shared twelve principles from the story of Nehemiah that reveal how men can rise up to their calling from the Lord to be the men He created them to be. The men were very responsive and our time of small group discussion after the message showed their desire to apply the principles to their own lives. It was a great night of ministry and we left encouraged that the Lord had spoken to many hearts.

Church Service in Westkapelle

The following evening I left with Arjan, the leader of HeartCry Ministries. I met Arjan on my first trip to the Netherlands and God has used him in a great way to foster of movement of young people in the country with a desire to know and serve the Lord. We travelled to Westkapelle, a beautiful town right on the ocean in south Holland with an evangelist friend of ours named Arthur. Before the service, we had time to pray along the ocean and have some food and fellowship. We had the opportunity to share the Gospel with a young man in an ice cream shop. He was clearly searching for meaning in his life, and we had a chance to share testimony and talk about what Jesus had done in our lives. He allowed us to pray with him and we asked the Lord to reveal Himself in a tangible way to the young man.

We then went to a church in the nearby neighborhood, where I spoke on the life of Solomon. I shared about his life and how he had so much potential in the Lord, being blessed with such wisdom and influence, and yet he used it for personal gain and his life ended on a downward spiral. I warned the people to make sure that we all stay true to the Lord, obeying the Word, keeping our passions in check and submitting our wills to His. It was a great service and a blessing to meet Pastor Jochem, who translated me, as well as his congregation.

Amsterdam23 Conference

The next morning, I took a train to Amsterdam to attend the Amsterdam23 conference. A couple of months ago, I connected with the lead evangelist of our denomination, and he mentioned that there would be a big evangelistic conference in Amsterdam in June. It just happened to be on the week that I was already in the Netherlands, so I felt that the Lord was wanting me to attend. Thursday was the only day I had free, so I went to the conference all that day. It was an amazing experience. Thousands of believers from 80 countries had come together to discuss how we can reach the world with the Gospel. There were some big services, breakout sessions and collaborative group discussions on the topic of evangelism. I was able to connect with many people and was so encouraged in my own life and ministry. To be able to meet people from all different countries, with one important focus, was a beautiful experience. I had a difficult time finding the series of trains to get back to the Bible School, but the Lord had me bump into a man named Wim, who guided me through the train stations as well as drove me back to the Bible School that night. The entire time, we were sharing testimonies with each other. He had an amazing testimony of how the Lord had saved him, and so many stories of the Lord’s provision and guidance throughout his life. It was certainly a divine connection, and I was very grateful to have met him.

The Filadelfia Bible School Conference

The final weekend of the trip, we had a conference for the Filadelfia Bible School students. I spoke three messages on the topic of Discipleship. There were about 80 students in attendance, and we had a wonderful weekend together. My good friend and the leader of the school, Leander, translated me for the messages. It is always a rich blessing to minister together, and have deep conversations about our hearts throughout the trip. My messages were on the Call, the Work and the Heart of the Disciple. I really enjoyed speaking on what it means to truly follow Jesus as well as give practical instruction on how to develop an evangelistic lifestyle. Throughout the weekend, I had a chance to talk one-on-one with many people. Whenever I share my testimony, it is not uncommon for a man to pull me aside for ministry because he is struggling with sexual sin in his life. I had several of those discussions that weekend and I believe that the Lord really ministered to many. One young man in particular had a huge breakthrough in his spiritual life during the conference. God is so good! We had some time for fellowship as well as an afternoon to play sports, and I ended up playing volleyball for a couple of hours, which was a lot of fun.

My final message on the heart was one that I had struggled with the whole time I was preparing for the trip. I wanted to share from the Sermon on the Mount, but I couldn’t seem to really nail down what the Lord wanted me to say. After delivering the message, we opened up a time for responding to the Lord, and several were deeply moved, kneeling down, praying and weeping before the Lord. I was grateful that the Lord used the message despite my own insecurities and being unsure about the message.

The Last Sunday Services

My final day of ministry was Sunday. Due to the Filadelfia conference continuing on that day, I wasn’t able to go with anyone into the city of Rotterdam. I borrowed a car and had to trust the Lord to get me where I needed to go. I first traveled to a Romanian congregation, led by a friend of mine named Chris. His wife is from Romania, and they started a church for people in the area who speak the Romanian language. This was the second time I had spoken at their church. I shared a message about making sure our intimacy with the Lord is kept the top priority in our lives. It was a blessing to be with them, and I always love hearing worship and prayer to the Lord in other languages.

After the service, I met with Pastor Hugo and his wife Ilse, the pastors of ACR Rotterdam Pentecostal church. I speak at their church every time I go to the Netherlands, but this was the first time we were able to spend some time together for fellowship. It was a rich time of conversation, as we spoke about ministry challenges as well as getting to know one another on more personal level. We spent the afternoon together, and I preached that night about keeping the fire of God burning in our lives. The people were very responsive. I prayed for many and the Holy Spirit spoke to many of them. One lady was in need of a house, and was in a very desperate situation. Pastor Hugo reached out a few days after the trip that the Lord had provided her with a beautiful home. What a faithful God we serve!

Final Thoughts 

Overall, my fourth trip to the Netherlands proved to be very fruitful for the Kingdom. I have seen how the Lord has given me the unique ability to not only cross over cultural boundaries, but also to minister across denominational boundaries. It is such a blessing to be able to have fellowship with people from all areas of the church, because I can see how each part of the Body of Christ has strengths that we can all learn from. Sometimes, we allow our differences to keep us from coming together as one. But all of us have some to offer the Body of Christ, and my prayer is that we would all take time to fellowship with believers from other backgrounds. I’m encouraged to see how the Lord is continuing to raise up young people in the Netherlands with a calling on their lives, and how He is bringing people of all ages into a saving faith. Despite the enemy’s attack on the country, God is at work, and I believe the seeds that were planted on the trip will come to harvest in God’s timing.

Thank you to each of you who prayed for the trip as well as financially support Make Way Ministries. Trips like this do not happen without the prayer and financial support of people who give their time and money sacrificially so that lives can be touched around the world. To make a tax-deductible gift to Make Way Ministries to help us reach the nations for Christ, you can go to our Donate page.