Cornerstone Arts :: Newsletters :: Not by Might, Nor by Power

Greetings once more from Kiev, Ukraine! The beautiful days of fall are now behind us, and we have been crunching through (the first of hundreds of) freshly fallen snow. The trees, in the shock of the freeze, have now all dropped their leaves, and stand bare, bracing for the cold winter ahead. Yet, the homes are warm and the Borsch (beet soup) plentiful, so all is well!

The fields and buildings are a beautiful blanket of white after the last snowfall here in Kiev, Ukraine.

Production Update

I believe that the Lord had me "cut my teeth" and start this season of international theatrical ministry of mine 14 years ago in the post Soviet countries to prove to me 1. How powerful He is, and 2. If I can do a production here, I can do one anywhere! I forget sometimes how challenging it can be, and then, after having done shows in other countries, I'm almost shocked how hard it is. The reality is that I've known all along how hard it is. I just forget. Looking back, this is where all those amazing stories come from (Example, two years ago the Ukrainian customs that denied our scenery from entering from Poland, so we had to build a 4 story home in one day... from scratch!; then open the show the next night. The audience applauded when the curtain opened and they saw the set... I cried! I KNEW what a miracle it was that God had done) .

Once again, God came through this time! Against all odds, the music was horrifically behind because of the translator's procrastination, and we could only give the actors scripts ONE WEEK (think about that!) before opening night! All the music had to be created, so for one very intense week... the week of the show, we did nothing but record and redo the music. This should have been done all month... we had no choice but to crowd 4 weeks of work into ONE WEEK.

My dear friends, actors and vocalists have literally had to give up working for one week in order to create the necessary tracks for the production. Here, they are in rehearsal to learn a new song before recording.

God came through, and we opened this past Friday night, and even though there were mistakes, the audience just LOVED the show! On Saturday morning, we had another rehearsal, and we were ready. We had a matinee performance and evening performance on Saturday, and the show was just PERFECT! The actors and crew were right on, and I marvelled at God's ability to bless us with such a beautiful production. And Sunday night's (last night) final performance was simply the best I've seen in any country. All glory to God! Best of all, the crowd responded to the challenge I gave nightly. People came to me afterwards crying, and wanting prayer. I was all too thrilled to pray with many. We had thousands see the show, and all were thrilled, but what blesses me are those that give their hearts to Jesus Christ. So, thank you for all your prayers! We saw God move in a way that only He could've done. And I'm grateful to Hiim for His help. It's by HIS SPIRIT, and not by anything that I can do to make such a production possible.

All Things Work Together for Good

We have a choice daily: to either stress out by forcing our will on people, or relaxing and letting God's will be accomplished. Technically, I'm supposed to go to Croatia in January. However, they want me to come in summer. I wrote Philippines and asked if they would trade dates with Croatia, but Philippines is happy with their date, so I'm making room for Croatia at another time. So, what do I do with myself for the month of January, 2007? (the word "rest" came into my head, but it was quickly chased away by my Type A personality...) I decided to give it to the Lord, and not worry about it. My friend and pastor of the largest church in Sevastopol, Crimea, Yurie Feodorovich, came in with his administrator just to see the production on Saturday night. They were so amazed by the show, that they asked me if I could come........ "when else?" January! I said, "Sure!" They were shocked that I was free! Today, I had lunch with Pastor Henry Madava, who wanted to talk to me after the successful run here. When I told him about Sevastopol, he said, "Well, when you get back, why don't we do it again here?" Wow! I've suddenly got 2 more shows in January! Amazing how the Lord works!

The Power of the Holy Spirit

Imagine that the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to you today in the flesh, and said, "I am going to be physically with you for one month. Anywhere you go, anything you do, anything you need, I'm there." Suddenly, we would have an incredible boldness and courage to do anything, without fear! Why? Jesus is with us!

The problem is that we don't have that advantage. He is with us in spirit, to be sure, but not here with us physically. However, He's done something even greater! He's given us the gift of the Holy Spirit! John 14:16 says, "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter…"

I had a chance to do a national radio interview on a Christian radio station to promote the production. I was surprised to be asked to answer questions from listeners who had problems. I found myself doing quite a bit of counseling!

It's been 2,000 years ago that Jesus said those words, and we've still yet to fully understand and more importantly, receive that great gift. I mean, we know we're born again and walk by faith and are filled with the Holy Spirit, but still we wonder if we pray that He will truly heal us, or help us, or meet that need. Why is that?

The reason is (in my opinion) is that we haven't stopped to appreciate the ministry of the Holy Spirit. From the very beginning, the Holy Spirit has been active, and creative, and hard at work. That's how we first see Him in Genesis 1. Every time you see God's power, you can know that the Holy Spirit is nearby!

Look at such Bible stories like Samson, Elijah, and many others. He isn't just about power, though. He carefully reviews a situation, and works in wisdom and understanding so great that we can't even comprehend it, because He's not just "fixing" the problem, but 1. Making sure that God is glorified, and 2. Making sure every situation is fixed, and 3. Making sure that we grow. Actually, so much more occurs, but for time's sake we'll leave it at those three things.

Isaiah 40:13 says, "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counselor has taught Him?" The kind of mind He has created the universe, and did it in perfection! This same Holy Spirit is the same Holy Spirit who is planning your life! When you "join yourself to the Lord, you become one with Him", according to I Corinthians 6:17.

If you're born again, and have trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit is right beside you, and closer than that, He's IN you, to guide you, equip you, teach you and to comfort you. You can run to Him in time of trouble. He will always help you. Please be aware that I'm not ignoring our Lord Jesus Christ. Rather, I want to dedicate this message to the Holy Spirit, and to His ministry in you, if you'll simply allow Him to work in you.

One of the former Soviet buildings, the architecture here in Kiev is both stunning and picturesque.

So, instead of saying "God, why don't you help me?" Look at yourself in the mirror and say, "The Holy Spirit is living in me today and ‘Its not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord"! Don't meditate on your problems, but get your Bible out and start learning about all of the promises that the Lord is waiting to help you with, through the Holy Spirit. You'll then be aware of what a great team you and the Holy Spirit really are, and you'll accomplish great things for God's Kingdom!

Do Vedzenia, Ukrainia!

That's "Goodbye, Ukraine" in Ukrainian! I'm sad to be leaving behind a GREAT cast, my wonderful old friends, and many wonderful new friends. I'm grateful to the Lord for bringing Ken and Marjorie Bell to work with me here. The costumes they brought were just incredible, and loved by everyone. Tomorrow morning, I leave for Seoul, Korea, where I will open a brand new show. I'm a little nervous, because even though I've done 7 shows there, this is the first time I've written a new show especially for them, and so I'm wondering if it'll be accepted like the others. Please pray for travelling mercies and that we'll get everything accomplished in Korea that the Lord has planned. God bless you, my friend!

Dear Family & Friends,

Production Update

All Things Work Together for Good

The Power of the Holy Spirit

Do Vedzenia, Ukrainia!