Faithful Men Ministries - Jack's Blog

Be Ye Transformed.............

Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed..........." Transformation was the theme of the Fourth  Annual Men's Conference held in Dallas/Ft Worth Texas this weekend. The first, Faithful Man Award went to Robert Kalatschan of Giving It Back To The Kids Ministry, from southern California. Robert and Dorothea Kalatschan are founders of this ministry that is changing the lives and futures of young children and adults in Vietnam. The one thing that tugged on Roberts heart the most was handicapped children. As he was adopting his second child from Vietnam he could not get the image of these other children who were laying in hospitals waiting to die because they couldn't get the heart surgeries they needed to live. So he began to raise money and take doctors into Vietnam to perform orthopedic surgeries for various deformities including  club feet that were growing backwards and many other surgeries for cleft palates. Over 200 heart surgeries have been performed and now thousands of wheel chairs have been distributed through this ministry. And with the recent typhoon they are preparing to go back in with aid to rebuild homes that were destroyed. Robert is truly a modern day hero in my books. When I first met him in 1984 in Newport Beach California at an Ed Cole men's meeting, Robert had just gotten out of prison and was dealing drugs to support his drug habit.  With his pizza business in jeopordy he cried out to God and God met him and began to transform his life through the word of God. Twenty years later the process of transformation is still taking place and people are seeing and experiencing God's love through this man and his wife. One man can make a difference! 
 

Oh yes, seven more men Commissioned with a ministry Majoring in Men. More to come about that and the rest of the conference!

Thanks for stopping by,
Jack

It started as a dream in a young boys heart......

         I sat in Mart and Alta Vahi's home with Janno Peensalu and Mart began to tell of when he and his mother and sister were fleeing the country from the invasion of communism by the Soviet Union of Russia into Estonia. He felt in his heart one day God would bring him back to Estonia. They ended up on a boat in Finland that was attacked by mortar rounds and there they were in the water grasping for his little sister, but couldnt hold on. She was gone. They escaped and ended up in Canada.
    As Mart grew up he was determined to return to his grandfather who decided to stay in Estonia to hold onto their land that had been in the family for hundreds of years.
   When Mart tried to return it was with bibles and he was exiled from his country for good. He kept praying to God and holding on to his dream.

    Then communism fell in the early 90's and he returned for good. Every since then Mart has devoted his life to the Village of Hope. A placefor men that have lost hope. Men who were addicted to drugs or alcohol and given no hope in their country of ever recovering or being a contributing citizen to society. We stood here as the first foundation was built.

   But Mart had a dream and could see men being restored by the word of God. He saw log cabins being built by these men with the help of others along his path of life that he had shared his dream.

    I had the opportunity to stand on the cornerstone of the property and pray with Mart three years ago.

   Then they found a Russian dump truck for $2500US. God provided the money.

   He and his son Andrew began to haul rock and crush it to build a road back to this grove of trees to begin his first log cabin for men to live.

   Then they realized if they could build a lumber mill and buy the equipment, they could cut the logs and even generate income from the excess. So they began to dig the foundation for a lumber mill believing one day it would be a reality. These are the piers they poured before winter set in three years ago. You can see the rock in the background they hauled in their newly acquired old Russian dump truck.

   It wasn't long before they began to receive applications from men to enroll in their program, studying the word of God and working daily on the Village of Hope.

   Three years later, 2006, I'm back again at Village of Hope outside of Tallinn, Estonia and marveling at what God has done through this father and son. It was excellent and glorifying to God.

   Each man has to pay to live there and register for the program, its around 10,000 Estonian Kroon's, which is equivalent to $800US.

   These are actually three story or levels, one is under ground, then the main floor and a smaller area above for studying and classes.

   Each log cabin was built to house six to eight men, but currently there are ten men in each cabin. They are trying to get two more built before winter sets in for a total of four log cabins and build a boiler house to supply heat in the floors of all four.

   I had the privilege of meeting  twelve men from Sweden that come each year to apply their skills and work for several days to lay tile, build on or whatever Mart and Andrew need. So they prayed for our ministry as we were preparing to have a meal together then I was going to minister in prison.

   Mart began to thank them from his heart for giving their time, talent and treasure to see men's lives changed through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was such an incredible moment for me because, Taavi was translating from Estonian to English for me and the Swedes were getting the Estonian translated to Swedish. None of us could directly communicate to each other except through a interpreter. But we were all there for one purpose, to glorify God and to help men who had lost their hope. One Lord, one purpose, three languages but we shook hands and hugged as we left knowing we were all grateful to God for His love to motivate us to this common cause.

   Mart said he wanted us to go back to the cornerstone of the property and pray once again. He said when he goes to the cornerstone God does things.
My, my, my, how true that statement is. As we prayed God knit my heart even deeper with Brother Mart Vahi and I wanted us to be a bigger part in the Village of Hope. That is why I am devoting so much space and time to tell you about this.

   We returned to the car to leave for the prison and Taavi, my interpreter turned to Mart Vahi and said, "while we were praying God told me to pay for your boiler." Hallelujah, Jesus is alive! Amazing what God will do with a surrendered heart.

   Here's Taavi and Mart discussing the details of getting the boiler installed.

   Did God have me there just to meet some Swedes and see some log cabins? I don't think that is all God wanted.

   I believe God wanted others to see what He was doing through this faithful man. My goodness, this is a faithful man! Our ministry is called Faithful Men Ministries, but I have never seen the faithfulness as this man has for over fifty years. He held on to a dream and was faithful. Faithfulness is the cornerstone of character.

   I believe God is speaking to your heart as well as mine. To not only go back next year(which we are, Sept 14-23, 2007) but to do something now to be a bigger part of Village of Hope.

   I pray each of you reading this will not only begin to pray for Mart and Alta Vahi and Andrew their son, but will want to give towards the Village of Hope. Maybe you want to give 10,000 Kroon's($800US) for one man to go through the program. I'm believing God for us to be able to give $10,000US to Village of Hope before we go back in '07. I sowed a seed as I left. I know God is faithful and will multiply it.

   Will you sow something today also? Call us , toll free, 1-877-399-1047 .

   It's great to be a part of something bigger than us.
  Jesus said, "you visited me when I was in prison."  Here's the prison chaplain, Janno and myself as we entered the prison.

Come, Go in His name. I need you beside me.

In His service,

Jack

God's plan for your life doesn't change when circumstances do...

August 22, 2003 God had me deliver a message on forgiveness and God's grace to this church in  Klaipeda, Lithuania. Little did they realize of the timeliness of the message and how soon they would have to forgive their pastor for adultery.  The devastation the enemy wants to bring to the church and God's children is always the same when there is a war. In this particular church and more so in the family that was attacked God's grace would become the greatest strength in their life.
       It's a tragic story I am about to tell you but not uncommon around the world everyday. I told you in the previous blog about a pastor who woke up his wife one night and said "I'm leaving you, the kids, the church. I have another woman. I am going to start my life over." Twenty five years, four incredible children, a faithful wife and he said he just wanted to live.

Here's the word God gave me for them. Malachi 3:17 "then they that feared the Lord, spoke often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name. 17. And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts and in that day when i make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."

In times of devastation and torment and tragedy it's difficult to say the right things. But in spite of that, God's plans don't change when circumstances around us change.

We know from Jeremiah 1:4,5 and Psalms 139:16 that God knew us before we were formed in our mothers womb. We had substance before we had form. The enemy might be able to touch our form but he has no access to our substance. We might have temporary setbacks but the plan God has is good and not bad and it is the same plan He wrote when He saw us and all the days of our life were written in a book, according to Psalm 139:16, Amplified version.

We need the Holy Spirit, just as acts 1:8 says, "you shall receive power, after which the Holy Ghost has come upon you." When we feel so powerless sometimes, the Holy Spirit can energize our spirits and quicken our mortal body, Romans 8:11

I closed the meeting with Ezekiel 22:30, "And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none."

I asked the men if there was one that was willing to make up a hedge around this church, around these people, this woman of God and her children and the rest of the women and children. The men began to rise from their seats, one by one and form a hedge around the congregation, until all the men, 13 and up were surrounding them.

What a sight, what a image to never forget, what a vision in their minds, to see the hedge men were to provide for the women and children. I said the bible says " my people perish for lack of vision."

Don't lose or forget this vision of the men forming a hedge and protecting and fulfilling the vision God has given this church.

Pastor Nijole was there in the beginning when God gave them the vision, she still see's the vision. God has not changed, people change, circumstances change, God is the same, yesterday , today and forever.

The men who are the leaders in the church and the community met with Pastor Nijole and I and prayed to continue what God had spoken from the beginning of time for this church, these peoples and this nation. Praise God for faithful men and women.

They will be starting the Majoring in Men curriculum soon in Klaipeda, Lithuania. They declared "I am my brothers keeper."

It was a glorious end to two wonderful weeks of ministry across the Baltic nations. But as I left the meeting, God reminded me of the children who are still trying to cope and understand how a father could up and leave them. So I called the sons and daughter together and shared of God's love, faithfulness and plan for them to continue to love Jesus. And at that moment i realized if for nothing else, God sent me 7.000 miles to give 3 wonderful kids a fathers hug, something they so desired from their earthly father.They seemed to not want to let go, that was good because their Father in heaven will not let go of them.  Thank you Father for allowing me to be a small part of your love and plan for them and hug three of your prescious children.

I will do it again God.

Thank you all who read and support the ministry God has raised up to take to the world.

I have one more blog to write about the Baltics and tell you something that gripped my heart.

A man that fled Estonia as a boy and lost his little sister because of men who were trying to kill them.

Get ready to see what this man in the picture is going to do to fulfill the will of God for men in Estonia.

 

I fly to Albany, NY Thursday to minister at a Men's Southern Baptist conference, then on to Flagstaff AZ on Sunday, to commission some more men to fulfill "The Great Commission."

Please continue praying for the ministry.

There's nothing like this. Praise the Lord.

Thanks for all you do to help us further the cause of Christ in men's lives around the world,

Jack

Islam faith soon to dominate Jerusalem & Bethlehem??????

Pastor Ulf Eckman of Word of Life Ministries in Upsala, Sweden had flown from Israel to Riga, Latvia after living there for three out of the last four years. It shocked me when he said "at the current rate of growth Islam will outnumber Christianity in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. He had just been there for a conference of major church's and ministry's from around the world.
His challenge to the church was to stand with Israel with more faith, more love and more prayer. There was so much more to the message but I left with a deep impression in my heart to pray more for Israel and realize we must continue taking the Gospel at a more aggressive rate to the world.
      Islam is the second largest world religion.. and growing.
According to the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) of 2001, estimates of the total number of Muslims range from 0.7 to 1.2 billion worldwide and 1.1 to 7 million in the U.S.  About 21% of all people on earth follow Islam. The religion is currently in a period of rapid growth.  Christianity is currently the largest religion in the world. It is followed by about 33% of all people -- a percentage that has remained stable for decades.  If current trends continue, Islam will become the most popular world religion sometime in the mid-21^st century.

At this point in the message Pastor Eckman called Pastors Vilnis and Liga Gleske of Prieka Vests(Good News) church forward and began to speak a  word over them about the impact they would have in Europe. That really witnessed with my spirit.
This pastor and his congregation have such a spirit of excellence to serve God, I have not seen in many churches. It made me feel like I was at my home church in Tulsa, Victory Christian Center, which is where Betty and I first heard Pastor Ulf Eckman in the early 80's.
     Some of you reading this may remember Kong and Sun Hee from Singapore. Pastor Eckman has been ministering there also and I believe he left yesterday after the service for that long ,long flight. Pray for them and their safety as they faithfully carry the gospel around the earth.

    We had a short lunch break then continued with the final session of the Celebration conference.  It  was another one of those moments where you know God is taking you somewhere but you're not quite sure where. As I began to review what the message was the night before I flet led to read the 23rd Psalm.
     What an assurance David had when the Lord was his shepherd. In the face of any circumstances  he would  not lack or want of what God had planned for his life. Regardless of what he faced, his declaration that the Lord was his shepherd assured him of God's protection and provision. We all must realize that when the Lord is our shepherd, goodness and mercy follows us all the days of our lives. Therefore, what we follow determines what follows us. If we are following anger or worry, guess what follows you? But in the midst of challenges and obstacles that wants to push us into worrying and being upset we can make the same declaration David made. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want or lack what God's word assures me. It seems in life we may not be able determine what encounters us but we can determine what follows us.

(This picture is the wife of a pastor that woke her up one night and said I'm leaving you, the kids, the church. I have another woman. Twenty five years, four incredible children, a faithful wife and he said he just wanted to live. So he was willing to let his marriage die, his relationship with his children die, his church die, so he could live, rather than him die so his marriage, family and church could live. I told the congregation to pray because thats where we were going after the service. To Klaipeda, Lithuania to deliver healing and wholeness to a broken family and church.)
    I wish I had known or been taught all this before my father was murdered. Anger, hate and revenge was my lord. Guess what followed me? Exactly, hurt, heartache and a desire to murder the man that murdered my father.
Oh what a glory it would have been and easier path to walk if I had declared the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, I shall not lack the very thing Jesus Christ provided me on the cross. A place I could exchange my hate and anger for his love. The cross is the place of exchange. He exchanged his righteousness for our unrighteousness. The cross is where we exchange sorrow for joy, disease for healing, rejection for  acceptance, unforgiveness for mercy and repentance for faith. The cross is where Satan was trying to keep Christ from going, but Jesus knew, no cross , no crown, no cross , no glory.                 Thank God for the cross and Christs love for us to go to the cross instead of us.

The end of the celebration was with the declaration of God's provision at the cross and when we make the Lord  our shepherd we SHALL NOT WANT!

Now, on to Lithuania!

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read what God is doing through the ministry because of your prayers and support.

See you tomorrow, bless you,

Jack

WOW, WOW, WOW......LATVIA!

	The original invitation that brought me back to the Baltic nations was from Pastor Vilnis Gleske, Senior pastor of Prieka Vests(Good News) church in Riga, Latvia.  Three years ago God allowed me to come to Baltic nations for the first time and He poured out His Spirit on hundreds of people.
Forgiveness releases, Unforgiveness binds. that was the message that night. It was August 21, 2003. Their Independence Day is August 20.   Set free from communism. The entire country celebrated with fireworks. But this night, there was a freedom they had never experienced until they met met Jesus and received His cleansing power by the Holy Spirit. We shared with them about the freedom Christ gave us two thousand years ago that they could receive right now.
	One man had a particularly difficult time saying, forgive me and forgiving his father. I went over to the edge of the platform, reached down,took his hand in mine and said, "this is what Christ said as He hung on the cross for our sins, I'm sorry for the hurts and pain and heartache thats been caused in your heart, will you forgive me?" And then the man was able to ask God's forgiveness and forgive his own father.
As they celebrated the faithfulness of God, I marveled at the abundance of talents and giftings as different ones sang. The video production and flags, it was all a glory to God. In this picture you see the country of Riga on the screen, the Latvian flag and the placards they are carrying says the north, south, east , west. What a joy to celebrate with our brothers and sisters in Christ the (Good News)Prieka Vests.

I realized they were living life more abundantly that Christ promised in John 10:10. It is mind boggling and very humbling that God would allow me to be a part of this in others lives. I began to pray as we opened the evening service and the fear of the Lord began to engulf the entire congregation.
The declaration of the plans from God for each of our lives according to His word as we read Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed thee in thy womb, I knew thee, I sanctified thee(made,dedicated,proclaimed wholly) and ordained thee(gave, appointed, charged,placed) a prophet(inspired man) unto the nations(peoples, masses). The same word God had given Jeremiah, He gave to Zimbabwe this summer and now was giving to Latvia believers. Psalms 139:15(amplified) says
, "Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days(of my life) were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them." WOW, before I was formed in my mothers womb, I had substance. And God does have a plan for our lives.
I remembered what Pastor David Frech had declared in Zimbabwe. The enemy might be able to attack your form, but he can't touch your substance, the plan, God has for our lives. We celebrated that truth with an altar call. The harvest was white and plentiful.  Many were added to the family of God. To God be the glory.

	This is what I remembered as I read the invitation. I was humbled that God would allow me to come back and be a part of His work in Latvia. It was going to be their sixteenth anniversary celebration and they had invited Pastor Ulf Eckman, from Upsala, Sweden. WOW, I thought as
I realized what an impact this man and his ministry has had all across Europe and around the world. I gladly accepted with incredible expectancy of what God would do this time.
	We closed with a word of being one in Christ Jesus. Of the necessity that we are our "brothers keeper." we must join hands and hearts with one another as we draw closer day by day to the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Up next was Pastor Ulf Eckman, it was an honor to meet him again and listen to the word God put in his heart. I will tell you about it tomorrow.
(left to right) Pastor Vilnis Gleske, Pastor and Mrs. Ulf Eckman, yours truly)
God bless you as we further the cause of Christ in men's lives, Jack and ministry staff of FMM

God is not done in Estonia.......

When I see these precious children it reminds me of my children and grandchildren. We must never forget that we have to leave them a heritage of faith in Christ that they absolutely must see God's faithfulness and calling on our lives so they can pass it on. This is Lisa, the youngest daughter of Tarmos and Anu, who were my hosts all day Wednesday. God bless them!

                          For that day it was like God was reminding me of my responsibility to
my children and grandchildren through Lisa, Linda, Lora and Carl. Can I tell you it's wonderful to watch children no matter their nationality. Look at this picture of a brother that loves his sister. Boys are boys! (click on the picture to enlarge it)

I always brought my children something from just about every country I visited. Since Betty and I now have 6 and soon to be 7 grandchildren I was recently reminded by one of my daughters that it seemed as if I missed my grand kids more than my kids. I thought and said, "well, they do still come running to me when I've been gone awhile" and she said, "well you bring them things" and i said " if I bring you things will you come running to me? she said no, but you can bring me things."  Funny , yet profound.
I believe they would run to me just as they do their mother and father not because they want things but because of who they are, momma and daddy or Mana and Papa.  Hmmmmm, I think God may be the same way when we come running to him just because of who He is and whose we are.

So I should show you our grandchildren that still do come running to us. Aren't they all angels?

You should know when i ask you to pray for us, here is a picture of us, all 16, uhhh, I mean 17, Kara and Scott are due in November.

Yes I've been gone only a week and I'm ready to come home, but God is not done.

On to LATVIA!

We have just finished ministering the message God put in my heart for the people tonight. This was the first all Russian church I had ministered. In the prisons there were both Estonians and Russians so it required two interpreters but last night it was all Russian believers so was easier working with one translator. But God's spirit was moving in all our hearts. It's interesting to me when I can sense God's presence and God speaking things I have not heard. Sometimes God has me speak a message, especially on forgiveness and I question whether I should keep sharing the same scriptures and teaching on the power of forgiveness. But last night , God was giving me revelation in a new way that had not come out of my mouth before.
There were so many with tears running down their face I was reminded of Psalm 56:8, " You number and record my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?" While I was in Zimbabwe this summer, Pastor David Frech, from Kansas City was ministering on the book of tears, one of the "books" that will be opened from Revelation 20:12. Just as God knows every thought, word and deed, he knows our sorrow and pain and tears. In the old testatment there would be one who would collect the tears in a bottle as a reminder that God knows,heals and comforts in times of heartache and sorrow. There are so many bad memories here in the Baltic nations of the harsh and horrible times under communistic and German rule. But God was there through it all and this day is reminding them there is a Canaan land life for them. A Canaan land marriage, a Canaan land job and a Caanan land ministry for each and every one. Once again we declared the plans God has for us, they are good and not bad. He wants us to have life and have it more ABUNDANTLY!
That's good news, it's all because of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Interesting that the church I am heading to now is "Prieka Vests" thats "Good News" church.
     I want to thank all who support our ministry in prayers and finances. It's your prayers God is answering and your support He is multiplying to provide every need is met. He is Jehovah Jireh, El Shaddai the God who provides more than enough.

The 3 flags are Israel, Russian and United States of America, one church, one people, one God!

God is opening the door for us to return to the Baltics September 14-23, 2007. Come, follow Him!

When he gathered His disciples He said,"come follow me." Before Christ ascended to heaven, His final words were, "Go..................." We know it as the Great Commission.

It's the Word that does the work. We have a word for men! You have so much word in you that God wants to release.

Then you can blog of the things God is doing in others lives, through you.

I'm asking you the same thing Jesus asked the disciples,"Come." "Go."

I need you to be in these empty seats on either side of me next year,

Thanks for your faithfulness,
Jack

God's faithfulness is amazing....

We are sitting at the port of Virtsu, Estonia to board a barge and cross a short distance of the Baltic Sea to the island of Saaremaa, then a 50 kilometer drive to Orissaare for the meeting tonight.
The mayor of Orissare told the pastor several years ago that he could not have the building in the city that God had showed them they would have. Actually this mayor said "over my dead body", yikes! Two weeks later the mayor died and the city decided to make them a deal they couldn't refuse. PTL

The message of forgiveness that God has allowed us to minister all over the world and especially these Baltic nations still amazes me how God continues to heal broken hearts and set people free.
I have been in two different prisons this week and when I begin to introduce myself  the inmates seemed kind of disinterested. I wasn't sure if they came to the chapel service just to get out of their cells or what. But when I began to share about finding my father murdered and he had been shot through the heart and in the head twice, they began to listen intently. Many of them were serving a life sentence for murder.
I had to admit to them I was so full of hate and anger and revenge that I had murder in my heart also. I just wanted to make sure that someone paid for murdering my dad.

The previous night I shared the testimony of what Jesus Christ will do in a surrendered heart. So many of us are looking to the person who wronged us to say I'm sorry, I was wrong, I repent. Hoping that somehow, someway it will heal or relieve the pain from the wound. This man in the picture needed to hear the forgiving power and grace of God through Jesus Christ. I told him and others that Jesus paid it all. To look any further than the Cross at Calvary is to say it was not enough. When Christ said "it is finished" it was more than enough.
I shared with them that I wanted to make sure someone paid for my father being murdered. The night I asked the man that had my father murdered, to forgive me for wanting him dead, I knew for the first time in my Christian walk, that it was no longer I that was living, but Christ in me.

Someone did pay! He paid for it all, His name is Jesus! There is power and healing in forgiveness.
No more pain, no more heart ache. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.
Today we can all choose to walk in forgiveness or unforgiveness. In Mathew 6 verse 14,15, Jesus said, "if you forgive others, God will forgive you, if you don't forgive others your Father in heaven won't forgive you."
I want forgiveness from my Father in heaven and don't want to risk losing that just because I won't forgive someone else.
You can have the same cleansing power that Jesus promises in 1John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The Holy Spirit will cleanse the hurt from the memory and cleanse your heart form the pain.
These lady's in this picture are receiving healing, you can be too.

Release it now in Jesus name.

Headed to Riga, Latvia in the morning, Keep praying, God is at work.

Thanks for your love for truth.
Jack

Three more days in Estonia........waking up to God's creation outside my window.

It is amazing how 9/11 affected the world. It changed so many families from different countries when the terrorists attacked the United States and the World Trade Twin Towers in New York City. Everyone in the hotel restaurant this morning here in Estonia were watching CNN as it memorialized and recognized the tragic events of five years ago today.
Several who were on a bus tour said they would not fly anymore than they had to because it was not safe anymore. I thought about the 85,000 miles I had flown the last twelve months to take the gospel to the men in 13 different countries and I felt confident in the hands of the Lord. Amazing when you feel you are on a mission, how nothing else fazes you thats affecting others around you negatively. It gives me a deeper resolve to keep doing what we are doing to further the cause of Christ in men's lives around the world. My heart goes out to those affected by this tragedy. Tragedies are taking place every day and every second somewhere in the world. Malicious, vicious, cruel plotting to hurt someone, kill someone, destroy a relationship or take away a loved one.
It reminded me of the night I found my father murdered. Then John 10:10 came to me, "the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I came that you would have life and have it more abundantly." I decided early this morning, that would be what I would minister to the men incarcerated in the Parnu Prison.

This is the picture of the door we entered into the prison, no cameras' were allowed inside. The sign on the door says, "Parnu Vangla(Prison)." There's still an eerie feeling when each set of iron prison doors shut behind you. You’re hoping you will get to go back out those prison doors.
All who are incarcerated here are serving life sentences. Most are in for murder. It was a little more difficult to minister as we had two interpreters, one for Estonians and one for Russians. So I had to be patient and allow the Holy Spirit to maintain the heart and message He wanted to deliver.

First man I met named Albert said "I am in for life for killing two men in a bar fight, thank you for bringing a message on forgiveness." We prayed and thanked God for forgiving us and to give Albert the strength to ask for forgiveness as he would pen a letter to the families of his victims.
Next man (Egbert) said, "I want to kill a prison guard here for the way he treats us, I am here for life so why not? He said, you wanted to kill the man that had your father killed, you understand." I said Jesus understands better than me, He was beaten and flesh stripped from his bones, yet, said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." he was not only asking forgiveness for the Roman soldiers, the two thieves that hung on crosses beside him, but for all mankind, all wrongs, all sin, from the Garden of Eden until he returns. Never in one moment in the history of time was so much being forgiven. I don't believe that Jesus, during his crucifixion, had a desire or a thought of wanting to kill those who He was dying for. I don't understand how, but Jesus does, so I prayed with Egbert for the Holy Spirit, to take the anger, hate and revenge from his heart just like He took it out of my heart."
Even the Chaplain said, "God brought you here so I could hear this message, it was double good for me."
The men shook my hand, hugged me and thanked me as the guards took them back to their cells. Some wanted my address to write me, others wanted me to sign their bibles. It was humbling but I signed them as tears ran down my face, with this, " God Loves you, Romans 8:28, All things work for good to them who love God and are the called according to His purpose." God is not through with you."

By the way, the man in this picture is still free from three years ago of forgiving his father for molesting him and wanting to kill him.

I pray this word today will bring encouragement and hope for all those who read it and lost a loved one five years ago today or any other time in your life.
God is faithful; Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. People may disappoint you or hurt you but our God is the same, yesterday, today and forever!

That's His word for every nation and every people. If He did it for me, He will do it for you!

Keep praying, it's getting better!

Thanks for you love for truth!
Jack

This Blog stuff is cool............. thousands of miles from you

Did I forget to tell you what Estonia was really like?????

Oops, I'm sorry, I thought you knew that Parnu meant Beach City. I will try to do better in convincing you to come on these ministry trips with me.

       I want to thank all those at  FMM headquarters in the Dallas/Ft Worth offices. Ginger and Cheryle, which so many of you know and talk to on the phone that take care of your needs so effeciently. And Ron DeArmond, our Administrator, who moved here from California to be our Administrator, it was Labor day weekend, a year ago, or was it two years, we'll have to ask our wives, they know that stuff.
Congratulations Ron and Deb, Happy FMM anniversary. Welcome to Texas, I think Ron even said, 'Y'all the other day, I don't think Deb ever will.  Thank you Ron for taking the Majoring in Men ministry to India this spring with Farrell Fisher, a faithful man also, minstering over 30 years to our brothers and sisters there.
    Of course thanks to my wife, Betty,  who faithfully prays for me and our ministry every day, especially when I'm traveling and close to 6000 mile saway, seems so far but as she and I were texting tonight she seemed so close. Modern technology is so wonderful when using it for the Kingdom.

  I want to thank my son-in-love, Rodney and Melissa for making this 'blog' possible and also my son Zac for all his work on the website and of course Kara my middle daughter, for all she does to handle our accounting.

  I am in Parnu Estonia with Janno Peensalu. Many of you know and remember him from his first time at Dr Coles Lions Roar conference in 1997, at the Ft Worth Will Rogers auditorium.  Dr Cole introduced him and in the deepest voice, Janno said, "hello, I am Janno Peensalua from Estonia" and we all tried to imitate him from there on but our voices werent deep enough.
   Janno was so gracious again to set up meetings every day and every night in a different city, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wedhesday and Thursday, Whew ! Did I tell you Janno pursues life agreesively and abundantly and everyone around him had better keep up. He's about to starve me with all the fruits and nuts he eats.

      Here's Janno translating the message this morning on God's plan for our lives. It's good and not bad. Jesus came that we could have life and have it more abundantly. The church responded to the gospel and the message that God directs our steps.
They rejoiced knowing that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. They loved hearing that God is faithful to us, even when we are not faithful to him. That God loves us and will never leave us or forsake us.
At the end when we gave an altar call, I noticed a man with his head down. I had met him when I came in the curuch. A young lady that attended the church brought him, she is his neighbor. I could smell alcohol on him, either from that morning already or the night before, if he had even been to bed.
    I asked all those in attendance to raise their hand if they weren't sure they would go to heaven if they died that night, then shared Romans 10:8-10. I asked again if anyone had never confessed with their mouth and believed in theri heart that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, died for their sins and rose from the dead. He kept his head down. I went over to him and asked him if he had a father, he said no. I asked him if I could give him a fathers hug, he said yes and when I hugged him , he wouldnt let go.
He said he just had a little faith and I said as long as its more than a grain of mustard seed, it would work, he smiled and we rejoiced as he confessed Jesus Christ for the first time.

That's him in the white jacket.Rejoice with me as we celebrate the faithfulness of God!

Tomorrow morning we will ministry In Parnu prison and then men's meeting tomorrow night.

Thank you all for making this possible, keep praying, God's not through, Ten more days 6 more cities.

In His service,
                                                   Jack and ministry team at home.