by Peter Ruck | Aug 25, 2015 | Blog
I met Pastor Ovidiu Filimon just before I was about to travel to Moscow. He surprised me when he was working he told me was leading a Romanian Church in Barking, Essex called Beserica Pentecostal Church in Barking.
He invited me to preach when I returned. I took my friend and co worker in Zeal Peter Brown to speak share with me. We both really enjoy a warm welcome from Pastor Ovidiu and his worship team and a guest from Romanian who played the traditional instrument.
My message was focussed on Psalm 23 which led into sharing “the story of the lost sheep” then into the Gospel message which saw people responding, signs and wonders followed as God touch people “Body, Soul and Spirit. (This message can be found as Utube in the ministry section)
by Peter Ruck | Apr 22, 2015 | Blog
Drs Kevin and Leslie McNulty hosted the 15th annual Eurasian Evangelists’ Conference with delegates from regions and nations such as Buryatia, Bulgaria, Estonia, England, Siberia, Krasnodar, Belarus, and many more. As the evangelists who are with us are from all around Eurasia, there are also some from Ukraine, and given the current political climate in the area, this has caused some complications.
We found that getting our visa for this trip was more difficult, as it took several weeks to make sure we presented everything properly, so we employed an agency to do this for us. We spent a day in London completing all the requirements, which included getting biometric fingerprints.
This was the third conference I have attended, and I was in England in 1998 when Dr TL Osborn brought Kevin and Leslie with him to launch this vision to have 100 tents with Evangelists taking the Gospel all over Eurasia and the former Soviet Union. The McNultys worked with TL Osborn for sixteen years, organising his worldwide ministry and this link is so evident when you listen to both of them.
In 1999, I experienced my first Tent Mission with TL Osborn as the main speaker. I have to say, it was an inspiration to listen to him teaching and preaching. Personally, I have been so influenced by his ministry and during that tent mission in England, the first seeds were sown for two tents for Eurasia. And at that time, Kevin and Leslie were commissioned to start the Tent 100 project.
I feel such a part of Tent 100. My friend (or ‘druk’) Yauheni Hurinovich from Belarus encouraged me to come to my first conference in 2011 and it was there that I met up with Kevin and Leslie again. The fellowship and teaching was amazing and I was inspired as I spent time with Kevin, bringing me a new level of confidence. I always knew God had a plan for me, and that I just needed to make the next step. So I began to work with other Evangelists around Eurasia.
The next year I was back again, and I took my friend Tim Grant with me. I knew he would enjoy the teaching and fellowship and it was after this conference that we began travelling together, teaching in mission schools and working together on Tent Missions, linking up with Sofi from Bulgaria and Yauheni and team from Belarus for a Tent Mission in England. The next year we missed because of issues in Moscow. So that’s the background to my involvement in the Tent 100 project…
I have just returned from the latest conference. I have to say that I was blessed, challenged and inspired this week! There was wonderful teaching from Kevin and Leslie – practical in every sense of the word! The words TL Osborn spoke when I first heard him, “You’re the only Jesus some will ever see” were echoed when Kevin began his first session by saying “It’s all about the resurrection life with in you.” The greatest revelation we can have is to walk in His life! Most preaching is on faith: faith is not a problem if we can see Jesus reigning in us.
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that you faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)
Kevin McNulty carried on by asking, “What is ministry all about?” Jesus said, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men to me.” It is Jesus that is within us – we’re in the right soil! Christ in me gives me the voice of victory. God is not concerned about other religions nor should we because we are the ones with His life within.
“Don’t put a crutch on, when you have Christ within you, have everything you need,” Kevin exhorted us. Stand fast, even though the enemy of your soul wants to say that you can’t!
Everyday we were blessed like this, and even now when I am reading and meditating on the notes I took from his teaching, it is challenging and so inspiring.
Dr Leslie McNulty followed her husband, and she came to us with a very topical subject. She is very prophetic in her ministry, is quite a strategist and presents everything from a very biblical base.
When Leslie began her talk, it was about the things we are seeing currently around the world, including power moves by government and terrorist activities. She went straight to the Bible and shared Psalm 75 with us and shared how God has spoken to her through this scripture.
On Tuesday through to Saturday, we began every session with worship – Olga normally led this and various evangelists would lead prayer. Each one of us had a chance to share during the week and encourage the others present. We would start around 9.30am and finish around 9.30pm. It was great to be able to fellowship and share with the evangelists and encourage some of the younger ones who had come as students. Lunch and coffee breaks gave us plenty of opportunities for sharing!
Our students from Krasnodar brought Tim and me people to pray for during the week: four received Jesus, and we prayed for healing for several others.
On the last night when Kevin was preaching on miracles, one of the students responded when Kevin asked if anyone had a testimony. It was not what anyone was expecting as she raised her hand. She had her mobile held up in her hand and she said, “I have a testimony from a lady in Cyprus and two more from people in Russia.”
She was connected to them via Skype: they had heard God’s Word via Skype when Kevin was speaking and we heard their voices testify via the mobile phone. I was amazed as I listened!
It was a full-on schedule for us for twelve days. It began with teaching in a mission school in Krasnodar, and a spontaneous session in Moscow. The Evangelist Conference was such a real blessing and encouragement with wonderful fellowship. I was challenged! It was my birthday in the middle of the conference and I witnessed such genuine love and unity from everyone. I travelled with Tim Grant again and we’re already planning future events in Bulgaria and England. I returned home really stirred up spiritually, but with a rather exhausted body!
by Peter Ruck | Mar 28, 2015 | Blog
We had been invited for a trip into Moscow city centre. In the suburbs, we could see out of the window that snow had fallen and we knew we needed to wrap up warm for the journey ahead.
This time, Tim turned up with a terrible backache. And it was my turn to lay hands on his back and pray for him. Tim was somewhat better after prayer.
We set off walking to the mission centre to meet Helena, our host and guide into Moscow. She was waiting for us at the door and we crossed the road and headed for the bus stop. As he bent forward, Tim said, “My back pain has gone completely! Praise God!”
We boarded a 35-seater mini bus, which was full. We managed to get seats after a couple of stops, and we were packed in like sardines, and despite being full, the driver kept picking up people. I counted another 20 standing in the aisle!
This was the first part of our journey arriving at the Metro station. The stations were wide, and the trains were older than in London but very clean. We noticed that virtually everyone on the train had a mobile phone or a tablet in their hands. We looked up at window to see it that it was etched with ‘FREE WIFI’!
It was quite an adventure moving from train to train through marble walkways and up and down escalators. We would have been totally lost with Helena! We eventually came out of the metro system to get on another bus.
This time the bus was free, as it was the church bus for Rick Renner’s Church. It was jam packed with Christians going to church, which is so encouraging here in the centre of Russia. A little old lady heard us talking and began speaking to us in English. People were listening all around us.
We pulled up at the building and it was amazing. It looked like a five star hotel, inside and out. They had a cloakroom where everyone took off their outdoor clothes just like we would in any hotel!
We made our way into the auditorium – it was like a theatre with a big stage, where singers and musicians were ministering. It was a presentation of excellence with media graphics as well. Everyone was praising God, and people were so friendly! Rick Renner noticed us as foreigners in the audience and sent his interpreter to greet us – we were both surprised that we apparently stuck out!
We really enjoyed his message from 1 Corinthians 13 as he shared on types of love and agape love. We were really grateful that Helena took us to her church and were really blessed by the ministry and encouraged to see how God is using this church in the centre of Moscow.
It was time to board the bus again and to get back onto the Metro. We were going to Red Square for the changing of the guard, and were able to get our tourist photos in amongst the blizzard of snow. It was time to get a hot meal and return home – what a real adventure! W are so grateful to Helena for her kindness!
by Peter Ruck | Mar 24, 2015 | Blog
It’s Saturday morning and we are on flight bound for Moscow from Krasnodar. We are going to be picked up by our friend Kirill at the airport. Tim and I arrived at the domestic terminal and needed to find our way to International arrivals to meet him.
I had two cases and needed to lift them up and downstairs. In the process I wrenched my neck and shoulder and was in absolute agony. Tim had wondered where I was and came back for my cases and me. He and Kirill loaded my bags while I sat in the front in such pain. “Hey you guys, please pray for me!” I said to them. Tim and Kirill both laid hands on me and prayed. The severe pain left me, and by the time I got the mission centre I had no pain at all!
We were both made so welcome and immediately invited to join the mission school students for lunch. Around the table were Olga, Kirill’s wife, with Inna and Vitali. It was a nice time of reunion with our friends. What developed next was a really spontaneous time, as Olga began to share with students about Tim and myself. She invited the students to ask us questions – they were a hungry bunch of mission school students who had lots of questions for Tim and myself!
It was so good to hear their heartbeat and enthusiasm for reaching the lost. We so enjoyed the privilege of sharing with them through a mixture of serious conversation, laughter and fun. We left feeling blessed and encouraged!
They came from different parts of Russia to attend the mission school for a seminar on healing. Like us, they’re staying on for the Tent 100 conference here, which is being led by Kevin and Leslie McNulty.
Our next stop was our guesthouse and we had a rest, as it had been a long tiring day. The next day we have been invited by Helena of Tent 100 to her church (Rick Renner’s Church in Moscow) followed by some sightseeing in Red Square on Sunday – it was going to be a long day!
by Peter Ruck | Mar 23, 2015 | Blog
We had a morning flight from London to Moscow and a connecting evening flight to Krasnodar in Russia. Tim Grant and myself have been invited to serve in a Mission School in Krasnodar for three days by our friend and colleague Evangelist Andre from ‘Tent 100’.
I first met Andre at the Tent 100 conference in 2012, here in Moscow. I couldn’t speak Russian and Andre really looked after me. It was my first time in Russia; my friend (or druk) Yauheni Hurynovich from Belarus had invited me and asked Andre to take care of me as he spoke English – our friendship was soon established. This will be my third conference, and as I enjoyed the first one so much, I invited Tim Grant to join me 2013.
Our network of evangelists have worked together in Bulgaria, Belarus, Macedonia and Russia at tent crusades and mission schools. We were all in Bulgaria last year serving in mission schools in two cities, when Andre invited us to Krasnodar to help him with his first mission school.
Tim shared the sessions with me each evening. We both write and share our own material, and Tim’s way is to give a Biblical approach with his sessions.
My material takes a very basic and practical approach, with the ‘Caring and Sharing’ material to build up confidence on the first two nights. The highlight of these three modules is building up to the ‘Matchstick Testimonies’. Our aim is to “Ignite” these students, so we ask them speak a short testimony whilst a match is burning. It’s a fun time but the idea is to train them to be concise with their personal short story of how God has changed their lives. It always brings some excitement to the course!
On my final night, I delivered two further modules from the “Ignite” program, which were about inspiring the church for mission. The first session was ‘The Fruits of the Spirit’ and how the Holy Spirit can enable us to bring mission into our own personality. The presentation contains inspiring quotes and Biblical teaching for each of the nine Gifts of the Spirit.
My last presentation is always my favourite about being a ‘FATOS’ – a Faithful Available Teachable Obedient Servant. I first heard this message in 2000 from T.L. Osborn and since then, I have developed my own presentation based on these principals.
It always inspires me when I deliver it; it IGNITES me! I am ready to go, following God’s word, as we read in Mark 16:15-20. It is a serious calling to be “the only Jesus that some will ever see”. It was a great time as Tim concluded the final session.
We enjoyed our time in Krasnodar. We left on Saturday morning to fly back to Moscow, and it was wonderful to meet Andre’s family who hosted us and to have quick look around the city one day. It was a blessed time to serve these folk, who are so enthusiastic – we will meet some of them again, when they make a 12 hour drive to come the conference here in Moscow on Tuesday.
