MOSCOW, RUSSIA    TRES DIAS    #1


It happened about 24 years ago---
(Now YOU may be thinking - "Here's another OLD story from "OLD Barry")

Well, it is (even OLDER) old Barry --- But I am not the same  -  Because GOD is faithful to
HIS WORD: '..He who has begun a GOOD work in you, will complete it until the DAY of
CHRIST JESUS." (Philippians1:6).

So, in 1994, - by God's Grace - He chose me (among many others)  to go on a short-term
(2 weeks) mission trip to Moscow, Russia.

The main purpose of the trip was to help strengthen the faith of and unity of the body of Christ
in Moscow.

The LORD fulfilled His purpose - through His answers to many prayers - and indeed strengthened
the faith and unity of us all as He brought and our brothers-and-sisters-in-JESUS CHRIST through
first, a men's retreat, then a women's retreat  -  both called by the name "Tres Dias" (3 days with
Jesus Christ).

Again - by GOD'S GRACE - we were covered in prayer 24 hours per day - for the entire 2 weeks
that we were gone!!!

Of course  I cannot relate to you ALL that GOD accomplished there and then, but I CAN give to you HIS WORD, and some highlights from that time:

"Now to HIM WHO, by His power that is at work within us, is able to carry out HIS purpose and do super-abundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] -

"To HIM  be glory in the church and in CHRIST JESUS throughout all generations forever and
ever. Amen". (Ephesians 3:20 -21)/Amplified Bible.

YES!!!!!!! Those 2 verses are certainly worth reading again!!! Go ahead now, and read that again,
please. Thank you!!!!

Some highlights (in no particular order);
1)"So King David went and brought up the ARK OF GOD from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with rejoicing - (the ARK OF GOD  represented the PRESENCE OF GOD).

(verse 14) And David danced before the LORD with all his might...(II Samuel 6:12-14/Amplified
Bible).

The SAME SPIRIT WHO guided and enabled David to rejoice and dance before the LORD --- The
SAME HOLY SPIRIT guided and enabled me to rejoice, sing praises, and dance on Red Square in Moscow - in worship and praise to JESUS CHRIST  -  declaring JESUS CHRIST'S victory over the spirit which empowered the earlier leaders of Communism - which caused MILLIONS of people to be murdered.  (In the area where I was dancing, singing, and rejoicing unto JESUS --- were the TOMBS of some of some of those early Communist leaders).

2) Before we arrived in Moscow, the Christians of DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS would not
KNOWINGLY be in the same BUILDING at the same time.........
BUT GOD had "gone before us" and "prepared the way".....
On the FIRST EVENING of the retreat.....brothers of different denominations were "hugging" each other!!!

3) Before we arrived in Moscow, the people of the city did not know of us.......yet there were complete strangers coming up to us, asking us "Why are you here?"  "May we join you?"

4) We gave Bibles (in English or Russian Language) to people that we encountered on the street -----
A. There was one ELDERLY lady walking through a wooded area on a path --- When we gave to her a Bible in the Russian language --- she got down on her KNEES in the MUD, and on SHARP ROCKS --- and WEPT her "thank you" to us for the BIBLE.

5) Although the Russian ladies were financially very poor --- some of them went out to local stores
and bought gifts for the lady team members.

6) AND after the retreat, some of the Russian  ladies skipped/fasted some meals --- so that they could invite team members to their homes for a meal!!!

AGAIN - "Now to Him who, by His power that is at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose and do super-abundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] -
To HIM be glory in the church and in CHRIST JESUS throughout all generations forever and ever.
AMEN. (Ephesians 3:20-21/Amplified Bible

SGD  Sole Gloria Deo     FOR THE GLORY OF GOD ALONE!!! 

"THE WIND AND WAVES RECOGNIZE, AND MUST OBEY, HIS NAME
STILL (YET)!!!!!!!!!

Several years ago I read a very interesting article in National Geographic Magazine...
As I am sure you know - National Geographic is a Scientific magazine, NOT a Christian
magazine.

The specific article to which I am referring was about the Elements: (Oxygen, Iron, Nitrogen,
Carbon, etc.)  The article further states that... "Oxygen has a cycle of approximately 2,000 years.
Please, now - "Listen" to the following quote:

"Oxygen has a cycle of about 2.000 years --- So we who are alive on earth NOW --- we may be
Breathing some of the  SAME  Oxygen molecules that  JESUS CHRIST  breathed when He
walked on the earth." !!!!!!!!!

BIG TIME WOW!!!!!!!!!  Isn't GOD AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, let's get a little more personal now ---
I (Barry Coker) by the GRACE OF GOD spend a good bit of my time in prayer.  Most of the time
I am interceding (praying for others).   Also, several times per week - I pray about the WEATHER!!!

I pray in JESUS' NAME that GOD'S KINGDOM COME, HIS WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.  I speak to most of the various "elements" of the weather: the Jet streams, the High pressure systems, the Low pressure systems. the winds, the light and the darkness, the temperature, the barometric pressure, the humidity, the precipitation, the earth crust's temperature, the ocean's temperature, etc. -  In JESUS' NAME I COMMAND THE "ELEMENTS TO COME, KINGDOM OF GOD, BE DONE WILL OF GOD... And I pray that "if it can be Father's will, that there be no storm damage in this area" (N.E GA).

"Listen" to JESUS' words now --- (Mark 4:35-41) -
"On that same day (when) evening had come, He (Jesus) said to them, 'Let us go over to the other side [of the lake/the sea of Galilee].

And leaving the crowd, they took Him (Jesus) with them.  As He was...in the boat in which He was sitting).
And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating on the boat,
so that it was already becoming filled.
But HE (HIMSELF) was in the stern (of the boat), asleep on the (leather cushion);  and they awoke Him and said to Him,  'Master, do You not care that we are perishing?'
And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ' Be STILL (muzzled)!  And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating)  and there was [immediately] a great Calm ( a perfect peacefulness).

He said to  them, 'Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)?
And they were filled with Great Awe and feared exceedingly and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?' (Mark 4:35-41/Amplified Bible)

The wind and the waves recognize JESUS' NAME, STILL (yet).
Again - by GOD'S GRACE - There has been no damage to our house.

As I meditated on all of this recently - seeking the LORD about it --- these are some of the thoughts that I had ---
1) When I speak to the storms (wind and waves) ...
A. I may be speaking WITH some of the same Oxygen molecules (H20) that JESUS did...
2) While it is possible that I can speak (WITH, and TO) the same Oxygen molecules that Jesus did ---
3)  What is  CRUCIAL is that I speak by the same SPIRIT (the HOLY SPIRIT) that Jesus did ---
*** "crucial" from the Latin word (crux, cruc) (CROSS).
4) You also can, and should, speak in HIS NAME when you pray, etc.

Just think about it - Meditate on it - when we are Praising HIM - "HIS PRESENCE is enthroned IN our praises" (Psalm 22:3) --- and we are speaking HIS WORD - by HIS SPIRIT, in HIS NAME---
with some of the same Oxygen!!!!!!!!!

 SGD  Sole Deo Gloria  - For the Glory of  GOD ALONE.