A Word from the pastor
Where did summer go?
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The prophet Jeremiah exclaimed: ”The summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jer 8:20b). Contextually this does not speak about spiritual salvation, but rather physical deliverance from Israel’s enemy. However, just for fun, we can note that the summer is over, but we are certainly saved (1 John 5:13). That is the chief reason for us to rejoice, is it not? (Luke 10:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thess 5:16). Besides rejoicing over being possessors of eternal life, we can also be delighted in the upcoming autumn season, which is, in my view, a great season with cooler air and colorful trees.
Personally, I felt that this summer went by quickly, too quickly indeed. I was scheduled to go to several places to speak and minister. Due to travel restrictions and closed borders, only a few of those opportunities materialized. My first summer trip went to Kiljava, Finland. What an awesome time we had, as the Body of Christ was able to meet once again. Pastor Schaller was scheduled to be the keynote speaker, but was prevented from coming at the last minute. Despite that, we had a wonderful time. My second journey went to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. My wife and I went there almost twenty years ago, when P. Gromov was still the pastor. Needless to say, it was a special time to see all the old and new faces. Lord willing, we should be able to be more mobile this autumn than before. I am looking forward to several speaking engagements and conferences, as well as having visitors in Stockholm. This spiritual global mindset is an important part of our life, is it not?
In this newsletter, you can read some more about my visit to Bishkek and God’s work there under “Focus on the Mission Field''. Also, you can get to know P. Ken Davis, who visited us twice this summer. In addition to that, you will be able to read about Jimmy DeYoung, a great Bible prophecy teacher, who died recently. Finally, you can also read my reflections on what is happening in the world today under “Food for Thought”. The title is “Chaos, Collapse and Control in Relationship to the Reserved Remnant”. The Western mind has been ground down by ungodly philosophies and ideologies, especially in this last generation. Unfortunately, much of the world’s mindset is prevalent in parts of the Body of Christ today. Since I have read the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, I can assure you that there is great hope. Psst… God wins 😊. Have a blessed autumn!
In Christ,
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P. Mikael Toll
Contact: stockholm@ggwo.se
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Focus on the mission field & prayer
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Many people have no idea where Kyrgyzstan is located. Even Central Asia is sometimes not a familiar concept to many. Well, perhaps a geopolitical crash course can, at least partially, remedy that ignorance. Kyrgyzstan is a small mountainous country, bordering Kazakhstan in the north, China in the east and south, Tajikistan in the south and Uzbekistan in the west. The population is around 6.5 million and ethnically diverse. The capital is called Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan is the home of some of the highest mountains in the world. The highest peaks are over 7000 metres. Consequently, scenic places are commonplace in this beautiful nation.
Until 1991 was Kyrgyzstan a part of the Soviet Union but has since been a sovereign independent state. The Kyrgyz people can best be described as a “crossbreed” between Mongolians and Turks. The language is also related to Turkish, although most people also master Russian, a legacy from the Soviet epoch. Having lived under communism and thus atheism for about seventy years, most of the people today have returned to traditional Islam. However, a sizable minority of nominal Christians can also be found in the country. Evangelical Christians constitute a very small minority, less than 1%.
The church was started by P. Vladislav Gromov around twenty years ago. At one point, there was a significant international team there. Today, the church is mainly made up of local Kyrgyz people. P. Emil Osmon,, who is a medical doctor by profession, is the head pastor and leads the church together with some faithful men, his elders. The Osmon family is wonderful and served me exemplary while I was there. P. Emil recently became the president of United Theological Seminary. This is the place where most protestant and evangelical Christians send their people to be trained for ministry and leadership. Please, pray for the Osmon family, the local assembly in Bishkek, the country of Kyrgyzstan, Adil, the oldest son, who is now studying in Baltimore, and P. Emil’s vision to serve the country’s Christians through his leadership at the school.
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As always, you can pray for the missionaries worldwide. You can find the GGWO Prayer Calendar for the month of September below.
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Get to know Pastor Ken Davis
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Pastor Ken and I go back a long way (or “go way back” for the Americans). We met at a Greater Grace conference in the 80s.
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Since then, our “ministry paths” have crossed in multiple places over the years, such as Malmö, Kaliningrad, Tacoma, Baltimore and Helsinki, just to mention a few. Most of all, I remember him from our time in Stockholm, where he faithfully served with me for over a period of about six years (1998-2004). After having ministered in Baltimore, Central America as well as Pennsylvania, P. Ken and his wife, Kiti, recently returned to Helsinki, Finland, where they are active in the local church. He has two grown-up children, Kenny and Julia, residing in the Stockholm region and a third one, Sarah, is currently living in the deep American south. Since the Baltic Sea is much easier to cross than the Atlantic Ocean, P. Ken has blessed us with his presence twice this summer. The second time, he filled in for me a few Sundays when I was travelling. P. Ken, your life, humour and ministry have blessed the Body of Christ in Stockholm tremendously over the years. The last time was no exception! Thank you for coming!
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In Memory of
Jimmy DeYoung
A great man of God, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has passed into eternity at 81.
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Dr. DeYoung’s life of ministry was multifaceted, to say the least. He was an evangelist with the Word of Life in Schroon Lake, New York, a politician, a longtime journalist in Israel, a church planter, a pastor, a tour guide, a Bible teacher, an author and a radio host for his own program, Prophecy Today. It was through his radio ministry I got to know him. Several people in our church in Stockholm enjoyed his weekly radio ministry. Also, it was through Dr. DeYoung that we met Dave James and ABI as well as Ken Timmerman, who have both visited our church and blessed us with their lives and ministries. Although I occasionally stayed in touch with Dr. DeYoung through email, I only met him once. It was in Shreveport, Louisiana, several years ago. There, I also got to know his family, his wife, Judy, and their four children. The whole family served as a team as they ministered worldwide. He will be missed by many. The radio program will be continued by his oldest son, Jimmy Jr. Let us pray for him and the rest of the family during this time of transition. You can read more about Dr. DeYoung’s life and ministry here.
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Are you puzzled and perplexed about what is happening in the world today? Are the foolish decisions made by the world’s governments and leading institutions made in ignorance or is there a conscious agenda behind them?
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If we believe the Scripture, the latter is true. However, the same Scripture tells us there is great hope for God’s people. Despite the current development, we, as Christians, are on the winning side. Read Dr. Mikael’s thoughts on this in the article “Chaos, Collapse and Control in Relationship to the Reserved Remnant”.
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Although we are repeatedly told that the world will soon be “normal” again, the reality is that we still experience limitations when it comes to travelling and border crossing, etc. However, where there is a will there is a way. If we, on top of that, invite God into the picture, not even the sky is the limit. I can personally testify to that. I have been to several countries during the “pandemic”. Therefore, please, consider some of the activities this autumn. The below list is far from exhaustive. There are plenty of other things going on in our ministry. For more information, please, visit GGWO Events.
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September 17–21 RuskaCon (Autumn Conference in Finnish Lapland). P. Matti Sirviö and others
September 24-26 Autumn Conference in Turku, Finland. Theme: the Doctrine of Soteriology. Dr. Mikael Toll
October 1-2 Women’s Seminar in Helsinki, Finland (only online)
November 19-21 Intensified Bible School Module in Helsinki, Finland “the Doctrine of Soteriology from a Historical Perspective in the Nordic Countries and Beyond”. Dr. Mikael Toll, Jarmo Salonen and others.
January 3-6 MosCon (Conference in Moscow, Russia)
OBS! In order to register for the conference in Lapland, please, contact either P.Matti Sirviö pmsirvio@yahoo.com or Mission Team Arto arto@niukkanen.net.
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Sermons on Youtube and Facebook
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Please contact stockholm@ggwo.se for more information about meetings.
We try to publish a sermon in Swedish and English on Youtube and Facebook every Sunday around 10:30 AM. Our Youtubeaccount.
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