A few days ago, I called my friend Denis Artyushevskiy to congratulate him on organizing a crusade in Beira, Mozambique, where 150,000 people attended on the last night alone. Can I say that again? 
It’s astonishing to me that my friend just organized a crusade for 150,000 people!!
It’s astonishing to me that my friend just organized a crusade for 150,000 people!!It was a partnership crusade with Christ for all Nations USA and Randy Roberts.
I was amazed by the size of the crowd when I saw the video. But more than the size of the crowd, I was amazed by the faithfulness of the Lord
You see, I’ve known Denis since 2014. We went to the same SMBS Slavic Missionary Bible School, and to Tanzania for the first time as a team. Our life didn’t look like anything extraordinary.
Our team lived in a small house. We didn’t have the money to buy a couch (please take a look at the pictures.. as you can see, Denis—in the black t-shirt—and I are sitting on the floor with my coffee next to my Bible… yes some things never change, I still love coffee!
For months, we slept on thin mattresses on the floor and cooked on hot coals outside (it took forever to prepare food). Sometimes our mission looked like painting the walls or sitting with the kids in our living room, feeding them and showing them cartoons… whatever opportunity the Lord gave us to love and serve the locals— we took it!
I remember one week where Denis needed to have surgery on his hand due to an infection, and he ended up doing this in the hallway of a hospital— and HE was the one helping doctors! That week I almost died because of malaria, and a week later Denis needed to rescue us from a local jail (but that’s another story)
I remember that year I prayed so that someone would give me money to buy a return ticket home from Tanzania (4 months was a long time for a first mission trip), and I’m glad for those who did. Denis learned the Swahili language because when the team left, he stayed and he lived with the local people for months, ate the local food and sometimes the locals needed to feed him because he had no opportunity to buy his own food.
You see my friend, there is a story behind every success. Sometimes it’s good to ask a person what he needed to go through in order to be where he is at now. Then maybe people will stop being envious and will think twice about whether they are truly ready to follow Jesus— no matter the cost.
We need to remember Matthew 13:44, which says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” A man sees and sells everything he has — everything he has! — to get that treasure. In other words, all the so-called costs and all the so-called losses — everything — are nothing compared to the gains of having Jesus, the greatest treasure.
To follow Jesus will cost you everything! But He is worthy of it all! Don’t despise small beginnings, but be faithful in all things and do them as unto the Lord.
A few days ago, I went to the city center to see a big CfaN Operation Decapolis billboard in the city of Kabwe, Zambia. What an honor to serve Jesus together with one of the most incredible and anointed evangelists of our time – Daniel Kolenda, and to have the opportunity to preach the Gospel on the same stage ( Evangelist Richard Fullwood and I – are preaching in the same city). What a joy!
Next to the billboard, I saw a huge poster where it said ‘JEHOVAH JIREH, GOD IS OUR PROVIDER.’
I smiled. I paused. I thanked God for the way He led me. It’s only by His Grace I can be here and witness His marvelous works in my life. I remembered the moments where I felt inadequate, when I had no money, when I was in the hospital, when I was lost, when I tried to commit a suicide, when I was broken, when I was doubting and fearful, when Satan tried to destroy my life and I realized that Jehovah JIREH was in the midst. Jehovah JIREH was always there and He led me to this very moment. He is enough. He is always enough!
I’m blessed to run this race with my brother Denis, with Evangelist Daniel Kolenda, with Evangelist Richard and with many other wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ! Let’s give our ALL to the One who is worthy of it all!
If you are in the midst of a crossroads, if you are tired and doubtful, if you don’t know how to face another day and there are no words left in you to articulate the agony that is taking place in the depths of your soul… I want prophetically to proclaim this over you and over your life: LIVE, IN JESUS’ NAME! Jehovah JIREH is enough. May a presentation of the Lord’s eternal grace, hope, love, continual provision, and all-encompassing wisdom fill your life in the mighty name of Jesus!
Jehovah-Jireh is not “The LORD Did Provide,” but “The LORD Will Provide.” Trust Him!
–
Evelina Smane
(Facebook)
