Oct 12, 2023 – An Israel update from Brian Brodersen from the Island of Cyprus

Greetings, friends. Pastor Brian here, and I am standing on the shores of the Mediterranean. Just about 200 miles southeast of where I’m standing is Tel Aviv.

Of course, we are all aware of things that are happening in that region currently. I just wanted to take a few minutes to give you an update from where I am in Cyprus.

We are here for a conference that we do fairly regularly, and it just so happens that we ended up here at this time. It always seems like we end up here at strategic times!

At the moment in Israel, we have a number of students from our Bible college who are happy to evacuate the country. And thankfully we’re here and we’re able to have many of them come and join us here in Cyprus as they make their way back home to the U.S. If you would keep that in prayer, that would be wonderful. I know that their families would appreciate that.

Of course, our hearts go out to many of our personal friends in Israel. Today, we have been in touch with them, and we’re keeping in close contact to monitor the situation to see what we can do to help towards whatever needs arise.

And we’re also, of course, praying for the Palestinian people of Gaza. We actually have friends who have family there. So we’re not disconnected from that as well. I was in touch with one of them this morning, and they definitely asked for prayer. It’s a complicated, horrific situation.

Israel’s decision to eradicate the terrorism of Hamas, I personally think, is the right and obvious decision. And yet, it’s going to be a difficult road.

Many have asked this question, is this a fulfillment of Bible prophecy?

The answer is: no and yes at the same time. No, it’s not a fulfillment of any specific prophecy. However, it is a fulfillment of the larger prophetic scenario that the Bible lays out where Jerusalem would become this burdensome stone to all the nations, and the Lord promises that for all those who would come against Jerusalem, He would rise up in judgment against them.

So, we’re not there at this moment, but that’s where things are headed. Are they headed there in the next few months? It doesn’t seem to me that that’s the case. But that is, generally speaking, the direction that the world is moving in. So in one sense we see the stages continuing to be set for the final acts, which could be years out ahead of us. We don’t really know.

What I think what this does is it moves us to pray. It moves us to realize the seriousness of the situation, and the world that we are living in today. It creates in us an urgency for the Gospel. People need Jesus.

The craziness unfolds around us with the various opinions, with some people actually coming out and publicly supporting the murderous rampage that these terrorists went on!

A lot of things are being revealed right now. And hopefully, as a result of this, there will be people that are turning to Christ. That’s our prayer.

Please continue to pray for us:

Pray for the conference that we’re having because it’s for people from the region. They’re coming to be encouraged. They didn’t know they were going to be coming in the midst of this conflict… but that’s where we’re at. But we’re trusting that the Lord has good things, and people are going to be encouraged to go back to their communities in the Muslim world, for the most part, and in the Jewish world as well, to bring the hope of Christ!

So, thanks for your prayers.

God bless.

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Oct 9, 2023 at 08:19 PST – More Prayer Requests From Friends In Israel

*Editor’s note: submitted by one of our Calvary Chapel pastors. A message from friends in Israel about the current crisis. Names have been withheld to protect those in the field.

Terrorist are still inside some of the towns near Gaza, and the fighting is still going on. As of now (Sunday night), over 700 Israeli citizens—women, children, and soldiers—have been killed and over 2200 wounded.

This is the worst incident ever in Israel. Such brutal and ruthless killing … As a result, Israel has declared war against Hamas. Since last night, Israel has been striking hundreds of strategic targets deep in Gaza and will be preparing for a full assault. It seems like we are far from the end.

And the most disturbing is the kidnaping: a large number (over 100) of soldiers and citizens have been taken into Gaza.

The IDF is calling up all reserves and is preparing for major operation in Gaza.

Please continue to pray for the situation to be resolved quickly, for the men and women who have been taken captive to be released, for the many wounded to recover, and for the families of the deceased.

Five men and women from the Netivah team were called up. The rest of the team are creating opportunities to bless the soldiers on the front line.

We are also working with other ministries to provide necessities and also looking into the possibility of providing shelter, food, and accommodation for residents of the southern towns.

 

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Oct 7, 2023 – Prayer Request From Friends In Israel

*Editor’s note: submitted by one of our Calvary Chapel pastors. A message from friends in Israel about the current crisis. Names have been withheld to protect those in the field.

By now you are probably aware of the difficult situation that we are under at these moments in Israel.

From 6:30 am, we have been under an unusual rocket attack that enabled hundreds of Hamas militants to break through the Gaza border straight into the nearby towns and kibbutzim on a killing spree, killing over 200 civilians and soldiers, wounding over 1500 people, and kidnaping dozens of men women and children, taking them across the border into Gaza as hostages. As of 10:00 pm there is still fighting in fifteen different locations.

This has been described by many as a 9/11 incident, and the IDF is calling up reserves and is preparing for a full scale response which will probably temporarily escalate the situation.

Please pray for the situation to be resolved quickly, for the men and women that have been taken captive to be released, for the many wounded to recover, and for the families of the deceased.

Many of our messianic young men and women have been called up (also reserves) and some are in the heart of the battles.

Please join us as we pray for their safety and that they may be an encouragement and light in times of fear and pain.

Please pray for us at Netivah to know how to encourage and support the men and women serving and also for some of our team that has been called up as well.

 

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Oct 7, 2023

The following is an update from Matt Davis of The Jewish Road, an organization which endeavors to restore the Jewishness of the Gospel through teachings and trips. 

On the 50 year anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Israel’s enemies once again have blindsided and invaded the land. As the joyous Jewish holiday of Sukkot ended last night, and on the morning of another holiday, Simchat Torah, the terrorist organization Hamas began an attack by air and land into peaceful Israeli communities. At the time of this writing, Hamas has launched over 3,000 rockets into Israel. On foot, terrorists have kidnapped and murdered hundreds of Israeli citizens including women, children, and holocaust survivors. Thousands of Israelis are wounded and the death and injury toll will continue to rise in the foreseeable future as Israel engages to protect their Jewish homeland. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu has declared that the State of Israel is at war. What exactly this will bring and how the surrounding hostile nations will react and respond remains to be seen. Pray for Israel. As the church, we are grafted into the spiritual body of Abraham, and when our big brother goes to war, we should too. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for wisdom for Israel’s leaders. Pray that this battle would soon end and for justice for the victims of these heinous hate crimes and their families. Pray for the innocent civilians, Jews and Arabs alike, who are caught in the crossfire of this ancient hatred and modern day battle that rages on. 

Make no mistake, this is not a battle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The following is an update from Jim Stretchberry of AEBM (American European BETHEL Mission) in Haifa, Israel. Bethel is the hostel AEBM owns and operates in Haifa.

As of 0700 October 7, 2023 …

The situation in Israel is dire: 500 wounded, unknown number captured and taken to Gaza, at least 100 known dead. Israel was not ready, and infiltration came from many points. 

Bethel is prepared: bomb shelter is perfect, provisions are being increased and preparations made for whatever we can do. They already have some tourists and refugees staying at the hostel but are committed to use every inch of the facilities as needed.

Prayer Requests:

• PRAYER: For AEBM’s obvious concern: Hezbollah. 
• PRAYER: For additional concerns about some of the radical Muslim villages in the North. The streets of Haifa are deserted at this time.
• PRAYER: For Arabs around the country and especially for our dear partners who are Arab believers. 
• PRAYER: That many would turn to God and realize Jesus as Messiah. 
• PRAYER: For the peace of Jerusalem. Kindly pray and pray.

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We at CGN are excited to share with you details about our ongoing strategic partnership with Western Seminary and how it is making a difference in the lives of our pastors and leaders. Should you desire to deepen your knowledge base, broaden your perspective, and become a more effective servant in your local church context, this graduate-level cohort program may be the opportunity you have been looking for.

Our belief at Calvary Chapel has always been that God does not necessarily call the equipped. Instead, He equips the called. CGN’s partnership with Western Seminary has seen God’s hand in action, equipping many of our pastors and leaders, enabling them to serve Jesus more effectively in their local contexts through a formal seminary education.

This partnership with Western Seminary aligns perfectly with the vision of CGN to equip and resource local churches in our network to fulfill the great commission. Through this partnership, we have created a path for you to gain a graduate-level education from a prestigious institution at a significantly discounted rate, better preparing you to serve the Lord in your local context.

Participants of the program have found themselves growing deeper not only in maturity, knowledge, and wisdom, but also in spiritual transformation—an integral aspect of leadership. The cohort is not about basics; it is about value addition.

One of the strengths of the cohort program is its ability to bring deep theological truths to life through the experiences of seasoned ministry veterans. The challenge is not to simply reinforce existing beliefs, but to stretch one’s thinking, to challenge participants to understand perspectives that differ from their own. The intent is not to dictate what to think but to guide on how to think fairly through the text.

This collaboration with Western Seminary affords those with at least a half decade of full-time ministry the opportunity to complete a graduate degree program as a member of a cohort, specifically a leadership cohort.

If you are interested in expanding your horizon with like-minded individuals in this cohort program at Western Seminary, we here at CGN encourage you to visit our website. There you will find all the information you need about the application process as well as details on the discount.

We are excited to announce the upcoming 2023 CGN International Conference, June 25-28, 2023, at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. The theme of the conference is “The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me,” based on the scriptures in Isaiah 61. If you are looking to deepen your faith, and connect with fellow believers, we hope you will come and be encouraged as we anticipate the Spirit of the Lord coming upon us.We would like to personally invite you, your ministry team, your friends in ministry, and anyone else you think needs encouragement to attend and be strengthened along with us.

Our three full days together will be filled with teaching from leaders around the world, engaging panel discussions, and practical workshops. Not only will you, and your team and friends, receive valuable insights from experienced leaders in the field, but each of you will also have the opportunity to make new connections and rekindle old friendships.Each day will be packed with opportunities to pray, worship, learn, fellowship, and share meals together, creating the perfect environment for reflection and growth.

Whether you are a pastor, elder, usher, worship or youth leader, or involved in administration or children’s ministry, this conference is designed to equip and inspire you.Again, our theme for this year’s conference is “The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me.” As such, we believe that as we spend quality time in God’s presence, we will be empowered to fulfill our calling and impact our communities for His glory. Do not miss out on this incredible opportunity to grow in your faith and ministry. Register now!

Introducing CGN Media!

We’re excited to announce an exciting change: CGN’s “GoodLion Podcast Network” is being re-branded as CGN Media, the new home for podcasts, videos, music (coming soon), and other great content from Calvary Global Network.

Our mission is to produce excellent and inspiring content that encourages and equips our audience to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. We’ve partnered with pastors and leaders throughout our network of churches to create a wide variety of high-quality shows that center on Christ and His Kingdom.

We firmly believe that the best content is not “content for the sake of content,” but rather, quality work created with the intention of enriching the lives of our listeners and providing a platform to share the love and Way of Jesus with the world.

 

Podcasts

We’ve got tons of great podcasts for you to listen to! Check out the “latest episodes” feed on the home page!

Our Theology and Culture category features in-depth discussions on theological concepts and the intersection of faith and culture. We believe that understanding culture and its relationship to faith is critical in helping Christians navigate the complex and ever-changing world we live in, learn how to be cultural missionaries, and grow deeper in their understanding of the Kingdom of God.

Our Ministry and Leadership category is designed to help pastors and church leaders hone their skills and become better equipped to lead their congregations. This category includes shows that focus on practical skill sets like preaching and church planting, as well as shows that provide practical advice and strategies around the vital topics of church leadershipand women in ministry. We even have shows that dive into specific concerns like mental health in ministry.

Our Christian Living category is designed to encourage and empower our audience to live their lives in a way that reflects their faith, and our Education and Questions category is perfect for those seeking answers to the deep questions of theology and apologetics. These shows provide biblical perspectives on current events and address common misconceptions about Christianity. Additionally, they equip believers with the knowledge they need to defend their faith.

 

A Little History

Pre-CGN, the CalvaryChapel.Com team worked together with Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa to produce a variety of video and podcast series, including the Things That Matter podcast. A few years after the formation of CGN, the GoodLion podcast network was built to cultivate more great shows within the network.

CGN Podcast & Content Director, Aaron Salvato, reflects on how it all happened. “The podcast network actually began in 2019 under the name GoodLion. It was a small indie network that I started with Brian Higgins, Mike Neglia, and a few others. Then CGN approached us about teaming up, and it’s been an incredible journey! Since joining CGN and working together, we’ve grown to over 40 shows! It’s been humbling and inspiring to see the fruit of our labor and hear how our shows are making a difference around the world.”

With the move to CGN Media, you can expect nearly all of the same great shows that ran on GoodLion, with room to grow and expand. CGN is proud to collaborate with pastors and leaders throughout our network of churches to create content that inspires and encourages people on the path of discipleship. Our podcast network provides a platform for these leaders to share their wisdom and expertise with a broader audience, making a more significant impact for the Kingdom of God.

A New Platform for a New Season

We’ve decided to lean into our CGN identity and re-brand our podcast and media efforts. As the vast majority of our shows are from CGN leaders who are invested in the vision and mission of the network, it only makes sense to better emphasize the CGN brand.

Our new platform, CGN Media, will continue to feature shows produced by the CGN Ops Team and Executive Team, as well as other pastors and leaders throughout our network of churches. We believe that by streamlining our efforts under the CGN banner, we can create even more focused and impactful content that truly resonates with our audience.

At CGN, we’re dedicated to creating high-quality shows that inspire and encourage spiritual growth, and we hope to build even more outstanding programs that touch people’s hearts and inspire meaningful connections with God.

We believe that this shift will allow us to better serve our audience and community, and we’re excited to see where this new chapter takes us.

What’s Happening with GoodLion?

We’re not discontinuing the GoodLion brand; rather, we’re supporting Aaron and his team in their efforts to refocus it as less of a podcast network and more of a ministry within the CGN family.

“When we first started GoodLion, the goal was to create something that focused on pointing young Christians to the God who is not safe, but good, as C.S. Lewis describes Aslan in the classic Narnia quote,” Aaron says. “The idea was to focus on helping people navigate complex and ‘un-safe’ topics like doubt/deconstruction and help them center on Jesus.

Over time, we saw that vision evolve from a podcast network to a full-blown ministry effort … it became more than just podcasts. It became a way for us to reach young people around the world, help churches through classes and workshops, and even included our most recent effort of establishing a small school of discipleship in Oklahoma to help local churches. We’re incredibly grateful to CGN for all their encouragement and support throughout the history of the podcast network, and we’re excited to see what this next chapter holds.”

 

We’re Excited about the Future

We’re incredibly excited about the future of CGN Media and the impact it’ll have on people’s lives. We believe that our shows provide a unique perspective on Christianity and the world around us, and we’re thrilled to share this perspective with our audience.

Our new website is designed to make it easy for you to find and access our shows. We’ve organized our content into categories to make it easier for you to find the shows that are most relevant to you. We’re also excited to be branching out into video content, and we’re partnering with YouTubers across CGN to produce Christ-centered content for our audience.

If you’re a YouTuber who creates Christ-centered content and want to work with us, please get in touch. We’re always looking for new partners to collaborate with and create exciting new content for our audience.

Helpful Links and More

• The front page of CGN Media is always kept fresh with the latest episodes of our podcasts.
• Browse our podcast shows and categories.
• Our video page contains video content from several video creators within CGN.
• Learn about our content creators and browse their work.
• If you would like to subscribe to all the podcast episodes from CGN Media, you can do so with this RSS feed: https://cgnmedia.org/feed/all

Thank you for your support and encouragement as we seek to make a difference in the world. We believe that the content we produce has the power to inspire and encourage people in their faith journey, and we’re excited to see how it’ll impact the lives of our audience.

Check out our new website, and listen to some of our shows – we think you’ll be glad you did!

The first snowfall is something we look forward to every year. The dark and grey November days are illuminated and become something beautiful and hopeful. This year, however, the first snowfall coincided with the beginning of a 13-hour power outage for us. We are told to expect outages of this sort to continue. This was followed by air raid sirens which marked the beginning of the third day of concentrated missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s power and gas infrastructure. On the first day, nearly 100 missiles were launched across the country.

Beauty and Hope Turning to Chaos and Disorientation

So, this year, snow makes us think of the difficult, cold months ahead. And we have it easy compared to so many others in the country. These past few days have been pretty chaotic and disorienting. I don’t mind being in the dark (literally). Still, when we lost internet and even cell phone service for part of a 4-and-a-half-hour air raid siren (the one where the most missiles were launched), I did sense panic building up inside.

Being in the dark about what is actually happening is no fun. Fears present themselves without any sort of rational filter. Irritation comes with every little thing the kids might do or say that is out of sync with my thoughts. Doubts creep in that I’m not strong enough and won’t even be able to take care of my family through this madness. Aside from the physical threat and the storm inside, it’s been exhausting trying to get anything done.

Plans change and change again. We were planning to move into a new place within the next week, and we’ve had to reschedule several things for this. This morning we were supposed to record live videos of a few of our new songs. Band members were coming in from a couple of hours away – had to postpone. Crazy how dependent we are on electricity and access to the internet.

Asking for God’s Help

I’m not writing this all for you to feel sorry for us. Especially since, as I already mentioned, we know that we have it much better than most. I think part of it is just needing to vent, to express a little bit of what is going on in my heart and head. I ask that you pray for me, for us, and for Ukraine. What is happening is an unconscionable injustice. As representatives of the living God, we are required to walk in justice and mercy, caring for and interceding for the plight of the widow, the orphan, and the oppressed. And how many new widows and orphans are being made every day here.

Seeing God’s Help

The Lord has been gracious to us. Every day we recognize His faithfulness and care in small and big ways. During the outages and the sirens, the Lord has had a way of using His body to minister. I’ve been humbled and calmed by the peace and confidence of so many around me:

• The kids are as excited about the snow as ever. When I got home this evening, our 2-year-old couldn’t wait to tell me about how she built a snowman.
• Steffie has been amazing through all of this. She’s talked me off a ledge several times. We’ve been acting as each other’s therapists.
• Though we canceled the recording, we still did a practice yesterday and even got together to learn a new song this morning. So much joy and so much encouragement from being with these amazing people.
• During part of the long air raid, I was actually getting coffee with Aaron and a young songwriter from another church in town. We talked about some really cool projects we want to work on together. Much of this relates to telling the story of music coming from our region.
• Some guys from the church helped me carry furniture at the new house today…in the dark… It felt good to be getting things done. But more importantly, there’s something about being together with others facing the same challenges and sharing our experiences. What a beautiful thing the body of Christ is.

 

Appreciating God’s Help

Not sure if I know how to conclude this note. We are so thankful for your prayers, support, and concern for us. May the Lord bless each of you where you are. May you find safety, confidence, and endurance as you live out your calling where He has placed you.

Hello Church friends and family. I am writing on behalf of the CGN Ukraine team, letting you know of some very urgent needs! I have just been contacted by some of our missionaries stationed in Ukraine, and they have told me that Russian missile barrages have cut power and water across Ukraine. Outages struck Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as Lviv, Dnipro, Odesa and Kharkiv. Half of Moldova, whose grid is tied to Ukraine’s, also lost power.

My friend Jon Markey, one of our missionaries in Ukraine, texted me this yesterday:

“Hey, man. So things are changing here pretty quick. Right now there is a huge need for getting generators, anything to do with power and internet in to Ukraine. We need to get word out on this right away. It’s surreal and slightly unnerving to sit and feel the temperature drop in your apartment and realize that it is terrorism… that the man responsible for this is intentionally targeting civilians – women, children, the vulnerable and immobile all to bring a country to bow before his pride.

In Ternopil, we are the fortunate ones for now. We only lose power for 12-14 hours at a time. There are many who have already gone days with no heat, water, electricity. This is only the beginning of a long winter ahead and more missiles are being prepared for their targets.”

The CGN Ops team is asking that the churches in our network band together to step into this moment and help.

If you would like to help Ukrainians and our missionaries as they brace for the cold months ahead please visit this link:

Donate to the Ukraine Relief Fund

Please share this post far and wide! If you’re a pastor in our network, please help us get the word out.

And please, most of all, commit yourselves for praying for peace, justice, deliverance, and mercy in this moment.

Lord have mercy.

*100% of All funds are used to help our team of missionaries in Ukraine.

Pastor Zhenya Chekushkin delivers an update about some of the things happening in the Calvary family in Ukraine.

• Trip to Borodyanka, Nizhin, Pryluki, Kyiv.
• Encouragement of the churches.
• Plans for winter and tours with “Room For More.”

To support the efforts of our CGN Missionaries in Ukraine, click here!