Victory44 International

06/24/2025

We're so blessed to be able to serve international students and refugees in Blacksburg, Virginia. Thank you for your prayers and gifts that make this ministry possible. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

01/28/2025

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12/17/2024

Luke 1:35 (NLT) 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

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11/07/2024

https://everyinternational.com/pawku-the-shell/ - Another amazing testimony from the organization, Every International. An international student in Colorado shares what really matters most in life. Please pray for our Victory44 ministry at Virginia Tech University as we reach out to international students and refugees.

A civil war drove Pawku and her family out of Burma. After years of living in refugee camps, they came to Colorado to start fresh. But their new life was very

10/30/2024

Check out my brother in law's book - https://a.co/d/9Z7Nja6 - Stories of God's power over darkness

10/30/2024

Revelation 12:9 (NLT) This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

It's that time of the year again. And I wanted to share a horror story from the Bible that highlights Jesus' power. When Jesus was traveling with his disciples, they probably met thousands and thousands of people. Some came to hear Jesus' amazing teaching. Others came to get a look at this person people were calling the Messiah. Many came for a miracle. But there's one man that came to meet Jesus that was definitely "not right in the head."

Luke 8:26, 27 says (NLT) So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. 27 As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town.

Luke describes him as homeless and naked. Those two descriptions already describe a person that 99% of us don't want to meet and definitely don't want to get to know. But there's another detail that's even more odd. He lived in a cemetery outside of town. Not a normal home at all. Now we've got a scary story just in time for Halloween!

Luke 8:28-31 (NLT) 28 As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power. 30 Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. 31 The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.

32 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs. So Jesus gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned.

34 When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. 35 People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 36 Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them.

We get even more details about this man. He has an odd name. I've never met anyone that has the name, "Thousands" Also, he has super human strength, yet he's afraid of the power of Jesus. Let that sink in for a few seconds. He could brake chains and shackles, but the demons inside of him knew that Jesus had absolute control and ability to lock them up in the underworld. This encourages me. Even though there are dark forces and dark powers in our world, we can have faith in the One who has power over them. When we're attacked or influenced by demons, we can call to Jesus to save us. Jesus can and will drive demons away when we ask for help. I've seen and experienced this in my life as well as heard story after story of this happening in others. People are set free through the power of Jesus.

Verse 37 always bothers me in this story. Jesus does this amazing miracle and frees this man from his bo***ge, and all the townspeople cared about is their investment, their livestock. They beg Jesus to leave. I guess it shows that some folks don't want the disruptive power of Jesus in their lives. Even if that power is what will save them.

38 The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, 39 “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

And finally, the homeless and naked man experiences a transformation. He's freed from the demons, and asked to follow Jesus. But Jesus has different plans for him. He wants this man to stay there and be a witness, to give his testimony to his family and the community. This changed man listened and obeyed. I bet so many people were blessed through this man's life. The people in that area learned more about the incredible power of the Messiah.

Hopefully, this short devotional, this short story, has encouraged you today. Thank you for your partnership.

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09/17/2024

Acts 28:1-10 Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us.

As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.

Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.

I've always had a fear of snakes. When I was a child, I was playing in our creek at our house and as I waded into a deeper section, a snake dropped from a tree above and landed on my head! It then dropped into the water and slithered away. I only had one reaction, to scream at the top of my lungs. Even though the snake didn't bite me, I was terrified by it. Maybe you've had a similar experience.

The Apostle Paul went through all kinds of challenges including surviving a shipwreck in the previous chapter. Paul was being transported to Rome because he was a Roman citizen and chose to be tried by the Roman Emperor Nero, Caesar, instead of in Jerusalem. I wonder what Paul was thinking when this poisonous snake came out of the fire to bite him. God used this tragedy for His glory by doing a miracle and not allowing the poison to affect this missionary. The people even thought that Paul was a god after this snakebite.

After this event, I'm sure the people of Malta had tremendous respect for Paul. The problem is that they didn't speak Greek. They spoke the Phoenicio-Punic language. Even with the language barrier, Paul got the opportunity to meet the chief island official, Publius. God healed Publius's father as Paul laid hands on him as well as other sick people.

I think that one lesson that can encourage us from this story is that when trouble comes into our lives, we need to look for ways to glorify God. Instead of focusing on the challenge, we look to the One who can overcome the challenge. God is greater than our challenges. As we walk with Him we will experience His power working in our situation.

Another insight I see in this story is in verse 2. Evidently, God had been preparing the people at Malta. They responded to these new strangers shipwrecked on their island with kindness. And they were definitely blessed for this. The Holy Spirit had been working on the people and God brought an evangelist to them through a shipwreck. God had a heart for these islanders and blessed them in such a unique way.

My wife Michelle and I meet people from all over the world in unique ways as well. Maybe not shipwrecks, but sometimes while shopping at Walmart or Kroger, sometimes through a fun trip exploring another city, and sometimes through a referral from another friend. Through these divine appointments God ministers to international students in Blacksburg. And the love of Christ is shown to new friends.

Prayer Needs: Friday Night Lights, our Friday night meal and Bible study, gives us the opportunity to share the love of Christ every week. We are using a video series called Christianity Explored by Rico Tise, and reading stories about Jesus in the book of Mark. Please pray that the internationals that attend will be blessed through this group.

08/19/2024

Junior year coming up. From the website - Our Mission - “Palm Beach Atlantic University equips students to grow in wisdom, lead with conviction, and serve God boldly.”

We’re so grateful for this Christlike university shining Jesus to the world. Hannah is working on a double major in Psychology and Exercise Science.

07/05/2024

Happy 4th of July!

04/10/2024

”“แต่ความสุขมีแก่ผู้ที่ไว้วางใจในองค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ผู้ที่มีความเชื่อมั่นในพระองค์ เขาจะเป็นเหมือนต้นไม้ที่ปลูกไว้ริมน้ำ ซึ่งหยั่งรากลงไปริมธารน้ำ มันไม่กลัวความร้อนที่มาถึง ใบของมันเขียวขจีอยู่เสมอ มันไม่วิตกในปีที่แห้งแล้ง และไม่หยุดออกผล”“
‭‭เยเรมีย์‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭TNCV‬‬

But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT

“แต่ความสุขมีแก่ผู้ที่ไว้วางใจในองค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ผู้ที่มีความเชื่อมั่นในพระองค์ เขาจะเป็นเหมือนต้นไ....