Iulian's Testimony 26 04 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Fireplace in the Snowstorm

The young man stood shivering at Paris’s Gare de l’Est, his breath visible in the cold air. Three desperate prayers rose from his lips: warmth, food, and a familiar voice. Hours later, he stood before a crackling fireplace, a feast-laden table, and Romanian strangers speaking his language. God answered all three requests in one unexpected shelter. [27:11]

Jesus specializes in meeting specific needs. He didn’t send abstract comfort but tangible provision—fire for cold bones, bread for hunger, mother-tongue for loneliness. The God who counts hairs also counts the desires He planted in you.

When needs overwhelm, name them plainly. Jesus hears detailed cries, not just vague sighs. What three specific requests are you withholding from Him today?

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
(James 5:13-14, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus for one concrete need today—name its shape, smell, and sound.
Challenge: Write three specific requests on paper. Place it where you’ll see it hourly.

Day 2: Oil Wells and Empty Hands

Vasile Septurano lost everything—restaurant, oil fields, home—when communists seized his property. The man who once drilled black gold from the earth now drilled prayers from a broken heart. Exiled and penniless, he discovered true wealth isn’t measured in barrels but in bending knees. [20:32]

God often strips secondary treasures to give primary ones. Vasile’s loss became his descendants’ gain—a grandson who’d later anoint others with oil, not extract it from wells. Jesus trades earthly security for eternal inheritance.

What possession, position, or plan are you clutching that God might be asking you to release? Identify one grip to loosen this week.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
(Matthew 6:19-20, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one earthly treasure you’ve valued above Christ’s presence.
Challenge: Give away one physical item today that symbolizes self-reliance.

Day 3: Neckbones and New Creation

The evangelist’s voice cut through the congregation: “Someone here has damaged vertebrae.” Pain shot through the pastor’s neck as he stood—a remnant of caving accidents. Hands laid on him, heat spread through crippled joints. Healing came not instantly but persistently, like dawn breaking over Carpathian peaks. [39:04]

Jesus heals progressively as well as suddenly. Whether in one flash or over years, His power works deeper than symptoms—mending not just bodies but broken trust. The Savior who formed spines from dust still reshapes stories.

Where are you demanding immediate miracles instead of embracing gradual transformation?

“And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’”
(Mark 5:34, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for one healing He’s still working in you, seen or unseen.
Challenge: Do a gentle physical act (stretch, walk, kneel) that honors your body as His temple.

Day 4: Rust and Relentless Prayer

For ten years, prayers rose like incense for parents trapped in religious ritual. Then fire came—a heart surgery, failing eyesight, desperate cries. When evangelists anointed the father, vision returned clearer than 20/20—first to physical eyes, then to spiritual ones. [40:45]

God uses crisis to crack open hardened hearts. What we call “setbacks” are often divine setups. The same heat that softens wax hardens clay—prayer determines which we become.

Who in your life needs patient intercession rather than hurried frustration?

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
(Luke 18:1, ESV)

Prayer: Intercede by name for someone resisting Christ—bless instead of begrudge them.
Challenge: Send a handwritten note to someone you’ve prayed for, expressing specific hope for them.

Day 5: Chessboard Revival

The king seemed checkmated—persecuted church, silent pulpits, empty villages. But the chess champion saw it: one move remained. Like that unseen strategy, Jesus still advances His kingdom through healed necks, converted fathers, and homeless men turned heralds. [47:27]

Revival begins not with crowds but with crumbs—a Romanian Bible, a shared meal, anointed oil. Christ builds His church through ordinary obedience, not grand schemes. Your “small yes” today fuels eternity’s blaze.

What kingdom move is Jesus inviting you to make that others deem insignificant?

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
(Hebrews 13:8, ESV)

Prayer: Ask for courage to make one “unimportant” act of obedience today.
Challenge: Speak Christ’s name aloud in a public space today—even if just a whisper.

Sermon Summary

The account follows a life shaped by faith, hardship, and obedience. It begins in a Romanian vineyard region and traces a family story of hard work, sudden loss under communist nationalization, and exile. Political unrest in 1989 led to direct action against the regime and later departure to Paris. Homelessness in the city became the setting for urgent prayer. Requests for warmth, food, and fellow countrymen were answered in unexpected ways and sparked a deep inner conviction of God’s reality. A gifted Bible and a January 6, 1991 moment of repentance produced conversion and a clear call to return to Romania despite personal reluctance.

Returning home triggered a steady engagement in church planting, youth ministry, and evangelism training. New churches and a charity grew from modest beginnings and a focus on reaching an introverted, post‑communist population. Historical context also appears, with a reference to Flavius Josephus as an extra‑biblical witness to Jesus. Personal testimony to healing emerges repeatedly. A neck injury experienced earlier began to mend slowly after prayer and a prophetic word. The story of a father’s near‑fatal heart surgery, partial loss of sight, and later recovery illustrates persistence in prayer, international partnership, and eventual baptism.

The narrative emphasizes the continuity of Jesus’s power across generations. It highlights practical obedience, sustained intercession, and humble dependence on God rather than on human plans. Prayer, fasting, and community action receive attention as instruments for revival in a village setting. The account closes by invoking James chapter five as a model for anointing and communal prayer for healing, calling for repentance and faith as prerequisites for receiving divine touch. The overarching thread holds that spiritual encounters produce long‑term fruit in both personal life and local mission.

Key Takeaways

1. Faith reshapes life decisions Faith can reverse personal plans when a clear calling appears. Returning to a difficult place became an act of trust rather than convenience, and obedience redirected vocational and relational priorities. The choice to go back produced concrete fruit in church planting and community care. [33:43]
2. Prayer sustains desperate moments Persistent prayer steadied a wandering mind during homelessness and guided practical steps. Simple requests offered in a raw hour of need opened doors and stirred courage to seek the final option on a list. Those small, honest petitions shaped a decisive spiritual encounter rather than merely easing discomfort. [26:10]
3. Healing unfolds over patient trust Not every miracle arrives instantly; some healings progress over seasons. A neck injury responded slowly to prayer and prophetic attention, showing recovery can be gradual and cumulative. Patience with God’s timing preserves hope and trains perseverance in faith. [39:24]
4. Prayer with oil invites God Communal confession, anointing, and intercession operate as tangible means to invite divine action. James chapter five provides a scriptural pattern where repentance and mutual prayer form the context for healing. Ritual gestures do not replace faith but function as faithful obedience that opens space for God to move. [50:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[14:08] - Encounter with the Holy Spirit
[15:05] - Roots in Septura and family names
[17:09] - Grandfather’s rise and communist loss
[22:02] - 1989 Revolution and exile
[25:48] - Homelessness in Paris and prayer
[29:05] - Shelter answered three prayers
[32:44] - Conversion on January 6, 1991
[33:59] - Return to Romania and church planting
[36:31] - Historical witness to Jesus
[38:29] - Testimony of healing experiences
[42:10] - Father’s surgery and restoration
[50:37] - Anointing, James 5, and prayer for healing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
James 5:13-16 (ESV)
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Observation questions

According to James 5:14-15, what two actions are connected to praying for healing, and what outcomes are promised?
In the sermon, three specific prayers were answered during a time of homelessness: warmth, food, and fellowship with Romanians ([26:10]). How did these answered prayers shape the speaker’s understanding of God?
What historical figure outside the Bible is mentioned as a witness to Jesus’ existence, and why is this significant? ([36:31])
How did the speaker’s father experience healing over time, and what role did others play in this process? ([42:10])

Interpretation questions

James 5:16 links confession of sins to healing. Why might spiritual and physical healing be connected in this way?
The speaker’s healing from a neck injury was gradual rather than instant ([39:24]). How does this align with or challenge common expectations of how God answers prayers for healing?
The sermon emphasizes returning to a difficult place (Romania) as an act of obedience. What fears or reluctances might someone face when called to obey God in challenging circumstances?
James 5:14 instructs involving church elders in prayer for healing. How does communal prayer differ in impact from private prayer, based on the sermon’s examples?

Application questions

When has God’s direction for your life conflicted with your personal plans? How did you respond, and what did you learn about trust?
The speaker prayed specific, desperate prayers during homelessness ([26:10]). What “raw” or urgent prayers do you hesitate to bring to God? What might it look like to voice them honestly?
The sermon highlights patience in healing ([39:24]). Are there areas where you’re struggling to trust God’s timing? What practical steps could help you wait with hope?
James 5:16 urges confession and mutual prayer. How could your small group create a safer space for vulnerability and intercession?
The speaker’s father was healed through the prayers of others ([42:10]). Who in your life needs persistent prayer, and how might you partner with others to intercede for them?
The sermon mentions using anointing with oil as a tangible act of faith ([50:37]). What rituals or practices help you focus on God’s presence in difficult moments?
How might your testimony of God’s faithfulness—even in small ways—encourage someone this week?

Sermon Clips

47s

#FireplaceFaith

“``Invited me then, and when he opened the doors like that, I saw the fireplace with the wood burning, and my my mouth did that. And it was a long table on the right side, another table there, immigrants from various countries. Tables were packed with food, and in the corner, a Romanian family. So all three prayers, they all listen. And after that, for few days, I heard inside of my I didn't know that it was Holy Spirit, but inside of my brain, I heard that God is real. God exists.”

41s

#BornAgainJoy

“And sixth January nineteen ninety one, near the kitchen of the church, kneel down, I said, Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins. Please come into my life. Be my lord. Be my savior. And with tears, I invite Jesus Christ as the lord and savior, and he I felt such a peace. I feel such a joy. And I said, I don't want to leave that peace, and I don't want to leave this to to lose this joy.”

31s

#ObeyedGodsCall

“I opened the Bible, and Proverbs 27 verse 10 says, like a bird which left his nestle is a man which left his pet his place. So I understood that God wants me to go back to Romania, and that moment was the last place where I wanted to be. But I understood that it's better to obey God. It's not easy for him to convince me, but it took about three months. And then I joined to the Baptist Church in my hometown.”

35s

#ParentsFoundFaith

“and my father starts to see the colors of the carpets, start to see the things clearly. So after that, he was able to drive his car for another two years. Of course, one year after that experience, he decided to be baptized by the same guy, Clive McIntyre. He was baptized. Then one year later, my mother came to Christ. Now they passed away. My father passed away twenty years twenty years ago. My mother just passed away last year, and both there with Jesus.”

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Iulian's Testimony 26 04 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Fireplace in the Snowstorm

Day 2: Oil Wells and Empty Hands

Day 3: Neckbones and New Creation

Day 4: Rust and Relentless Prayer

Day 5: Chessboard Revival

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Iulian's Testimony 26 04 2026

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