LIBRE

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Therefore, “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out (God’s) precepts."

“…repented and did what is right in (God’s) sight, proclaiming freedom to (our) countrymen.”

“…that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay, and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

John 8:36 | Psalm 119:45 | Jeremiah 34:15 | Romans 8:21

John Stott

“Love without truth is hypocrisy and the truth without love is brutality.”

...saw this on another blog

Somehow I think this represents me very well. I need to find me on of these!

That's so Sad

So I know that I am posting this thing tonight at 1am, but...

Tonight was the World Cup qualifier between Ukraine and England. Ukraine lost 1-2. I have only one question: Ukraine losing to England in Futbol, isn't that like ANY COUNTRY losing to France in a war?

Don't Be the object of His Pity

It's April 1st... watch out!

SAUNA...

Seriously, could ministry get any better than this? Getting out of the city with a bunch of guys, free use of a sauna, songs around the fire pit, and good food! Good times! Here in Ukraine, we like our sauna extra hot, and then we like to jump in an extra (almost freezing) cold pool. It jump starts the heart. Men's ministry differs in different countries. I think we got a good thing going here.

2 Thoughts from Kierkegaard

I think these two quotes pretty much sum up much of my philosophy:

“If I know that twice two is four, this knowledge is in the highest degree impersonal. Once I know it, I know it, and I need not struggle continuously to make it my own. But the truth of religion is not at all like that: it is a truth that must penetrate my own personal existence or it is nothing; and I must struggle to renew it in my life every day. A learned theologian may be in possession of all the so-called truths of rational theology, able to prove and disprove propositions and generally hold his own dialectically with the best; and yet in his heart God may have died or never lived. On the other hand, an illiterate peasant who knows nothing of formal theology, who may not even be able to state correctly the tenets of his creed… nevertheless may succeed in being religious. He is in the truth, as we say, and people who know him can recognize this fact from his presence, his bearing, his way of life.”

"The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament."

Pirate Party

personally, I think they are quite fun!

Strategy and Such

So just got back from a little town outside of Kyiv called Irpin. 14 of us went there for a mini leader's retreat, where we did a little strategizing and planning for the rest of the year. As with most ministries that work with young people, teams grow and swell, and in the process new people come and old people go, this was a good chance for the team as it is now, to bond. Plus it was a lot of fun.

Oh, Those Potatoes

In the midst of a worldwide financial crisis... Ukraine has been hit hard. But, I just realized something, with all the economic problems, I have actually gained a few kilos! I have Identified the culprit: Potatoes, quite possibly the cheapest of foods... and faith.

When the security net of a nation is pulled out from under it's people, when banks shut down, and people lose jobs, when the national currency plummets and wages stagnate while prices increase... when this happens, after the shock, and after the denial, comes a longing for HOPE!

I would not wish financial troubles on anyone, but it creates a ripe field for ministry. Both to share the gospel, and put the gospel in action. When people are hurting and scared they are open to listen. And when we are hurting and scared, we are obligated to live our faith with that much more fervor.

Many people feel that generosity and giving comes from abundance. "I have more so I give." But God has always asked for the first fruits. It is from need and deficit that out generosity must flow. When I have less and I give it shows my commitment to generosity. When I have need and I give it shows my faith in God's provision. It is simple when our beliefs our tested it is then we can show them to be true.

As a missionary... trust me, the crisis has hit me hard. I have seen my support drastically fall, and at the same time God has upped the ante; asking me to give more, sacrifice more, live with less, and be a bless those around me. He has called me to go beyond convenience and feel the weight of my neighbors, so that I may help to lighten their burden. It's not easy. I'm selfish. But... I find myself glorying in the test... seeking to faithfully live what I preach. I also find myself eating A LOT of potatoes.

The Mountains

Every 5 years the Staff of New Life Church gets on a train and goes to a very old, very Soviet "Resort" in the Carpathians mountains. After the 13 hours on the train, and the 90 minutes in the back of an old military truck on the way up the mountain, there we are: Tisovets. We relax, we eat, we sing, we play volleyball, we sauna, we ski, we simply get to be together enjoying the company of those we serve with daily arm-in-arm, for a few days with few worries. We recharge.

To those of you that support the work of this church, and specifically this trip, thanks here are some photos: (if you click them, they get bigger)

A Life Without Failure

Seriously this has got to be one of my favorite promises from scripture. That we have "everything" we need for life and Godliness, and that if we are faithful to this, then there is no failure that ends with us falling and not getting back up. Lord thank you that though we stumble you are there to help us up and keep us pressing on until the end!

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

2 Peter 1:3-11

A Name for the Regime

If there is one thing that Ukrainians love more than LONG meetings with strong black tea and dry cookies, its names. Specifically, giving a name to any, club, ministry, school, sports team, activity, or organization they belong to. And any change is reason to change a name. New people. New Leaders. New facilities.

Many of you know that the name of our youth meeting was: New Format; well, the Russian equivalent. Well when Yarik took control of the helm, that meant it was time for a new name. Fro the organization as a whole, overseeing all the teen, student, and twenty-somethings ministry it is: MPlatforma... which is short for Молодіжна платформа, wich means youth platform. And for our Saturday College youth Service, it is simply: Platforma. By the way, in the picture it reads: "Together we can do more."

3 YEARS!

In a journey that had it's start 4 years ago, comes a milestone. I have been here as a missionary/pastor in Ukraine for 3 years today. The time has literally been flying. I think of all the camps, events, concerts, witnessing, discipling, preaching.. and it's amazing.

But what is most amazing, is that I have truly made a home here. I have people that I absolutely love to work with and enjoy serving alongside. I have a wonderful network of support and have made some of the greatest friends. I am truly blessed! Many times a missionary is sent to a foreign land and they struggle with culture, language, adapting, and always feeling like an outsider. I feel a part of the landscape here. I am truly looking forward to what this nest year brings.

Lord, I thank you for your blessings:
That you have called me to this land,
that you have counted me worthy to serve you,
that you have given me a place to call home,
and friends to call call family!
Trly, every good gift comes from you!
AMEN!

GRACE...

I love preaching on grace. For me it is the most inexhaustible of subjects. I see it everywhere in Scripture in Every action of Jesus in the gospels, I experience it daily in my life.

Yesterday I was preaching on Grace, yet again, as were were continuing in a series called "Foundations". Such as is common for me, I tend to see things from just a slightly different perspective from normal. So we looked at Jesus' interaction with the demon-possessed man calling himself "Legion". The grace of Jesus coming to that region just for him. The grace of his healing. The grace of Jesus looking beyond the man's problems. The grace of Jesus leaving without him, and sending him out in his own land to tell his story. The grace given to one man, in one moment...

This grace led to The disciples returning after Pentecost, preaching the gospel, and the Name of Jesus was already known. Because of one man. Because of one moment. Because of a single grace.

In the movie: "Les Miserables" Jean Val Jean holds up his yellow passport, to the priest and says" This is who I am. I am bad. I am a thief." This man was naked with chains, screaming: "What do you want with me?" "I am Legion. I am full of Demons. "This man identified himself by his demons, by his problems. Jesus saw beyond. Jesus saw the man. Jesus offered Grace.

Who knew that the sound of grace, love and compassion was that of thousands of screaming, dying, drowning pigs.

I Be knowin' Russkie!

Well, yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of my preaching in Russian! What an accomplishment, eh? In under two years I buckled down and studied (a skill I apparently had no need to acquire beforehand) to get to a point where not only are my daily conversations, meetings, and interactions in Russian but I was able to do public speaking also. I started off with a script, and then branched off into spontaneous discussions. Still, the fear of God is with me every time!

Well, Saturday I will be preaching as well, and to mark this occasion they have asked me: TO PREACH IN ENGLISH!!!

Yeah, you read that right. They have asked me to go back to preaching in English with a translator. I admit I was a bit stunned. Don't get me wrong this will significantly cut my prep time down. They said they greatly appreciated my desire to adapt to culture and preach in their native tongue, and that my sermons were good. But according to them, I simply preach BETTER in English.

One person said, and I quote: "Your preaching in Russian is good... but your preaching in English is amazing." I suppose I'll take that compliment.

All I can say is: WOW! What a reversal of fortune... I seriously did not see this one coming!

Happy Birthday 2 Me!

I'm 29 Years old today. But gosh-darnit... I no longer feel like a twenty-something anymore. 10 Years in ministry will do that to you. Remember Det. Murtaugh from the "Lethal Weapon" movies? Always saying: "I'm to old for this..." So, I think I'll start claiming "30th year". Technically it's the truth.

So as my childhood pastor used to sing:

Happy Birthday, Happy Bithday!
Pain and sorrow in the air, people dying everywhere,
Happy Birthday!

But Seriously, I can't wait to be 30!

DOUBT...

No, I am not talking about the movie.

I was asked to preach on an aspect of Faith, so of course this Saturday I spoke on doubt. Too often we feel that when we come to faith, it means we have to leave our questions behind. That all those nagging thoughts we have all that unease is a sign of unbelief, or lack of faith. It's not.

I love that when Thomas doubted it was Jesus, and asked to see the wounds, Jesus didn't resist or scold him. Jesus obliged. This was the same Thomas who when the rest of the disciples were scared in John 11, exclaimed: "Let us go that we may die with him." This was a man who, church history tells us, was the one of the 12 to bring the gospel the farthest, way past the bounds of the Roman Empire. The Thomas who died a martyr's death. He was a moan of bold faith in his doubts, and his seeking of assurance in his doubt led him to a bolder faith and zeal that stretched far.

The Bible is full of these men: Peter sinking in water, Gideon in the wine press... they are everywhere and yet God uses these men, and God is gentle in their fears... Maybe we only need the faith of Job: "Why, why, why... you give, you take away... blessed be you name!"

My prayer is that of the centurion: "I believe, help thou my unbelief!"