Prayer Requests and update

Dear friends,
we just wanted to share some of our prayer requests for some of the kids here in Ukraine. Serjey, Michelle and I have are getting together once a week for a prayer meeting and we want to ask you to join us in prayer for the kids.

We believe that prayer is one of the most significant things we can do for these kids since we are involved in a spiritual battle ministering to them. It is not merely a social waork we are involved in but a real battle for their lives and souls. These kids really need our prayers and the old saying says that "it takes a village to raise a kid" and I want to say that "it takes the Body of Christ to pray for the orphan kids". Please join us in prayer for these kids this week:

Nadya an orphanage graduate who ran away from the orphanage at the end of the last school year. She never passed her final exams and she doesnt have any documents and doesnt study anywhere now. I heard that she lives with a guy who doesnt treat her well in great poverty. Please pray that God would reach out for her and transform her heart and life.

Pasha has been running away from the orphanage many times during the last several years. He has been struggling with addiction to glue sniffing and right now is at the drug recovery clinic. Please pray for him to get well, to go back to the orphanage and live and study there and grow into a healthy and mature young person who can succeed in life.

Vera is an orphanage graduate a sweet and nice girl. Please pray for her to grow in her relationship with God and reach out her goals professionally (she is studying at the trade school and is thinking of continuing her education). Vera's picture is below.

Inna is an orphanage graduate please pray that she would trust God in her life and make wise choices which please Him.

Slavik is an orphanage graduate please pray that he would trust God with his life and desire Him more then anything else and follow Him and grow in the relationship with Him. A picture of Inna and Slavik is below.

The Duty and Blessing of Stewardship

INVESTING IN ETERNITY
Every Christian Is A Steward
The Duty and Blessing of Stewardship
By: Ross Rhoads

Can we ever say that anything is truly ours? All things—possessions, talents, jobs, ministries, loved ones, even our very lives—belong to God. Our responsibility is to use these gifts to glorify Him and point people to Christ.

"If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Corinthians 8:12, NIV). In the following pages, Decision explores the Bible’s guidelines and promises for giving, as well as how some Christians have uncovered the joy and freedom of stewardship.More than any other topic, pastors seem to avoid teaching about stewardship and giving. Christians are not hesitant to give, but they are leery of being told how to give and certainly, how much they should give.The recent downturn in the U.S. economy brings fear, and we may try to hold on to whatever wealth we may have. Giving away money does not seem to be the thing to do right now. The "good life," whatever that was perceived to be, may never be the same.Modern culture thrives on "no money down" offers, delayed payments and discounted interest rates, with little thought of the future implications in a changing world. A similar approach has influenced Christian living standards. Many Christians have lowered the perceived cost of what is required to follow the risen Christ. Jesus stated that those who would follow Him must deny themselves and take up their crosses and follow Him (Mark 8:34). Christ's followers are to first give of themselves. "Anyone losing his life because of me will find it" (Matthew 10:39, HCSB). Any understanding of giving that doesn't begin with the total surrender of self and all things to Christ cannot begin to approach the meaning of Christian giving. All things—currencies, land, property, goods and services—will lose value at some point, resulting in discontent, struggle, restlessness and disillusionment. But the worth of a soul exceeds the total wealth of the entire world, Jesus said (Mark 8:36). When someone secures a loan, the lender requires a financial statement and asks some key questions: What are your assets? What do you do? From these two questions the lender determines the person’s worth. But this is only his financial worth. We must not forget that life itself is a gift. The breath of life is from God, and our times are in His hands (Psalm 31:15). Time is a gift. Our prayer should be, "Teach me to number my days that I may develop wisdom in my heart" (Cf. Psalm 90:12).

What Is a Pure Gift?

Here is the key to understanding what the Bible defines as stewardship: Every Christian is a steward. A steward is a trusted, responsible servant over all that is entrusted to him, which encompasses all of life.Biblical giving differs from philanthropy. Philanthropy often comes from surplus resources and often provides tax advantages that benefit a wealthy estate or individual. Although wise stewards will take advantage of these benefits—allowing them to give even more to the Lord’s work—these donations may not involve sacrifice. Jesus watched people giving money in the huge, trumpet-shaped containers in the temple. Many rich people were putting in large sums. Then a poor widow came by and gave two coins worth about a half-cent. Jesus took His disciples aside and said, "I assure you: this poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury. For they gave out of their surplus. But she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed—all she had to live on" (Mark 12:42-44, HCSB).The value of a gift is judged not only by its size but also by the attitude of the heart and the motive behind it. Lasting memories often come from small gifts. Jesus said, "If you give a cup of water you do it as to me" (Cf. Matthew 25:31-46). The young boy who gave his small loaves and fish to Jesus saw them transformed to feed thousands of people. The result was that many said of Jesus, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come" (John 6:14, NIV). As a general principle, it is accepted that a Christian should at least give a tithe—10 percent of all income. But then people ask, "Is that 10 percent before or after taxes?" Here, two errors emerge. First, the Scripture teaches that the tithe belongs to the Lord—it is not to be discounted. Second, if our chief motivation is to receive a tax advantage, it calls our devotion and obedience into question. We want to know, "How much can I keep?" and "How little do I have to give?" Is this not an insult to God? Like any other spiritual devotion, the giving of time, abilities and wealth never should be determined by self-interest or the withholding of possessions. The purer the gift, the deeper the meaning.

Mary’s Gift

The Gospels record an experience in which a pure gift was given to Jesus. The gift—unsolicited and unexpected—came from His follower Mary. At a dinner she broke the seal of a very expensive oil, poured it on His feet and then wiped them with her hair. It is fair to imagine that she had treasured this possession for a very special time, maybe for her wedding day. The fragrance was so powerful that it filled the house where they were having dinner. No obligation could have prompted this expression of love. Her act was spontaneous, deliberate, thoughtful and sacrificial. The reaction was explosive. Judas challenged her actions, and, surprisingly, the other disciples chimed in, criticizing Mary and Jesus. "This fragrance could have been sold and the money given to the poor," Judas said. People often think that they know how a giver should give. Judas was stealing from Jesus’ account; he wasn’t interested in the poor. He wanted the money for himself. Generosity is always an embarrassment to greed. Deeper still, Mary’s gift was personally to Jesus Himself. The disciples' criticism of it implied that Jesus was not worthy. But on the contrary, when you realize the worthiness of Jesus—the Son of God and the only Savior and Lord—no explanations or apologies are ever needed to justify generosity.Mary's gift designated Jesus as her Lord. Her action anticipated the cross and His sacrificial death for the sins of the world. Jesus saw her heart and interpreted the deeper implication. He was indignant at having to defend this gift. Imagine the loving Lord Jesus, just days before His suffering and death, having to explain such tender and loving devotion. Mark records His response: "Leave her alone. … She has done what she could; she has anointed My body in advance for burial" (Mark 14:6, 8, HCSB). What perfect insight to the most sincere gift, for God only requires of any believer to do what he or she can. When we give what we can out of God’s gifts of life, He promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). A believer’s giving is never unnoticed. Jesus said of Mary, "Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her" (Mark 14:9, HCSB). There is value in anonymous giving, but Mary’s public gift became an example of heartfelt devotion. It is known worldwide. It enhanced the Gospel. It was befitting of the Gospel. Our Lord Jesus gave His all, and her gift mirrors that. Openly acknowledged gifts do not limit the Gospel; they advance it. Givers encourage others to give and advance the work of Christ. They challenge ingratitude and remind us of the debt of love we owe to God. Mary invested in the future of redemption and received a return on her gift with dividends that have benefited believers up to now. And it will continue to be so until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Giving Principles

The scope of Scripture provides examples and principles for giving. David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:14 reveals the necessary attitude: "Who am I," he asks, "and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your own hand" (NIV). "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops" (Proverbs 3:9, NIV). This defines giving as honoring to the Lord and defines the priority in giving. Guidelines are consistent throughout Scripture as to why and how any believer should give to God.

Giving must be the gift of one’s self.

Self-denial is the beginning of discipleship and the formula for giving. The Apostle Paul challenges the reluctant Christians in Corinth to give like the Macedonians. "They … first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God" (2 Corinthians 8:5, KJV). You will hesitate to give to the Lord’s work if first you have not given yourself to the Lord.

Giving is proportional.

The amount of any gift will be according to the prosperity of the individual. King David said, "I have given all of my private treasure for the building of the temple" (Cf. 1 Chronicles 29:3). His example is a challenge to all the people to give at their level of sacrifice. Christians in the first century were told, "Let every one of you lay aside as God has prospered him" (Cf. 1 Corinthians 16:2). Not all people can give the same amount. It has been said, "Not equal gifts but equal sacrifice." The affluent person who gives proportionately less does not feel the sacrifice of giving as would someone with a fixed income who gives in spite of his or her needs.

Giving is an investment for eternity.

The impact of stewardship is eternal. Countless stories could be told of every gift to Christ and His kingdom. Jesus promised His followers, "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew 19:29, NIV). He also warned them not to value temporary wealth. "Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth. … Collect for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-20, HCSB).

Giving is generous and joyful.

Remember, "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7, KJV). The Apostle Paul commended the Macedonian Christians when "out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity" (2 Corinthians 8:2, NIV).

Giving pleases God and will be remembered.

The Book of Hebrews emphasizes this. "Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased" (Hebrews 13:16, NIV). "For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you showed for His name" (Hebrews 6:10, NIV).There has never been a time when the preaching of the Gospel and ministry of Christ needed financial support more than now. The lostness of mankind never changes; the power of the Gospel to save never changes; and Jesus' command to go into all the world never changes. In His day Jesus said, "The harvest is great and the workers are few" (Cf. Matthew 9:37). What would He say of this generation?"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38, NIV). ©2008 BGEA

Another post from Julia and Sergey:

This July Sergey was on the team organizing the student Christian camp in Crimea. The camp lasted for 9 days and was a great time for both Christian Ukrainian students and their non-Christian friends. On the organizational team there were French, Canadian and Ukrainian Christians who made that time special and worked hard to present the Gospel message to the non-Christiam students (there were about 30-40 of them out of the whole number of the students). Please pray for the non-Christian students who were exposed to the Gospel during the camp so that during the school year they would keep attending the Bible groups on their campuses and would meet Jesus personally.

From Odessa

The following is from Julia and Sergey:

Last week we were able to go visit the kids in the orphanage in one of the villages 2 hours away from Odessa. We were really happy to see the kids and they and the staff of the orphanage were happy to see us. We are really thankful for the special bond we have with the people there. We really miss all of them and it is always our joy to go there. We made a craft with the kids (there were about 60 of them in the room), played a game and talked to them about how God made each one of them special and has a plan for each one of them. We are especially thankful to our Christian Ukrainian Baptist friend who donated money to pay for the gas of the car and also we were able to buy the feminine products with the money donated by the same friend. Also we were able to deliver the scarfs for them for the winter, the scarfs were made by the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Omaha. Please pray for us to be able to visit these kids regulary and have a real impact on their lives.

An Anchor in Your Storm - Billy Graham

Sir Winston Churchill once made the statement, “Our problems are beyond us.” Nathan Pusey, president of Harvard University from 1953 to 1971, said that the whole world is searching for a creed to believe and a song to sing.Where are we going to turn?

The Apostle Paul, many years ago, faced that question from the crew of his storm-tossed ship. He said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.” (Acts 27:21-25).

The angry waves lashed against the ship, the lightning flashed, the thunder roared, yet Paul stood in the midst of the storm and declared, “I have faith in God.”

There are storms in the world today: storms of unbelief, materialism, secularism, moral degeneracy and international difficulties.

And there are storms in your own life: storms of temptation, confusion and difficulty. By neglecting church, by neglecting daily Bible reading and prayer, you have broken away from moral moorings and you are out in a storm.

You thought that you could find some satisfaction, pleasure or peace; but you have not found it. An uneasy conscience says, “Stop before it is too late!”

Our international problems are reflections of these personal problems. There will be no peace in the world until individuals have peace in their hearts. A world structure based upon peace cannot be built when there is bitterness and hatred, jealousy and pride, envy and immorality within the individual human heart.

As long as there are people who hate, people who have prejudices, people who strive for wealth or power at any cost, we are in danger of a world explosion that could blow us into oblivion.

The Need for Faith

Humans have five physical senses: we can see, hear, taste, smell and touch. We have a body with eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands and feet. But we are more than a body; we are a living soul.

Our soul is that part of our being which possesses intelligence, conscience and memory—the real personality. Your body will die, but your soul lives on. And that soul has a “sixth sense”—the ability to believe, to have faith.

The Bible teaches that faith is the only approach we have to God. “For he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith pleases God more than anything else. “But without faith it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Cliff Barrows and I have been close friends for years. Suppose I went to him and said, “Cliff, you are a wonderful person, but I don’t believe a thing you say.” How would he feel? That is the way some people treat God.

You may be saying, “God, I believe You are great, but I do not believe Your Word; I do not believe what You say.” In order to please God you must believe Him. God and God’s Word are inseparable.

Faith is loved and honored by God more than any other single thing. The Bible says that we are saved by faith. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

“And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things” (Acts 13:39). “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). We are to believe in God through Christ.

No person has sins forgiven, goes to heaven, or has assurance of peace and happiness, until he or she has faith in Jesus Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).

This faith Christ recognized above all else. The blind man had earnestness, but Christ said, “Your faith has made you well” (Mark 10:52). The Syrophenician woman had perseverance, but Christ honored her faith. The centurion had humility, but Christ honored his faith.

The Christian life is dependent upon faith. We stand on faith; we live by faith. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Do you have that kind of faith?

What is Faith?

Faith is clearly defined in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith implies four things: self-renunciation, reliance with utter confidence on Christ, obedience and a changed life.

First, to have faith implies self-renunciation. The problems of the world are not from without. They are not political, social or economic in origin. Christ said that all of these evil things come from within.

Our soul has a disease called sin.

What is sin? Sin is transgression, lawbreaking, coming short of God’s standards. You break a law of the United States and you are a lawbreaker. You break the moral law of God and you are a lawbreaker. Every person who has ever lived is a lawbreaker; he or she is a sinner in God’s sight.

Christ died on the cross for our sins. The Bible teaches, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Christ did not die by accident. He died voluntarily in your place. God took all of your sins and laid them on Christ. God says He will not forgive you, He will not transform you, He will not give you the peace and joy that you search for, until you choose between your sins and Christ. The moment you turn from your sins and turn to Christ, you are forgiven.

And He can break the chain of every sin that binds you if you are willing to give it up. The moment you receive Christ by faith, He comes into your heart and gives you power to overcome sin.

Second, faith implies reliance with utter confidence in Christ. Martin Luther put it this way: “He held on to Christ, whom he saw not, just as though he saw Him.” Although we cannot see Him, hear Him or touch Him, we can believe in Christ and rely upon Him.

Everyone can have this confidence. If God had said, “Pay your way into heaven,” the poor would be left out. If God had said, “Work your way into heaven,” many of the blind, the deaf, the mute, the lame and the sick would be left out. But He said, “Believe.” And anyone can believe!

Third, faith implies obedience; and obedience implies action. We must be faithful in our daily devotional life; we must read our Bible and pray; we must be faithful in the church; we must be faithful in putting into practice the teachings of Christ in our daily lives.

Some people think that going to church once on Sunday and owning a dust-covered Bible makes a person a Christian. That is not true. A Christian is one in whom Christ dwells, and the person’s life will give evidence of this. The moment you receive Christ by faith, He comes into your heart and life and gives you a love for that which is good and the power to do it.

Faith and Conversion

Fourth, faith implies conversion, or a change in one’s life. Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow Me,” and Matthew immediately got up and followed Him. Jesus said to the rich young ruler, “Follow Me,” and the young ruler went away sorrowful.

Matthew chose to follow Christ.

The rich young ruler rejected Christ and went his way.

Every one of us is faced with this choice.

Some people are frightened at the word “conversion”; yet Christ says, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).Some people think that conversion must be some great emotional experience.Some people think that conversion is a mysterious feeling that comes over you.

That’s not it at all!

Conversion takes place when people turn their back on sin and follow Christ.

If you have never surrendered yourself to Christ by faith, your life is not anchored. Temptations confuse you, and storms rage, and there is no peace in your soul. Christ wants to give you peace (John 14:27). Do you have faith in Him?

Perhaps your faith is very small and weak. It does not matter how big your faith is, but rather, where your faith is. Is it in Christ, the Son of God, who died on the Cross for your sins?

The suspension bridge at Niagara was started by a thread attached to a kite. When the wind was favorable, the kite went across. Then on the thread they put a string and pulled it across. Then on the string they put a rope and got it across. Then they were able to build their bridge.

Your faith may be just a little thread. It may be small and weak, but act on that faith. Receive Christ as Savior and Lord. Let Him bring peace and joy to your soul. Let Him change your life of defeat and confusion into one of purpose and peace. He can do it and He will do it—as soon as you put your faith in Him.