January 2014
A Heart Touching Account from an Orphanage
After the former Soviet Union came apart during the critical years of 1989-1991, some Russian high officials began seriously re-evaluating their philosophy and policies based on Darwinism and Marxism, along with Freudian psychology. Their government, their economy, their society, and their families were in shambles. They had tried to shut God out of their lives to reach the communist utopia, but ended up with a nightmare of crime, corruption, poverty, and pessimism, so they attempted to reverse the process by inviting Christian mission teams to come preach the Gospel of Christ and hold teaching seminars in government facilities, schools, universities, theaters, orphanages, etc. (We are still benefitting from the ripple effect of that decision. I suspect that is why I can teach on worldview contrasts in colleges, universities, and institutes as well as public schools. Also in Ukraine, Zhenya Molodchy is invited to teach on ethics and the Ten Commandments in prisons and police stations – with seminars for police officers.)
In 1994 a mission team was scheduled to share the story of Jesus near Christmas time at an orphanage where they had never heard His story before. The staff workers as well as the children were on the edge of their seats and leaning forward as they listened intently to this wonderful presentation of God’s love in giving the indescribable gift of His own Son to be our Savior and Lord. They learned of His humble birth and could relate to such unsanitary and humiliating circumstances for His entry into this world. Amazing! The Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor laid aside His glory to come to earth as a humble Servant and Sacrifice for our sins. But death couldn’t hold Him! He arose! He ascended! He’s coming back again – the next time in power and glory to call His children Home, and bring justice and judgment to this wicked world.
Following the presentation of the gospel story, the teacher and her helpers distributed colored paper, crayons, pencils, scissors, etc. for the craft project for the children, who were instructed to make their own manger scene. As the teacher circulated around the room viewing the children’s work, she was surprised to see what little Misha (Michael in English) had used his creative imagination to produce. She asked Misha, who was perhaps six years old, to explain why his manger had not just a baby boy – there was another little boy in the manger with baby Jesus. With sparkling eyes, Misha accurately retold the story of Jesus’ birth as it had been related to him, but then began to adlib. He explained to the teacher about how he greatly desired to give Jesus a gift, but he had nothing to give. He told the teacher that he told Jesus how he had nothing and no one: no mama, no papa, no possessions. He told Jesus he had nothing to give but himself. He asked Jesus, “Can I give you myself? Can I help keep you warm?” Then he assured the teacher that Jesus told him, “That is the best gift anyone could possibly give Me.” Then the tears began flowing and little Misha put his head in his hands sobbing and sobbing. (I have the very strong suspicion that the teacher and her interpreter were sobbing too.)
I did not realize when I first came to Ukraine in May of 2001 how desperate the situation is for orphans in Eastern Europe and Russia, but God did. He arranged for me to meet Anatoly Schalbyetski at the Family Festival after the Symposium. Anatoly gave me a picture of his family and asked me to pray for them. I did. Then I started asking, “Lord, what would You have me to do?” This opened the door for me to become more involved in raising funds for the orphans and foster kids that Anatoly and Larrisa Schalbyetski care for, plus several other ministries to orphans, foster kids and street kids.
Would you like to reach out and touch a child like Misha? You can! You can designate an offering for “Children of Ukraine”. You can give yourself. Love Cradle Mission needs a set of house parents to care for the children in one side of a duplex. Is God calling you to show an orphan God’s love in person? Please let us know and we will put you in touch with Stephen Yagilnicky, founder and director of The Love Cradle Mission.
Are you experiencing grief and hardship in your own life? God does not waste any of our experiences – He uses them to prepare us to be more effective in reaching others with His love. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Just before Betsy ten Boom died a terrible death in a Nazi concentration camp for the “crime” of hiding Jews, she said to her sister, Corrie, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” Corrie ten Boom shared that quote over and over in her writings and testimonies so that it has gone around the world. God will not waste your experiences either. Are you wasting them? Are you thanking Him? In the midst of your pit, are you experiencing the depth of God’s love? “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:2-5
Prayer Requests
1. Mission Trip. This year I plan to leave earlier than ever for my spring mission trip because Alex Lychack invited me to attend his wedding on Sunday, February 16. Alex is a dedicated servant of Christ and graduate of Tavrisky Christian Institute who is now helping with the youth and serving on the worship team at Christian Church of Reconciliation in Nikolaev. His long range goal is to serve as a translator in a middle Asian nation to put the Word of God into the heart language of the people. I first met Alex about five or six years ago, when I was teaching Christian Evidences at TCI, and our friendship has been growing since then. He is from a broken home, (and shared his broken heart with me about that matter) so God has given me the opportunity to be a mentor and father figure in Alex’s life. Please pray for the bonding and blending of Alex and Katya’s lives as the two become one – that they together with the Lord will be a threefold chord that will never be broken – and that God will use them more powerfully together as a team than they would have been serving Him separately.
I plan to leave home on February 12 and return on March 31.
2. Creation Summit. Here is a copy of the email we got from Mike Smith after our phone conference board meeting:
“Wow! Wow! WOW!!!
I am simply blown away!!! We just finished our first conference call with our new Board members and, with 20 in attendance, we heard testimonies from the Atlantic all the way to the Pacific!! The Lord has truly blessed us with some wonderful men and women of God and, by His grace, we will reach this generation!!!
Please keep Creation Summit in your prayers. As you know, we’re up against some stiff opposition. The world has a special hatred for creationists and they despise the ground we walk on. The government blocks us, the media mocks us, and the public schools won’t let us in. Not to mention Lucifer and his minions. But greater is HE that is in us, than he that is in the world!!! The victory is already ours!! We just need to claim it by faith and hold each other up in prayer.
If you would, please pray the Lord will raise up just the right people to serve on the Michigan State University Outreach Committee (MSUoutreach.com), pray that the local churches will rally behind us, and that the Holy Spirit will move in the hearts and minds of the students.
Thank you so much for being God’s yielded vessel!!!
Mike”
3. New Book. Please pray that God will use “More than Conquerors in Cultural Clashes” to wake up, stir up, and power up believers to be bold witnesses for Jesus in the midst of this raging cultural warfare. Also, please pray that this cultural warfare in America and in Ukraine does not break out into bloody civil war in either country.
I believe that this new book is unique for several reasons:
A. I read widely, especially in the subjects of apologetics, theology, philosophy, and social conflicts. I am not aware of any book that presents what I have to present in this book – especially in the same manner. We are listing many books in the recommended reading list at the back of the book. This book is not a duplicate of any of them. Twilight’s Last Gleaming (How America’s Last Days can be Your Best Days) is the only book I thought of that is close to the theme, but Robert Jeffress used a very different approach. Also, Why You Can’t Stay Silent (A Biblical Mandate to Shape Our Culture), by Tom Minnery.
B. The first chapter in my book, “Purpose and Passion” not only clarifies my purposes for the book, but expresses my passion for loving God first and glorifying Him as Creator as well as Redeemer. This chapter lays the groundwork for the victory in cultural clashes by exposing the pernicious problem of evolutionism and challenging the philosophic dogma of relativism that undermines the existence of truth. Near the end of the chapter, here is what you will find:
“Fellow Christians – Do You Get the Point?”
“Already in Christ we are “more than conquerors”. That is our identity on the authority of the Word of God! In America there are millions of Christians (at least those who claim to be born again believers). If only a fraction of these professed Christians will believe we are more than conquerors and act upon that fact, then we can transform our corrupt culture this year! Be who you are! Conquerors! More than conquerors! Do not be intimidated by our corrupted culture. Remember: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” Isaiah 41:10; ‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”
2 Timothy 1:7. Share your testimony! Adopt an orphan! Rescue an addict! Love your neighbor! Use your God-given spiritual gift (or gifts) to the glory of God! Use your own creativity to find ways to touch other lives with the love of Christ. Pray every day, “Lord, fill me with your Spirit and put me in the right place at the right time with the right words to honor you” – then watch with anticipation how He gives you glimpses of His amazing power and grace. Become an active soldier in the Lord’s army of grace and glory! Come help us transform America and change the world – one soul at a time! AMEN!
Touching Lives
“My life shall touch a dozen lives before this day is done,
Leave countless marks for good or ill ere sets the evening sun,
This is the wish I always wish, the prayer I always pray;
Lord, may my life help other lives it touches by the way.”
“To convert one sinner from the error of his way is of more importance than to deliver an entire kingdom from temporary danger.” But remember to be persistent, for it is often a long process. We need to be persistent in caring, persistent in sharing, persistent in praying. Let’s remember our privilege to “have this treasure in earthen vessels” and be diligent to use our freedom of speech in America effectively while we still have it.”
C. The target audience, on the broadest scale, is every American. This is a wakeup call – to get the frog out of the kettle. More specifically, my target audience is half-asleep believers – to inspire to wake up, stand up, and speak up boldly for Jesus Christ our Lord. Most specifically, my target audience is the alert believers who recognize that our culture is crumbling in corruption, but are disheartened and don’t know what to do. My purpose is to use powerful, pertinent information and inspiration to motivate them to prayer and action in becoming bold witnesses for Jesus. Recognizing who Jesus is as our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, combined with who we are in Him – more than conquerors – makes a powerful dynamic. At the conclusion of each chapter you will find:
“WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS.
WE WILL BE CIVIL – BUT
WE WILL NOT BE SILENT!!”
Please pray for true revival in the churches of America – and deep spiritual awakening that will turn the tide of degradation and destruction to salvation and sanctification!
Please Pray for Purpose and Passion
Here I want to share with you the conclusion for Chapter 1 in the book:
If you look back to pages 30-34 you can review my purposes for writing this book. All of these purposes are pertinent and powerful, and I feel passionate about these purposes. Purpose #3 is “to expose error and demolish foolish and evil arguments.” Perhaps you have noticed that I’m passionate about this purpose to expose the foolish and evil arguments for both evolutionism and abortion. What I’ve noticed, however, is that many Americans, even Christians, do not see the fact that the lies about evolution are the foundation for the lies promoting abortion. Friend, please wake up! Realize that the foundational truth for the sanctity of human life is the fact that we are created in the image of God. NO animal is created in the image of God!!! Every human being is created in the image of God! The most destructive lie of evolutionism is that we are animals – just animals – which are continuing to evolve. Ernst Haeckel’s destructive lie that every human baby goes through a recapitulation of all the stages of evolution in his mother’s womb was exposed as a fraud in 1874, yet it is still found in so-called “science” textbooks. Haeckel intentionally falsified his pictures of the stages of a baby’s development. Isn’t that outrageous? Are you outraged? I pray that you become passionate for both creationism and pro-life causes, and I pray for a stronger convergence of the creation movement and the pro-life movement. Both have had tremendous growth in recent years – may that growth become exponential as they converge into one interlocked, potent movement for truth and righteousness! Will you pray with me for this???
Haeckel called his theory “ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny.” The fact is ontogeny decapitates phylogeny! Interpreted, this means Reality cuts the head off evolutionism!!!
When I teach on “Worldview” in college and university classrooms in Ukraine, I tell the students, “God has given you the freedom of choice, so you have the privilege to believe that in the beginning there was nothing – then it exploded and became everything – with no plan, no design, no purpose, no meaning – and no hope. It is not science; it is a naturalist belief system. It is a bleak, hopeless philosophy which produces terrible consequences, but you have the freedom to choose to believe it if you wish. I once believed that doctrine, but I don’t have enough faith to believe that nothing produces everything with no intelligent purpose or design. I choose to believe – and the weight of evidence demands this: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ Genesis 1:1. Furthermore, I believe that you are not an accident. Every one of you is a unique individual created by Almighty God for a purpose. No one who ever lived or ever will live is exactly like you. He loves you and designed you with unique abilities to perform the work He created you to do. Searching out your designed gifting, finding the purpose for which God has put you here on earth, and fulfilling that purpose will be your greatest joy and your most fulfilling reason to be alive!!!”
It is in dying to sin and selfishness in order to live my life to the glory of God by functioning the way He has wired me that I experience indescribable joy! He will do that for you also if you choose to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ and accept His grace and forgiveness of your sin. He paid the penalty for your sin – and mine – on the cross. Take a good look at Jesus on the cross agonizing and dying for you. Will you accept Him as your Savior, or reject Him in order to live life in your own self-centered way? If you choose to turn away from His outstretched arms (perhaps because you fear what others will think, say, or do) consider the consequences! ”But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’” Revelation 21:8
Please, please carefully, seriously, prayerfully reconsider your choice! Consider these powerful words of Moses to the children of Israel:
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20