At
the beginning of the church service this morning, I just observed the people and
everything going on around me (partly because I couldn’t understand
much of what was being said). I find it beautiful and such a
privilege to worship with people of other nations, cultures, and
languages. Even thousands of miles away, we all still have the same
heart for the Lord, and God understands every tongue. We are all one
body, spread across the world (much like I witnessed at Passion
freshman year of college). One thing I loved about this Ukrainian
church was the time set aside and opportunity to share testimonies of
how God has worked in various members’ lives. The Spirit of the Lord
is here; the fellowship in the Spirit is real. It is also cool to see
the common heart for the Lord, the desire to be devoted to and serve
Him, both at home and among the nations.
The
pastor first talked about how by giving your fears to God, you come
closer to Him. In giving up control to Him, He provides, and by being
with people in other countries, you understand better how to serve
Him. After a little more worship, a sermon on fasting was given. The
major message I got from the sermon was that true love involves
sacrifice. Fasting doesn’t have to be food, and that by fasting
valuable things, God tests our hearts, ensuring that we value nor
place anything above Him. If something takes up more time in your
life than God, then it is an idol. And our love for God increases
when we give up things for Him; we actually come closer to Him. We
show how much we love Him by what we choose to sacrifice in order to
experience the joy of knowing Him more.
It
was such a blessing to worship with other believers this morning, and
we’re going to another service with youth tonight! Though the first
couple days were rather challenging, and I’m sure there will be more
in the future, I am incredibly thankful for the privilege to be on
the Race, connect with believers throughout the world, and spread
God’s Kingdom, life, and love wherever we go.
Praise
the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy
endures forever. — Psalm 106:1
