Things are good, folks! I’m living near Lugansk, Ukraine about an hour away from the border of Russia. The weather hasn’t been the typical weather you’d think of in Russia (I think of lots of fog, rain, winter and goofy fur hats) although, yesterday, me and some of the guys from H-squad got together to go bowling and ice skate in Lugansk and it was exactly this kind of weather… but, its been 80’s and 70’s here. It’s nice here.
The people of the Ukraine of been good to me though. They’re much more patient than the people of Romania… I hate to bash on Romania, but my last month was a stretch for me. However, this month in the Ukraine, I’ve not only enjoyed my stay, but am absolutely encouraged by this country. Its very easy to engage in conversations with people, even though they stuggle to speak English to me… Pretty ironic, huh? I’ve lived in Oklahoma where many illegal, homeless immigrants have come in and now I’m the homeless immigrant missionary speaking a language I thought eveyone knew… How ignorant.
But like I said, there is a lot of warmth in the Ukraine with the spirit of these hungry people… and that’s it, right there; they’re hungry. There’s a few Greek Orthodox churches that have religion running it like a machine, few people interested, but they feel obligated to go to church… Man that sucks. Why go to church??? That’s a real good question, and I wonder if these zombie-faced church-goers have asked themselves that one question for real, to themselves, because I’ve gone to church a few times, and I wonder why these people have come at all. I think people do need the church Paul talks about, I want to go there and attend regularly! But what is “the church” that the world has been consumed, misled, and dare I say raped by religion? What is that church all about? I’ve been to it. Stood up from those pews and sat down 20 times a service and slept through nearly all of them for 6 or 7 years until the church finally split up, and divided. I attended a church of dead religion; no Spirit; no truth; no revelation of any sort… No Freedom! Isn’t that what non-believers come to church for anyways? They come to get freedom, right?
“16- But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17- Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM. 18- And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transfromed into HIS LIKENESS with EVER-INCREASING glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2nd Corinthians 3:16-18
A lot of the churches here are corrupt, like many around the world, with money and politics. For instance, here, the priest will bless your vodka before you drink it, so you can drink without conviction…??? (Keep in mind that if you’re ten years old and you haven’t drank Vodka or any kind of clear liquor… you’re not from inside the Ukraine.) But why on earth should I feel convicted about drinking either?! “True Holiness” is not us “cleaning up our act.” It is the recognition that we are utterely powerless to “clean up our act”, forcing us to come to Christ in complete brokenness.
And remember that Brokenness is a choice.
You have to choose to be broken before God. Being a living sacrifice, means that I never leave that BURNING altar…
That’s all I have for now. Thanks for all your prayers, comments and support. Blessings to you all and give thanks to God! He Reigns now and Forever! Amen!
