FINALLY, I CAN SAY "FINALLY"

Finally, I have enough of peaceful time to update you on Liberty church-planting team - some peaceful time away from the city battles, reading news hourly.

 

As all of you know now, these last three months Ukraine has been through the peaceful protests against the basic freedom rights oppression from our Government and so called President side. But the last week as you have seen on TV was the worst for us, but at the same time, all these events were the true witness of literally a miracle.

THE CHRONICAL OF A MIRACLE

 

This is shortly a last week's review of my own

in events here in downtown Kiev:

Monday 17th of Feb - UNCERTAINTY. Protestors don't know what to do - 3 months of standing outside in freezing weather and the Government doesn't even here and ignores the crowd refusing to punish those guilty in beating up the peaceful students. Crowd gets bigger, but the President gets deafer.

Tuesday 18th - CATASTROPHY. The crowd goes with peaceful protest to the Parliament building to demand to return to the Constitution 2004 to get back the power from the President, that he got by manipulating the Constitutional court. The crowd is being attacked by the riot police - about 20 killed - many injured. Protestors had NO weapons. The riot police surrounded the Main square in Kiev and the battle between the activists and the police is right there now in a 100 ft in almost every direction from the center of the Square.

Wednesday 19th - FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY. The riot police doesn't go further, but the fights continue and the Main square is almost empty - only activists on the barricades and a few people. Seems like it's the end.  Several people burnt to death in the building set into fire by the riot police gang. The downtown is all on fire.

Thursday 20th - NIGHTMARE, HORROR AND PANIC. The police snipers shoot 83 people downtown, including activists , protestors and even accident wonderers of the Main square - the Square instead is being filled with more and more people, that are ready to wipe away the police and the gvnmt no matter what

Friday 21st - THE HOPE AND THE RESSURECTION. The Square is crowded with people. Tens of thousands. People are getting control over the gvnmt and the Parliament. The gvnmt runs away. The police gives up. The President is ready to sign a peaceful treaty.

Saturday 22d - THE VICTORY. The crowd is pushing to end up with this gvnmnt. The police leaves Kiev, the President runs away. The Parliament is under control of the opposition and everything happened without a single gun shot from our side.

Sunday 23d - MOURNING THE DEAD

And all these days, especially the bad ones, the "Our Father" prayer was read from the stage every 30 minutes. I can't take it, but as the real miracle from God, since on Wednesday it was all close to a bad end.

 

WE ARE THE LIBERTY

Liberty church-plant and the Big City Church where I still serve part time were not aside of all these events. Our Liberty team member Misha Zasko, was wounded in his leg by the piece of the light-sound bomb, but he is completely alright now. The members of Liberty team and the Big City church were standing on the square with protestors praying in the Christian tent there, feeding the protestors with food and tea, helping to pass the stones to the protestors, helping to build the barricades, bringing gasoline, patrolling the streets of Kiev, helping protecting the city limits, helping in the church-hospital and MANY-MANY-MANY other input into the peaceful revolution for freedom as the Scripture commands us to protect the justice and protect the oppressed. Some of us were even standing on the barricades, protecting the activists with the shields, while their fight in front of the riot police bullets and fire. And we are proud, that we have been the part of that and that we were there with the people of Ukraine.

PRAISES

Praise be to God, that none of us is dead or seriously injured. Praise God, that American missionaries from the Liberty team were in time to leave and those who stayed is safe too. Praise be to God we are not ashamed to look into the people's eyes, when they ask if we were there.

Now, the country is recovering. The President is wanted for the mass killings, the Parliament is renewed and working. The country is in a great hope for the brighter future and the people are attentive to the prayers and the Word of God (and have always been all that time). There are only few troubles on the East of Ukraine, but we hope people there will settle down soon and the Russia is always a trouble J - but we believe the Western countries is a great guarantee of our unity as a country. Isn't it all above amazing?!

BACK TO LIFE - THE PRAYER NEEDS

SO, the life is getting back to normal slowly, but surely and we get back to our church-planting plans. We still hope to have a breaking-ground project for our church-planting active fase of work and we are now waiting for the short-term team request to be answered in order to conduct this project more effectively.

I would like to share with you the prayer needs we pray about at the team meetings, so that you can join us in those too:

- We pray to have the first Liberty worship service in November 2014

- We pray our work in summer will be effective no less, since we have all our American missionaries team members leaving for the summer due to the various reasons. So, it's going to be just us - Ukrainians, short-term team from US (we hope) and a couple of US interns (we hope). 
- We pray for our team to be able to do a lot of work closer to the summer
- We pray for the future members of the church in Kiev, with such a name JLiberty

Some of you have been asking all these days how can you help, but praying. Praise be to God we were not in need during the revolution....

 

Again, my friends, thank you all so much for our last week's common prayer fight for Ukraine - we all see it, it made a miracle with our country.

 

Thankfully,

Pastor

Liberty Presbyterian

Church-planters in Kiev, Ukraine

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So, please continue to pray for our churches. They are all facing similar struggles, and things aren't over yet!

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Published: 26 February 2014

I was copied on an Email today between our church deacons in Kiev: 'Can you print the bulletins for Sunday?' 'Sure. But the main thing is to be able to get there. Yesterday, all the roads here were blockaded -- sheer terror. But I'll get through the barricade, and the main thing is to run and not die on the way."

Would YOU do that to go to church?! Let's value the freedom we have to worship! LET'S ALL BE IN CHURCH this Sunday!

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Published: 22 February 2014

Posted on FB by one of our seminary graduates and pastor of one of our Kiev churches, as clouds gathered at about 3pm, 2/19/14:

Dear Church & Dear Friends,

As you have noticed , the situation in Kiev and in the country is deteriorating and in fact a state of emergency has  already been introduced, although that is not advertised openly. Highway access into Kiev is limited, the metro is not running, and the city center is blocked by armed police.

The situation on the Maidan Square is not the most favorable - every minute there is a danger of violent dispersal of the crowd.

In fact, the authorities are trying to stifle dissent, and are not going to make any concessions to the protesters.

I felt it necessary , as a pastor , to address you on this situation .

By and large , the authorities are leaving the protesters the choice to pack up and go home or to take up arms. This is evident on the Independence posts and in the mass media. Especially when we see that the Maidan protest has no explicit leader able to resolve the situation peacefully and without loss to the parties. In such a situation, we foresee the high probability of armed clashes.

In this case, I think it's very important that we as Christians understand what to do and how to behave in such a situation.

It is obvious that all of us in the church are united in accusing the Ukrainian authorities of corruption , lack of fairness, and having all the signs of authoritarianism. Yet, we often disagree on the method to correct the situation. Some believe that the issue should be solved only within the framework of existing legislation (elections, peace negotiations , etc.). Others believe that, in this case, the protesters and the people of Ukraine have the legitimate right to revolt and may consider drastic actions, in view of the fact that the government itself violates the law .

I will not condemn or support one side or the other at the official level , although I have my personal opinion about it. Nevertheless , we must be responsive to one another’s views and, most importantly, stick to biblical principles and estimates of this situation. This is our only hope for unity in the church and among Christians. This is the key to our action as a church and to every individual believer’s action.

Scripture allows both the solutions which I mentioned above. The Bible allows for this situation to be guided by Scripture, the laws of the state, and freedom of the conscience. In fact, the correct Christian response to such situations is a combination of all of these three components , which must be guided by wisdom and common sense.

So I , as pastor , urge you to remain faithful primarily to the biblical principles in every situation, led by the Holy Spirit, your conscience and common sense. If you think that you should not intervene in the conflict (and there are legitimate ways to practice his permission), then go with this understanding. And no church, no individual should judge you for it. But iff you feel that your place is on the barricades and on the front lines, that's also your choice, and there are scriptural examples of this, as well. But in this case, I urge you to be careful to keep your Christian witness, and to weigh your every move from the point of view of Scripture. There also remains to call everyone to fulfill their Christian duty; namely , to pray for resolution of the situation, to help anyone in need (no matter what side they take of the conflict), to seek to preserve peace, to have mercy, and to protect justice. All this is in the Scriptures; it is our duty as Christians; and God calls us to this, especially in these times.

Of course, our Church Council will discuss the situation and we will bring to your attention the decisions that we will use this situation in mind, which is constantly changing.

Brothers and sisters, nobody thought that things would come to this, but God apparently has other plans for our country at this time. And this is the reality we have to face together. But it is precisely at such times that the Christian faith is truly manifested -- through our actions, become an outstanding testimony of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God calls Christians to be where people are most in need of their ministry and support, and no matter which side these people are on, let us be Christians not only in words, but above all, in our deeds, as the Holy Spirit encourages us; this is the greatest testimony of Christ in these days, and it is our duty.

Yes, God help us all , and save our country and every one of you from evil !

In Christ , Your Pastor

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Published: 22 February 2014

An Odessa News Site considers this "The most beautiful church in Odessa"

The Most Beautiful Church in Odessa ( photo ), Wednesday, February 5, 2014, 13:17

Первый одесский портал o1.ua - «Глобус Одессы»:

"For almost 120 years, a magnificent architectural monument has pleased the eyes of Odessans: the Reformed Church building on Pasteur St., #62. Please forgive us,  Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, but this to us seems to be the most beautiful church in Odessa.

"She came as if out of a fairy tale. This unusual building of northern-European inspiration greets us at the exit of Central Park and defines the landscape of one of the most significant points in the center of Odessa. Today, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church is located in the building, and during the Soviet Union a puppet theater operated there.

"The church was built during 1892-1896. Her designer was Victor Schroeter, an ethnic German from St. Petersburg. His name is not the most famous in the classical architecture of Odessa, but it was Schroeter who was honored as the chief architect of the old train station, which was destroyed during World War II."

Check out the pictures on their site and see for yourself:  http://o1.ua/news/samaya-krasivaya-cerkov-odessy.html#.UvIgTxbNx7Q.facebook

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Published: 10 February 2014