Reaching the unreached

GOD DOES NOT SHOW FAVOURITISM

and neither should we.

Rom 2:11, James 2:1 

It was Oswald Smith who asked,

 "why should some people hear the gospel twice 

when others have not heard it once ?"

A foundational core to what we (E4G) do, is to support those who are "reaching the unreached". The last 3 individuals we'll share for this month are doing exactly that. There are several reasons people may be unreached with the good news of Jesus Christ, here are 4.

1) Geographically they are off the beaten track.

2) Sociologically they are not in places that Christians would easily mix.

3) Religiously they are anti-Christian, through prejudice, indoctrination or received habbit rather than personal experience or choice.

4) They are in places which have been "missed" by God's people, for whatever reason deemed unstrategic or thought of as "lesser" / unimportant. 

Ironically it is the 4th I believe which turns things really on its head. Jesus was born in a little known or forgotten place called Bethlehem. It was the kind of place you went through to get somewhere else. It was deemed unstrategic in human terms, a place for shepherds and country yokels. What do country folk know eh? Well actually I believe, they are probably the most skilled, diversely knowledgable and most hard working of folks in our modern world. 

Practically, if you are stuck in a lay-by on a country road, the last person you need help from is a city banker. They tend not to be good at tyres, "sparks" and alternators (it tends to spoil their manicure). The thing about rural society is that there is a network. Everyone knows each other. If you need something, someone knows someone who knows someone. It can be quicker than ebay or amazon, and far more enjoyable too. BTW If you are really stuck...Iphones do also exist and work in the country.

See the thing about Bethlehem that everyone forgets on the Christmas card manger scene, is that its' true value and beauty was not in the standard of its' hotel room service, or trip adviser rating... it was in the fact that God had special plans for it. He doesn't forget about any place.  The greatest ancient king (David) came from there. The KING OF KINGS was born there. The Lord, sustainer and saviour of the universe, was contracted to the size of a human cell, and came and made His home amongst us, to be GOD WITH US, and HE chose the place that everyone had forgotten about.

Those who understand issues 1-4, and yet still decide to hear God, go to church plant and reach the unreached in faith, are for me the most treasured of God's family. They seem to get something that others of us haven't - that God's ways are not our ways, and God's thoughts not ours... He is much better at ways, thoughts, and plans of salvation. After all the very reason He had to come at all, and rescue us, was because of the mess that our own human strategy, pride and arrogance had gotten us into. Sometimes a bit of humility goes a very long way.

Day 24 Ruslan and Ruslana Mandziuk

Ruslan Pastors the church plant at Pochaiv (Puchayiv). It is a small historical city, now a semi-rural hub settlement. It has a current population of around 8,000, but due to its vast and imposing Monastary (the largest Eastern Orthodox in Ukraine), (Puchayiv, Lavra) receives temporary visitors on pilgrimages that boost this considerably. 

 This megastructure is also megabusiness, with numerous suovenir stalls, cafes, farms and trades (painters, builders, cleaners etc) all connected to the web of income.  In the shadow of this, can be found a quiet side road, where believers who have a personal relationship with Jesus meet, and share the gospel of grace, with those tired of battling with dead religion. This family and church declare the good news of great freedom and joy, that we are loved not becuase of the rules we can keep or the fees we can pay, (the homage we make or the icons we come to repeatedly), but because of what the divine man CHRIST JESUS has done in completion for us at the cross. He alone is acceptable worship before God, he is unmatchable in moral perfection, historicaly untainted in holiness and eternally accepted as our great representative.  He alone has resurection power to change our hearts. He alone gives peace, certainty and Joy with God.

^{Colossians 3:14} And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  

¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. 

And be thankful.

THANK GOD for Ruslan, Ruslana and their two girls. Praise God that he has not only put them in this strategic place to serve Him, but he has preserved them and enabled them during these last few very difficult months.

• Thank God for Ruslana's work as a medic, and her nursing care for all those with coronavirus. 
• Pray for their recovery of health, energy and vitality. Sadly the family caught the virus, and for over a month, church remained online only (their home is also where the church meet). Praise God that they have regained a measure of health, but for Ruslana especially recovery has been slow (with lack of taste and smell etc).
• The congregation they serve has both mature and young people. Sadly however there are less in the middle agegroups, and this obviously presents a financial challenge for the church, (few earners). Praise God that Ruslan has a new job which is full time and this has enabled him to support the church through this difficult time. Sadly however this obviously increases busyness, with early starts, long days and late evenings preparing for ministry (not condusive to recovery after significant illness.)
  
  
  There are also a number in the congregation who need care (those with severe sight impairments, live alone or have a measure of dissability and illness.)
  
• Pray for RUSLAN in his situation:
• That God will give him the time, energy and grace to serve the church in the preaching of the gospel, and the love of Christ. Pray for spiritual refreshment amidst long days.
  
• Pray that younger men / young team will be raised up to share the burden of this church work and leadership.
• That as the next season develops there will be an increase in flexibility to serve the church, see youth work develop again. Pray for Ruslan's ongoing financial and time needs.
  

• Pray for youth work in the church. This has been a tough time for many young people who need their friends, especially Christian ones. Pray for a closeness between the young people to grow, for  spiritual encouragement and help to get through these winter months, and for great opportunities in the Spring, with actitivies and camps to resume.
• Pray for many that Ruslan and Ruslana have shared the gospel with during this time of great opportunity. Pray for a number of local folk who have sought out certainty and truth. Also pray for those who have been interested in the past, but during lockdown seemed to have grown cold spiritually as they've settled for comfort, and the "safety" of what they have known. May God awaken their hearts to see that only in Him are they trully safe, that joy and our true home is found in him, the bible and his people.

 

I praise God for Ruslan. In a world which is geared for the instant fix, I thank God for my brothers' stickability and patience in what God has called him and his family to. May he be helped in extraordinary ways through a time of extraordinary testing, and in future days to come rejoice at what God was doing. Thank God we serve one who knows our needs (Psalm 139:4, Matt 6:6-8) and will supply (Phil 4:19).

If you would like to help encourage this fledgeling church and ministry with a gift, we can help you arrange this.  Continue to pray for this significant church and team in God's plans, as we see k to encourage them and look to grow the gospel throughout the region, into rural heartlands. 

 

Ruslan and the area team at the AUUAECB (evangelical churches baptist) conference in Kiev (with Antonyuk Valeriy Stepanovych and Igor Bandura)