n the words of the Apostle Paul: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you”! Yesterday, during our Sunday service, as I was rocking my son to sleep in my arms I counted the people in our gathering. I counted thirty-eight people not including children. Some of the attendants were not our members, yet God entrusted them to us and we preached the gospel to them and we continue influencing their lives with the gospel.
Among the people there were Sergey and Yelena, a couple whom I have written about before. When I think about them I struggle with feeling helpless at times. Only God knows how they are still together. They are without a solid foundation in Christ and have no stability in their relationship due to sin. For now I continue to take them through the gospel and help them to apply it to their lives. I am coming to the conclusion that Yelena is “Christianized” but not saved. Her religiousness is instigated by the fact she was born and raised in a famous Baptist family. As of today they live in Tyumen, thus our meetings are conducted via Skype and emails. I also send them reading material on the subject of marriage and offered them to read two books. But what good is it going to do without the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit in their hearts? Oh Lord, for your name’s sake, for the glory of Your gospel – put the enemy to shame and wake the mind, the senses, and the will of Sergey and Yelena to submit to you and to your perfect will!
Though there are difficulties, like the one mentioned above, there are also blessings. Just yesterday, three people in our meeting publicly announced that they want to join and become members of our church. It is a family – Tolya and Inessa, and a husband of a believing sister – Sergey Baglikov. Praise the Lord!
I continue to teach Soteriology in our bible school, and also lead a men’s group on Tuesdays. My dear brother Alexander Lionnikov and I had resumed our prayer meetings. We pray for the church, for the servants from other churches, for the ministry of evangelism. In December the Lord sent me many opportunities for evangelism, mainly at work. When I was going from door to door there were people that wanted me to stay and answer their questions. Not long ago a young man, I wrote about 3-4 years ago, called me. His name is Denis. When he fell out of a tall building and lived he ended up paralyzed. I visited him in the hospital and served him. Later I lost all contact with him, so I thought he had died. But now he called and asked me to meet with him. Pray that the Lord would bless my meeting with Denis.
Please pray:
- For my personal humility, that I would submit myself to His will.
- For the courage and selflessness in preaching the gospel to my family, and to those who are around me.
- For the salvation of those I teach, for the bible school to be useful in the church. Pray
- For a fervent desire in the church, to preach the Word of God.
