Before He Dies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few days ago, after Diana’s gymnastic practice, as we were exiting the gymnasium we happened upon an acquaintance of ours – a father of one of the other little gymnasts. Evidently he was waiting for his daughter, and was whiling the time away, leaning nonchalantly against the cold metal wall of the gymnasium auspiciously puffing away on a cigarette. We greeted one another and chatted for a few minutes before parting ways. As Diana and I headed out to the parking lot to our mini-van, Diana made an astute observation, “ Papa, that man must not be a Christian, huh?” “Well, Diana, I honestly don’t think that he is,” I replied. “We should tell him about Jesus shouldn’t we?” I posed a rhetorical question. “How about you do it.” she replied. She hesitated for a moment before adding, “You should tell him before he dies.”

 

Unfortunately, Russia is rife with smokers. A guest from the States once told me that Russia is a smoker’s paradise, since a pack of quality cigarettes only costs around $1.00. Since smoking people are all around us, Inga and I often have to respond to our children’s comments and questions about smokers and smoking. Obviously, it is our desire that our children realize that smoking is a deadly, nasty bondage, and, therefore, never engage in it. So, we have instructed them that smoking will hurt one’s body and eventually even destroy it. When asked why one would smoke when one knows it will kill oneself, we often reply, “They probably smoke because they don’t know Jesus, or they don’t know that Jesus died on the cross so they could be free from sin.” We are careful not to let our children think that smoking alone will send someone to hell, yet at the same time we want them to realize how harmful it is. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising to me that Diana assumed our smoking acquaintance: 1) didn’t know Jesus, and 2) was in grave physical danger. Her simple words impacted me greatly.

 

I believe that there is only one sin that will send one to hell, and that is unbelief, namely, unbelief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Jesus stated in John 3:18 that he who does not believe in the name of the Son of God is condemned. Yes, unbelief is the only sin that condemns the unbeliever. Smoking, as awful as it is, will not condemn to eternal death, for if the smoker comes to Jesus and believes in Him, he will receive forgiveness of every sin and be washed whiter than snow. So the issue of eternal life or eternal death rests solely in believing or not believing in Jesus Christ!

 

“New” Super Mario Bros. for NDS

It was one of those ‘passion of the moment’ purchases. A friend of ours, Derrick, took me to a famous electronics clearance house in Singapore to check out all the fabulous deals, and specifically, to pick up a portable hard disc for our family. As we browsed through the delightful electronic shops, eyes ablaze with excitement and desire, we happened upon a shop specializing in computer game systems. Interestingly, the Lord miraculously delivered me from addiction to computer games over five years ago (that’s another story for another time), and since then I haven’t had even an inkling of desire to fire up the ol’ joystick. But when I entered into that store, all of a sudden a wild desire came upon me to purchase some type of game system for my kids. You can be sure that my motives were of the purest sort.

Up till this point in time, we hadn’t allowed our kids to play computer games of any kind, so this was really a big step for me. I stepped hesitantly up to the counter and asked the shopman what game system he would recommend for children ages 4-7. To make a long story short, he sold me a Nintendo DS Lite handheld game system. This entry isn’t about the NDS itself, but let me tell you, so far I am really impressed with it. It certainly does seem to be the right choice for young children, yet is outrageously fun even for adults.

One of the games that we have acquired for our NDS is the “New” Super Mario Bros. It caught my eye due to the nostalgic vibes it was emitting. The original Super Mario Bros. game was the first computer game I ever played in my life, at the tender age of 12, and it holds a special place in my heart. So it came as no surprise that the “new” version captured my attention. Even better than that, it exceeded my expectations.

It’s hard to improve on a classic, but in my opinion Nintendo has managed to do so with its “New” Super Mario Bros. game. The levels are familiar, yet are upgraded graphically (no surprise here) along with new twists and goodies. The real genius of the game is its retention of the elements that made the original game great which have been combined with new features which pump fresh blood into it. In other words, the designers managed to keep the game true to its roots, while at the same time adding just enough new features to keep it interesting and current.

I won’t go into more detail about the game itself, but I will say that this game is an excellent form of entertainment for children (Adults too!) – a great choice as a first “serious” game to start with. Don’t be deceived by the thought that this game is just a boring remix of the original game – it’s fresh and loads of fun! If you don’t own this game yet, treat yourself and your kids and get it!

Muck and Mire

The most unpopular task at church is emptying the porta-potti tank after a week of vigorous use. As of now, we still don’t have indoor plumbing at the church and have to result to self-contained methods of waste-management. So, every week some very fortunate soul has to detach the 20 liter (read 45 lb.) waste tank from the main unit, carry it to the far end of the property, and carefully pour the unsavory contents onto the welcoming soil. Not only is it heavy work, it’s smelly, and leaves one with a vile taste in the mouth. Still, it is absolutely vital and I can’t imagine what we would do if no one conceded to do it.

It brings to mind the incredible sacrifice that Christ made when He left the realms of heavenly glory and entered into a world stained with the filth of sin. It was a thankless task. The Bible tells us that He came to His own and His own rejected Him, though He came to save them from eternal death. It was a heavy task. Jesus took upon Himself the weight of the sins of the world when He ascended Golgotha to the cross. Our minds cannot grasp what it meant for the Son of God to be made sin with our sin. Every fiber of His holy being repulsed the awful burden, yet He took it anyway. He performed the most vile task imaginable, to save us forever. It is His blood which cleanses us from ALL sin. When we consider His sacrifice, thankfulness and love well up in our hearts, and our knees bow down to worship Him.

More Than Enough

Before we installed the church’s new entry gate with its electric-magnetic lock (I love the sound of that!), we called the lock company several times and asked them to tell us exactly what type of electric wires we needed to install in order for the lock to function properly. The thing is, the gate is about thirty feet away from the church building and in order to run electricity out to it, we had to dig a channel through the earth from the church to the gate and run a wire through it via a metal conduit. Obviously, since we were going to have to go to the effort of digging such a channel, we wanted to make certain that we ran enough wires through it, so we wouldn’t risk having to dig up the conduit again to run any additional wires. So, we contacted the lock company and they confirmed several times that we needed to run two separate wires out to the gate and that they would be more than sufficient. Based on this information, we went to the colossal effort of digging the channel by hand and running the wires to the gate.

Imagine our surprise when the lock installation man, incidentally from the same lock company mentioned above, arrived at the church to install the lock and matter-of-factly   told us that two wires weren’t enough; we needed three! I was shocked. To make matters worse, it proved impossible to run a third wire through the conduit the other two wires ran through. There was nothing left to do, but dig another channel by hand and install the additional wires, this time with several surplus wires. The blisters on my hand are proof of the difficulty of such a job. Disappointing as it was, this incident taught me a valuable lesson -  often times it is wisdom to add a little ‘extra’ beyond what is called for. If we had installed a third wire ‘just to be sure’ to begin with, we would never have suffered from the mis-information we received from the lock company.

We have a God who is a God of abundance; a God who does more than enough. When God is serving out the drinks, the cups always end up filled AND running over. This was shown in the New Testament incident when Jesus turned water into wine and provided the wedding party with ample wine of the finest quality. God doesn’t just meet our needs, He also fulfills the desires of our hearts. By the same token, if we are to imitate Him, we will in turn bless others generously out of abundance, instead of miserly out of lack. So, in life, consider adding that little extra, and see how it will go a long ways!

Just Him

Once, during a time of mental anguish when it felt as if my soul was melting in despair I wrote a respected ministry friend of mine and asked for some council. Though I secretly hoped that he would express sympathy for me and stroke my raw and wounded emotions, I knew that most likely he would send me a pre-packaged solution basically consisting of ridding myself of the source of the problem and spending copious amounts of time in the Word and prayer. I was wrong on both accounts. He didn’t stroke my emotions and, surprisingly enough didn’t prescribe the spiritual version of “two aspirins and go to back to sleep”. What he said was much simpler, and it frustrated me; he said, “What you need to do is look to Jesus.” After reading this, I was self-righteously indignant. “How dare he write ‘Just look to Jesus’ when he knows how serious my problem is? I need something concrete, something that will help.”

After a while, my dissatisfaction over my friend’s response subsided, though the problem did not. It remained like a tooth ache; not a sharp pain, but a lingering, throbbing one. Thereafter, one fine day, I was listening to a sermon about Jesus, in other words – looking to Him, when something amazing happened inside me. All of a sudden my pain disappeared and relief came. I was shocked. I saw Jesus in a new, glorious light and it set me free. Suddenly, I realized that my friend was right, I didn’t need a spiritual prescription or a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, I just needed Jesus and Him alone.

Might I suggest to you today, that what you need, rather, who you need is Jesus. Look to Him and be saved!

Slip and Slide

Most of my computer data is back-upped on a portable hard drive. The hard drive itself is actually the type that is used in laptop computers and is quite small. It fits inside a metal case that not only protects the hard drive itself but also adds functions such a USB and AV ports, SD card reader, and player controls. It’s quite a handy little gadget.

Yesterday evening, I was working on my computer with the hard drive attached via USB cable. Upon finishing my work. I shut down the computer and the hard drive. Then, I placed the hard drive on top of my laptop’s closed screen, which, incidentally, is wrapped in a slick plastic protective shell. From there I proceeded to carry my laptop with the hard drive perched on top from one room to another through a dark corridor. In the dark, I lost my bearings for a split second and leaned to my right. That slight lean was all that was needed to set the hard drive into motion, and I watched in horror as it slipped across the slick plastic shell it was resting on and crashed on to the floor which a sickening “Whop!”

Instantly, I scooped the hard drive off the floor, re-booted the computer, and re-connected the drive to the computer to test what damage had been done. Instead of the smooth whir and beep indicating a healthy status, the hard drive simply clicked forlornly away like a broken record. The hard drive was dead! All information on it was as good as gone. One tiny mistake, one little misstep and the hard drive was doomed.

The good news is that I can always replace the hard drive. But what if instead of hard drives this article was written about people? Many Christians sadly believe that one little slip, one mistake, one sin, will set them hurtling downwards to be dashed upon the rocks of God’s wrath and displeasure – their salvation damaged beyond repair. Thank God, that though true about hard drives, this concept is untrue about both people and God! If you believe in Jesus Christ, you are secure in His mighty hands. He will never drop you; He loves you. You possess eternal life. It is greater than any sin or mistake you could make. You are secure in the hands of Jesus for He is perfect and it is He who is holding you, not you holding yourself.

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:28

I Admit It

You may or may not be aware that mass media, primarily televised news, in Russia is almost entirely state-controlled. In other words, what most people see and hear on TV is precisely what the Kremlin wants them to hear and see. Incidentally, the Kremlin plays the key role in forming public opinion about everything ranging from whether people’s pensions should be raised to Russia’s relationship with the United States. Since they have media control, naturally, they tend not to paint themselves in a bad light. For example, you will never see a leading Russian politician doing something that looks foolish or embarrassing on Russian TV, unless, of course, he/she have fallen out of grace with the establishment. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to ever find a single mistake of any kind being made by these venerable men. Is this because they are flawless? I think we all know the answer to that.

So far, the official line being broadcasted in Russia nationwide concerning the world-wide financial crisis and its affects on Russia has mostly been positive to the point of naivety. (For instance – “the crisis has bypassed us for the most part and will not affect us much.”) Now, I am all for positivity, but also highly value the truth regardless of its nature. However, just the other day, my wife, Inga, managed to see a newscast during which the president, finally admitted that Russia had been hit hard by the crisis and there was no end in sight. This is a bitter-sweet truth. Bitter, in the sense that many people have suffered because of the crisis and the end is not yet in sight. Sweet, in the sense that the truth of the situation has finally come to light and therefore steps to recovery can be taken – disillusionment has been expelled, if you will.

The good news for us believers in Jesus Christ is that our needs are met by the riches of God’s glory through Christ Jesus. We are not dependent on the world and its economic system. We live by faith in the Son of God, not by the whims of the stock market.

Yet, there is another point I’d like to make: we should not shirk from the truth. Sin is not a pretty thing; it certainly isn’t positive. Still it is true that thousands of people are dead in their sins and hastening towards eternal condemnation. Though it pains to admit that one is a sinner, it is imperative that one sees his life in the light of Truth (All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God) and see one’s need for a Savior (He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him). Knowing this truth and acting on it will set one free from sin and eternal condemnation. So no matter how much it may offend our tender emotions, the truth is what we need.

Isn’t it good to know that Jesus Himself is The Truth! It is comforting to know that the Truth is not a cold, detached, impersonal entity that doesn’t care for us, but rather, is a warm, loving, caring Saviour that longs to meet our every need. When the truth is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ, it will always produce hope. For instance, the truth may be that one is an unregenerate sinner, but in Christ, the truth not only reveals this fact, but provides a way of salvation – whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life! Thank God for the truth.

Dog Tales

A large Caucasian shepherd, who is often mistaken for a bear, has the distinction of being the church’s prime guard. He bears the noble name of “Milord” in the true British sense of the expression. Milord came into our possession as a pound of round, furry, adorable, puppy flesh and has since grown into mammoth proportions. Our once amicable chum has become a serious-minded defender of the realm, literally armed to the teeth. While he does recognize familiar faces, he doesn’t hesitate to lunge and snap viciously at terrified passerby’s. The thought of Milord roaming freely around the neighborhood tailed by a loose strand of broken chain dangling from his neck has been the main subject of at least several nightmares. Unfortunately, this nightmare became reality a few days ago.

It was Saturday evening and I had pulled up to the church to pray in my office and make final preparations for Sunday’s services. For some reason, before I entered the office, I decided to take a detour around to the back of the property and check on the general state of things. As I ambled leisurely around the corner of the church I saw Milord snuffling around on the ground and thought nothing much of it. After all, he was roughly in the same place that he is usually chained up at. Still, something just didn’t seem right about his unusually jaunty attitude, and this caused me to take a closer look. To my horror, I discovered that he was completely free from his chain! It had snapped in twain and he was on the loose.

As soon as Milord spied me, he bolted for the far end of the property, dashed through a gap in our unfinished fence and disappeared into the weeds of the vacant lot directly behind our property. After a period of concentrated effort, we managed to lure him back with chunks of fresh bread. However, ignorance reigned concerning how to hook him back up to his broken chain. Finally, after praying awhile in the spirit, the idea came to me that we could use a padlock to act as the missing link between the broken chain and Milord’s collar. One of our church staff, Ira Malcheva, in an act of outrageous heroism managed to placate Milord with additional tidbits of dog food while at the same time secretly poking the end of the padlock bolt through the last link in the chain and then looping it through Milord’s collar  and finally snapping it shut to complete the circuit. Milord never noticed till it was too late and Ira was safely out of reach. We were saved!

There exists an erroneous doctrine that the devil is a mad dog attached to leash held in God Almighty’s hand. When God sovereignly decides to exact punishment upon the heads of the condemned, He lets slip the mad dog who proceeds to rend and tear till the damage is done and he is reeled back in under strict control. This teaching makes God out to be a shameless fiend intent on getting in every lick He can on disobedient man. What an outrage! Does it not do disgrace to the perfect work of redemption Jesus lovingly wrought through His death, burial, resurrection and ascension? Jesus is our Savior and there is no place for condemnation in Him. Be assured, the devil is no mad dog the likes of our Milord. A more accurate depiction of him would be that of a broken serpent with a crushed head, toothless, writhing pitifully in the dust under the mighty feet of the Body of Christ! All the serpent is capable of today is to hiss lies and deceptions through his broken fangs in hopes that some child of God will stoop down to his level and give ear to his falsehoods. Don’t listen to him. Don’t stoop to his level. Stay right where you should be: positioned in Christ at the right hand of God in heavenly places. Fill your ears with the word of Christ and ignore the weak rustlings of the defeated foe under your feet.

Stumped

It’s time to change the gate that provides entrance to the church’s property. We have already ordered a handsome, metal gate with an electric-magnetic lock and an intercom system which will enable us to unlock the gate by simply pressing a button from inside the office. In preparation for the new gate, we have determined to pour a smooth, level concrete pad under the gate so that pedestrians won’t have to slog through a mud puddle  as they walk past the new gate. The only obstacle to pouring the pad was a sawed-off, old stump poking up about seven inches from the ground in the direct vicinity of the future pad. The prospect of uprooting an old stump was so daunting that we put it off for almost three years, till at last, there remained no other options but to remove it.

Today, armed with a shovel, steel bar, and wheel barrow I went to work at extricating the stump. After digging around it to a depth of two feet or so, I couldn’t help but notice that the stump was rather unusual. For one, it was perfectly smooth and had no roots attached to it. Further digging revealed that it was sunk into the ground to a depth of only about three feet. After much scraping, digging, and prying, when I finally managed to extract this unwilling pest from the ground, it became apparent that it was no stump at all, but rather a very large post that had been planted in the ground, probably to support some long gone fence.

As I finally pried the old, rotten molar out of its nesting place and rolled it out of the way, I couldn’t help but praise the Lord that it was indeed a post and not a stump. It also dawned on me that if we had known its identity earlier we probably would have dug it up years ago.  Its deceptive appearance led us to believe that it was a more serious threat than it actually turned out to be.

Jesus has defeated ALL of our enemies. He did it for us. He did all the work. He suffered the blows. He gave us His victory. When these defeated foes poke their heads up out of the ground and try to intimidate us by their presence, it would do well for us to remember that their perceived threat is a deception. They are posts, not stumps. They have been defeated. Jesus gave you the victory. You are victorious in Christ. Don’t fear them. The truth is, they fear you, for you are in Christ!

Is it a stump?

After all was said and done

The price of paint!

One of the most frustrating things we encounter at the church, actually, in life in general, is trying to get accurate price information on things we wish to purchase. This might seem like one of the smaller, “proverbial” pebbles in the shoe, but somehow it always manages to position itself right at the tenderest spot where it causes the most discomfort. For instance, today, we needed to buy some more green paint for the fence that we are constructing around the church’s property. Consequently, we called up the nearest hardware store and asked if they had green paint in stock and how much it cost. We were told that the paint was in stock and its price. As it turns out, we might as well have spent the time wasted on that phone call doing something constructive such as counting the number of granules in a cubic centimeter of sand from the children’s ministry’s sand box.

When we arrived at the store to buy our green paint, we were informed by a rather phlegmatic store employee that not only did they not have the green paint, but it cost 30% more than we were originally told. Our only option was to order the paint at a premium price. Needless to say, misinformation can be a source of major frustration and disappointment.

Isn’t it wonderful that when we come to the Word of God we can be certain that we will  never receive anything misleading from it! Every one of God’s promises is sure, and He is always faithful to make them good in our lives. In fact, Jesus said that He was the TRUTH. When you turn to Jesus you’ll never be disappointed. He not only is faithful to bless you with exactly what He promised, He blesses us abundantly with even more than we ask for. Now, that’s a deal that you can’t beat.