Entire Families Coming to Christ in a Closed Islamic State!

The following is from Pastor Ridon, who ministers in a closed Islamic country. He wrote the letter and translated it to English, and we only made edits to mask his identity. Please read, pray, and if you would like to help Pastor Ridon purchase a van, printer, or guitar, click here to donate. Thank you!

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Dear brothers,

Peace and grace to you! I thank the Lord for your kind hearts. I thank you for your sacrifice too.

My family and I continue to serve the Lord. We don’t have special needs. We keep praying for you and your families that you don’t have needs too. Also we pray that God gives us His grace to help each other and be good coworkers to share the Gospel. Because of your support I got married, sister could have a surgery, and we could help our parents. Also my wife continues her studies. The main thing is that your support helps me to do my ministry here in my country.

Our ministry continues to grow. Recently two men were converted to Christ. After that I said to them that their families have to follow for the fathers. One man has led his family to our church. He has a wife and two children. All family was converted to Christ. We are going to baptize them in March or April. Other man led his daughter only. She does not repent yet but she is with us now. Praise to the Lord that 5 people did join us this year. Now we have 17 people including children.

I have the great plans for next year. I would like to start a seminary. One pastor has suggested me to do it together because he has same vision. He is from another country and does not speak my language. He invited me to create a program for seminary. I did not give my answer to this pastor yet. I began to think and pray to understand God’s will. As you know it is no easy to do it here in my country. Please keep me in your prayers.

Prayer requests:

1. Thanksgiving to God for this year. He has blessed us abundantly.
2. Please continue to pray for the van. It is very important to have it for our ministry.
3. Please pray for a printer and guitar. We visit many places so it would be good to have the guitar.
4. Please pray for my family. As you know my sister had the surgery so she needs you prayer for her health. Also pray for good health of my wife and parents.

Thank you again for your great help and support of our ministry.

There are wise men came from the East. On December, 25 we have demonstrated the performance of Christmas. The all adults were involved for this performance. It was very interesting.

No Temptation: A Christian Response to the Annexation of the Crimea

No Temptation: A Christian Response to the Annexation of the Crimea by the Russian Federation

Part I in a series by Reverend Blake Purcell, SRS Field Director

While I recover from some of the most interesting and fruitful three weeks of ministry in our 25 years in the USSR and Russia, I began to think about Crimea in light of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  The third habit is to listen in order to understand, not to answer.  In teaching our course on missiology last week I realized that I needed to understand where our Russian speaking pastors are coming from in their view of Russia’s recent actions in the Ukraine.  It dawned on me that their situation is a lot like the situation the Southern Presbyterian Church was in in the mid-1800's leading up to our War Between the States.  

In the South in the USA in 1861, public opinion was so strong for slavery that the Church was unwilling to honestly study the question in the light of scripture, and therefore blindly followed popular opinion.  The South practiced self-censoring on slavery and the Church quickened her nation’s destruction.  (More on this in another blog.)

Russia now seems to be all for the annexation of Crimea and the Church, Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic, here has largely been silent.  Self-censoring is going on and a huge propaganda war is playing out in the almost-all state controlled newspapers and television of Russia.  

Christian response #1: Acknowledge All Strong Nations Are Equally Tempted

In my course last week I was able to not only let the Russian pastors know that my American South has been in a similar situation, but that all large and powerful nations are met with similar temptations.  

Paul said in I Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you but that which is common to man; God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will always provide a way out, that you may be able to endure it.  

Temptations of nations that are stronger militarily than their neighbors will always be similar to those warned against in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.  Nations that multiply weapons of war, sex objects and money will always lift up their heart against their brothers in neighboring nations.

Christian response #2: Remember that we (America) has sinned in this area of life

This is exactly what American president James K. Polk did in 1846 with our poorer and weaker neighbor nation Mexico.  Half of Mexico, called the Northern Territory, at that point in time made up of west Texas,  and what was to become the states of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California and more.  Many Americans believed in “manifest destiny”, that is, that God had ordained America to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and any action on our part to take that land was sanctioned by God.  President Polk offered to buy this huge Northern Territory of Mexico for 30 million dollars, but when this was rejected by Mexico, he sent troops to the border area with Mexico hoping that some pretense would arise that could be used to justify an invasion of Mexico.  One soon occurred and he invaded in 1847.

Never did he dream that the Mexicans would not sell the land, nor allow themselves to be invaded without fighting the Americans until they could fight no more.  Polk could not imagine that this land of mass poverty would have the temerity and gall to not sell half of their territory and lay down passively when invaded.   America ended up having to send an Army all the way to Mexico City and fight in 4 major battles which caused the invading soldiers 30% mortality from disease and battle.  

America, therefore was tempted to invade her weaker neighbor, and she did it, eventually convincing Mexico to sell her territory for only 15 million dollars.  (The very next year, 1849, gold was discovered in California, which may have caused the price to go up about 1,000 fold.)

America was tempted and gave into temptation and committed a national crime.

Christian Response #3: Open debate and judgment on any issues of national morality must take place in that nation’s church

In so identifying our actions I am diverging from the pattern we see here in Russia now with the annexation of Crimea.  Because in U.S. Congress in 1847 there actually was opposition to this war that was debated in the open and published in the newspapers.  

Wikipedia on this war states:

Among the most vocal opposing the war in the House of Representatives was John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts. Adams had first voiced concerns about expanding into Mexican territory in 1836 when he opposed Texas annexation. He continued this argument in 1846 for the same reason. War with Mexico would add new slavery territory to the nation. When the vote to go to war with Mexico came to a vote on May 13, Adams spoke a resounding "NO" in the chamber. Only 13 others followed his lead…Joshua Giddings led a group of dissenters in Washington D.C. He called the war with Mexico “an aggressive, unholy, and unjust war,” and voted against supplying soldiers and weapons. He said:

In the murder of Mexicans upon their own soil, or in robbing them of their country, I can take no part either now or hereafter. The guilt of these crimes must rest on others. I will not participate in them.

Fellow Whig Abraham Lincoln contested the causes for the war and demanded to know exactly where Thornton (the commander of the troops in the incident used as an excuse for invasion) had been attacked and American blood shed. “Show me the spot,” he demanded.

Whig leader Robert Toombs of Georgia declared: This war is nondescript.... We charge the President with usurping the war-making power ... with seizing a country ... which had been for centuries, and was then in the possession of the Mexicans.... Let us put a check upon this lust of dominion. We had territory enough, Heaven knew.

…Acting on his convictions, Henry David Thoreau was jailed for his refusal to pay taxes to support the war, and penned his famous essay Civil Disobedience.

Here is where the analogy to America’s history with Mexico and Russia’s with Crimea breaks down.  In our system, though it did not stop our sin, it did clearly identify it and appears to have kept us in check in the future as this was the only war for purely territorial gain in our history.  In our open system of debate in Congress, and Congress having to back the president in order to send troops, and in our freedom of the press, national sins are called that, at least by a vocal few.  

No such freedom of the press now exists in Russia, and the annexation of Crimea has not been labeled a sin by any group of politicians or churches that I know of.  But the Bible requires Christians to judge all things, I Corinthians 2:15, and to expose evil, Ephesians 5:11. Therefore, for this debate to take place Russian Christians are going to have to dig and risk to find out the truth in this whole situation.  

Christian Response #4: Embrace that perceptions of wrongdoing matter

And here is where the 7 Habits kick in again.  Stephen Covey asserts the obvious.  Perceptions matter!  Until perceptions are dealt with, they function as realities.  In Acts 24:16, Paul says he has to take pains to have a clear conscience toward God and man.  Why “pains”? Because we have to prove to men that what we say and do is just and honest. The perception of men counts.

The European nations and USA now perceive that Russia’s annexation of Crimea has all the marks of the USA’s getting half of Mexico by extortion in 1848.  Until those perceptions are dealt with nothing will change.   And those nations have raised a cry as did John Quincy Adams in 1847 in Congress.  “No” they have said to Russia, and they are voting with sanctions.   Perceptions matter. It is not just the end result that matters, but how we go about it that matters.  Ends do not justify the means to men made in God’s image.  Never have, never will.

In my next blog I will consider how the 7 Habits (found in Scripture) could have lead America to a better way in 1847, and Russia today.  Before I write it I hope to read what our Russian pastors have written on this issue to try to better understand them.   May God bring us Shalom!

Sowing and Reaping

"Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."      Matthew 13:8

Fertile soil for Him and for others

In the 13th Chapter of Matthew, Jesus, teaching beside the sea, tells a very large crowd about the parable of the sower. While the purpose of the parable was not to teach common-sense agricultural practices (it was to hide the secrets of the kingdom from some and reveal them to others), nevertheless, the facts Jesus presented about plant growth were also true. Seeds sown on fertile soil are more likely to take root and prosper, just like God's word, the "seed" in this parable, will flourish in the heart of the believer. Jesus could speak truths about His eternal kingdom using examples from nature because His attributes are revealed in what He made (Romans 1:20).

But what does this have to do with a chart of Per Capita GDP, or Gross Domestic Product? And why is there such an enormous difference between the USA's GDP, the country that provides the most support for SRS' efforts, and the former Soviet Union countries that SRS ministers to?

The answer to that second question is complex, but if you keep reading the parable of the sower, Jesus says in verse 12 "For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." Does God's word have anything to say about the differences in material fruitfulness of nations, or is it only referring to spiritual fruits?

Over the past few months, we've posted country comparison charts of national fertility rates, AIDS infection rates, and degree of corruption. Take some time to study those charts, then study this one on GDP again. What do you think, are low productivity, low fertility, high corruption and high AIDS rates signs of a humble and obedient nation or one in rebellion against God?

Climbing out of the darkness (and keeping from falling further into it)

While Americans spend a lot of time bemoaning our country's problems (which we should), I think it is helpful to occasionally lift our heads from our sometimes obsessive naval-gazing and take a look around. When I look at these charts of present-day statistics, and reflect on the history of our nations (USA and USSR), it seems pretty obvious that many in the USA are fighting to keep from descending into an abyss of rebellion against God, while many in the former Soviet Union are trying to help their countries crawl out of the dark and into the Light.

America continues descending downward from her Christian heritage, the first country to declare as self-evident the biblical truth that all men were created equal (Proverbs 22:2, Ephesians 6:9, etc.) and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. And former Soviet Union citizens are climbing upwards from a 20th Century tar pit where atheism was considered the national religion, and tens of millions were tortured, murdered and/or sent to the gulag (prison labor camp) for things as random as simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time when security officers were in need of someone to fill their monthly quota of prisoners.

Changing the world, loving others, sharing the harvest

So, what do you think? Can our obedience to Christ change this world for His glory in a measurable way? Well, can a hard-working farmer turn a barren field into productive farmland? Yes! God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that if His people "humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Pastor Kirill Treschetka's family harvesting potatoes earlier this Fall.
Kirill is pastor of Freedom in Christ Presbyterian Church, Kavalerovo, Russia.

When we humble ourselves and repent, by God's grace we really can change things. We will want to flee from corruption, because the Lord detests false measurements, but He delights in accurate measures (Proverbs 11:1). We will want to be more productive, bearing more fruit, and sharing with others, simply because He said "go" and do these things(Genesis 1:26-28, Matthew 28:19-20). But we will also know our salvation in Christ is a guarantee of our eternal life (John 3:16), not our present material comfort. In this present life, we, like Paul, must labor "according to the grace of God given to me." (I Corinthians 3:10).

Does the average American Christian reading this have an obligation to share some of their material blessings to help their Christian brothers and sisters in the former Soviet Union build productive and God-glorifying families, churches and communities, uniting our different cultures in Christ? Well, that's between you and God, but if He puts it on your heart to financially support SRS and it's work in the former Soviet Union, then click here. And thank you!

Finally, above and beyond material support, you can provide spiritual support every day by praying for the ministry of SRS. Thank you for reading, and thanks for praying for SRS!

Update on Olga Moroz, October 2014

SRS received this update on Olga's tuberculosis (TB) recovery from Pastor Ruslan Moroz, Olga's husband:

Ruslan and Olga Moroz, October, 2014

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Dear brothers,

We thank God and are thankful to all of you for your participation in our needs. We thank you for your prayers and contributions for medical care of Olga.

Olga has been treated (chemotherapy) for 5 month already. She is much better. The hole in her lung has decreased from 5 cm to 1 cm. The process of healing continues. Olga is going to have next test in December. When doctors see result of test, they will decide for surgery. We hope that we will do without surgery.

As doctor says there are two ways to get healing. The first, If the walls of cavity are thin, they will close to make a scar. It will be complete healing. The second, when body fights against bacteria and surround them by strong ring, bacteria cannot go out. It is good but the medicine cannot kill them too. In this case, the hole cannot be closed so it will be a seal surrounded by bacteria – like a cavern. In this case, it will need a surgery. If you don’t do the surgery, there is the risk of rupture the cavern, and then everything will be very bad. We hope and pray that her test in December will be good and Olga has no surgery. We believe that God will heal her.

Here in Russia doctors have big experience to treat this disease but the conditions for tubercular patients are very bad. For example, if a homeless man gets a place in TB dispensary for treatment, then this place becomes his home where he can have bread and roof. 99% of patients in TB dispensary are either homeless, drug addicts, former prisoners, streetwalkers and etc. Clinics have no private room and other conditions of life for normal patients. In during first of two month of treatment all patients are together in special rooms. Normal people get additional moral trauma in these conditions. In the past in Russia, this disease was considered socially disadvantaged people. Now everybody can get this disease. It is very sad but this is our reality. Also, if somebody has TB, many people will blame and avoid him.

Because of your prayers and support Olga has had a treatment in Korea. It was the first very important step. It was very good and blessed time for Olga to be in Korea to go through hard time, to get good examination of her problem, to prescribe right treatment, to defeat this disease morally and stand up on the way of recovering. Now she continues treatment and there is a positive result. We hope that the Lord will give His mercy further. He is our only Hope!

We thank all brothers and sisters for your prayers, support, care for and attention to us.

Let God bless you!

Love in Christ,

Ruslan & Olga.

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Please pray for Olga's complete healing. Click here if you would like to financially support Pastor Ruslan's church and family as he ministers in Far East Russia. Thank you for visiting our blog, and thank you for praying!

Pastor Yuri's Fall Newsletter

Please click here to read Pastor Yuri's Fall Newsletter and learn about the exciting doors God is opening for their church in Russia! Yuri is pastor of Reflection Reformed Presbyterian Church, a church planting effort of the Slavic Reformation Society in Dmitrov, Russia.

Pastor Levchenko prays for children

Pastor Yuri's prayer requests include numerical and spiritual growth for their church, a public place for worship, work for Yuri, and prayers for his family and especially his wife, Sveta, who began the adventure of homeschooling this Fall!

If you would like to financially support Pastor Levchenko and his church, click here. Under This is for, select Yuri Levchenko.

Thank you for visiting our blog and God bless,
David Shormann,
Secretary, SRS

On the Inside

The following is a message we recently received from Chaplain Prison Ministry director, Igor Krutogolov. God continues to open doors for Igor to work with prisoners. If you would like to support Chaplain Prison Ministry, click here. Under This is For, select Igor Krutogolov. Igor is a graduate of SRS' Biblical Theological Seminary.

Igor (left) speaks with administrators of Prison #4, Fornosovo, Leningrad Oblast.

God answered a longtime prayer of mine, I was appointed to the Public Monitoring Committee for the Leningrad Region of Prisons.  In this position I am able to visit prisons and jails and inspect the facilities, food and medical quality.   Then I meet with the prison director and we discuss any deficiencies and how they can be corrected.

In this capacity I am able to make a real difference in the prisoners’ lives both professionally and personally.  I am allowed to have unhindered conversations with the prisoners which is a real blessing and I have an insider position in the prison system.

I have already seen 2 great results—in one, after an inspection of a jail which had several violations I was able to convince the police chief to release a prisoner who was being unlawfully held.  In the second instance, I introduced the prison director to the local prison minister, Pastor Martunichev. Miraculously the prison director agreed to allow  Pastor Martunichev on the supervisory committee for the prison.  This position will give his ministry status at the prison as well as facilitate his ministry there.  God’s hand was obvious.

Pulling Down Strongholds: November Intensive Course Expanding toward Mecca!

Students and teachers at the Fall 2013 Intensive Course, St. Petersburg, Russia

By Evegeny Kruzhkov, Dean of Students for SRS Biblical Theological Seminary

In II Corinthians 10:4, the apostle Paul wrote that "our weapons of warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." In November, we plan to have our regular intensive course at the Biblical Theological Seminary, but with an exciting twist. Three of the men coming are from an Islamic Central Asian country where it is illegal for them to publicly worship Christ, much less attend seminary. 

One of these men, Ridon, will graduate soon and may be one of the first in his closed Muslim country to receive a Master of Divinity! He married a wonderful woman this summer and I was privileged to perform the (illegal) wedding ceremony in his home city. I have recently been invited to teach the book of Revelation in their country. What a privilege.

For this intensive course to happen 3-17 of November, we must begin buying plane tickets. There will be 15 pastors, elders and preachers coming from four countries (Russia, Latvia, Middle 

Asia, Kazakhstan). Among these will be 5 new students from Middle Asia, Moscow, Far East and 

St. Petersburg.

I will teach the book of Romans, and Seminary Director, Oleg Volkov, will teach The 

Structure of the Church and Discipline. Reverend Blake Purcell will teach on missiology, The 

University of World Peace. A special guest will be MTW’s European Director, Ken Matlak from 

Berlin, teaching on Developing Small Groups. Mission to the World (MTW) is the missionary sending agency of the Presbyterian Church in America.

We need to raise $15,000 starting today so that the November intensive course can take place and so Ridon's wife can also come and meet the wives of believers in St. Petersburg. If you would like to give a special gift to make our Fall 2014 Intensive Courses possible, click here to donate online. Next to This is for, select "seminary/general fund", and in the Message, type "November 2014 Intensive Course." If you would like to donate by check, click here for the address. We will keep the website and our Facebook updated on how the Lord provides for this need.

Pray for us to be faithful as the Lord continues to go ahead of us, opening a breach before us ((Micah 2:13), and pulling down mighty strongholds in the world.

Thank you and God bless,

Evegeny Kruzkhkov

Jesus Christ, the Hope of Declining Nations

Nations in Decline

A nation's fertility rate, or number of births per woman, is a key indicator of population trends. Also referred to as the replacement rate, if a nation's population is to remain stable, then, on average, a woman needs to have 2 children during her lifetime (one to replace the mother and one to replace the father). 

Unfortunately, in most former Soviet Union countries, the fertility rate is well below 2, with Ukraine having a despairingly low rate of 1.3. And although European and other Western countries are not shown, a little research will reveal to you that among Western countries with sustainable fertility rates, America is virtually alone. From East to West, nations are in decline.

Of the former Soviet Union countries that SRS currently ministers to, only Kazakhstan has a fertility rate above 2. Unfortunately, 70% of Kazakhs follow the "religion of peace," which, as this video of the Islamic State reveals, is not after peace, but like Satan the deceiver, is ultimately out to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

Every human being is created in God's image, which means every human is designed to be creative like Him. So a country with fewer people is a less creative country. And if it is less creative, it is less productive. And if it is less productive, it is poorer. And if it is poorer, it is less capable of defending itself from tyrants. 

One of God's first commands to humans was to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). And, to be clear, bearing fruit means a lot more than "have lots of children" (Galatians 5:22-23 for instance). So, while having more children may not be how God has called you and your spouse to bear fruit for His glory, it is safe to say that from East to West, many people, Christian men in particular, need to repent of self-centered ways, turn to Him, and put more effort into raising families for His glory.

And while we're on the subject of population decline, please pray for an end to the fighting between Russia and Ukraine. These are two diseased, corrupt, and infertile nations that any rational person can see have no business fighting petty wars. Fueled by propaganda and nationalistic pride on both sides, and Vladimir Putin's desire to relive the supposed "glory days" of the USSR, they are killing thousands, displacing hundreds of thousands, and making their countries less fruitful in the end.

Bearing fruit for His glory

But, with Jesus Christ, there is always hope, no matter how bad the statistics look! He is infinitely more powerful than numbers on a chart. With that said, praise the Lord for new fruit, such as the recent wedding of an SRS seminary student, living and pastoring a church in a closed Islamic country! And in the photo below is SRS graduate and Moscow area church planter, Yuri Levchenko and his family of 4. Pray that more Christians in these nations will bear fruit for His glory!

It's not the healthy who need a doctor

High AIDs infection rates. High corruption rates. Low fertility. These are a few outward signs of spiritually unhealthy nations. But as Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 9:12, and in Mark 2:17, and in Luke 5:31, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. And so that is where SRS goes, to the sick nations, run by spiritually unhealthy people who need to hear the message that Jesus Christ alone is the cure.

If you are not already involved with SRS, prayerfully consider becoming a monthly donor. We could use 30 new supporters, giving $100 monthly. This support would allow SRS' field director Blake Purcell and his wife, Cathy, to visit the pastors and ministers connected to SRS. Visits from the Purcells are always a huge encouragement to the pastors, their families, and their churches, strengthening them as they seek to be ambassadors for Christ in unhealthy lands. Click here to donate to our general fund, or to Rev. Purcell directly.

Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for praying for SRS!

David Shormann, PhD
Secretary, SRS

A Christian Wedding in a Closed Islamic Country

Dear reader,

Rejoice with us in the wedding of Ridon and Rasha (not their real names), a Christian couple married this past weekend in a closed Islamic country! Ridon is a student in our Biblical Theological Seminary, and pastor of a reformed Presbyterian underground church in his town.

This wedding is tremendously good news, and is a ray of hope to Christians everywhere in these times
of tremendous persecution by Islamic terrorists. Pray fervently for the safety of Ridon and Rasha as they begin their lives together.

We would like to help Ridon and Rasha get off to a good start by helping them purchase a van. This would cost about $5,000. Ridon has been praying for a long time to have a van so that he could travel more and more effectively spread the Gospel in his town. The van would be a great benefit to this young couple in many ways.

Click here if you would like to donate online help Ridon and Rasha purchase a van! Next to "This is for:" selection "Seminary: General Fund," and in the "Message" type "for Ridon and Rasha's van."Click here if you would prefer to mail a check.

Here is a message from Pastor Evgeniy Krushkov, who performed the wedding:

Last night I came home from the closed country where I performed Ridon's Christian wedding with Rasha (not exactly her real name).
Thanks for your help and prayers, everything went better than I expected.

Most importantly, of course - the wedding ceremony. I used a traditional reformed liturgy. Ridon was wildly delighted. Rasha was quiet and shy. I was able to take a wedding gift to them which the Russian pastors of SRS had collected. Ridon was very grateful and thankful for being remembererd in this way.

I was very impressed by the hospitality of the people although they were very poor, it was a real feast.

In a few days I will share more about my trip.

Pastor Evgeniy Krushkov
Kazahkstan

God's Beauty is Intricate and Delicate

This is the third of a series of posts from a paper titled God's Beauty. Rev. Blake Purcell wrote this in 2006 while serving as Rector of the Biblical Theological Seminary in St. Petersburg, Russia. Follow along as Reverend Purcell explores God's beauty in the Book of Kells, in the Church, in the Word, and in doctrine.
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God’s beauty is often intricate and delicate. Psalm 68:7-13 leads into multiple levels of detail, of zooming with the camera of the psalmist’s vision in an ever finer detail.

Vss. 7-11 the whole land → vs. 12 the women of the land → vs. 13 sheepfolds → vs. 13 a dove → vs. 13 wings of silver→ vs. 13 pinions with shimmering gold.

Part of St. Matthew’s gospel, Book of Kells

In seven verses the psalmist takes us from a broad angle view large enough to fit 2 million people, down to a literary camera shot of the individual dove feather. God’s majesty in his vast procession is matched with the counter point of intricate detail. God’s masterpieces are beautiful in scope and in detail. 

I have studied icons up close and if they are large then they are not to be studied up close. The Kells must be studied up close and at a distance to take it in, as this blow up of the blow up of the corner of the page above reveals.

God's Beauty is Mysterious

This is the second of a series of posts from a paper titled God's Beauty. Rev. Blake Purcell wrote this in 2006 while serving as Rector of the Biblical Theological Seminary in St. Petersburg, Russia. Follow along as Reverend Purcell explores God's beauty in the Book of Kells, in the Church, in the Word, and in doctrine.

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God’s beauty is mysterious. 

First of all, in Psalm 68:13 we read,

“If you lie down among the sheepfolds, the wings of a dove are covered in silver, with its feathers in glittering gold.”

This is a literal translation. David writes that when the people of Israel were like sheep, they were like ornate doves. What in the world does this mean? I am not sure… and that is my point.

Prov. 25:2 reads, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search a matter out.” God purposefully conceals some of his beauty from us in order to make us look for it. Mystery is God’s way of developing us, and even enjoying playing with us, as we enjoy playing games with our little children. Obviously there is profound beauty in this verse, but this beauty is all the more attractive because it is concealing something from us, namely its logic and connection with our experience. We are not used to sheep being compared to silvery doves or being confused with such beauty. The gold and silver attract, the sheep force us to look again. Or maybe visa versa.

Opening of St. Luke's gospel, Book of Kells.

Russian icons convey mystery through layered golds in their backgrounds and bodies floating on those pearl-like backdrops. The Kells convey mystery through unidentifiable beasts and birds intertwined in almost unimaginable complexity. But Icons are often so flat and one dimensional they usually satisfy our minds in a few glances. The Kells’ depth inspires and requires repeated careful study and even then you are not completely sure what you are looking at. The Kells is more like Ps. 68:13 than an icons are.

Russia, A World Leader in AIDS Infection Rates

With Russian propaganda painting America and the West as morally inferior, citizens of the former Soviet Union nation would probably be surprised to know that HIV prevalence in their country is almost double that of the United States.

Reports on HIV in the United States reveal that, compared to heterosexuals, the AIDS infection rate is almost 50 times higher among homosexuals. So how is it that Russia, who recently passed legislation banning, among other things, the distribution of LGBT propaganda to children, has almost 1 million people living with HIV/AIDS (ranked #12 in the world according to the CIA World Factbook)? Well, while AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease, it's not the only cause of infection. In Russia, one of the primary causes of infection is by dirty needles shared by heroin addicts.

Recently, we blogged about the fact that applying the Golden Rule is simply not enough to right the ship in the former Soviet Union. And icons of the Russian Orthodox church are not enough, either. Salvation from sin in Christ alone has the power to change not only a thieving and covetous heart, but the hearts of the sexually immoral, of drug abusers, of sinners like me, and sinners like you.

Not only do immoral and unbiblical actions greatly increase the risk of a person contracting horrible diseases like HIV and tuberculosis, it increases the risk for innocent bystanders as well. Like Olga Moroz, wife of pastor Ruslan Moroz in Far East Russia, who is slowly recovering from a tuberculosis infection so severe it carved a hole in one of her lungs.

Unofficial statistics in parts of Far East Russia put tuberculosis infection rates as high as 1 in 3. Many of those who contract the disease are alcoholics and the downtrodden, whose already compromised immune systems provide greater opportunities for TB bacteria to gain a foothold. And these just happen to be the people Pastor Moroz, his family, and his church minister to on a daily basis.

Please pray for the students and graduates of SRS and their churches. Pray that God will deliver them from the evils of contagious diseases that are so prevalent in the former Soviet Union, so that they can minister to those who desperately need to hear some Good News.

And finally, as you are able, please support these men and their field director, Rev. Blake Purcell, as they labor with joy in a difficult land.

Thank you and God bless,
David Shormann, PhD
Secretary, SRS

God's Beauty: Icons or Kells?

This is the first of a series of posts from a paper titled God's Beauty. Rev. Blake Purcell wrote this in 2006 while serving as Rector of the Biblical Theological Seminary in St. Petersburg, Russia. Follow along as Reverend Purcell explores God's beauty in the Book of Kells, in the Church, in the Word, and in doctrine.

Introduction

Icon of St. Paul the Apostle
by Andrei Rublev, 1408.

Artistically, no one questions that Russian icons are some of the most beautiful art in the world. But my 2006 visit to Ireland and chance to view the Book of Kells in the Library of Trinity College in Dublin made me rethink beauty from God’s point of view.

The Book of Kells is a copy of the four Gospels created by Celtic monks on the Isle of Iona off of Scotland in the 9th century, A.D. It ended up in Kells eastern central Ireland due to Viking raids. It is the most elaborate and decorated text of the Bible known to exist.

It is my contention that for overall composition, the Book of Kells is more beautiful and edifying than any traditional Russian icon. I would like to suggest that Psalm 68 reveals at least 7 insights into God’s aesthetic when it comes to beauty in paintings. The verbal metaphors of this psalm require us to know and value their material counterparts. And if we value them, then I think we will rather have Kells-type art decorating our lives than iconic type art.

Opening of St. Luke's gospel, Book of Kells.

Freedom From Corruption

This July 4th weekend, the USA celebrates its 238th year of declaring the self-evident truths that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." America's Founding Fathers were correct to publicly declare these rights, as the battle is constant against those who want to trample them, so much so that many Americans are disillusioned with the whole "American experiment."

 Whatever your opinion is of the state of the USA in 2014, please look at the chart above, comparing "freedom from corruption" in the USA to former communist Soviet Union countries SRS ministers to. A vast gulf exists between the USA and most former Soviet nations. Have you ever had to bribe a policeman to get out of a crime or traffic violation you didn't commit? Is the police force in your town trained to keep the peace, or are they trained to take bribes and help the local business thugs trample any potential competition? Does your church take money from the government in return for certain favors? If you live in America, the answer is most likely "no," but not if you live in a former Soviet country.

What is the solution to corruption? Is it to follow the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12), doing unto others as they would do unto you? Well, as American theologian J. Gresham Machen wrote in Christianity and Liberalism, the trouble with the Golden Rule is that "the drunkard's companions apply the rule only too well; they do unto him exactly what they would have him do unto them --by buying him a drink." And as with the drunkard, the Golden Rule on its own, like a hamster on a running wheel, creates a cycle of corruption that is extremely difficult to end.

But, as Machen rightly observes, Jesus wasn't talking to the whole world when He gave the Sermon on the Mount. Indeed, "the persons to whom the Golden Rule is addressed are persons in whom a great change has been wrought--a change which fits them for entrance into the Kingdom of God. Such persons will have pure desires; they, and they only, can safely do unto others as they would have others do unto them, for the things that they would have others do unto them are high and pure."

The "great change" Machen speaks of is, of course, the Gospel. Salvation from sin in Christ alone has the power to change a thieving and covetous heart.

A nation with a high level of corruption is not a sign that the Golden Rule is being applied poorly. It's a sign that the Gospel is not taking root in the hearts and lives of a nation's people. It's a sign that rules without a relationship with Jesus Christ, while they may work for a while, are ultimately meaningless.

This Independence Day weekend, please remember the pastors and ministers that SRS sponsors in these former Soviet nations. Please pray that God will use their churches and ministries to bring about a "great change" in their countries, creating disciples and freeing nations from the cycle of corruption. If you would also like to contribute to SRS' ongoing material needs, click here to donate.

Pastor Kirill Ministering in Far East Russia

Pastor Kyril (also spelled Kirill), on ladder, helping to build a house for ministry in Far East Russia.

Pastor Kirill Treschetka and his wife, Ludmilla, live in Russia's Far East where
they have the privilege of ministering alongside their children and grandchildren. Kirill is Pastor of Freedom in Christ Presbyterian Church, Kavalerovo, Russia. Earlier this year, his home barely escaped wildfires that were ravaging the area.

Kirill has a passion for God and His word, and for the people of Far East Russia to know Jesus Christ as their savior. He is also a singer, songwriter, and poet. Enjoy this poem he recently composed!


No Beginning, No End

Build a house: a great thing.

But living in the Light is not easy.

If you take the plow, act boldly;

The sunset is far!

Thank God for children and grandchildren!

Thank God for building His house;

And Christ’s building is not tedious

God is building our lives beyond understanding!!

So let the brothers join together,

To justly build fraternal union

Hatred has no place

Rid our lives of hurtful ties.

Let us grow together,

Christ will plow the field

And bring the young to continue on,

Faith is carried through the years!

Click here to support Pastor Treschetka's church plant in Kavalerovo (under "This is For", select Kirill Treschetka). Some of his current needs include ongoing monthly support for general church operation/ministry expenses, supplies for starting a Christian school, and a 4WD vehicle for traveling to remote villages.

Swords into Plowshares: Part 6 of 6

The following is Part 6 of 6 from a booklet by Rev. Blake Purcell titled Swords into Plowshares, Three Dimensions of Bringing Peace on Earth (and Ukraine)Isaiah 2:1-4, 11

Part I

Part II
Part III

Part IV
Part V

A Final Word

The Communist party fell because they trusted in the arm of flesh. They invited me, a representative of their archenemy to speak to them in 1991, because they knew that was a vain trust, and they sensed they were cursed. Russia and the United States can either continue to be cursed by God for trusting in their flesh, or they can do what God tells them, and us, to do, in Isaiah 1, which reads,

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

And yes, when you trust in the Lord, you too can do things like move 6,000 miles away into the midst of your enemies for 25 years, just to share the love of Christ, and tell them, “Yes, I came here for that [the gospel] because only that brings true peace on earth and good will toward men.”

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!