Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
“The champions of faith prove the truth of their teaching no less by the holiness of their lives than by the force of their arguments. Never forget that to convert others you must first see to your own soul.”
Gregory the Great in The Lives of the Saints by Alan Butler, 1894 (Global Grey edition, 2019) 12 March reading.
Gregory uses a small statement to send a big message. He teaches us how to prove the truth of our teaching. We make sure the holiness of our lives matches the force of our arguments.
I post this because it explains why we have been so well received in Ukraine. We said that we wanted to help ministries flourish with standards and we came to discuss this same message in person in the midst of war.
Our coming validates our message. In turn, they have wanted us to see the brokenness and the reason for their pain. Our hosts have showed us destroyed buildings, piles of burned cars, and innumerable unmarked graves (pictured above).
We have responded with empathy and with a reminder that we must not let the spiritual forces of evil overcome us. We can only overcome the situation with good. We can write a new story for their people rooted in righteousness and faithfulness.
Join me in praying for this and modeling this where you are. Otherwise the corruption around us will make us corrupt and we will become part of the problem rather than champions of faith who live out the solution.
At lunch with Oleksandr Geychenko yesterday, I shared this idea about not being overcome by evil but to overcome it with good. He said, during Soviet times there was a play called “The Dragon” about the evil of Marxist regime.
It carried a hidden message. “If you want to kill something as big and evil as a dragon, you must become one.”
The current Russian regime has become more evil than their predecessors. And rather than desiring to kill this enemy, we call out together together for deliverance. This is really the work of GTP globally. We urge God’s workers overcome evil with good.
And if you have not given to help us deliver hope and help (including aid to ministry workers in Lviv, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk) and to help GTP finish the year strong, please give today. We pray God supplies $22,140 by 30 June 2023. Please click here to give.
Or if you want to know more information, please reply to this email. I will respond as I am able. I have limited my words here due to our rigorous schedule (sleeping on trains the last two nights and staying on the move with spotty connectivity).