Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord!
May I greet you with the words of our Risen Lord: “Peace be unto you!” On behalf of Russian Evangelistic Ministries, I would like to wish you a Happy Easter, the celebration of the life and the victory of Jesus Christ!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ transformed the discouraged disciples who were in fear of the Jews, and breathed into them new strength and courage. Just one day earlier, they were silent and in hiding, but today, they are fearlessly proclaiming the Gospel in the middle of Jerusalem. Just one day earlier, they were going back to their old trade, to nets and boats, but today they indeed transformed into the Apostles!
The secret is that the word about the Crucified and the Risen Christ contains God’s amazing power! It is to this power the Apostle Paul referred when he wrote: “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom. 1:16). The evangelists, and all who support the preaching of the Gospel, do not merely tell people about Christ, rather they convey to those who believe the amazing power of God’s grace! This is what makes the Gospel unique! The Gospel is filled with God’s grace and abounds with the power of the Resurrection!
How many examples of the transformative power of the Gospel come to mind! These manifestations of God’s grace occurred at the time of the Apostles, and they continue today. Today the Gospel transforms entire nations who accept it! During 2016, dozens of Nenets joined the church through believers baptism. They abandoned their idols, became cleansed from their sins and vices, and decided to follow Christ. Is this not a modern example of the miracle of God’s grace! And every one of us, as a follower of Christ, is a witness of the mighty power of God’s grace that has transformed us!
And today the preaching of the Gospel contains the power capable of transforming sinners. It is this power of God’s grace that is the essential and irreplaceable in the life of the Church! The Church’s great mission is not to hide this power within, but to communicate it to the perishing sinners.
In this newsletter, we will share a number of ways in which God’s people in the former Soviet Union share the Gospel. The missionaries, whose hearts are filled with the passion and love for the lost, find various ways to reach the lost. Let us remember them, and our shared undertaking in the Lord, in our prayers!
In Christ, Rev. Vladimir A. Okhotin.
San Diego, CA.
2017-2-en
