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Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Calvary Chapel Conference - Ukraine 12-15 May 2004
Four amazing days. God's Church is alive and well.
I've just returned from a conference with 700 believers from around Ukraine. And I feel extremely blessed, encouraged and challenged.
We were housed in two adjacent campsites. There were a number of 2 storied buildings with about 20 rooms sleeping 4 or 5 per room. There was one shower for every 50 people and 1 toilet for every 15. The heat was turned on so the rooms were comfortably warm. The mattresses on the beds were about 1 cm thick but I was so tired I slept like a log (and it was probably good for my back).
Each campsite had a cafeteria and our meals were brought to us (no lining up) and all the washing up done for us. A real break in that regard. The meals tasted OK too. Of course there are a few Ukrainian tastes I'm still adjusting to but I didn't go hungry.
There was a huge tent where we had the meetings and a couple of other conference centres for seminars and late night concerts. Yes Waltzing Matilda was given a rousing rendition by three not so talented but very enthusiastic Australians. Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi also became too well known!
Then there was the volleyball and basketball courts, table tennis etc. My World Cup Rugby ball also was well passed around. (What sort of ball is that?).
Wow, Calvary Chapel has a strong tradition in good music, being a movement started amongst the Hippies in the '60s. There were a number of songs I know in English translated into Ukrainian or Russian as well as a number of songs they have written themselves. The professionalism as well as the evidence of genuine love for God was a great thing to witness. I have often missed my church band from West Penno and this was a worthy replacement.
This was excellent. The conference went through Romans 1-8. (Most main sessions were in English and then translated so that was great for me)
We had the back drop painted for us explaining how sinful we really are in God's sight. This actually makes the Gospel shine even brighter.
I learned something new about justification. It is both legal and emotional. Legally God sees the substitutionary death of Jesus as 'satisfactory' to atone for our sins. This has to do with satisfying the requirements of the law. But sin also makes God angry. This is emotional. Yet God exhausted all of his anger and wrath on the Lord Jesus. Although when I sin it grieves the Holy Spirit and spoils my communion with God, it does not make Him angry. He has already placed all that anger upon Jesus. Yet we so often live defeated lives because we think that God is angry with us. We know that legally we are forgiven but we can't accept that emotionally God has also forgiven us.
Suffering is not a bad thing. As Christians we are called to suffer. God works things for His good. The Spirit helps us pray because really we don't actually know what to pray and the Holy Spirit prays for us.
Ultimately, nothing can separate us from the Love of God. Praise the Lord!
We walked down to the River Friday afternoon and pastors and leaders from the various churches baptised members from their churches who had requested it. There must have been at least 20 baptisms.
From our church in Rzhyshchiv, Kolya was baptised. We all prayed for him and it was a special time in his life. Just today at lunch I asked him what he learned most from conference. He said, "I now know that Jesus is the most important thing in my life and there is nothing that will ever stop me following Him my whole life".
Yes there are real joyous times in a missionary's life.
Praise the Lord!
I've just returned from a conference with 700 believers from around Ukraine. And I feel extremely blessed, encouraged and challenged.
The campsite
We were housed in two adjacent campsites. There were a number of 2 storied buildings with about 20 rooms sleeping 4 or 5 per room. There was one shower for every 50 people and 1 toilet for every 15. The heat was turned on so the rooms were comfortably warm. The mattresses on the beds were about 1 cm thick but I was so tired I slept like a log (and it was probably good for my back).
Each campsite had a cafeteria and our meals were brought to us (no lining up) and all the washing up done for us. A real break in that regard. The meals tasted OK too. Of course there are a few Ukrainian tastes I'm still adjusting to but I didn't go hungry.
There was a huge tent where we had the meetings and a couple of other conference centres for seminars and late night concerts. Yes Waltzing Matilda was given a rousing rendition by three not so talented but very enthusiastic Australians. Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi also became too well known!
Then there was the volleyball and basketball courts, table tennis etc. My World Cup Rugby ball also was well passed around. (What sort of ball is that?).
The Music
Wow, Calvary Chapel has a strong tradition in good music, being a movement started amongst the Hippies in the '60s. There were a number of songs I know in English translated into Ukrainian or Russian as well as a number of songs they have written themselves. The professionalism as well as the evidence of genuine love for God was a great thing to witness. I have often missed my church band from West Penno and this was a worthy replacement.
The Teaching
This was excellent. The conference went through Romans 1-8. (Most main sessions were in English and then translated so that was great for me)
We had the back drop painted for us explaining how sinful we really are in God's sight. This actually makes the Gospel shine even brighter.
I learned something new about justification. It is both legal and emotional. Legally God sees the substitutionary death of Jesus as 'satisfactory' to atone for our sins. This has to do with satisfying the requirements of the law. But sin also makes God angry. This is emotional. Yet God exhausted all of his anger and wrath on the Lord Jesus. Although when I sin it grieves the Holy Spirit and spoils my communion with God, it does not make Him angry. He has already placed all that anger upon Jesus. Yet we so often live defeated lives because we think that God is angry with us. We know that legally we are forgiven but we can't accept that emotionally God has also forgiven us.
Suffering is not a bad thing. As Christians we are called to suffer. God works things for His good. The Spirit helps us pray because really we don't actually know what to pray and the Holy Spirit prays for us.
Ultimately, nothing can separate us from the Love of God. Praise the Lord!
Baptism time
We walked down to the River Friday afternoon and pastors and leaders from the various churches baptised members from their churches who had requested it. There must have been at least 20 baptisms.
From our church in Rzhyshchiv, Kolya was baptised. We all prayed for him and it was a special time in his life. Just today at lunch I asked him what he learned most from conference. He said, "I now know that Jesus is the most important thing in my life and there is nothing that will ever stop me following Him my whole life".
Yes there are real joyous times in a missionary's life.
Praise the Lord!
