Justified or Incarcerated

It has been a tremendous joy talking to Russian pastors and leaders from all over the world.  Giving my Slavic background, I was able to understand the problem's Slavic community in the states experiencing now.  That was a sobering and confident reality check for me personally.  I have been born in Russia and immigrate to the states when I was eight years old.   When I was twenty or twenty one, I experienced a desire to read and study the bible.  Inevitably, that lead me to serve in Slavic Baptist church that I visited.  I grew up in Russian church's; I got saved in Russian church; I married in Russian church; I grew spiritually in Russian church.  No need to say more on my ties to Russian church.  Writing this post personally is not an intellectual approach reacting to the problem that Russian churches face today, but a loving and a prayerful heart concern.  What do Slavic Russian Christian communities experiencing in the states now? W...

The Israel finally understood that there are consequences for their disobedience. They come to Jeremiah so he can speak to the Lord. Here what they say, “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us; perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us” ( Jeremiah 21:2). This is how God answers, “I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation" ( Jeremiah 21:5).

http://www.clipartkid.com/images/530/conflict-is-normal-in-relationships-differences-of-perception-xxqqqh-clipart.jpg Having a disagreement is a typical normal social interaction these days.  We don't have to go far in order to see a clear example of a disagreement, just look at today's presidential elections.  Trump? Hillary? Maybe someone else? Who is right and who is wrong?  Who said what and who said when?  Uhh...  We disagree with our spouses, teachers, kids, neighbors, police officers, co-workers, and the list goes on.  And when it comes to a church, that represents a picture of Christ's love and unity, disagreement among each other also seen.  Sadly, there is a point when two believers who don't want to see each other in the same church.  Now, I believe there can be a normal healthy disagreement among Christians, which I will not address in this post.  I am talking about a disagreement that leads to anger and bitterness....

This is the first week in my seminary studies.  I took introduction to Hebrew, Hermeneutics, and Fundamental of Expository preaching class.  Hebrew class is based on memorization and the other two are based on reading and writing.   What stood out as we arrived to Los Angelus are the seminary families.  Me and my wife have been inviting families and going to their homes for dinner or tea.  The stories behind their journey in how they got here is VERY humbling.  Each family has a stunning background in how they arrived to seminary and what they are going through day by day today.  Their humble attitude to what they face humbles me personally.  Recently I broke down just after one of these meetings thinking on God's faithfulness in these families.  Some are handicap, some just gave birth to a down syndrome child.  Some struggle day by day with their finances.   A little about our arrival.  The first night in Los...

I never knew I would experience so much joy being a father.  Watch my wife naturally plays with our daughter Rachel is the scene that I don't see this nowhere else, it is priceless.  Our daughter will be six months next month, so she can't walk, she can't talk, or sit by her self--she totally depend on me and my wife.  There are difficult moments in being a father, but the joy from experience overshadows the negativity.  Changing a diaper is not that difficult compare what else comes in the package.  In fact, it is the easiest thing to do.  Crying on the other side can be a challenge.  Me and my wife would hover above Rachel and try to figure out, what does she need.  Is she hungry? Is she tired? Maybe it's her teeth that are bothering, this has been our case recently.  The fact is, take away her parents and she will not survive by herself.  Her total dependance on her dad and mom is her source of life. The glimpse of this experience ...

When Adam and Eve committed sin, their first response to confrontation was an excuse.   " He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?' The man said, 'The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.' Then the Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this that you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'”  Genesis 3:11-13    We can see that it is natural to go into a defense mechanism right away, and try to persuade that you are innocence, theirs always someone and something to blame.  God exposes Adams and Eve sin, to what they had to say, God this was all your fault.  The first thing we know about the sinful nature that it defense its own sin. This speaks of every human heart.   A good question to think about is this: how do we respond when God uses others and scripture to expose our own sin?   ​"Whoever loves discipline loves...

These couple months I've been fighting to update my domain name.  It's only 10 dollars a year to have my last name as domain, not a financial struggle for me personally.  However, changing my bank card due to security issued last year caused a domain renewal problem with google, this continued for 2 months until somehow I just called a random google help support that was not pertaining to my issue, (after calling for months to different numbers and getting an answering machine that directed me online help). After I've actually can talk to someone on the phone who represented google, everything changed, people were friendly, they even called me everyday to see how my issue was resolving (but how do you get to them in the first place, still a mystery).   I'm finally back, but google has to due something about being phone or email friendly.  They can make a car that drives by itself but not able to put out email or phone number for customer? Help me understand this. ...

If everyone else change, will you?   "In 662, an enraged Constans put him [Maximus] on trial again. The judges pressed Maximus with the argument that everyone else in the Eastern Church had submitted to the Typos. How dare he, a lone monk, defy the voice of the Church? Maximus had his answer: “Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach any Gospel to you other than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed,” he quoted from Galatians 1:8. Was only Maximus in the right, then, and everyone else wrong about Monotheletism, the judges asked? Did he think he alone was saved? Maximus’s response echoes down the centuries: “May God grant that I do not condemn anyone, nor say that I alone am saved. But I prefer to die rather than violate my conscience by defecting from what I believe about God.” Europe was not to see so heroic a sight again, until John Huss stood alone before his persecutors at the Council of Constance in 1415. This time Maximus’s punishment was more brutal...

"When Job's three friends heard of" his suffering,  they decided to visit him, sympathize and comfort him (2:11b).  Who wouldn't visit his friend in his troubled days?  But when they got there, they saw something that they did not expect. "When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him.  And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven" (Job 2:12).   Job's suffering was seen from the distance.  Job's friends had hard time recognizing him when they came to visit.  Job's disease crippled him to a form that he didn't had his looks.  In order for a disease to cripple a person, person had to be very sick.  Maybe job lost lot's weight. We know Job clothes were torn and his head was shaved (Job 1:20).  In addition, Job was covered in sores, possible bleeding because he had a "piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes"...

http://www.skybluevaping.co.za/image/data/journal/1383-1.jpg The tone of the conversation was different when Satan appeared before God second time. Not because Satan repented or agreed with God, but because his hypothesis fell short.  Satan just destroyed Jobs wealth and his children (seven sons and three daughters) using evil men, fire, and wind arguing that this was the reason why Job served God in the first place. Job response to his lost was not a cursing God attitude but a humble worship.  “ Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return.  The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord ” (Job 1:20).    When Satan appears before God second time, God asked him the same question as he did in the first conversation,  "' Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and ...

http://dailymedit.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/fv.jpg%3Fw%3D610%26h%3D126 Not having the insight of the discussion that took between God and Satan, we would be left with Job's friends speculating and discussing why Job suffered.  Reading the book of Job in full, we see a bigger picture. The book of Job reveals to us the things that are hidden from Job and his friends–the conversation that took between God and Satan. God, asked Satan a question when he appeared before Him. " And the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?' ” (Job 1:8).  To which, Satan had to say this: “ 'Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land '” (Job 1:9-10).  Satan accused God a...

One of the questions arises reading Job chapter one is why Satan came in the presents of God with the son of Gods? Why was he there in the first place?  If we look at the discussion that God and Satan had, it was God who initiated the conversation, not Satan.  So the question is: why was Satan standing in the presents of God in Job chapter one? Well, one of the ways to look at this question is to see why Satan comes in the presents of God at all?  When we look at the definition of Satan, it means adversely.  Another words, opponent, or enemy of God and his saints.  1 Peter 5:8 uses this word: “Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  But this does not tell us why Satan visited God, but just his  opposition to God.  However, we do have verses that tell us why he is there. Like,  “ Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel o...

To my wife It's an honor and privilege to share the life with you till death separates us— celebrating 2nd year wedding anniversary truly is a joy.  Nothing can be compared to the relationship we have in married on this earth.  Being created in who we are, my passion towards you grows deeper and wider day by day.  I have to admit, my expectation of marriage before marriage were just an allusion (a flaw of my own thinking). I felt short in knowing the goodness of God to man in marriage.  I know we have much more to grow, but two years is enough to know you, my love.  Just like Adam had no idea of what was coming his way when he saw Eve, similar is my story. Truly my expectation of married was exceeded beyond my imagination. It's hard to explain how God used my plans and desire by bringing you to my life, I can say its a miracle.  I know I don't deserve to have you in my life; however, having you in my life, I can see the gospel on the cross.  Just like ...