If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. — 1 Corinthians 13:1 — Igor Bodun: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine When I was a young boy, before the collapse of the Soviet Union, I was part … Read More
Ukraine
Love Must Be Tough
Fervently love one another from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22 Bruce Alvord: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine Far and away the favorite sport of most Ukrainians is soccer. I love it, too, and played goalie as a youth. The only way to be decent at this position is to fling your body farther and … Read More
Evangelism Requires an Excellent Refutation
Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. — 1 PETER 2:12 — Oleg Kalyn: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine When Jesus gave the Great Commission to … Read More
No Thanks? No, Thanks!
In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 — Bruce Alvord: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine This verse doesn’t say to give thanks for everything but to give thanks in everything. How far we are from this! We often feel that we deserve better. But, as … Read More
The Sorrow That Leads to Happiness
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. — 2 CORINTHIANS 7:10 — Igor Bodun: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine Russia is engaged in an “unofficial” military conflict with Ukraine. Over the last four years, over 10,000 … Read More
The Power of Weakness
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. — 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9 — Igor Bodun: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine How do weakness and power work … Read More
Do You Like Surprises?
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season. — 2 TIMOTHY 4:2 — Bruce Alvord: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine As a culture that generally prefers to plan things in detail, we aren’t always good at presenting God’s truth when the opportunity is sudden and unexpected. Our Ukrainian brothers and sisters are much better … Read More
Made Alive with Christ
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. — Ephesians 2:4–5 — Mykola Leliovskyi: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine We would be hard-pressed to imagine a greater contrast than the one between life and … Read More
We Have a Father
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. — Ephesians 3:14–15 — Mykola Leliovskyi: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine Moved by God’s glorious grace, Paul bows his knees before the Father to pray. His bowed knees express humility, and his reference to … Read More
The Dangers of Dead Religion
When you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God… how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? …I fear for you, … Read More
Fighting for Forgiveness: An Update from Ukraine
From the beginning, GBS knew that they needed to be prepared to serve in the aftermath. This meant developing and implementing ministries and counseling for those injured, abused, displaced, grieving, and fearful. The seminary distributed several hundred tons of humanitarian aid, food, clothing, and medicine to civilians and the military, but GBS knew a much greater need must also be met: the need for the truth and hope of the Gospel.
Encouragement in Conflict
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. — Genesis 3:15 — Brian Kinzel: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine Christians in Ukraine know about spiritual conflict. The evangelical church suffered … Read More
True Prayer Includes Reflection
To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him. — Daniel 9:9 — Greg White: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine As Daniel thinks deeply about God, God’s compassion and forgiveness flood his thinking. In his prayer, then, Daniel emphasizes God’s great and manifold compassion and His abundant forgiveness. … Read More
True Prayer Acknowledges the Results of Sin
Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day….Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. — Daniel 9:7–8 — Greg White: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine God always does what is right, but … Read More
True Prayer Contains Confession of Sin
We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land. — Daniel 9:5–6 — Greg White: Grace Bible Seminary … Read More
True Prayer Involves the Heart
I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments.” — Daniel 9:4 — Greg White: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine Daniel’s prayer gives a rich insight into the nature and … Read More
True Prayer Is Serious
So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. — Daniel 9:3 — Greg White: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine I didn’t know what to expect, but I was excited about my first visit to a Ukrainian Baptist church service. Shortly after finding … Read More
True Prayer Flows From A Bible-Filled Heart
In the first year of [Darius’] reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. — Daniel 9:2 — Greg White: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine When … Read More
