NEWS from Ukraine, March 2003
by David Tinney
Subscribe to Newsletter
Believers Conference a Success in Konotop and Slavutich
Last month, Joe Lehman, from McAlester, Oklahoma, and I flew to Ukraine to conduct a series of meetings in Konotop and Slavutich City. We arrived on Saturday, March 22nd in Kiev and rested that afternoon and evening. On Sunday morning, we attended Pastor Anatoliy Bilonozhko's church, Word of Grace, in Kiev and helped them celebrate the churches 6th Anniversary service. There was lots of singing and specials along with several guest pastors from the city.
This is the first time brother Joe Lehman has ministered with me and his first trip to Ukraine. Although he and his wife did live in Russia and Estonia for a period of time in 1994-1995. Our fellowship was good, he has been preaching the Gospel since 1957 and I have learned a great deal from this man of God. The ministry has taken him around the world as he has ministered about a dozen nations but he spends a lot of his time now preaching in Mexico.
From Joe's newsletter:
I had been invited to minister among a union of some 200 Ukrainian Churches, whose deep hunger for God and appreciation for Calvary is evidenced by their readiness to receive the Word and their intense prayer life, which includes weekly Friday night worship and prayer sessions from 11PM until 6AM (usually attended by 800-1200 people) and scheduled fastings one day each week, plus 5 days each August, and 10 days every December for leadership.
David Tinney had graciously invited me to accompany him during this 10-day Kingdom thrust, which included ministry at Word of Grace Church in Kiev, a 3-day conference in Konotop, and a 3-day (3 meetings per day) conference in Slavuditch. It was a real step of faith for David, who really knew little about me, but then this was his 23rd trip to Ukraine and a major aspect of his ministry is to take teams from USA with him to bless the Ukrainian Christians, most of whom are quite poor in the material realm but rich in spiritual hunger and faith. I was the only gringo with him this trip, and from the first meeting, the Holy Spirit made it very clear that our ministering together was ordained of God.
To me, it was a substantial miracle in itself how the Lord could take two people who barely knew each other and had never before ministered together and cause us to flow together in Spirit and in truth in such an amazing way! Our messages complemented each others', though neither of us knew beforehand what the other would be speaking about. The Holy Spirit made us an effective team. With us for these conferences was Pastor Anatoly of Word of Grace, our very capable translator, Sveta, and Yuri, the driver of the rented van.
Sveta is herself a disciple of the Lord, with a deep hunger for God and appreciation for His Word. Not only did she translate for us, but her tender heart before God received much enlightenment and encouragement from the ministry as well.
Join us in praying for Yuri. He is a fine fellow, always willing to serve, but he has not yet (as of this writing) submitted his life to Christ.
Pastor Anatoly is a highly respected and humble overseer of these churches, and to him David and I were submitted. In no way did he seek preeminence among us, and it was a true joy to work with him in the enlargement of the Kingdom!
I love the way Pastor Anatoly deals with first-time visitors to his church in Kiev. He invites them to the platform, introduces them to the congregation, has everyone welcome them with applause, then leads them in a prayer of repentance, congratulates them, and presents them to the congregation as new believers. (None of this wimpy, "Everyone bow your head, close your eyes, no one looking around, I will not embarrass you" escapism.) Pastor Anatoly's approach is very effective in Ukraine, but would probably not work very well in America, where there is so much pride, independence, and rebellion. It is easy to observe by their changed countenances that these people have been touched by God.
Anyway, back to the subject. Monday through Wednesday- The church in Konotop is fairly young and we were able to impart some needed understanding and instructions about the importance of ministering to the Lord from our personal priesthood, personal intimacy with Christ Jesus, and effective evangelism through loving union with Christ in His compassion for people. There was also some individual ministry with God giving prophetic insight into personal needs and callings. The Lord led us to focus on helping the worship team, emphasizing to them the importance of total sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as the God-ordained Conductor of the orchestra in every meeting. The Lord is calling His saints to excellence in worship and He has established pathways through which we can accomplish this.
The Konotop church was much enlightened, encouraged, strengthened, and changed during this series of meetings and they expressed warm appreciation to the team for this visit. We thank God for multiplying the seed sown and increasing the fruits of righteousness!
Thursday morning we left for the 3 1/2 hour drive to Slavutich, which is about 25 miles from Chernobyl. We were stopped twice by police; once at a checkpoint and the other time by a radar cop, who claimed we were speeding and tried to shake us down. Yuri, however, speaking as one in authority, talked the cop out of it and we were allowed to go. In case you wondered, the roads in Ukraine are quite rough, with some stretches horribly pockmarked with potholes of awesome dimensions.
Thursday through Saturday- S-l-a-v-u-t-i-c-h ! Wow, what a place! Our experience in Slavutich will long remain in my memory as a very special time in the presence and glory of God! The church there is older and more advanced than Konotop, and their worship team is outstanding! They know how to minister to the Lord and to persevere until His awesome presence permeates the atmosphere, filling and thrilling hearts, meeting the needs of His people, and satisfying His intense desire to fellowship with His beloved children!
The worship leader, Julia, is herself a tremendous testimony to the healing virtue of Christ Jesus. A victim of chronic acute asthma, she had been told by the doctor that she could not sing, as singing tended to kick off one of those life-threatening attacks. She endured this frustration for some time, but with a heart full of love for the Lord Jesus and an intense craving to worship Him, she made the decision to sing unto the Lord anyway, and, "If I perish, I perish". When she took this bold step of faith, Jesus healed her completely, and I have never seen a worship leader with more joyful liberty in expressing her adoration for her King!
The whole team manifested an intense approach to worship. It was easy to see that they were not up there to display their talents, entertain the people, or occupy the time. Their hearts were involved in what they were doing! Katia, the drum player, was a real blessing to behold! I have seen many drum players that played very well, but Katia worshipped the Lord with those drums, expressing heart and soul in love for the Lord. Please pray for her husband, as he does not yet know the Lord.
Many worship teams have not yet learned the difference between noise and worship, and are engaged in talent-displaying entertainment of people. There is more performance than passion. But that does not qualify as true worship, which Jesus teaches must be in spirit and in truth. The Father is seeking hearts that are whole toward Him! Any activity that does not engage our heart in adoration does not qualify.
Because of its' proximity to Chernobyl, Slavutich has become the base of operations for some 600 scientists and environmentalists from nations around the world, there to study the effects of radiation. It is cleaner and more modern than most Russian cities I have seen, but numerous residents are still suffering the effects of radiation sickness, with eye and lung problems, tumors, birth defects, mental illness, etc. The Great Physician is well able to handle these cases and is doing so for those who earnestly look to Him. The Lord touched quite a few folks during this conference and they came back testifying of their relief from numerous ailments.
One lady came to me, suffering from a tumor in her head. She looked miserable, with droopy eyes and a countenance that indicated she was well-acquainted with pain. I prayed in the spirit for her for some time, feeling that the Lord was ministering to her. After the meeting she related that I had been speaking fluent Russian and that the Lord was encouraging her with words of love, saying, "Daughter, I love you; do not be afraid, everything will be all right". Well, I was not speaking Russian at all, but the Holy Spirit was translating as I prayed in the spirit so that she heard the words in Russian. (see Acts 2:6,8) She returned the next night testifying of complete healing, and looking radiant. Her countenance was so changed I had to look twice to be sure it was the same woman. Her eyes were bright and she was just bubbling with thanksgiving to Jesus.
The teaching emphasis during this conference was on the preeminence of Christ, ministry to the Lord, experiencing the salvation by His life (Rm. 5:10), intimacy with the Lord Jesus, effective personal evangelism through abiding in the Vine, and spiritual development. It was a rich time in His Word and presence! When God bestows His grace upon us He makes us look good, and the response of Pastor Peter and the people was somewhat overwhelming.
Words of appreciation like I've never heard before were spoken by the pastor; however, I did not retain them as my heart is to seek the glory of Him who sent me, so I just channeled them all up to King Jesus. But it is a real blessing to be appreciated! His grace was truly abundant and many lives were changed as His kingdom increased in each place.
One other thing I must tell you about. Back in 1994-95, while Bettie and I were in Russia, the Lord had me write a manuscript on the changing of heart concepts. It was titled, "God And The Mountains". A Christian book publisher in Tallinn, Estonia read it and insisted we must have it translated into Russian and published. So God provided the funds and some 8,000 copies were printed, to be distributed through a network of some 500 churches throughout the former Soviet Union. Several times through the years I have wondered whether I would ever meet someone who had received one of those books.
Well, it happened in Slavutich! I had brought several copies with me to give to pastors on this trip, and when I offered one to Pastor Peter, he exclaimed, "I already have one of those and it was a real blessing! Now I will read it again". He got his well-used copy and showed it to me, and I presented him with a new copy, as well as several to give to his leaders. That was a special, personal blessing that the Lord had in store for me!
After the Holy Spirit-charged meeting Saturday night and many loving good-byes, we drove back to Kiev, arriving about midnight thirty. The spiritual afterglow from that conference encounter with God in Slavuditch lasted for many hours, causing much thanksgiving and adoration in our hearts to the Father! Sunday morning I spoke at Word of Grace Church on the subject of depending upon the Holy Spirit to lead our worship services, with every member of the worship team being sensitive to His gentle guidance. If the table waiters in Acts 6 were required to be "full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom", how much more essential it is for those who play instruments and control the sound boards in our churches to be!
Monday, March 31st, David and the team flew to Odessa for a conference and I left for a series of meetings in western Austria with Pastor Englebert Zagonel.
Thanks again for your interest, prayers, and assistance!
LOVE and BLESSINGS,
Joseph Lehman
David's comments on the trip to Odessa:
On Monday, March 31st, Joe left Kiev for Austria to do a week of meetings. Anatoliy, Tanya our interpreter and I flew to Odessa, an hour and 20 minute flight south of Kiev on the Black Sea.
Here is a photo of our baggage coming in at "Baggage Claim One", my question is what do you do if its raining or snowing? We just stood out in the open until it arrived on this wagon pulled by a small tractor.
I taught 3 nights on Christian Business Principles & Marketing, close to 150 people attended each night. The pastors of the Spirit Union of Churches were in attendence and enthusiastically supported the seminar.
Teaching prosperity can be a touchy subject, especially if you are among religious people who have little understanding of God's plan and purpose. We present the subject in a balanced manner, using Genesis 12:2 as one of several key scripture references: "You are blessed...so you will be a blessing."
God does nothing without purpose, contrary to the belief of a large portion of the Christian faith. His purpose in blessing us is NOT that we can consume it upon ourselves but rather that we in turn be a blessing to someone else. Its pretty simple yet mostly misunderstood. So misunderstood, in fact, that in some circles people make "vows of poverty."
I have seen poverty and it does not bring Glory or Honor to our Lord. In fact, studies in social behavior indicate that it is poverty that leads to crime and other anti-social behaviour. Incredible isn't it?
We believe God is raising up a new generation of business people in Ukraine whose heart and purpose is to support the advancement of the Kingdom of God. The theme of the conference came from I Chronicles 29: 3 where it is recorded that King David said, "Because I have set my affection (heart) for the house of my God, I have given from my personal treasury (bank account)..."
Their enthusiasm was an indication they are in complete agreement. The seminar started at 7pm until 9pm, but they began at 6pm praising, worshipping and praying for God. The Ukrainian church is an experience unlike I have had anywhere. Their love and entense desire for His Presence results in hours of continous praise, worship and prayer when they come together.
April 03 was a special day for us in Odessa. On that date in 1979, I made my public confession of Jesus Christ as my Lord in Columbus, Kansas. Six thousand miles away, Tanya Kikalenko, our interperter, was born in Kirovograd, Ukraine. So we celebrated our 24th "birthday" together. She was totally suprised when I had the audience at the Business Seminar sing "Happy Birthday" to her with Pastor Anatoliy accompanying on the keyboard. After the service, Pastor Vitaliy suprised us with a special dinner complete with birthday cake, which we all enjoyed.
Overall, the trip was very fruitful and a personal blessing to me. Our influence and ministry in Ukraine continues to expand as well as our ministry contacts. I will be returning to Ukraine in May to finish making arrangements for the June ministry trip and to attend the 9th Anniversary Celebration of the Embassy of God church in Kiev.
Blessings,
David Tinney