A Mother's Joy...

These people are my joy. I thank the Lord for my family. There are some days on the mission field when feelings of loneliness kick in. Being separated from immediate family and like friends from home makes it tough some days. Please understand that I love Russia and the people, but at times I ache for what is familiar--one could say this would be my heart language, my roots, small town life or South GA country living. However, there is a drive that keeps me going. It may be the urgency to spread the Gospel, the burning fire within me to make a difference, my desire to please the Father, encouraging words from national partners, words of exhortation from prayer warriors and verbal motivating statements from my children and husband.

Lately I have felt impressed to spend quality time with my children. I do not want to look back one day and say "I wish I had done _______(fill in the blank) with Ashlyn, Amielle or Luke before they left home." I will make great memories. And truthfully they help cure my moments of "loneliness". We just finished a successful home school year. I praise the Lord that I get to teach my own children. I get to spend time with them 24/7.


I now have a 4th, 8th and 10th grader in the house. Since we are finishing the school year and have more free time, I am setting aside certain days for each child. It seems wise to spend a little individual time together.





A mother may be surprised what she hears when she gives a child her undivided attention. And I do not know why I have to remind myself over and over again that a great way to solve my own "so-called problems" is invest my time and attention in others. So, here are a few family pics entitled A Mother's Joy.

A Winter's Path

Over the past couple of months, friends have asked how to get a copy of my earlier writings. Unfortunately there are no more hard copies of either work left. This month I prayed about how to make at least one of these available again. If your church is interested in having access to or if you would like a personal copy, click here for a free E-Devotional Book:
A Winter's Path

An ocean divides but prayers unite the two

Yesterday at Golgotha in Moscow, Russia, during the Sunday School hour, I visited one of the ladies' classes to share how my mother's Sunday class in America was praying for them, especially for Olga has she continues to write the Bible study lessons for the English class.

Every Sunday it is evident that the ladies at Golgotha are thrilled to be in church and learning more about the Lord. They are really studying God's Word with a strong passion. We read from Philippians how every time we pray we thank God for you with joy (Phil. 1:3-4). I mentioned that I never fully understood this verse until I became a missionary and lived in Bryansk, Russia, years ago when times were tough. And I just knew that family and friends back home were praying for me. I learned another lesson, too. When you are going through tough times, you should focus on others and pray for them with joy. I began praying for those around me and my problems seemed to disappear.

Yesterday the ladies at Golgotha were so pleased to hear that other ladies in America are praying for them. I even asked for a specific prayer request sheet. They handed me one immediately. I will translate this list and pass it on to the ladies' class at Southside Baptist Church in McRae, Georgia. Though an ocean divides the two countries geographically, the prayers bring them together in heart. I live in Russia as one of your missionaries, and I thank the Lord that I have an opportunity to pass on your thoughts to other brothers and sisters in Christ for encouragement. So, yesterday, dear ladies--you who trained me in the Lord--of Southside, I was your voice; I hope I made you proud.

Earnestly Request Mercy

How we should be ashamed and repent! Do we see our ugliness? Are we begging for mercy? We should seek forgiveness with a strong passion, because our sins are being spelled out to us letter by letter and verse by verse.

If we study Ezekiel 36 in order to comprehend what is actually taking place, we notice evidence of God’s grace. In verse 32 God says that He is not showing mercy for their sake. This is a clear picture of a loving God. All throughout this book, the Sovereign Lord calls the children of Israel to listen to His Words. The phrase often repeated is: “Hear the word of the Lord.” This is a command.

Time after time they were given the opportunity to heed the warning. However, Israel sinned over and over again, and God continually called for them to repent just as He calls for us to turn from our sinful—fleshly—ways. He wants to cleanse us from our ugliness (verse 25). He will give us a “new heart” and a “new spirit” (verse 26). God will take away our hard, unclean, dirty, black, sinful nature and bring us into a “land” where He will be our God (verse 28). By His grace we are called His own.

We have seen God’s wrath and judgment throughout the entire book. God provides a summary for us in this section. Multiple times He has spoken of His intent, fiery and jealous anger, but now He had pity on the children of Israel yet again. They are reminded, though, in verse 32 to “be ashamed” and sorrowful for their actions.

All we have to do is a complete turn around entrusting ourselves to Him. Fear God, repent, submit to His Sovereignty, experience His love and receive His blessings. It is that easy. With a repentant heart, we see our filthiness before Him just as the children of Israel did.

After reading this chapter, I was convinced even more than before that God’s love is only understood after we comprehend His wrath and vice verse. They must be explained together. Interestingly it may be wiser not to use the phrase “we must have a balance” in teaching these two attributes; we must simply teach both, not one without the other. If our true desire is to know Him, we cannot pick and choose what we want to accept. That is why often these days the Word is being “adapted” to fit a way of lifestyle to make everyone feel comfortable (See earlier post, 5-13-09).

And I realize once again that we must watch out, because dangers are present yet hidden all around us. Be careful for there are false prophets in disguise everywhere (Matthew 7:15). Buck and I were discussing Romans 3:10-18. He said that we see the “ultimate end of a group of people who have replaced the righteousness of God with their own creation”. Unfortunately there is no fear of God. They do not know peace and their mouths utter words of death (verses 14; 17-18). The sad part is Satan is slowly luring people into a level of comfort unaware. Subtle untrue, negative lies and statements have briefly been fed from some media savvy government officials, “pastors”, writers of “fiction”, family and friends to diminish our levels of tolerance for the Truth. Just as with the children of Israel, we have allowed other beliefs, bad theology and idols in our midst.

What can we do? Pay attention and do not let anything be a substitute for God’s Word. And may we not be guilty of the same sins as Israel! God please have mercy on us for we are sinners. Save us from our sins. We ask for forgiveness. God promises that He will “save you from all your uncleannesses” (verse 29). And He will pour out His blessings (verses 29-30; 37-38). Praise God because of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, we are cleansed as “white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).
-The Chosen Path, L. Burch, 2009

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Preaching and teaching is rarely confrontational or exegetical anymore; it is conversational.

Do we really understand the wrath of God we read about in the Old Testament? How is that same wrath displayed in the New Testament? The answer has to be found in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. This is a topic we generally do not want to think about. Maybe it is because we do not understand it. If the truth be known, maybe it is because we do not want to picture such a loving God in this manner. God cannot tolerate sin. I have been reading in the book of Ezekiel lately, and we read multiple times about the Sovereign Lord bringing judgment on the nations. God will judge each according to his own deeds (Ezekiel 33:20). This is Truth just as much as the fact that God is Love (1 John 4:16). He sent His own Son to die such a cruel death because of our sins. He is our only way to the Father. Jesus is our mediator.

I am really concerned about my home country right now. America looks drastically different than it did 11 years ago. I have been removed from the scenes for this extended period of time. My dad said the other day that maybe I can see things better because I have been taken out of the picture. I remember how things were, and I recognize how much things have changed. I realize that times change and people change, but God’s Word never changes. It is as if people have been snoozing and are not aware of what is taking place around them. It is a shame that things have to get so bad before anyone pays attention. It is time to wake up. Not all, but I am afraid many, have lost sight of this fact and do not want to think about the wrath of God. They only want to focus on the topic of love.

Today it seems that the Word needs to be “adapted” to fit a way of lifestyle or way of thinking just to make everyone happy. This is very dangerous. We cannot adapt the Word to satisfy us; the Word should be the standard that we live by. I made some conclusions about these concerns. In the general population of spiritual teachers and speakers, preaching and teaching is rarely confrontational or exegetical anymore; it is conversational. That is, rarely do preachers critically explain; they comfortably pacify these days.

We attempt to whitewash our faults instead of expose them for repair. Have you ever whitewashed a fence or the side or your house? The fact is that this thin coat just touches up the ugly spots. It is time to fix the damaged spots and put on a fresh coat of paint. Call black “black” and white “white”; do not compromise and call it grey. Therefore, call sin “sin”.

The Word says:
* “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)
* “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:22-23)

We need to beware of false teaching and doctrines and hold ourselves accountable to God’s Word.
* “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)
* “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies…And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” (2 Peter 2: 1-3)
* “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

We can rejoice in the fact that the Father knows us, loves us and calls us “the sons of God”, and remember that He understands that the world does not know us, “because it knew him not” (1 John 3:1). It is time to stand up and not be ashamed anymore. Let’s hold to the Book and teach verse by verse. This is not a time to converse or discover the Truth. I would venture to say the dangers of the emerging church, for example, can be equated with the belief of evolution. Everything and everyone gradually evolves from what already exists. The Gospel Message no longer needs to be compromised. There is only one way that leads to repentance and one way that leads to life and one way that leads to truth—Jesus (John 14:6).
-The Chosen Path, L. Burch, 2009

Russian Evangelical Christian Movement

This was a wonderful conference with the purpose to unite all Evangelical Christian churches who share common conservative Baptistic doctrine and evangelistic spirit. This conference was a celebration of 100 years of Russian Evangelical Christian Movement, founded by Prokhanov with a view to win souls. Buck was able to attend and was even picked up for a few seconds on Russian TV.
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