Giving and Receiving (January 2019 Update)
I always remember telling my children: “Christmas is not about receiving; it’s about giving.” I hope it helped them to remember that God gave us the greatest gift of all by sending His only Son for us. That’s the message of Christmas. But reflecting on this past Christmas, I think my annual reminder to my children was not totally correct. Christmas is about giving and receiving. We emphasized the giving because we wanted our children to focus on the people they were giving to, not the presents they were receiving. But Christmas is about giving and receiving. And sometimes, receiving is the hardest part.
Definitely, Christmas is about the greatest gift of all! John 3:16 reminds us: That God so loved the world that He GAVE his only son.” Isaiah 9:6 tells us more about this gift: “For unto us a child is born; Unto us a son is GIVEN.” The gift of Jesus is what Paul calls an “unspeakable gift (2 Corinthians 915).” So Christmas centers around the gift of God. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “If you knew the GIFT of God …. (John 4:10). Ephesians 2:8 makes sure we never forget that our salvation is “not of works, lest any should boast” rather “For is it by grace you have been saved, through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a GIFT of God.”
And God’s great gift should motivate us to be generous in giving to others just as He has given to us. One of my favorite verses in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you, through his poverty might be made rich.” Paul uses this as an example to the Corinthian church about how their giving should follow Jesus’ model. Indeed, Christmas is about giving. When the wise men visited the baby, they presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Christmas is about giving!
But it is also about receiving. John 1:12 tells us: “that to as many as RECEIVED Him, he gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who would believe on His name.” In 2 Corinthians 6:1, Paul urges believers not “to receive the gift (grace) of God in vain.” So God gives out of His marvelous grace but we are called upon to receive His gift. That too is the message of Christmas. As the Christmas carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, says, “where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.”
But Christmas is also about contentment: being satisfied with the gift (or gifts) that God has given. When God gives, we should be able to say, “Thank you, Lord. You have given to me all that I need.” This lesson come home to me a couple of times this past Christmas. In one SS class, the teacher asked each student what they wanted for Christmas. When she came to Kristina, Kristina said she didn’t want anything. The teacher was surprised and asked, “Why don’t you want anything for Christmas?” Kristina replied, “I don’t want anything. I already have everything I need.” That should be our attitude. God has already given us so much. We should be givers because He has given to us abundantly. But we should also be contented with what He gives. Because He always gives us everything we need.
As we enter a new year, we need to become biblical givers and receivers. We need to remember that God’s gift to us surpasses all other gifts! And we should let the grace of our Lord Jesus motivate us to be givers also. And many times, God will surprise us with His gifts. We need to rejoice in every good and perfect gift that comes down from above (James 1:17). They may come to us in various ways and from various people, but they are all gifts received from the hand of our ever-generous Father. And there will be times when we do not get what we think we need. Just remember, He has already given to us bountifully. Trust Him and find you joy in the one who out gives us all!
The GIft of Time with Family and Friends …
While our time this past Christmas in the states was shorter than usual, we still had a wonderful time seeing family and friends. We started off on the beach in Florida for 2 weeks, then headed north to Ohio and snow. By December, we returned to Arkansas and spent time in Cabot, Little Rock and Fayetteville. Then, after Christmas, we headed to Connecticut (with a 4 hour quick tour of NY City) to visit friends and Shepaug Valley Bible Church.
Finally, we boarded the Queen Mary 2 and headed back to England and eventually to Ukraine. The trip on the ship was a little smoother than our voyage over to the states but we still had a few rough days. But all in all, it was a comfortable and enjoyable trip back. Back in Ukraine, we were met with a virus that knocked us out one by one. We have been sick a week and, even though we are better, we are not completely well yet. But we are home and we are thankful for our time in the states. (At the end of this letter, we posted a number of picture collages from our last month in the states).
We didn’t get to see everyone we wanted but we enjoyed the time we had. We are hoping to spend couple of additional weeks the next trip back home so we can see more of our friends!
Unexpected Gifts …
Every year, we usually receive around $1000-3000 from a few extra year-end gifts. We had some extra expenses and we were also still hoping to pay off most of our housing debt. But the Lord surprised us with a couple of very large, unexpected gifts that helped us to pay off most of our housing debt and cover additional travel expenses!
Over the last number of years, we have been permitting some dear friends to use our car while we were in Ukraine. But this year, we realized that the cost of insurance, taxes and upkeep were costing more than renting a car. So we decided that we should give the car to them. One family member said we should sell the car because we needed the money. But I reminded him that everything we have is a gift from God. And we could trust God to take care of our needs. Even when I served as a pastor, I realized that even my salary was only because of the gifts of generous people who loved God.
The Gift of Serving …
One great gift God has given us is the opportunity to serve in Ukraine preparing ministers to start churches and share the gospel. This is a great gift and a great responsibility. Next week, I will be traveling to Lviv to teach some theology classes: The Doctrine of Man, the Doctrine of SIn and the Doctrine of Christ. Then in March, I will be teaching English Clubs as part of our outreach to university students in Kyiv. Be praying for these opportunities.
Praying for Ukraine …
Also in March, Ukraine will have general elections and a presidential election. Be praying for these elections. Many here are saying that nothing has changed over the last 4 years but that is not correct. Everything has changed. Ukraine has gone from a subservient vassel of Russia to a growing nation. Before the revolution in 2014, the police were corrupt and probably the most dangerous group in Ukraine. Now that has changed with a totally new police force. Alaso, the economy has changed. Before it was difficult to find many items in the stores. We would bring in many food items from the states with every trip home. Now, we can buy almost anything we need. Even with a war, the economy of Ukraine continues to grow.
Still, much more needs to change in Ukraine for Ukraine to take its place in Europe. Corruption, while less, is still one of the biggest problems. And the war in the east and now Russia’s attempt to exclude Ukraine from the Azov Sea continue to pose the biggest threat to Ukraine. Please pray for the changes in Ukraine to continue and for a peaceful solution to the war in the East.
Most of all, pray for believers to be strong in their faith and for churches to keep their focus on Christ. We have been given an amazing opportunity to train leaders and the openly share the gospel in Ukraine. Pray that the open door will remain open for this ministry to continue.
Thank you for your support and for your prayers. We are looking forward to seeing what gifts God will gifts to the church of Ukraine in the coming year! And we are praying that the people of Ukraine will receive the grace and mercy that He gives!
By His Grace,
Jim and Katya
Kristina and Nadia
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