Dear Beloved
Friends in Jesus Christ,
Dear Friends, blessed to be part of the family of God through Jesus Christ,
Before I say anything else, I want to thank all of you who faithfully pray for us. As I have heard from various ones who say they pray for us every day, and others who are stirred from time to time, I cannot help but think that this is a big part of the reason God is doing so much more than we could ask or think here.
We also want send our sincerest thanks to you who so faithfully send financial support to keep us in the battle here. Depending on the circumstances of the moment I never know who I want to thank more the pray-ers or the givers. May you who do both be more than double blessed. As we know from history, the success of a war often depends on whether there is enough capital to finance the effort. So it is in our war against the powers of darkness for the liberation of those who are bound. As the war expands so does the need. So it is with us now. So we are looking for more regular supporters, if you would like to be a part of what God is doing here, we would welcome the help right now. The need is great and the openness and opportunity is great right now.
Fastest Church Growth in Europe!!!!
Many people think that things have slowed down here because they think it is the same as Russia. But Ukraine is independent of Russia since "Perestroika", independent both politically and spiritually. This nation is one of the hottest places on earth for preaching the gospel right now. Recently the government showed the "Jesus" film in all the movie theaters in the nation for one week free of charge. They advertised it with big billboards saying, "See the film which has changed the lives of millions." There were even altar calls at some of the showings. When we first came here there was a lot of resistance and some light persecution from the authorities, but now things are changing rapidly for the better. Christianity is growing faster in Ukraine than any country in Europe right now. As far as I know, Kiev the capitol has more large evangelical, spirit-filled churches than any capitol city in Europe. It has the largest Jewish, Messianic Congregation in the world! This has all come about in the last 6-7 years. We are truly in a "Great Awakening", but now it feels like it could break into a blazing revival. In all honesty, if we had more laborers, we could be saving and discipling far, far more people than we are now. But since laborers are no longer coming in from the outside, we are training them here.
These are wonderful times to be part of God’ plan and purpose. Sometimes it feels like we are being picked up and being carried on the wings of the wind of the Holy Spirit. God is doing so much. This year is one of our best yet. More than ever in my life I am feeling we are part of something much bigger than we are and that we are being carried along. I wish we could communicate with you how much it seems we are just innocent bystanders watching as God does great things all around us. Sometimes I think if I write what is happening it is like boasting, but it says in Psalms, "My soul shall make her boast in the Lord." And, "Tell of all his wondrous works." We know that we know that we know that all these great things are the hand of God doing His work, yet we know also He usually works through people, and we are in the right place at the right time and trying to obey and do as “we see the Father doing”. Praise God, and Glory to His name!!
"Prepare plans by consultation, And make war by wise guidance." (Prov 20:18)
There is so much to tell right now. But first I want to share with you some of the methods and strategies that God has given us recently. He is certainly expanding us, and giving much increase is through new ways of doing things.
Our great burden is to win souls to Jesus Christ, which is our heart’s cry, but we are gripped also with the need to establish them in Christ, so they continue to bear fruit. We started two new things that are going a long way to accomplishing this goal. "Alpha", which we shared about in the last letter, and a new (for us) and much improved discipleship system. Both promise to enable us to gather far more souls into the Kingdom of God.
The "Alpha" course is one of the best soul-winning and discipleship tools I have ever seen. Our regular harvesting of souls in our regular services is increasing, but now many are getting saved in Alpha as well. Through the Alpha course they receive the Gospel and get primary discipling into the new life in Christ all at the same time. We had 150 people sign up last time, this time 250. Next time we will have to run two simultaneous courses on different nights because of space and the numbers of people wanting to attend. These are the kinds of problems that make me smile inside.
Go therefore and make disciples...
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,"
"teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."" (Mat 28:19,20 NASB)
While I was still on the airplane to Moscow when we first came over here over 7 years ago, the Lord spoke clearly to my spirit that we were to make disciples. We have tried to do this and we have learned a lot over the last few years, with some wonderful friendships in Christ, and good fruit in some lives as a result. But what we have learned and implemented this year could be our greatest breakthrough yet. Within weeks of implementing it our home groups doubled in number, without appreciably diminishing in the size of the groups which are generally quite large. Instead of a pyramid type of leadership structure, with constantly changing relationships, we now have a structure that is as much like what Jesus instituted as we are able to implement at this point. It is based on relationships and works through love. All leaders are in groups of disciples with an older experienced brother or sister as a mentor. People do not transition from one leader to another, but remain with those who they have a relationship with. This enables them to form deeper bonds of love. We still have home groups, in which everyone comes together to build one another up, and as a place for new people to become part of the body of Christ. But as people transition into leadership roles, they gather with a group of up to 12 disciples with whom they will continue. Together they receive ongoing training and support, they strategize together for the salvation of their city and so on. They build strong bonds of love and mutually build one another up over the long tem. Although they might become leaders themselves with great responsibility, they still have their group of trusted friends to give and receive mutual support and direction. They never get left alone. This may seem idealistic and it has it's problems, but it is working and producing good fruit, and we are now discipling far more people than we could before.
No Superstars, just God's All-Stars
One of the wonderful fruits of discipling and training people is that they are then equipped to do the works of Jesus. Truly the whole body of Christ ministers then, not just the pastor or a few leaders. For example we recently did a revival conference in the Crimean capitol, Simferopol. Although I and a good friend of ours from Utah, Steven Peterson, and our Associate Pastor here, Igor Ivanov did most of the speaking, mine and Pastor Igor's current groups of disciples did powerful ministry. There were many demons to cast out, and many people needing healing. Our team stepped into the fray and a great victory was won for the name of our Lord. Many testified to healings and deliverances. Because there is a lot of occult activity here in this land there are a lot of people who need to get set free from demons, just as it was in Jesus' day. A nearly blind man was healed, legs and arms were lengthened by inches, many internal disorders were healed and much more that I cannot recall right now. Several churches came together for these meetings and they were mightily blessed. A missionary there said he had never seen such a large group of people who could minister in the power of the Holy Spirit, and do the works of Jesus. Our whole team gets invitations now to minister in various cities, not just the worship team and myself. You could pray for us about this, because it is getting hard to find time for what we are doing here in Kharkov, and to answer the invitations we get, yet it is also part of our calling. It also costs a lot more money to take a large team of twenty some people to a distant city for a few days than it did when we only had two or three on the team. Now Pastor Igor who was the first person I discipled here has his own group he is discipling and goes out on his own ministry trips, with God doing many wonderful works through his hands.
Kermit T. Joanie-
Although you might find this surprising when you hear of all the wonderful works being done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I actually struggle with discouragement fairly often. Sometimes all I see is the battle and not the victories. But Joanie remembers all the great things God is doing and reminds me, and helps me to remember all the things we need to be thankful for. So she is going to detail some of the recent top stories in our adventures with God.
Hi everyone over there. I always thought it would be cool to be a news reporter and would Play games like that as a child (remember Kermit T. Frog), well now I am pleased to be the Roving Reporter not for such depressing worldly news but for the fantastic goings-on of the
'good news' of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. One part of me is relieved to be fa-a-ar away
from the 'news' in America , news reports on T. V., newspapers, and current events. Here I am not a spectator observing and hearing about what 'others' do but I am right in the thick of things with the people, hearing and seeing what GOD is doing, not some vain movie star or sports or political figure. When I was over there last ( I had forgotten) I was astounded how much attention the world tries to get from you there.
" Thou art the helper of the fatherless." Psa 10:14
I am very proud of my kids and want to tell you about what my son John is doing. Right now John and Dad are with a bunch of boys camping out. The Lord told John to start a boys group, mainly to reach out to the boys in our church without fathers. John was concerned how he could possibly pull it off on top of his already intense schedule of home-schooling, playing in the worship Band and leading his youth home group. Nonetheless he obeyed the Lord's leading. A few of the boys come from 'normal' families that have a Dad but for the most part, not. One boy in particular I had always wondered about his background. This boy, Dennis has been coming by himself to our church for a number of years. Another boy named Yuri first brought him, who is from a home where his Dad died recently and his mother has mental problems. Only recently I found out what Dennis's family is like. He lives with his deaf Aunt and Uncle, his mother lives in a village outside the city with a drunk man who regularly beats her, sometimes though the deaf uncle goes out to the village to beat on him for beating her. Denise, typically is very thin and undersized for his age and is always hungry, but very polite when at our house. On the other hand, another boy is from a very well-off family, but because of their wealth and certain other things we cannot get into here, his Dad is in jail. Another boy's father is a drunk who beats his wife and sexually abuses all his sisters and steals money from the brethren at church. Another has a father, but he is drug addict who cannot get a job and is usually in jail for dealing. There are also some normal kid's of course.
This is the first camp out John and some of his older friends are doing with the boys, plus some help from Dad who is trying to make time for this along with everything else he is doing. The boys were so excited staying the night before in my house, with their stinking socks smelling, and cups of live worms and other creeping things for fishing. They were all running around the house till the wee hours of the night in their underwear with those pitiful spindly legs of theirs. I loved it and am so proud of my son. John gives up his Saturday afternoons for these boys. After one of the first meetings the boys presented John with a gift; a hand sewn chenille plush dog with no eyes and in prayer thanked Jesus that John is giving up all his time to spend time with them!!!!, when he could be 'cool' playing music or being with his friends
’Surprise to the Sower’
I love this story. Often you sow seeds, constantly witnessing and talking to people and wonder if anything happens. Well , recently a young man started coming to our church that was our neighbor 5 years ago. Ends up I gave this guy a New Testament and talked to him when he was a little guy. We then lived in an apartment in the middle of town. Back then this boy was trouble maker and didn’t treat my son very kindly. After we moved from there he got involved in a lot of successful scams (i.e.: didn’t get caught) cheating people out of money in many ingenious ways. I don’t know how he got saved, but soon after started coming to our church and was gloriously filled with the Holy Spirit, high in spirit, singing his heart out and having a great time all the way home on the subway...he looked like maybe an average Kharkovite high on ‘their’ spirits. Some of his friends and all their girlfriends got saved as well and started living clean for the Lord after my son John talked to them about purity. This young man,Vladik was at our first Alpha course and now at the second has even more friends attending, there is a whole table of youth with my son as the table leader. Recently an old friend called Vladik up on the phone in the middle of the night and said, “ hey let’s go out and get some prostitutes!” He replied that he doesn’t do that anymore. It is commonly said that Russian men can’t live without their prostitutes. The old friend kept prodding him using this certain type of expression they use here which basically is translated, “ Aaah come on let’s go cast out demons!!” To which Vladik answered, “ I’ve already had MINE cast out!”
The Lame Walk!!!
Our altar calls are so anointed right now, many people going forward every service and the whole crowd of the entire church cheering and clapping as people go forward!! There is such a powerful presence of the Lord in it all, it is hard to explain in words, I always have tears in my eyes.
One particularly anointed Sunday morning the whole stage(this stage is huge, about 40 yds) had people lined across it and the ushers were notified to assist yet another. This man had to be carried up out from his wheelchair. I had the privilege to be one the people who prayed for him that day. He wept and wept profusely realizing for the first time in his life how much God loved him. He looked exactly like one of those pictures from a concentration camp, all bones with a little skin covering him, unable to walk.
A few weeks later under the anointing of the Holy Spirit in the middle of a service Bill called him to get up out of his wheel chair and come up to the stage. He took his first steps assisted on the stage, and now he is coming to church on a cane and getting stronger and stronger all the time. Every time I see him – he looks so happy!!!
We recently had one of our biggest baptisms ever. Pastor Egor said his arm got tired from dunking so many people. The most amazing thing for me watching was realizing that I only recognized a FEW faces. Sooo many people are getting saved through Alpha and personal contacts it is astounding. We have doubled our home groups recently releasing many new leaders who have grown up in the Lord in our church. The babies have grown and are now ministering to the new ones. The family keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Smokeless...
Our church hosted a large conference in the month of April with special speakers form the UK, USA and Canada. Pastors and saints from Russia, Byelorussia, Moldavia and the Crimea came and most importantly GOD CAME! The testimonies are numerous. The main speaker concentrated a lot of time praying about the terrible poverty here. Immediately the testimonies started pouring in. One man who sells stuff at the large outdoor market-place said, that even though his stuff is no different than everyone around him, all the customers go to him now after the conference. Not only that, they are buying items from him by the twos, which has never happened before. Also, something unusual has occurred in his life, since the conference he now sees the people passing by and can see demons on them. He said he doesn't know what to do about it, but all of a sudden people are coming to his home group and getting delivered, even home group leaders from other churches. He was so elated telling the story and amazed.
A recently converted ex- prostitute testified after the conference at the prayer meeting, that after receiving prayer about her smoking habit, amazingly, the next time someone gave her a cigarette it didn't taste good, she blew it off and said, "oh, it is because it isn’t my brand". Then the next morning when she started off her day with her morning ritual of coffee and a smoke, she puffed and puffed and could hardly believe that it didn't taste good at all, and this was her own brand!! Totally dumbfounded and excited she announced to everyone that her 30 yr old smoking habit was completely gone!!!
6 out of 12
Last Sunday a dear old/young saint testified of all God's wondrous works for her. It was right on her 61st birthday, but she is young in the Lord. Six out of twelve major diseases in her body were gloriously healed by the Lord. The most dramatic- after a stroke she was paralyzed on one side, both arm and leg and couldn't talk and had no memory – she now moves freely, even dances to the Lord, talks and is remembering more and more all the time. She had so many things healed it took her about twenty minutes to testify. GOD IS GREAT!!!!!
"Pinochet"
There is so much more God is doing, but in all honesty, we are just so busy right now that it is hard to sit down for long enough to write it all down. Before I close though I wanted to tell you one of the testimonies from the Alpha course. A woman in the church felt led one day to go by the factory she used to work in to pay a visit. She visited and witnessed to few people and ran into her old Boss, a woman who everyone feared. She invited some people to Alpha, including this woman. To everyone's surprise the Boss came. She looked pretty uncomfortable, but on the very first night she gave her life to Christ. Well within weeks there was an incredible change in her life. She was so mean that her husband used to call her"Pinochet" after the Chilean dictator. After her conversion she became so nice that here husband watches his watch and reminds her to go to Alpha and church on time. The change was so noticeable that several men in her Apartment building came and asked if she would take their wives to Alpha too. The next course she had a whole table filled with people she had invited.
Well, gotta run. We really appreciate all you pray-ers, givers, encouragers. Don't forget us just because don't write letters every month asking for help. We really need the help, we are just too busy to write. "The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity." We love you.
Grace and Peace to you From our Lord Jesus Christ,
Bill and Joanie
Lynch can be reached by e-mail at:
gospel@kharkov.ua
gforth@gforth.kharkov.ua
bill.lynch@go-forth.net
Donations and correspondence can be sent to:
Go Forth Ministries
PO Box 26863
Salt Lake City, UT 84126
(801) 972-0420
Bill and Joanie Lynch
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