Slavic Missionary Service

Pray for your local church and the local churches in Slavic countries. Ask the Lord to increase the spiritual life of each member of the church. Ask Him to assist your church in the area where you live to seek souls with salvation from sin. And may this assistance extend throughout the whole world. Pray for your pastor and leadership, as well as the pastors and leadership in the Slavic world. Pray for peace in the world. Ask God to restrain evil through the Holy Spirit in order that His Word may have free course in every country.

The greatest potential for soul-winning and soul-strengthening in the church is personal witnessing. The power of the Holy Spirit equips and energizes the believer to share his life and his Lord to others. The believer serves His Savior in all facets of life, whether at home, on the street or at the office. Christian parents show their faith to their children, and a Christian employer in the secular world must exhibit his or her faith before their employees.

A businessman, who is a member of one of the supporting churches of Slavic Missionary Service, recently allowed the Holy Spirit to utilize his testimony before SMS missionaries on two occasions. At his business, the owner explained that church leaders are not the only believers who must proclaim God’s message from the Bible. All laymen or laywomen must share God’s plan of salvation and Christian principles from the Scriptures.

When opportunities arise to share the Gospel with spoken words, of course, one must be prepared to give an answer of one’s faith in God. “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15). Yet even more importantly, one must live a life that honors God and “is fit for the Master’s use” (2 Timothy 2:21) at all times. Godly deeds show the devotion and dedication that a believer possesses toward His Heavenly Master, and others clearly notice the difference between one who says that he is a Christian and one who lives as a Christian.

The SMS missionaries were truly impressed that this member of a church was so enthusiastic and expressive with his faith in Jesus Christ. His explanation for each department of his business was very interesting, but his emphasis that a Christian employer must “stand in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10) before each employee in any circumstance or situation was even more inspiring! Since two of the visiting missionaries were pastors, SMS is positive that the testimony of this layman will travel to Belarus and Russia, and may even be an illustration in a sermon.

“You shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Pray that the missionaries of SMS will declare to all believers that they are responsible to communicate their Christianity both with lips and with life. Intercede for the churches in Slavic countries that they will influence and impact their communities with godly principles of genuine Christianity.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Galatians 5:6

God’s strategy for world evangelism calls for two equally important elements: Co-missionaries and Go-missionaries, the senders and the sent, the supporters and the workers. A Christian church without missionary enthusiasm is a contradiction. God depends upon the faithful testimony of His people for the evangelization of the world. The Savior expects those who have tasted the sweetness of salvation to spread the news far and wide. He has commissioned His children to share His Word to the lost in every country.