How amazing it is to watch people repent of their sins before God when the Word is preached or shared. The “Word of life” brings eternal life to the individual who receives it or eternal damnation to the one that rejects it (1 John 1:1). When the Word is proclaimed, choices must be made. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24).    

A man in Ukraine comes forward to repent after the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. In Belarus a young person raises his voice before the service ends and says, “I want to repent.” An older man in Moldova, who never attended an evangelical worship service, appeared on Sunday morning after given groceries from the church. Twenty “street” children in Russia are fed a meal through contributions from churches in the West and told about Jesus Christ, showing the love of God both physically and spiritually.

In Jesus “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). He is the perfect “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) and “the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus is called the Word, because He is closely identified with the Word of God. “His name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13). Before the creation of the world, “the Word was with God, and the Word was God” existing in eternal fellowship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit (John 1:1). How miraculous it is that believers can understand and adore the living Word.

The mystery of the birth of Christ, the new birth of the Christian and the birth of the church all reveal the proclamation, power, promise and provision of the Word. The Word is the reason why we commemorate the coming of Christ to earth during Christmas. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

To be part of the body of Christ, to participate in a cause greater than any other cause, and to partner with other Christians to fulfill the Great Commission truly honor and glorify the Word! “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God shall stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:24-25).

Please consider contributing a donation to Slavic Missionary Service to assist the distribution and declaration of the Word. “God… in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2). May God equip each SMS worker with resources to shout, share and show the Word of God to anyone who desires to hear. “So shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).