The Bible: Reaching Eastern Europe with EEM's 50th Anniversary

1. The Bible We want everyone to get it!

2. The Bible We want everyone to get it! EEM Eastern European Missions

3. We cannot describe the horror of that day, or the sacrifices of so many, and the senseless loss of human life. Our prayers are with those who lost loved ones.

4. This morning, we turn our thoughts to The Bible! We want everyone to get it! That’s the goal of EEM: Eastern European Missions

5. 50th Anniversary of EEM • Last Thursday evening, Carolyn, Ken, and I attended the Dinner in Fort Worth, in honor of 50 years of work by European Missions. Ken has to be out of town today, but he was impressed by the accounts we were told, and said he was glad that though we are a small congregation, we can have a part in such a great work.

6. On the Table: • As we sat down to the table, there were two items of food on the table: a salad, and a piece of cake. The meal that goes between these would be served a bit later. As we finished the salad and looked at the cake, there was no one to stop us,and I had a bit of the dessert.

7. A special treat coming • As the program progressed, there were hints that there was a special treat coming. It was referred to as “The Train Story.” Nine o’clock was approaching, and what was “The Train Story”? Then it came!

8. “The Train Story”

9. “The Train Story” • One of the Christians in a Communist country was riding on a train to get to his destination. The Conductor came through the train and noticed that the Christian had a Bible. He told the Bible from him and asked who he was, and what the book was. He said, oh, I’m a Christian, and that is my Bible. The Conductor said, “Well, you’re an intelligent, educated man, you won’t be needing this,” and threw his Bible out the window.

10. “But mine was marked up” • A short time after reaching his destination, he met one of the Christians working with EEM. He noticed that he looked very sad, and asked what had happened. He explained how he had lost his Bible. His friend said, “Don’t worry; we will get you another one.” He said, “But mine was marked up, and I could find anything I was looking for.”

11. Two years later! • About two years passed, and the two friends met again. This time, the man who had lost his Bible was smiling and happy as he was before losing his Bible. He was asked what happened, and he said, “I got my Bible back! Two boys were playing by the railroad track and found my Bible and took it to their parents who recognized it as a Bible.

12. We had to have a copy! • He had put his name and address in his Bible, so they mailed it back after having had it for two years. There was a note in the Bible. I said, “We apologize for keeping your Bible for so long, but it took us a long time to copy it!”

13. They copied and shared • That couple shared the Bible and their faith, and a church was begun. • As I listened to the stories that evening, I was touched, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you.

14. Those who sat in darkness • (Isa 9:2 NKJV) The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

15. Christ Refers to this verse • (Mat 4:13-17 NKJV) And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, {14} that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: {15} "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:

16. Christ Refers to this verse • (Mat 4:13-17 NKJV) {16} The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." {17} From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

17. The people who sat in darkness • Today, I see another fulfillment of that prophecy as people in the former Soviet Union, are now seeing the light.

18. Ministers of education are requesting Bibles • One district asked for Bibles in the middle of the winter, and said they would come and get them in school buses and other vehicles. • We saw the video as buses loaded with Bibles struggled to get through the snow. • We saw a teacher talking to her students and telling them they were not to talk, and that they were to pay attention because these were words from God.

19. How is America Doing? • (Mat 12:41-42 NKJV) "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it,because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. {42} "The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

20. Are we experiencing a famine in the land? • (Amos 8:11 KJV) Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land,not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

21. The children of the Kingdom will be cast out. • (Mat 8:11-12 NKJV) "And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. {12} "But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

22. God has greatly blessed America • O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!

24. EEM Inspires Child to Give Bibles • Jonathan, 8 years old, has dedicated his summer to raising money for EEM in order to give Bibles to school children in Ukraine! Jonathan’s … efforts . . .translated into real children getting real Bibles.

25. EEM Puts Bibles in Schools • We recently received this letter from Elina, a fellow worker in EEM who lives in Russia . . . Through her efforts, EEM was given the opportunity to place children’s Bibles in the hands of kindergartners at a local Russian school. These children will learn to read using the stories of the Bible

26. Part of the Youth Program Team

27. Youth Camps where the Bible is studied

28. Youth Camps where the Bible is studied

29. Being Baptized as a result of Bible Study

30. Bible Study at Lenin's Statue

31. National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For Public Schools Two boys at the competition Teams from 23 of the 26 states in Ukraine met at a Bible competition event on March 18, 2011, in the Ostroh, Rivne, region. Almost three times more teams participated than the sponsors were expecting. EEM Vice-President for European Operations, Bart Rybinski, attended the event and provided the following information.Held at the “Ostroh Academy,” which is a national university that dates back to the 1500s, the official title of the event is: “Ukrainian Olympic Competition for Young Connoisseurs of the Bible.”

32. National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For Public Schools Just before it starts The event was co-sponsored by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science, the Ukrainian Bible Society, and Eastern European Mission (EEM). Competition is for students in grades 1 – 11. The goal of the competition is “to increase student interest in the Bible, to raise a spiritually rich national consciousness, to involve students in studying moral and spiritual courses and to encourage educators and parents to pursue spiritual, moral-aimed subjects.”

33. National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For Public Schools • The following is taken directly from the information sent to schools: • Below are descriptions of the events included in the competition. • For grades 1 – 2: Oral narration on the topic — “My favorite passage from the Bible” (approximately 15 sentences). • For grades 3 – 4: Oral narration on the topic — “Birth and childhood years of Jesus Christ” (approximately 20 sentences). The student also must take a written test to measure knowledge of the Scriptures.

34. National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For Public Schools • For grade 5: Oral narration on the topic – “Wisdom in the life of Bible characters and its defense.” The student also must take a written test to measure knowledge of the Scriptures. • For grade 6: “Composition of an original parable that has moral and ethical content on one of the following suggested topics: About love and friendship, About mercy, About kindness, About obedience, About integrity, About honesty, About justice, About mutual aid, and its defense.” The student also must take a written test to measure knowledge of the Scriptures.

35. National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For Public Schools • For grades 7 – 9: Essay on the topic – “Biblical aphorisms and their meaning in the Biblical context and their defense.” The student also must take a written test to measure knowledge of the Scriptures. • For grades 10 – 11: Essay on the topic – “Biblical plots in the creative works of native and foreign poets and writers of the 19th and 20th centuries and their defense.” The student also must take a written test to measure knowledge of the Scriptures.

36. In Addition to this: • Prisoners are being baptized in prisons. • Churches are being organized in prisons with worship services. • As already indicated, the cry is for more Bibles.

37. Then this reminder: • (Mat 24:6-14 NKJV) "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. {7} "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. {8} "All these are the beginning of sorrows.

38. Then this reminder: • (Mat 24:6-14 NKJV) {9} "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. {10} "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. {11} "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. {12} "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

39. Then this reminder: • (Mat 24:6-14 NKJV) {13} "But he who endures to the end shall be saved. {14} "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

40. Are you ready? Are we ready? • Bibles are all around is, but do those who are all around us know the Bible? • More importantly, do they know God? • Do our lives show it? • When the Lord comes back, will we be cast out because we were only lukewarm at best.

41. Lukewarm is not good enough • (Rev 3:15-16 NKJV) "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. {16} "So then, because you are lukewarm,and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

42. Are you ready?

43. The Bible We want everyone to get it!