Dear Friends & Partners,
Thanks to your prayers and partnership, this year has been fruitful thus far. A highlight was visiting Poland last month. I traveled with my Polish colleague, Krzysztof, to Nowy Tomsyl, and together we led a workshop on Genesis 1-12 for pastors in the Evangelical Free Church of Poland. Some key moments included a long discussion on marriage from chapter two, tracing the Seed of Promise through the stories and genealogies, and a closing sermon on chapter 50 and Joseph’s words that what his brothers intended for evil, God used for good. This took us straight to the Cross of Christ, and we were all deeply encouraged and refreshed.
After that we traveled to Gdynia in the north and did a preaching workshop on Malachi with our Polish training team. They are currently training two other groups and will finish this fall. So the ministry continues to spread throughout Poland bearing fruit to the glory of God and for the benefit of pastors and their churches. Thank you for making this possible and for blessing the church in Poland.
This spring is filled with good opportunities: next week I will travel to California joined by my colleague, Doug. Together we will lead a preaching workshop on 2 Timothy with young men training for the ministry. Please pray that we would lead faithfully, teach clearly, and build up these young men in the faith and equip them to preach the Word. In early May I will travel to Turks/Caicos with my colleague Dony and we will meet our Haitian team and do a workshop on Esther, which we feel will be very timely for these men who live in a nation filled with violence and uncertainty, like God’s people in the Persian Empire under Xerxes so many years ago. The Bible speaks today! In late May I prayerfully hope to return to Ukraine. Our plan is to do a workshop on Hebrews with our Ukrainian training team in L’viv, and then to travel to Irpin to start a new work with the Baptist College, training 20 young pastors to preach on the Book of Jonah. Please pray that God would open the door for us to minister there.
As I write this, Easter is upon us. I’m praying to God for fresh wonder and joy as we ponder the agony of the Cross and the glory of the Resurrection. My hope is that this will lead to deeper reverence, awe, and worship of Jesus, the Shepherd who became a Lamb. May these words from Gregory of Nazianzus encourage you richly:
"Yesterday the Lamb was slain and the door-posts were anointed, and Egypt bewailed her Firstborn, and the Destroyer passed us over, and the Seal was dreadful and reverend, and we were walled in with the Precious Blood. To-day we have clean escaped from Egypt and from Pharaoh; and there is none to hinder us from keeping a Feast to the Lord our God—the Feast of our Departure; or from celebrating that Feast, not in the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, carrying with us nothing of ungodly and Egyptian leaven. Yesterday I was crucified with Him; to-day I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; to-day I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; to-day I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us—you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honour our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died. Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. He assumed the worst that He might give us the better.; He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich; 2 Corinthians 8:9. He took upon Him the form of a servant that we might receive back our liberty; He came down that we might be exalted; He was tempted that we might conquer; He was dishonored that He might glorify us; He died that He might save us; He ascended that He might draw to Himself us, who were lying low in the fall of sin. Let us give all, offer all, to Him who gave Himself a ransom and a reconciliation for us. But one can give nothing like oneself, understanding the mystery, and becoming for His sake all that He became for ours.” Gregory of Nazianzus (AD 329–390), First Oration (for Easter Day)
Jesus Christ is Risen - just like He said!
Happy Easter,
Sean and Jenn
3 Timothy
