WORD OF THE DAY - Saturday 23 May 2009

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD." (Jonah 2:8-9 NIV)

Almighty God, our Kind, Merciful and Glorious Father in Heaven ~ Thank you for the splendid new displays of your creative power on this new day. Help us to overcome the weakness of requiring signs, pictures and symbols before we know to whom we must pray. Give us stronger faith in Christ who became visible to some people who lived centuries ago, as we dig deeper into the Holy Spirit inspired Word and obey our Lord for the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life. In Jesus name, Amen.

WORD OF THE DAY - Friday 23 May 2009

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. (Psalm 147:10-11 NIV)

Almighty God, Eternal and Holy Father in Heaven ~ Thank you for the gift of life that pulses within our being on this new day. Help us to cast all our cares and hopes on Christ our Lord who has all love, strength, power and wisdom to carry us safely through all of life's difficulties. Forgive our foolishness when we think all strength resides in our mortal bodies. In Jesus name, Amen.

We are back in USA. We arrived home last night around 11.30. Our dear daughter Laura (Mrs. David White) met us in Atlanta upon our arrival and we spent a short time catching up on various family news. On the one hand it is refreshing and stabilizing to our mental and physical health to be here, but then again, we already miss our new friends of Christ in Ukraine. Today, we are hoping to find that visa invitation in the mail from the church in Magadan. If so, we will be busy preparing and mailing our applications for new visas to Russia. In addition, my five year visa to Ukraine expires later this year - while we plan to be in the Harvest Field, so we will also need to get that taken care of. We are so thankful to our neighbors across the street - Tom and Suzy Taylor for watching out for us while we are gone and getting our mail. This dear brother and sister in Christ help ease some of our concerns while we are in the Field. There are so many of you partners, that regularly pray for us and send us notes of encouragement as well as whatever other support you can. Thank you! It is a great joy to be able to do this work with you for Christ our dear Lord.

David Binkley, Sr., evangelist
Russia Ukraine Gospel Mission
8116 Ansley Trace
Montgomery, AL 36117 USA
Tel. 334-277-4628

WORD OF THE DAY - Wednesday 29 April 2009 from Kiev, Ukraine

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Almighty God, our Most Holy and Kind Father in Heaven ~ Thank you for this new day that appears with new hopes and possibilities. Encourage us in our task to share the Good News of peace in Christ with all people in the world. Help us to remain joyful even in the presence of so much evil and suffering as we contemplate life under the peaceful King of Kings. In Jesus name, Amen.

Photo: DB is having a discussion with L.T. Gurganus and Sergey Sergiyenko at Obolon Church of Christ in Kiev. “LT” is presenting lectures on the books of Daniel and Revelation and much necessary background material for a good understanding of these books. Sergey interprets these lessons each night. Sergey and Evgeny Shevchenko share most of the preaching duties at the Obolon church. They both work in the business world and donate much time to the church. This congregation has been self-supporting for several years and uses their resources to spread the Gospel in other parts of Ukraine. This church has suggested for me to consider helping launch a new church in the southern city of Nikolaev on the Black Sea. It is about a 7 or 8 hour drive by car. We plan to leave Kiev at 05.00 Thursday morning with our brother Nikolai. Nikolai is a physician who does some work with prisoners in helping with their rehabilitation. He has met several people in Nikolaev that are waiting to hear me preach the Gospel. Please keep us in prayer about this new work.

WORD OF THE DAY - Tuesday 28 April 2009 from Kiev, Ukraine

"'Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.'" (Genesis 45:5 NIV)

Dear LORD, our Righteous and Kind Father in Heaven ~ Thank you for granting and preserving our lives with your thoughtful providential care. Help us not to concern ourselves with easy and luxurious living. Instead, give us wisdom and courage to give up our personal pursuits and live with faith in Christ where all true blessings are found. In Jesus name, Amen.
Photo: The Children’s Bible Class at Obolon Church of Christ in Kiev meets on Sundays in the 9th floor apartment where we are staying. The church owns this apartment that they make available to visiting missionaries. Their meeting place is used daily and is located on the first floor. We left some small gifts for the children before we left to go across the river to the East Bank area on Sunday. We found these sweet notes from the kids when we returned home Sunday night. One child said simply: “come to Ukraine”.

WORD OF THE DAY - Monday 27 April 2009 from Kiev, Ukraine

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. (Romans 7:13 NIV)

Our Dear Heavenly Father ~ Thank you for the extraordinary gift of life on this new day on which we are blessed with a renewed sense of purpose as we consider your great plan for all people. Help us not to become callous to sin and minimize the horrible consequences of sinful living. Strengthen the faith of believers so that we will stand strong against all the detestable sins that society as a whole is beginning to accept as normal. In Jesus name, Amen.

Photo: Visitors at the Lisova Church of Christ yesterday (Sunday) here in Kiev. Marina and Olga with G & D. These young women are university students interested in the English language and learning more about God.

WORD OF THE DAY - SUNDAY 26 April 2009 from Kiev, Ukraine

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Genesis 22:2 NIV)

Almighty God, Most Holy and Gracious Father in Heaven ~ Thank you for the precious gift of life on this new Lord’s Day. Help Christians around the world as they struggle to obtain the simplest meeting places for worship even when some meet in grand temples. Give us courage, strong faith and wisdom so that we will be obedient to your Word and not try to second guess your grand plan for all humanity. In Jesus name, Amen.

Photo: Saturday we were at the main square in downtown Kiev – the capital city of Ukraine as demonstrators were setting up tents and preparing to camp out. Even this public display calling for a new revolution shows that people have many freedoms they never had during the Soviet era. It is possible to speak to people on the street about any subject including matters of faith.

WORD OF THE DAY - Saturday 25 April 2009 from Kiev, Ukraine

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV)

All Wise and Merciful God, our Father in Heaven ~ Thank you for the well of blessings that is constantly overflowing because of your love. Give us wisdom and courage as we prepare ourselves through constant study of the Word so that we will be able to direct people to Christ where they can find forgiveness and eternal life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Photo: Heading out from the apartment in Kiev where we are staying thanks to the generosity of the Obolon Church of Christ. We stay on the 9th floor directly above. The sign on the building behind me indicates their place of work and worship activities. There is something going on here all the time. We walked a few blocks to catch the subway that took us across the Dneiper River to the Lisova district of Kiev. We met with Sasha Petrenko who preaches for the small congregation that meets in that area. They meet in a very small apartment that is very expensive. Due to the struggling economy, the rent is dropping on such places. Hopefully they will be able to locate a more suitable space. Last night we received a phone call from a doctor who has been working tirelessly to help start a church in a large city of Ukraine where there is no Church of Christ. He heard that I was in Kiev from brothers at the Obolon church. His English is fairly good, and my Russian is mediocre, so Galina was involved in this phone conversation that lasted over two hours. He was strongly urging and pleading with me to come there and help with this work. He agreed to find a meeting place and he guaranteed that he would personally get people to come hear me preach the Gospel. We may be on the road again soon – that is just the kind of call every evangelist is waiting to receive. Your fervent prayers are helping us. Thank you.

WORD OF THE DAY - Friday 24 April 2009 from Kiev, Ukraine

If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! (2 Corinthians 3:9 NIV)

O LORD God Almighty, our Father in Heaven ~ Thank you for the radiant splendor of life that breaks through every hint of darkness on this new day. Help us to find satisfaction and the highest joy in work that leads humanity to what Christ did on the cross to save sinners. In Jesus name, Amen.

Photo: Kiev, Ukraine 06.00 in morning from 9th floor of apartment owned by the Obolon Church of Christ. The chestnut trees - a symbol of Kiev are in full bloom.Alexander Petrenko who works with the struggling Lisova congregation, and Sergey Rassolov who works with the Kharkivska church, met us at the airport yesterday at 09.00 AM, and escorted us to the apartment where we are staying for this time in Kiev. We spent three productive hours with them going over how we can work together this time in Kiev to lead lost souls to Christ. Both these young men are graduates of the Sunset Bible Institute in Donetsk. Later we went with them by subway to take care of some other business. Today at 12.00 we meet with Alexander to and go with him by subway to the apartment where the Lisova Church of Christ is meeting. This is where we plan to begin our work here in Kiev. We finally came back to the apartment last night around 8.00 after stopping at a little market to buy a few vittles. It helps to have local currency with you. We had to put lots of stuff back when we remembered that we had treated various people to lunch and transportation during the day. We'll do better today about that. The first order of business this morning is to go for a walk around the area near where we are staying in Obolon and see if I can find an internet cafe to send this e-mail. Later today around 05.00, we have a meeting planned with Evgeny Shevchenko who is one of the leading brothers at the Obolon Church of Christ that is letting us stay in this nice apartment while we are working in Kiev. Thank you for the prayers!

WORD OF THE DAY - Tuesday 21 April 2009

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. (Colossians 3:20-21 NIV)

Most Holy God, our Father in Heaven ~ We praise you on this new day for the very breath of life that comes complete with myriads of blessings to sustain our lives in this temporal sphere. Help children to be submissive to their parents as the parents submit to Christ. Give us more homes where your perfect will is part of the daily food. Help parents to make whatever sacrifices necessary in order to develop a new generation of faithful Christians. In Jesus name, Amen.

Photo: Binkley boys - Andrew, Nathan, Benjamin with Grandpa in Cedar Key.

Urgent Ukraine trip

Hello dear partners in the Russia Ukraine Harvest Field!

Wednesday 22 April 2009, we plan to leave on a three-week trip to Kyiv, Ukraine (Kiev). We are scheduled to arrive at Boryspol airport on Thursday 23 April 2009. Our return is planned so that we will be back in Alabama on 14 May 2009.

Our mission is vital to some long-range plans that we have had regarding church planting in Ukraine. We will be meeting with some brothers and sisters in Kyiv who are working with two small and struggling congregations. We want to help begin a new congregation in this great capital city of over 3 million souls, or work with one or both of these churches to make a fresh new start. While we are there, I plan to preach each day for two weeks and conduct individual Bible studies with those who are interested in their soul's salvation. Galina's help as an interpreter is most important (as always) since she was born in Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union and knows both Russian and Ukrainian.

At the present time, the process of obtaining our visas to Russia is being delayed, and when possible, we strongly desire to be active in the plenteous harvest fields of the former USSR. We hope (positive expectation with the belief that it will come to pass) that our invitation letters from the Russian authorities will arrive in mid to late June. We then make our applications to the Russian Embassy in Washington for one-year multi-entry visas to Russia. If all goes as we hope, we should have our new visas by the end of June or early July.

Then, we can make plane and train reservations for our long missionary journey that will commence with a stop in Kyiv, and on to Magadan, back to Moscow, up to Komi Republic with a brief stop in Syktyvkar and later up to our work with the Inta church. Then back to Kyiv for some more work, and then back to the USA. All that travel and work will keep us busy out of the country for over 6 months.

Please keep this work in your prayers, that we will have safe travel, moreover that we will meet people whose hearts are open to God's word that contains the truth that makes men free from the burdens of sin.

The elders at the Dalraida church are acting as the sponsoring church for our work. In addition, since some churches are not able to contribute as they used to for this mission work, Dalraida has been picking up the slack. We hope we do not have to cut back on our travel plans. So many people are waiting to meet with us as we give and receive encouragement in the one true faith of Jesus Christ. If you are able to help us financially in this effort, please send your donations to the address below and mark for Russia Ukraine Mission Fund. If you have any questions you need to address to the Elders, please contact Bob McKee, elder. Tel. 334-272-2561, or e-mail: bobmckee@1access.net

Dalraida Church of Christ
3740 Atlanta Highway
Montgomery, AL 36109

With Jesus in the harvest field,
David and Galina

David Binkley, Sr., evangelist
RUSSIA UKRAINE GOSPEL MISSION
8116 Ansley Trace
Montgomery, AL 36117 USA
Tel. 334-277-4628