Голгофа

И был там стон и плач великий,
И звон, и гул, и хохот дикий.
Тяжелый крест дрожал, трещал,
И грозно молот упадал

На пригвождаемые руки,
А Он, приемля эти муки,
Он был все Тот же, дивный взор
Ушел в таинственный простор

Туда, за грань веков далеких.
И за врагов, и за друзей,
За виноватых и невинных,
За целый мир, за всех людей

Молился Он душой скорбящей,
И от мучителей Своих
В немую глубь небес святых
Он устремлял Свой взор молящий,

И был Он скорбью объят,
Когда в печали бесконечной
Молился Он: Прости, Предвечный,
Они не знают, что творят.

Улыбнись!

Пока в домах тепло - и пахнет хлебом,
И мама есть и небо голубое,
И утром будят солнышка лучи,
О том что плохо жить - не говори!

Я Мудреца Спросил

Я мудреца спросил о смерти.
Он долго смотрит на меня.
"Что значит смерть?
Я так отвечу-
стрела, что пущена в тебя."
"Но что же жизнь тогда такое?"
Мудрец с ответом не спешит.
"А жизнь, мой друг,
лишь то мгновенье, пока стрела
в тебя летит.

No Fun!

Okay, so a lot of you might wonder why I'm always 'so serious' in everything I write. For those folks I say: the circus will be in town later this year, you can have some fun there. The goal of my blog is not to entertain but rather to share, educate, and possibly encourage the readers to pursue God's word not only for the sake of checking it off on your daily task list. Believe it or not modern Christianity directly and indirectly encourages forgetting about the works we do as Christians (James chapter 2 disagrees). Guess what this does to a persons mentality? Yup, you guessed it! "Woohoo! I believe in Jesus! I am saved! I am free! Alright... back to my favorite Metallica CD." Of course that sounds like a gross exaggeration but it's true. Maybe not to that extent but in smaller, less-vivid forms, it is still a normal way of life for many "Christians". The Bible is read by few and those who read do not always read and obey.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

I don't know what runs through your head when you read that verse, but it seems pretty serious to me. We take God's word very light-heatedly (to say the least) in our lives and do not understand the power it contains. The word of God is God (John chapter 1). Do we not see what we're dealing with? I say the fun and games must be over with. His word is not to be messed around with and treated like any other book. If we treat His word with respect, our lives will not be about fulfilling our fleshly desires.

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

I'm not condemning fun. But there must be limits. Per the passage above, we can rejoice, we can cheer, etc., but in the end, God will bring us to judgment. The word of God is primary and the rest is secondary. So what do you say? You're either in - or you're out.

An Urgent Message

I know that many of you might think that this is yet another one of those conspiracy theorist attempts to scare the public. I'm not sure of the validity of these claims but I have found several sources from completely different locations of the U.S. claiming the exact same processes are in the works in their area. This shook me up and I hope it will yet again remind all of us of our need to be prepared; prepared for possible separation from our close-ones, to stand for our faith, and to endure until the end.

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10

UPDATE! Please read this article from 2008: Click Here

A Grand Plan

It was another one of those weeks. Another week where people lost their jobs. It has been confirmed that more than 550 people will be laid-off by the end of this year in my company and about 750 total should be gone by the end of 2010. They call it workforce reduction, financial adjustment, restructuring, and etc. But I say don't blame it on the economy or the management. In all honesty, I don't believe that those are factors which decide the futures of individual's on the planet. God does. You see, a companies management is simply the executor of God's plan (whether they know it or not). By the way, if there are any managers out there reading this, sorry to break it to you but, it's true. He overlooks each and every living/non-living soul. He executes His plans via believers and non-believers. Check out the following passage:

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4

Paul reminds us that we must always pray for all authority standing above us. That includes the government as well as supervisors and managers at work. Praying for them is pleasing in the sight of God and will therefore play a role in the day-to-day operations and actions of the authority. Through my 3.5+ years working here, it was like watching fiery arrows dart past me every now and then. And it was in God's interest that I stay where I am. It may also be in His interest to have all of that changed tomorrow. Either way, we must accept such occurrences as part of God's grand plan. It's through hardships and difficult times that man stops to think about where he is headed. This accomplishes God's desire to save man. Let's pray for ourselves and others that we may overcome difficult times, such as lay-offs, with Him on our minds and in our hearts.

It's me again...

I know I know... it's been more than a month since I last posted an entry. But you know, I have an excuse; it just shows that I was busy - or lazy. Actually, I prefer the term "work-shy". I was simply too shy to use my brain for superfluous activities. This was a perfect time to prepare myself for vacation next week. I have been waiting for this moment since the fall of Berlin. At least that's what it feels like. Trust me; it really is a well-earned vacation. No, really - you can trust me on this one. Okay, maybe not.


Alright, enough with the nonsense... I want to use a few more lines of this entry to ask all of you for a favor. There's a young man, a friend of mine, who recently repented. For some reason, he's been on my mind since that day. I always have an urge to pray for him! The Holy Spirit works wonders in people's hearts and I know that this young man is in a profound spiritual state as he seeks every possible form of communication with brothers and sisters in Christ. Please keep him in your prayers!

Hope or Frenzy?

It was a long day at work. It started with a few meetings and ended with... me writing this post. As I watched the stock market today, I couldn't help but wonder what will happen with the future of the economy. At the point where it's at right now, it's difficult to foretell what will happen by year-end. Some say it'll recover, others say it won't. In the beginning of the year, some said it would recuperate by June, others - by July. But some of us know that the end of June and beginning of July proved otherwise. The markets dove hundreds of points into the red, causing an outcry of panic. So maybe the markets were not ready for a recovery? Now, through the week of the 12th, the Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq, and any other fancy acronym out there, was shining green. Reading the news today, guess what I found? Yup, "hope for the economy".

So the moral of my post today is this: have faith in God, not man. From my experience with the market this year, it seems that man really does not know what he is talking about. No matter his title or accomplished college degree. The predictions made are okay if people accept them as mere predictions. But we don't. We listen to "the experts" and expect certain results. When true results arrive, we get disappointed, cry, and kick. Of course, professionals know what they are talking about. They know their stuff. But I also know my stuff: "as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation, my God will hear me." Micah 7:7 (NASB)

Whether the economy goes up or down, I know not. But I know that I have the Lord with me whichever way it goes.

Windows Live Writer

I just downloaded this neat program called Windows Live Writer. It is created for bloggers in order for them to have quick access to their blogs. Aside from just being able to write a blog from this program, you can add all sorts of cool features such as videos, photo albums, etc straight from the program. I attached the below sample video from YouTube to demonstrate how this works.

I created this video in 2005 after my missions trip to Russia.

Since I’m still getting to know the program, I don’t know all of the bells and whistles but looks like we’ve got a lot here! Of course, like any other Windows application, Windows Live Writer comes with the abundance of text editing features. This makes creating blogs quicker and more fun. Right after I finish typing this sentence, I’m going to click the preview tab and it will show me how my blog looks even before publishing the post. This was a bit tricky to do from Blogger’s web editor. I’m really starting to like this app!

Anyway, all you bloggers out there, if you’re interested, you can download it from the Windows Live website.

Time to Think

It's July 6th, two days after July 4th (duh!) and I'm sitting here analyzing how I spent my weekend. The reason for such an analysis? Well, it was a three-day weekend since my office was closed on Friday in recognition of Independence Day. So I thought maybe I should sit here and think about how I spent (and spend) my time; wisely or not? Someone once told me that after the age of 20, time will fly! Ever since I 'rolled' over that hill, I'd say I completely agree with whoever that was. See, it seems like it was so long ago I cant even remember who it was.

Take a moment and think how long ago you celebrated the New Year. Would you agree that it seems like it was just yesterday? For me it does. And it seems like this upcoming New Year is nearing so quickly that we might as well start preparing for it now. Well, now try to imagine this: the time you lived between last summer and this summer went by so quickly... how many more of these short years do you have to live? 60? 40? 15? Maybe 0.5? We don't know. Even if it's 60 years, time will fly by so quickly, you won't even realize it. And this brings me to my reason for posting.

Sometimes God wants us to stop and think; to think about where we are headed. And that is what I am doing today. Out of my entire weekend, my most precious moments were those spent with God in prayer and reading of His word. Those were the most useful minutes/hours of my weekend. All else? Vanity.

My friend, use your time wisely.

John 3:16

Many of us have heard of the arguments about Calvinism. Some of us are probably even annoyed by all of the discussions. Everywhere you go, someone's talking about it. Nevertheless, I'd like to share what seems to be a pretty good summary of the entire teaching. As we know, John 3:16 clearly states that whosoever believes in Christ, receives everlasting life. Though the verse summarizes the salvation theory as clearly as possible, some like to distort its meaning. Therefore, it comes out to sound something like this:

Иоанна 3:16 по кальвинистски:
Ибо так возлюбил Бог мир кальвинистов которых Он любил извечно и возненавидел Исава и остальных некальвинистов которых Он ненавидел извечно что отдал Сына Своего Единородного дабы всякий кальвинист которому Бог дал насильно веру не погиб потому что он никогда не может погибнуть но имел жизнь вечную которую он уже и так имел прежде сотворения мира

No Joke

Today I read all of 1st Timothy during lunch and out of the 6 chapters, verse 8 from chapter 5 stuck out as if it was written in font 72. Here's what it says:

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Talk about being straightforward? Though in this first section of the chapter Paul talks about widows, I am positive that this verse applies to all of us who have some sort of relation to a personal household. No, it does not apply only to the parents or grandparents of a household, but to anyone who lives within. We all have the responsibility of taking care of those with whom we live. This verse is a grave warning of what one can be considered if he does not take care of his household. Not only has the person denied their faith but they are worse than an unbeliever. That, my friends, is some serious, potent talk. No joke.

I'm in Love!

... kidding, I was just trying to get your attention. Or maybe I'm not kidding, but we won't discuss that here. :) As odd as it sounds, it is something I wish to write about in this post. Never thought you'd see me write anything on this topic, huh? Observing a few young couples in our church and at work, I've been trying to understand how/if it would be possible to learn off of their actions in order to build a strong, God-fearing family. Though my years are young, I believe it is imperative to start praying and taking some sort of action within yourself even from an early age.

As much (or as little) as I comprehend the concept of marriage, it is a commitment in which you are willing to go through any fire with the one you love and still come out alive. Most young couples would probably feel worried before making such a vow. Commitment is a matter of promise. Once you're in, there is no turning back (except for in the case of Matthew 19:9). But there is more to commitment than simply tying yourself to someone even if you two absolutely despise one another. A couple committing themselves to one another must first and foremost commit to the Biblical standards (1 Corinthians 7, Ephesians 5, etc). Remember that marriage between a man and a woman is symbolic of Christ and the church. It is critical to keep this fact in mind at all times.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Ephesians 5:22-33

Once these Biblical standards are met within the family, it will truly be a blessed marriage. It is when we lose sight of our spiritual beacon that we begin to drift away. In your prayers for your future (or current) spouse, pray that God gives you the strength and desire to commit yourself primarily to His living Word. It will help guide you through all of your questions and confusion concerning any of life's most difficult decisions. As it often happens, you might think, "easier said than done". This is actually where my role as a potential future husband comes into play. If I put all of my strength into building a spiritually-healthy family, with the help of the Lord, it will be done. I am challenging myself to give what it takes in order to watch, listen, learn, and then fulfill.

Oh so needy!

A recent event in my life made me realize a few things:

1. You don't always get what you want.
   
2. You don't always need what you want.
   
3. You don't always want what you get.
   

There's a thing about human nature where we always long for something. If you haven't noticed that, just take a couple minutes to think about it. How many desires fill our hearts on a daily basis? It all ranges from wanting a coffee in the morning, to buying a luxurious item (computer, car, etc), and even to wanting someone special to be next to you. But most of our desires are driven by our fleshly mind, which continuously seeks to fill a gap which doesn't always necessarily exist. It makes us think that we need something when we really don't.

There's a verse in Proverbs that says "The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give." (Proverbs 30:15a). Though, interestingly the word 'horseleach' is used in KJV (leech in NKJV), the Russian version uses the word "ненасытимость" which simply means: incompleteness, need, void, etc. As mentioned earlier, when we feel a void in our life, we try to fill it with something just for the sake of filling it. But where do we get these feelings that something is constantly missing? And I'm not talking about the coffee here. I'm talking about things we really don't need in order to survive. Okay, sometimes I need coffee to survive, but I'm referring to spiritual possessions.

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:4

My opinion is that a person who lives a Christ-filled life will always be in abundance of everything. He will not have a constant need. And the only time a person should truly need is when Christ is missing from their life. When He is in our life, then we will have the right desires, the right needs, and we will be ready to receive anything that is given to us. Consider this thought. Blessings!

Love Endures

Oh bad, bad, very bad; little sleep is bad for you… and me too of course. That’s why y’all should be patient while reading this post. The 20 oz. coffee did not help and neither did that gigantic, sugary donut. Though, I cannot refute that the marvelous savor of the combination helped me sit through my first meeting. Oops, I’m blogging on serious topics here… alright, listen up everyone!

This is meant to be a small analysis of the image below. At first glance, I accepted it as just another image with no real point but to draw giggles and grins. And though it is very amusing, I would like to take from it a very important lesson.
 In life, we all meet people who differ from us so much that at first glance, we automatically reject putting their names into our white book of acquaintances. This unfortunately spreads not only to people who differ from us oh so drastically but also unto those with whom we might have the slightest of disagreements. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not condemning those who make wise choices as far as who to make friends with. Since the Bible clearly instructs us that the light has no relation with the darkness, so do I accept the fact that we must not tie ourselves to people who rebuke or blaspheme the word of God. But this does not indicate that we have no reason to spread the truth of God’s word even unto them.

My main focus, though, was intended to be on those around us in church, work, or even in our family. Analyzing the image above, I think that it draws a very critical double-edged sword. Most would show this image to the person who “criticizes” someone with a different opinion, intentionally hinting at the fact that they are not acting as they should. But I think it has a lesson to teach both parties. The turtle, for the sake of peace and love, altered itself to make the porcupine happy. It was willing to take that extra step. And the porcupine, accepts even the not-so-subtle of alterations which the turtle has made to itself. It’s a matter of compromise. Though not mentioned on the picture, the verse at the bottom caries a deep meaning; it actually goes as so: “[love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:7

May we all love one another with the love which bears, endures, believes, and hopes all things. Easy to say – hard to do. But with God, anything is possible!

Quenching a Thirsty Soul

It is always a blessing to be around our friends and family. We as Christian’s can rely on one another for spiritual and even material help when a need arises. By His mercy, we have the ability to be in the presence of one another and the almighty God 24/7. But there is one thing that troubles me when it comes to living in such an ideal environment: we get so used to one another and our nearly trouble-less lives that we forget about the world around us.

Although the devil works actively even amongst Christian’s, he’s already got a strong hold on a huge population of the world. And these are the people we should be most concerned about. I started to think about this more critically after meeting a young lady yesterday who did not know Christ. She told me about her large family where almost no one knows God, where her mom cries day and night for her lost, grown children. As a result of all of these worries, her mother was diagnosed with heart problems and is soon about to leave her job. Her father, a victim of cancer; a brother in jail; another out and about enjoying the world… shall I continue with the rest?

All of this leaves her to seek nothing else but help; a soul, hungry for God’s word, desiring to consume and understand it.

Isaiah 55:1-3a
1 Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live…

We as Christian’s need to be enthusiastic about serving a soul like this by giving them a hand, providing the Word to them, answering questions, and guiding them along the way. Recalling my post from yesterday, I want to remind everyone of the joy of helping a person grow in Christ. Please also pray for this young lady and her family.

No greater joy!

So last night I stopped by my brother's house to visit my first (and so far only) nephew. He is now 17 days old and is evidently growing quickly. Though I stopped in just to take a peek at him, I ended up staying for awhile, holding him in my arms. That's where he fell asleep. I can't even begin to describe the incredible feelings I had while he was laying in my arms. A tiny creation of God can make a grown man's heart overflow with tears.

When considering all that surrounds this guiltless soul, I could not help but worry about him. Though he is being raised in the ideal home with magnificent parents, he will still be facing the same gruesome thing every person faces as they go through life; sin. May God save Him. That being said, I remembered the following passage:

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4

Of course, in this passage John is not referring to his own physical, young kids. But this passage brings out the true love of a person who helped form someone's spiritual being. Please consider the depth of this passage. What does it mean to raise a child? You feed, cloth, teach, tuck him in to bed, and etc. And you do this throughout the child's entire life until they are capable of doing the same with their own children. Now let's make the connection between the physical and spiritual raising of a child. Spiritually, you feed, pray, nurture, and care for a person until they are able to stand on their own two feet. After accomplishing such a feat, John is saying he has no greater joy than to hear that those whom he helped spiritually, continue to walk in truth.

How often do we have the joy of seeing God's children, especially those whom we helped, continue to walk in the light of the Word? Just a thought to consider... blessings!

Na-Sho-Pa 2009

Alright, I'll try to make this one short and sweet. I don't know why but sometimes I have a hard time doing so because of the immense amount of thoughts flowing through my tiny brain at the same time. It causes me to sidetrack too often... see what I'm talking about? Maybe I should try quad-core?

Anyway, this past weekend I had the blessed opportunity of going to a youth conference in New York. The topic of the conference was "стремлюсь к цели" (pressing towards the mark) - Philippians 3:14. In all honesty, when I first found out what the topic was going to be, I was perplexed regarding what the preachers had to offer us for 3 days at a camp, surrounding that one verse from Philippians.

Of course due to my incredulous human nature, God always has a point to prove. So He showed me that the riches of His word are deeper than what my unbelieving heart could ever imagine; no pun intended but the topic was so "on target" that I can't even imagine it being anything else. It was the perfect topic sent to us at the perfect time of our lives, when people tend to lose sight of their target. In the wake of the 21st century, Christianity [as a religion] has been knocked so far off track that there is no question about it missing its initial target. And until each one of us changes our own selves, modern Christianity as a whole will continue to miss the bull's eye.

Trading - Intro

Before we get into any of the technical details of financial trading, it's important for each Christian to understand the reason behind why they are trading in the public markets. There's a common perspective, especially in the midst of some very conservative organizations, that trading stocks is unnecessary due to the similarity between the stock exchange and gambling. For those, I wish to say it is true - if you don't know what the stock exchange is. Per Wikipedia, the definition of 'Stock Exchange' is as follows:

"A stock exchange, (formerly a securities exchange) is a corporation or mutual organization which provides "trading" facilities for stock brokers and traders, to trade stocks and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for the issue and redemption of securities as well as other financial instruments and capital events including the payment of income and dividends. The securities traded on a stock exchange include: shares issued by companies, unit trusts, derivatives, pooled investment products and bonds."

Please notice how many times the root word "trade" appears in that short definition. In plain English, a stock exchange is the trading of funds. Though that is very high-level, it's a good way of looking at it for those who do not understand the reason behind and the functionality of the stock markets. Really, there is little to no difference between this and trading apples for oranges between two countries. Let's say one country owns hundreds of apple fields and another does not but rather owns thousands of orange fields. The first country may willingly give up several million apples in exchange for a few hundred thousand oranges. That being said, the two countries have a mutual exchange of products. If one country decides they wish to refrain from trading, they may do so. Similarly, each individual or organization willingly participates in the exchange of funds within the open market.

Some of you, though, may say, "but it's still similar to gambling because you never know which way the market will go". Not true. With our current technological advances and the stock exchange being controlled 100% by complicated computer systems, it is possible to predict (if not know) exactly what is happening to the company(s) in which you invest money. Doing extensive research is a critical part of being a responsible trader. If you do not take on the responsibility of researching and simply throw your money in hoping for the best, then yes, the floor of the NY Stock Exchange for you is exactly like the floor of the Cripple Creek Casino.

Example of how the floor of a Stock Exchange looks (Malaysia):

Blogging

I never considered blogging before. It was always one of those strange, geeky things people would do when they're lonely. No, I have not yet hit that level of depression. But I hope to use blogs to encourage people with the thoughts and feelings in my heart. The Lord has showered me with an abundance of blessings and the least I could do is pass them on to those around me (whether online or off).

The beauty of blogging is that it gives you the freedom of expressing your inner-self publicly without having to pay for a website or the rental of an auditorium. Yes, they say our blood contains a few drops of Jewish wisdom.

By the way, for those of you who do not know Russian, go learn it. That is if you wish to continue reading my posts. At times I shall convey my thoughts in Russian and trust me, Google Language Tools won't help you much if you think you're so tricky.

A new beginning

I am a well-rounded (actually, quiet slim physically) young man with interests in many of life's intriguing categories. I was born and raised in a Christ-centered home with a family of six. Though I may not be as expressive emotionally on the outside, on the inside I love my family with all of my heart. Given the choice to leave the family for trillions of dollars, 3/4's of the planet, and a few stars in the sky, I would choose my family without a doubt.

Aside from loving my family so much, I also have a few hobbies, interests, and goals I wish to accomplish. With the Lord's help, I hope to get into music recording. Having written a few poetic lines and some melody lines, I have an urge to record at least one CD before I leave Earth for good. Music is a passion for which I hope to make more time because it opens the depths of my heart as well as the listeners'. I aspire to finish my remaining semester of college so that I could get my hands on my guitar, violin, and possibly the lonely piano which I must learn to play.

I thank the Lord for all that I have; for all of the situations in life which set me straight. If at first something seems to be going wrong, stop and think. What is He trying to tell you? Are you listening? Are you accomplishing His will in your life? This may sound like nonsense to those of you who do not yet know God. For you, I pray and desire that He opens the eyes and ears of your heart so that you would have the salvation He grants us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Revelation 3:19

Sincerely,

Andrey