Made New in Christ: A Carpathian Testimony

Summary

A guest preacher, Brother Vasyl from the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine near Kolomyia, serves the church with both song and testimony. After a prayer thanking God for gathering His people and longing for Christ's return, he speaks of the suffering of war in Ukraine and how the church there does not stand aside but actively helps people and prays for peace and freedom.

Through a song of thanksgiving he praises God for daily bread, clean water, a child's smile, and above all the cross of Golgotha that forgave his sin and called him God's child. He then recounts his story: born into a large, poor family, a gifted singer and musician who gained local fame but slid into drinking and by the age of thirty had lost everything, becoming useless to everyone.

Curiosity about a neighbor who had repented led him to a service in Kolomyia, where he came forward, knelt, and prayed in his own simple words: God, reveal to me all the truth. He found a new family in Christ. Despite fierce opposition from his village and even his own father, his wife soon believed too, and over time hearts and attitudes changed. He reminds us that all have sinned, that there is no other name under heaven by which we are saved, and that anyone in Christ is a new creation.

Key Points

• All have sinned and fall short of God's glory, and salvation comes only through faith in Jesus.
• There is no other name under heaven by which a person can be saved.
• Anyone in Christ becomes a new creation, and even a broken, wasted life can be completely changed.
• You do not need polished words to come to God; an honest prayer like reveal to me the truth is enough.
• Turning to Christ may bring opposition, even from family and neighbors, but God gives courage and changes hearts over time.
• Salvation overflows into gratitude for daily bread, for God's love, and for the cross.
• The church does not stand aside from suffering but serves people and prays for peace.