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Cornerstone Communications
Crimea
August 07, 2006

The Power of Unity

Dear Friends & Family,

Greetings from Sevastopol, Crimea! The thing I love about Crimea is that essentially every other tree is a fruit tree, and you can just walk up to any tree, and pick apricots, or cherries, or apples and more. The Black Sea is but a 5 minute drive (although I've only been once in 3 weeks) , and the weather is warm, but balmy. What a place to work!

The Power of Unity

There is such a power in unity. And I've seen it here like I've NEVER seen it in any other city or country. Pastor Yuri Feodorovich is my host for the production and my host where I live. He has been such a shining example of humility and love, and it has spread to the other pastors in the city. Altogether, 14 different pastors and churches are working in unity to expand the Kingdom of God. Now, all 14 are working together to sponsor and to support "The Judgment Seat" which opens this week here in Sevastopol. I've worked with other groups of pastors, and some have been by-and-large cooperative. In other cities, I've acted more like the referee, and still in other cities I've had trouble just getting them in the same room. Here, they truly love, help, and pray for each other. May the Lord bless them for their efforts to humble themselves, and to work as a team.

Last week I had a chance to preach to the 14 combined churches here in Sevastopol in a Football (soccer) stadium who are unified to sponsor this city-wide evangelical event.

Production Update

I heard a confession from some pastors about two weeks ago. They had almost cancelled the production, because they didn't know how they'd come up with all the necessary funds to meet their half of the expenses. However, one brother gave them a word from the Lord to trust God to provide, and that they would have more than enough to meet their needs. Well, last Sunday, the pastors came together and brought their congregations together in a football stadium, and we all worshipped together. I was able to preach to the huge multi-congregational audience. We took up an offering especially for the production after the tithes were collected. Over 3 TIMES as much money was collected as what was needed for the production! It was such a miracle! As in Moses' day, we had to literally ASK THE PEOPLE TO STOP GIVING!

In the last two weeks, my interpreter, Stass and I, have been working 12-16 hours every day. We've been in meeting after meeting. The churches are so well organized, that the crews are literally waiting in line to be told what to do! Wow! That's another miracle!

Another miracle: the pastors have organized to have 2 churches a week for 7 weeks (even prior to my coming) to fast and pray for the production. I'll meet some of my actors at rehearsal, and I'll ask, "Why are you so tired?" They'll inevitably say, "It's our church's week to fast for the production". May God honor the church's commitment to fast and pray, and may thousands of souls come into the Kingdom this week.

Radio, television, posters, fliers, newspaper ads are all going now to promote the campaign this week. Here is a billboard promoting "The Judgment Seat".

Since then, the pastors have been meeting, and the crews have been working, building, sewing, painting, designing and creating for the production. The costumes and sets are finished, and we move into the theatre Tuesday. Everything is going so smoothly. Not surprisingly, because of the huge prayer support by the united churches. Won't you please join us as we pray for all the lost who will be coming to the production this week? There's power in unity, and you can be in unity with us!

I Must Do More

Recently, I was going to rehearsal, and as in most places, I take buses and the subway. I had just gotten off the subway, and was on the escalator going up. There were only 8-10 of us going up, and seemingly hundreds, maybe thousands, going down. I got so depressed by that, to the point of tears. The Lord had tapped me on my heart, and showed me a spiritual picture, of the few going to heaven, and the many, many going to hell. I am sometimes overwhelmed at how many people are in the world, and how pathetically little I'm doing for the Kingdom. I must do more! I'm doing 15 shows in 12 months. I must do more. It's like trying to put out a roaring fire with a thimble full of water. I must do more. The teams in various nations help accomplish much. I must do more. Lord, show me how to reach "that escalator full of people going down", before it reaches the bottom! WE MUST DO MORE!

The actors are hard at work as we are nightly going through their lines and staging in preparation for opening night on Thursday, August 10

A Self Made Man

Recently, I had a chance to speak to a young man about the Lord. As we talked, he said, "I don't believe in God. We're all god. Our spirit is god…" The rest of the rabble doesn't matter. He later said, "What I've become is due to my talent and to my education." He was essentially saying, a "I am a self-made man". In reality he was saying he was a proud man.

To be proud means to have an exaggerated view of who you are and what you do. This is just the opposite of being humble, or as the Bible says, "lowly". In Matthew 11:29 Jesus says, "Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." As Jesus speaks of Himself, He in no way is suggesting that we be weak or wimpy, but that we be bold, strong, and yet meek at the same time.

Scripture is filled with men who did great things for God. Jesus was strong and confident, yet He was not haughty or proud. Moses confronted a powerful Pharaoh, and dealt with a rebellious nation, yet in Numbers 12:3 we see that Moses was considered "meek, above all the men who were upon the face of the earth".

The apostle Andrew came across the Black Sea from Asia Minor (present day Turkey) and landed here outside of Sevastopol, and brought Christianity to the people in Eastern Europe. I pray to continue the work he started.

There is something that humility is NOT. It's not self-degradation, belittling oneself or saying, "I'm nothing". Romans 12:3 shows us correctly how to esteem ourselves, "not to think more highly that we ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to everyman the measure of faith." It correctly teaches us not to think of ourselves too highly, and at the same time give sober (fair, analytical) judgment of what we can and cannot do. Lucille Ball, famous television comedienne of the 50's and 60's said, "It's good to know what you're good at, but equally good to know what you're not good at."

So, why does God hate pride so much? First of all, it's the nature of the enemy. It was pride that caused Lucifer to attempt to exalt himself above God. (Isaiah 14:13-14) . Later, the serpent in the garden made Adam and Eve believe that they could be "like God, knowing good and evil". God hated the pride that was in Adam and Eve, because they thought they could be like God. They wouldn't need God after this! God created us, and not only did He create us, but He continues to sustain us each and every minute! We are totally dependent upon Him for everything!

It was one month ago that I became aware of how "independent" I was becoming. What "sin" had I committed? Certainly not one that anyone could see. Worst of all, I couldn't see it either. I had learned what I needed to know about God. I knew His Word. I knew how to use the "right spiritual phrase" at the right time. Here was my sin: "Do I really need to pray? No, but I will. Do I need to trust God? No, but I will". Now, of course, NO ONE actually thinks this! It was just a very subtle little attitude that made me think that I was independent of God's grace. Again, no, I didn't actually "think" this way. It was in prayer that I discovered that this subtle, dangerous sin had snuck into my mind. It was that disgusting Luciferian spirt....pride. We must be on the lookout for it, and to stop it before it starts to control how we think.

In St. Andrew's day, this small port town was given the Greek name, Hersonesk, and the ruins remain from the city where St. Andrew landed and where he ministered.

I thought that I was trusting God. I thought that God was being glorified in and through me. I was praying, and God started to speak to me. He showed me that I was really quiet naturally good at what I do. From childhood, I have been performing. No training. No schooling, it was a "gift". Then, it occurred to me. Nothing I do is without His help! Nothing I have is without His gracious Hand of Provision; Nothing I do is without His Mind in me. Nothing I am is without His Holy Spirit! What a nuclear blast! If this isn't a revelation to you, please pray that the Lord will make it one. I "knew" all this, but didn't KNOW it.

We often speak of going to the "next level". For me, it was this last month. It wasn't a level that anyone could see. It was one I had to climb. It was realizing that I'm NOT talented without Him. I'm not gifted without Him. None of the churches that have invited me have done so without being moved by the Holy Spirit. They don't invite me because I'm cool, or talented, but by the moving of the Holy Spirit! For the first time in my 28 years of being a born-again Christian, I can honestly say "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"! (Philippians 4:13)

So, how about you? Are you a "self made" man or woman? Are you successful because of your God-given talents, or are you successful because God has graced you to be so? It is such a fine line! I hope that you can understand that it's more than a fine line. It's more like a GULF! There's nothing we can do without God's help. Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in Me will bring forth much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing." God wants to use those who are learning to walk in true humility before God. I'm not sure that I'm "walking" yet; it's more of a stumble! As we know Him more, the more we'll realize that nothing we do is without His help.

Blagoslavit Vas Bog!

That's Crimean for "God Bless You!" Truly the Lord is at work here in Sevastopol! I've never seen anything like it. I ask you to please pray for the saints here as we all work together to bring in the harvest. The harvest is ready, and the laborers are ready. Won't you join us…. In prayer? God bless you, my friend!

For the Kingdom,
Richard Montez

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