Helping Addicts

                                      

                       The Healing Teams (No White Coats!)

If you want to know how my colleagues turned the corner on addictions, divorce, poverty and violence in Russia come to meet Galina Chentsova at Dwelling Place next Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. The church is on 9335 Remington Road, Loveland. It will be worth your time to see how they have built an intensive program and process of spreading the good news around the former USSR. 

When I first visited men were passed out in droves all over the streets.  Over 50% of the men were alcoholics. It was much worse than Over the Rhine in Cincinnati. Now, there are many ways and places they can get sober and their families get healed. 

The things we tried first failed! Failed miserably! The traditional Medical Disease Model also failed in the days of the USSR. Then we tried our own Medical Disease Model but we had to learn what would work and what would not work!

If it works, DO MORE 

If it fails, STOP IT

Most of the ideas being suggested to deal with drugs in America have and will fail. But not before we spend BILLIONS trying to do things the wrong way. 

Come and hear her speak and talk with her. By the way, we have books and teachings on doing it the right way. But our way is cheap and non bureaucratic. 

Implications of Massive Trauma for Christians

Graduation for a class of Christian lay men and women who have competed the courses to be Helpers, Group Leaders, 12 Step Facilitators, etc. They will join dozens of other people dedicated to restore love and truth to a culture traumatized by atheism.

At the turn of the 20^th century, Berdyayev wrote about the revival of Russian culture. In his mind, it depended on Christians gathering in small groups around the kitchen table to discuss scripture, pray and encourage each other to live holy lives. The Communists saw the dangers of that force and tried to eliminate fellowship, mutual support and the practical application of the good news. House churches as well as public churches were attacked.

If you want to know our philosophy of ministry to "Heal the broken hearted and set the captives free" as Jesus told us, see my books. It is very much in line with Berdyayev's approach. 

Any ideals that did not bow to Socialist philosophy were deemed too dangerous to be allowed.  They chose to destroy all religion but especially Christianity with its emphasis on building healthy social ties. When one’s own religiousness becomes our main interest, the fate of the rest of the world loses all meaning. (See James 2:18 on faith and works)

Where to Now?

These issues have serious implications for missions and Russian believers whose goal is to build the Kingdom of God. We must work diligently to help Christians re-engage with the world of humanity on earth. 

Unfortunately, many churches in Russia continue to reflect the Soviet Socialist instead of a biblical world-view. Some Orthodox and Protestant leaders reject any kind of ministry to the whole person. They reject counseling, psychology, medication, 12 Step Recovery Groups and other “non-spiritual interventions”.  

The Church was fooled into thinking Christians had no biblical basis for helping those suffering from medical, educational, mental, emotional and relational difficulties. They did not realize that the view comes from a Socialist pagan theology rather than God's inspired Bible. 

Go to our web for more information about how our ministry is restoring basic Christianity to Russian culture. Pray for the ministry and, if possible, send a generous donation to Sweeten Life Systems.

We have one of our good friends from Russia with us for ten days. We are visiting with old friends and new so call me if you want to meet with us. We will be at an open house next Wednesday night at 7:00 PM in Dwelling Place Church on 90335 Remington Road in Loveland 45140.  

The Communists Had No Compassion or Empathy

The Soviet Union was the first state to have an ideological objective to eliminate religion. They confiscated church property, ridiculed religion, harassed believers and propagated atheism in schools, government, science and universities. The persecution of religion was determined by state interest. This meant that few groups were completely outlawed.

The main target of the anti-religion campaign in the 1920’s and 30’s was the Russian Orthodox Church.  Because it had the largest number of faithful followers and the most clergy it suffered most. Nearly all its clergy, some 92,000, were shot or sent to labor camps. Theological schools were closed and church publications were prohibited. By 1939 only 500 of over 50,000 churches remained open and about 12,000 were destroyed or used as museums for atheism. 

The top people in the Communist Party said, "We must put down these people with utmost brutality." How can we heal the children and grand children of those who were brutalized? I Have several stories about it in my book, How to Be Me in My Family Tree.

Berdyayev was a great writer and observer of society. He saw the dangers of the Bolsheviks. He said that both socialism and religion emphasize equality. 

Religion achieves this ideal by promoting creation by and contact with God, the highest plane of human existence. (imago Dei)

Socialism, on the other hand, aims to get equality of persons by destroying all the higher aspects of the personality.  The higher dimensions include, love, kindness, mutual commitment, family life, sanctity of life, intellectual achievement, motivation, self-esteem, etc. All are to be banished, rooted out with a viciousness usually reserved for mad dogs. 

Our books and training focus on restoring these facets of humanity from the image of God. 

Why Do Some Politicians Hate Religion, Faith and God?

Women in the USSR

The following comments come from a book Under the Rubble, by Alexander Solzhenitysn, Mikhail Agursky, Evgeny Barabanov, Vadim Borisov, F. Korsakov and Igor Shafarevich, Regeny Gateway, Washington, D.C., 1981. See Schism Between Church and State, pp 172 ff by Evgeny Barabanov.

The USSR leaders hated God and tried to destroy every religious leader they found. Why did they kill so many Russian Orthodox Priests and Protestant Ministers? 

It might be summed up as "Socialism is a religion and very jealous of any other God." They always act with total brutality when it comes to attacking a rival such as a traditional religion. 

The destruction of individual human relationships is essential to socialism. Love, family, parenting, compassion, concerns and responsibility to assist others is rejected. In fact, the worth of an individual is rejected. (P 58) 

Anyone reading the Communist Manifesto with an open mind will be shocked to see the space given to the destruction of the family, rearing children away from their parents in state schools and to wife sharing.

The basic principles of socialism are: Abolition of private property, destruction of religion, destruction of family and destruction of individual human rights. All such groups think sex within marriage is one of the worst things imaginable. Women and children always suffer the most from these socialist regulations for they are given the hardest work.  (P 30)

This is exactly what happened under the Socialist governments in Europe and Asia. While proclaiming belief in the rights of women and children these groups receive the very worst treatment. 

How can we respond as Christians? Our call from God was clear. Go to Russia with Faith hope,and love and start by teaching about Recovery from Alcohol and Drugs. 

We did what God said. As a result have been training leaders in former Communist countries for 21 years! Why is it taking so long? The number of people who suffered abuse and neglect from the 70 years of Communism was overwhelming. Plus the churches and Christian groups that usually ministered to the poor and needy had been forced out of business. And, the people are so damaged that repair takes a very long time. Destruction can be fast but Recovery is very long and hard with many relapses. 

Christ is the only hope for Russia. See How to be me in My Family Tree. 

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Healing Traumatized Nations

Socialist Soviet Attacks on Christian Ministry

The Soviet Union is one society that attempted to throw off all vestiges of religion. It was a disaster we never want to repeat it. In 1929, the Central Committee of the Communist Party said:

You say that you are not of this world. Well then, there is nothing for you to do in this world. That is why I forbid you (the Church) to: setup benefit societies; to offer material aid to your members; to organize children's and young person's groups for prayer and other purposes, or general biblical, literary or handicraft groups for the purpose of work or religious instruction and the like, or to organize groups, circles or sections; to arrange excursions and kindergartens, open libraries and reading rooms, organize sanatoria or medical aid.

The Soviets forbade the Church from being involved in the practical, daily needs of their members. The priests and lay people were not allowed to teach children, give medical or mental health assistance to them or to provide prayer meetings for the young. The government prohibited Christian orphanages. Ministers were even forbidden to support grieving families. The church’s long history of practical care and compassion was attacked as unbiblical and anti-Soviet.

Many church leaders continue to think that nurture, care, support for widows and orphans and kindnesses are not biblical. The demonic attacks of Soviet thinking almost completely infiltrated Christian practices. Anything that is practiced for a long time will seem to be biblical even if the enemy introduced it. I am doing everything in my power and the power of the Holy Spirit to eradicate these ideas and replace them with insights from the Lord.

Russian alcoholism rates of over 50% among adult males. Premature death is rampant. Of all modern countries, only they have a decrease in longevity. In 1988 President Gorbachev, an atheist, reinstated the pastoral activities in the Orthodox Church and other faith communities so they would positively affect the society. Until the older generation dies most of the church cannot accept pastoral care. In fact, Putin is re-instituting the old rules.

Thanks to the Dwelling Place Church 9335 Remington Road, in Loveland,  you can hear about our work to heal the Russian people from the PTSD of Communism’s 70 year reign. 

Dr. Galina Chentsova and I will share at 7:00 PM Wednesday, May 14. We want to educate and recruit partners to bring peace to Russia.

Dr. GarySweeten, Sweeten Life Systems, a 501c3 Charity, P.O. Box 11161, Cincinnati,Ohio 45249