From: Sergei Nakul (pastor of Big City Church in Kyiv and military chaplain):“Rejoice for the Earth!” Christ has come! Welcome the King of kings! “. Praise is in Big City Church, Kyiv – Церква Великого Міста, Київ ! Let not the darkness of war overshadow the holiday of Christmas, but the light of Christmas Christ illuminates the darkness of war and warms us with the warmth of hope. Because Christ is our hope. A living hope. Have a blessed Advent!
Voice of Ukraine 
6 responses to “12/19/2023 – “Rejoice for the Earth!” Christ has come! Welcome the King of kings! (Video)”
Praying for Peace
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From: Maia Mikhaluk in Kyiv (655th day):
Today at our church the second Advent candle was lit up – candle of Peace. Lighting Peace candle during the second year of war has the depth of personal meaning that we didn’t comprehend before.
Sasha spoke before worship sharing that one of the most underlined Scripture verses in YouVersion Bible App is Isaiah 41:10:
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
She asked if people have experience fear or worry this past year, “maybe in the middle of the night listening to enemy drones passing by your house or when you read news, or when you were waiting for news from loved ones, or maybe you worried when you heard a hopeless diagnosis or had financial challenges or from uncertainty. You may even felt anxiety that you couldn’t explain.
God knows our tendency for fear; that’s why in the Scriptures, He constantly reminds us not to fear, not to worry, not to be troubled.
As soon as Peter turned his eyes from Christ and looked at the waves and wind, he began to drown. Don’t turn your eyes away from Christ! “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” (Ps 23:4)
On the shepherd’s staff, there are markings that stand for every time he saved one of his sheep. Let’s keep an eye on God’s staff and be reminded that every marking on it speaks of His goodness and protection. Let’s surround ourselves with reminders of God’s care. May this give you peace and comfort.”
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From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 655):
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:22
“Today, on the second Sunday of Advent, people light up the candle of Peace. We haven’t had peace in Ukraine for over ten years, yet over the past 655 days, we’ve had plenty of opportunities to experience Peace that surpasses all understanding. When we woke up from explosions on February 24, 2022, when we were evacuating from Kyiv, when we lived through blackouts last winter, when we decided to return to Kyiv – those were uncertain times, yet that is when I felt the deepest Peace of God. In those times, when you couldn’t base your decisions on anything you knew before, when the world as you knew it was gone, when the circumstances tried to bring you down, His voice said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27) It is His Peace that has sustained us through the darkest of times and what keeps us going today. We long for His Peace to reign in Ukraine, but until that day, we will hold onto the Peace He grants our hearts when we come to Him.”
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From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 662):
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Psalm 62:7
A couple of weeks ago, someone asked me where our joy comes from now, when we are nearing the end of the second year of the full-scale invasion. I will share my response here today, on Advent Sunday, when people around the world light up the Candle of Joy.
After we returned to Kyiv, our pace of life changed a lot from the slow, rather predictable, and safer life in a village.
I’d say that this year, we learn to live day by day, dealing with challenges step by step, learning to be grateful in the moment. We wake up, and we are thankful there were no explosions at night and we are well-rested. We get ready to go to school, and we are grateful to be able to travel safely through the city. At school, the children often pray and thank God that they don’t need to go to the basement (our bomb shelter). We come home, and we appreciate the chance to be together as a family because the war has separated many families.
We learn to find joy in daily struggles. An air raid might have prevented us from going out, but we could have family time in our hallway (the safe part of our apartment). A snowstorm might have paralyzed the city, but it meant the indescribable joy of playing in the snow for the kids, so we would seize this opportunity just to let them have fun. We are still worried about possible blackouts and try to prepare for those, but even as we stock up on candles and flashlights, we bought some battery-powered Christmas lights to bring joy into the darkest of nights.
I wish our days were more predictable, but I also feel like God tells me every morning, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
Tonight, I pray for all to be able to experience the joy of God’s love and grace — whether it is in the heavily shelled trenches or in the warmth and safety of their homes. God offers us His joy despite circumstances, yet it is up to us to receive it.
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