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In Ephesians 1:6, we learn God has made us accepted in the Beloved. Consider with me a little of what that means in our daily lives.

It means that God does not merely tolerate or grudgingly accept us. He joyfully embraces us as believers. He accepts us in celebration, pouring His favor upon us and filling us with joy.

The word "accepted" means to give someone a benefit out of favor and kindness. This happened when the angel Gabriel called Mary favored. As believers, we receive special honor and favor, which makes us esteemed and special in God's eyes.

The Beloved refers to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Our acceptance is based on our relationship with Jesus. It is not about my merit or what I have achieved. It is not a performance-based acceptance. Instead, it is a love-based acceptance rooted in Jesus's sacrificial love.

God in human flesh came, the Beloved. He died, taking the world's sins on Himself and taking us to His Father. Jesus was God from God. Jesus is God. God loved us, came to us, saved us, and made us accepted in His love manifested or shown in Jesus.

Unconditional love accepts us, based on its consistent, unwavering nature, and unchanging quality. Christ accepts us, not based on our performance.

We are no longer defined by our past sins, mistakes, or even current struggles. In Christ, the beloved, we are accepted. We have a new identity.

Being accepted means that we have free access to God directly. We confidently approach God, knowing He accepts and welcomes us. This means we can pray without fear or hesitation, knowing that God hears our prayers and our relationship with Him is secure.

We do not have to earn God's favor. Living holy lives is not about trying to earn His favor or love, but about responding with gratitude and love. God accepts us.

Being accepted is not temporary, conditional, or provisional. We are secure in the work of Christ. He is the eternal, unchanging One, Jesus Christ, God in human flesh. This assurance brings us confidence and reassurance in our faith.

Our acceptance is the story of God's extravagant grace. God wants us. He does not just tolerate us. We receive acceptance, not just forgiveness. God cherishes, honors, and embraces us as His very own children. We can live in joy and freedom. God accepts us. All this brings praise and glory to God and his glorious grace.

Your giving through Alignment Ministries supports the following work in the Ukraine.

Hello Our Friends and Partners in Ministry,We are very glad that you support us with your prayers and financial support. We thank God for protecting us until this hour. 

Throughout the summer and early autumn, the alarm in our city sounds every night, and from time to time during the day. God protects us through your prayers. We ask that you continue to pray for our health as well. As a rule, we cannot sleep well at night due to anxiety. This creates tension in the body and chronic fatigue. Despite this, we can serve people and preach to them about Jesus Christ!

We have good news. In previous letters, I told you about a family, an elderly husband and his Jewish wife. They were forced to leave their hometown. We met them and helped them with food and kind words. They began to attend church, and after a while, the wife trusted Christ as her Savior and was baptized in the Name of Jesus! We asked you to pray for her husband's salvation, and we are glad that he was recently saved.

Recently on the street, I met another woman named Nona. She lives in a neighboring house and often walks the dog in our yard. When I saw her face, the thought came to me that she was Jewish. One day, I stopped her and spoke to her. When I saw that she was open to conversation, I asked her if she was Jewish. She said yes, and that she works for the Jewish organization, Hesed. I asked if there were any Jews among her friends whom we could help with something. She agreed to find out about it and left me her phone number.

More good news. A family, who are our friends, moved to our city. They are immigrants from Kharkov and were invited to our city as missionaries to organize a new church. We have known this family for a long time and will be happy to help them with this church plant. We are not leaving our church, but we will help them in this ministry. We agreed that ministry to Jewish people in the new church should be one of the important ministries. In this photo, is a group of young people from 15 to 18 years old. These are unbelieving youth who come to play volleyball twice a week on an open summer playground. 

We got to know them, and after playing volleyball, we invited them to spend time around the fire, while treating them to various foods. Once we had built a trusting relationship, we began to have conversations with them on biblical topics.

The girl in this photograph is Katya, and she is sixteen years old. Her grandmother is a Jewish believer who moved from Odessa several years ago. Katya said that as a child, she often went to church with her grandmother. Today, Katya said that she does not believe in God, because the boy with whom she was friends was hit by a car and died. In a personal conversation, she admitted that she tried to commit suicide several times, but each attempt failed. Pray that she will have a place in her heart for God!Thank you very much, friends, for laboring with us! Your prayers and your support are an invaluable gift to us from God.

With love in Christ,