Permanent Impact July 2008

. . . a newsletter to keep you up-to-date with Sculley family adventures in Russia and beyond

We're willing to go . . . are you willing to send us?

What's the latest?

Discovering treasures

We've been in Hot-lanta all summer enjoying more of the many adventures God has taken us on this year. Our troubles have been exceedingly light and momentary, as 2 Corinthians puts it, and we are very thankful for the Lord's abundant blessing in our lives. We're awaiting our short-term visas, which we anticipate receiving in early August. We'll let you know our travel dates as soon as we know!

Something happened a few days ago that really grabbed our attention. Paul, P, and J joined the Atlanta Vineyard men's group in attending a Braves' baseball game down at Turner Field. In the 8th inning, Chipper Jones hit a fly ball . . . and out of the 40,000 fans present, J caught it! This is the same kid who found an ancient Indian arrowhead while digging in our yard a couple of years ago. Keep in mind that in the 20 years Paul and I have lived in Atlanta, we've never known anyone personally who caught a fly ball, and we certainly haven't dug up any other arrowheads in our yard, nor have we heard of anyone else finding one either. The prophetic significance of these two incidents is profound, not only for J, but for all of us in the body of Christ. God positions each of us just where He wants us to be to receive the treasures that He wants to give us. He places each of us where we are "for such a time as this." Our job is to stay alert, watchful, and ready, even when we don't fully understand. The Spirit of God gently leads us - He only asks us to trust Him, rest in Him, and receive the grace He's pouring out on us, regardless of circumstances. How beautiful it is to know that our Heavenly Father cares so much for each of us, uniquely, and in every aspect of our lives! We hope this encourages you as much as it's encouraged us! We're also wondering what treasure J will discover next . . .

Financial Partnership Opportunities:

We'd like to offer you a variety of opportunities each month . . . let us know if you'd like to partner with us in any of these ways. THANK YOU for your support . . . it is a joy to walk this road together with you!

• Sculley Family support

o Our current support level is 76% of our 2008 financial needs - praise God!

• Resources for Russians

o Thank you for contributing to this! We have received sufficient funds to purchase some great resources (we'll list the titles in the next newsletter).

o In addition, we've received copies of "For Men Only" and "For Women Only", which are available in English and Russian (and several other languages), generously donated by the authors, Jeff & Shaunti Feldhahn, who are in our Atlanta Vineyard church family.

o We are praising God that after a conversation Karen had with the editor of "Pray!" magazine at a prayer conference in June, NavPress has agreed to begin translating and distributing their prayer bookmarks into Russian! If you've ever seen my Bible or been to any prayer class I've taught, you'll know what a huge fan I am of these wonderful tools (e.g. "31 biblical virtues to pray for your kids", "scripture-based prayers to pray for your pastor", "prayers that birth revival", etc.) We've distributed thousands of these cards over the years, and are delighted that soon we will be able to offer them to Russian believers, too.

We trust God to provide everything we need to do all that He wants us to do in and through us. If you would like to invest what God has given you in Kingdom activity, through financial partnership, here's how (all financial contributions are 100% tax deductible in the U.S.A., and are processed through the Atlanta Vineyard, our sending church to whom we are accountable):

• automated giving (automatic monthly deductions from your checking or savings account - click here for the form - be sure to write "Sculley - Russia" in the space under "recommended giving"). Once you print out and fill in the form, please mail it to the address indicated at the bottom of the form.

• online giving via PayPal (www.atlantavineyard.com — just mention “Sculley - Russia” on the online giving comment line)

Praise Reports:

• Praise God that the new 2008-09 Vineyard Leaders School began in Perm, Russia on July 20th! This is the primary way in which Russian leaders are being raised up in the Vineyard movement in Russia, and is lead by our long-term friends Ralph and Vicki Hale (who were sent out from the Atlanta Vineyard 10 years ago). Praise God that Yana, our good friend and language tutor in Nizhny Novgorod, is studying in the school! This is the 5th year this school is being offered, but this year the format has been transformed in order to make it more accessible to a wider range of students. All of the students study in Perm for the first and last months of the school, and in between return to their home cities. In the context of their local churches, they will over a period of 40 weeks study 152 hours' worth of DVD training materials that were developed late last year in the U.S.A., with teachers from all over the nation contributing on a wide variety of subjects. Karen and our good family friend Susan taught the week on prayer. We're excited to see how God will use this school in developing and releasing the next generation of leaders!

• We are so thankful for the strong support team God has given us! Many of you have given generously and sacrificially to support our family - your time, your prayers, your financial support, your encouragement, your wisdom, your expertise, your resources . . . we are very grateful and honored and blessed to have each of you in our lives. It is so true that we can go farther together!

• Praise God for the many opportunities we've had to serve Him here - too many to list, but highlights for us have included all of us serving however we were needed before & during the Fusion '08 Vineyard southeastern regional conference; hosting a party for Russian missionaries on furlough; visiting a sister church to sing and preach (C sang like an angel!); housing many old & new friends and family members; and praying with and encouraging others.

• Praise God that C has turned 11, and M has turned 13! In addition to our usual "birthday week" tradition, we celebrated M's milestone with, among other traditions particular to that age, a special Christian bar-mitzvah party, where Paul called him into manhood, and men and boys spoke into his life. We are now the proud parents of three wonderful teenagers, and we continue to value and mostly enjoy every age and stage in our children's lives (although the teens are definitely responsible for any gray hairs we acquire LOL).

• We're thankful to the Lord for the training opportunities we've had while here - primarily at the Empowered prayer conference, the Fusion conference (Vineyard SE region), and in a few weeks' time at the Willow Creek leadership summit (the Atlanta Vineyard is a satellite location). We're also grateful for the plethora of teachings we've enjoyed, whether live or on CD or DVD (thanks, Kathy & Kevin for the constant supply!)

Please pray for us:

• for our short-term and long-term visas to be issued - both are required (we have to be back in Russia in order to receive the long-term ones). We trust God for His timing, plans, and provision. We've applied for our short-term visas, hoping to fly back to Russia in the next month. We are encouraged that some of our missionary friends in Russia have begun to receive their long-term visas.

• for good transitions - closure for our time in the U.S., and preparation of our hearts for Russia again. It is emotionally and physically a challenging time for all of us, because we have close relationships in multiple locations, and it is always hard to say goodbye.

• for the logistical side of things - packing, good time management in the final few weeks, getting done what we need to get done and knowing what those things are!

We pray for you, too - please let us know your specific prayer requests. It's such a joy to pray for one another! We have each of your names written on our prayer wall in the kitchen.

Our vision:
• mobilize prayer
• promote unity in the body of Christ
• raise up leaders

We appreciate your prayers so much! Thank you!

“The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” (1 Samuel 30:24)

In Russia with love,
Paul, Karen, P, J, M, C, E, & K Sculley

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness" (Psalm 29:2)

and will heal their land

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

How badly do we want God to heal our land? God always brings His people to a point of desperation for Him, because He is after our hearts. We can either choose to be desperate for God to come, or He will get our attention in other ways. Few people would disagree that Russia (or the U.S.A.) is at a place of devastation. The statistics are grim, and some problems seem insurmountable. But God can and wants to heal this great land. How will He accomplish this? Through the prayers and actions of His people – that’s you and me. Biblical cities often had physical gates which were manned by watchmen and gatekeepers – watchmen announced when the enemy was coming, and gatekeepers decided who and what could come into the city. Although cities today no longer have physical gates for the most part, each one does have spiritual gates, which are opened by the sin & selfishness of those who live there. We can be spiritual gatekeepers, by binding the work of the enemy and praying down God’s Kingdom, welcoming the rule and reign of Jesus. Jesus Christ is the only hope for our city, our nation, and the nations of the world. But God has given us a part to play in His sovereign plan. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). We are to pray for His Kingdom to come (Luke 11:2). Even when we know we are to do this, it can seem overwhelming. Resist the temptation to pray only for immediate needs and problems, as you will quickly get worn out. Pray Kingdom prayers (see how Jesus and Paul prayed). Pray that God’s destiny and purpose for our city and nation will be revealed and lived out. Pray for the arrival of God’s presence. His presence pushes back the powers of darkness! And pray for love. The degree to which we will be effective in reaching our city and nation will be determined largely by how much love we have for them. We cannot persevere in our own strength. We need God’s supernatural love and empowering to be able to live righteously, pray and keep on praying until our city and nation belong to Jesus. We need God’s heart, to be compelled by the love of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Prayer: Father, I invite You to come to our city and nation, and I welcome Your presence. Let Your light shine brightly through my life, and help me to pray Kingdom prayers, big prayers, faith-filled prayers, so that Your destiny and purposes for our city and nation would be fulfilled. Fill me with Your heart of love, so that everything I say, think, and do would flow from the love of Christ within me. Kingdom of God, come! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

and will forgive their sin

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

When God forgives our sins, He doesn’t just overlook them, or set them to one side. He doesn’t keep them in a box to be used as a punishment later on. When God forgives our sins, He also wipes them out completely. The Lord gave me a dream many years ago that helped me to understand this. I was sitting in the waiting room at a doctor’s office. The nurse walked over to me and handed me a clipboard with the usual paperwork that needed to be filled out before I could see the doctor. I looked at the page, and was surprised to see that it was already filled out. Someone else had written my name and personal information on the form. As my eyes scanned the page, my surprise turned to horror when I realized that there were all manner of dreadful diagnoses already written there (e.g. “cancer”). I knew that the things written about the condition of my health were false, so I immediately said to the nurse, “What is written here is not true!” As I said that, all of the words vanished immediately from the forms, leaving the page clean and white. The Lord showed me that the enemy loves to keep believers in bondage by telling us his plan for our lives. He wants us to believe his plan, which will render us incapacitated, unhealthy, and focused on our problems, because then we will be ineffective in doing any damage to his kingdom. But God’s diagnosis of our condition is quite different! When we confess our sins, He purifies us from ALL unrighteousness. Jesus has paid the price IN FULL. Is there any area of your life where you are plagued by shame or unworthiness? Do you feel that you are continually defiled or impure in some way? Confess your sins to God, then believe His word. He will forgive you completely, and purify you completely, 100%.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You are faithful and just. Help me to recognize when the enemy is trying to deceive me into believing something about myself that is not true. Help me to only pay attention to what You say about me. Wipe away all shame, unworthiness, defilement, and impurity. Help me to daily confess my sins to You, and set me free to live the victorious Christian life as You intend. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

then will I hear from heaven

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Recently I heard of a vision that a man of God was given, which beautifully illustrates what happens when we pray. Myriads of angels surround God’s throne, worshiping Him day and night. When a Christian prays, it’s as though a tiny door opens at the end of a long aisle leading to the throne. The Christian emerges through the doorway, and begins to walk towards God. Angels pause in their praises, poised on the edge of their seats, holding their breath, waiting to hear what this one who was created in God’s image, for whom Christ died, is going to say. Excitement and anticipation builds as the believer approaches the throne. God’s heart leaps as the Christian comes close, and He opens His arms wide to welcome this treasured child of His. The Father glances at the angels close by, verifying that they are ready to be dispatched to answer the prayer of this most beloved one. There is a hushed awe as the believer opens his mouth.

What an image! Through Jesus, God has given us free access to His throne—He has invited us in to the Holy of Holies! Imagine the disappointment if the believer’s prayer is mumbled, hurried, faithless, or vague. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). But how delighted God must be when we come to Him as He directs us, in confidence and boldness. The important thing to realize is that when we pray, God moves! We touch heaven, and heaven comes down to us and through us. It is impossible to pray with no results—God is faithful and always responds to us, His children, although not always in the way that we expect. We exercise faith when we pray according to who God says He is. We can trust Him, because He is trustworthy. God hears us when we pray. He never sleeps, He does not take breaks, He is never too busy. He’s waiting for us.

Prayer: Father, help me overcome my unbelief. You say that when I pray, You hear me from heaven. Thank You that You are faithful, that Your word is always true for all people, for all time, in all places. Help me to come to You boldly, frequently, and full of faith. Thank You that You are my Father, and I am Your beloved child. In Jesus’ name, Amen.