February 25, 2022After watching the Winter Olympics in China earlier this month, the attention of the world has shifted to Eastern Europe, where Russian troops have invaded Ukraine. On the news last night, I learned that the largest number of Ukrainians living outside of their native land live in Canada. Friends in the U.S., who served as missionaries in France for many years, sent an email yesterday asking for prayer for the parents of Eva (pseudonym), a friend who is from a Russian-speaking family in the Crimea:
“Eva asks that we implore the Lord for the safety of her parents. They arrived in Kyiv (from a visit to France) yesterday on their travels home to the Crimea. (Kyiv is in the north, and the Crimea in the south, 500 miles away, 12 hours by car.) Early this morning, Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine, and is bombing strategic points like airports, factories, and power stations, with the goal of paralyzing the country. At the present time, the media is showing traffic jams on the roads, caused by people trying to flee large urban centers, or trying to reach European borders. Eva’s parents are trying to reach the central train station, to board a train. But no-one knows if the trains are running. Eva has no information about this chaotic situation. Even the possible return of her parents to France seems unlikely. She fears that the situation could get worse, and that war could seize the whole country. It’s a hugely stressful situation for her, and doubtless for all Ukrainians.”
Seeing the outbreak of war initiated by the Russians brings to mind that the Bible reveals that there will be a war where a huge army will invade Israel. In his Study Bible, Dr. David Jeremiah writes: “When Christ appeared on the scene to begin His earthly ministry, the Jews in Israel were confused. They had been expecting Daniel’s ‘Ancient of Days’ (Dan. 7:9) to establish His throne. They were looking for someone who would destroy earthly kingdoms and ‘become a great mountain and fill the whole earth’ (Dan. 2:35) … What they overlooked was their sin and the repentance needed to make them suitable citizens of God’s coming kingdom. When Jesus talked about sin, they failed to see His point – most of them, anyway. Do we fail to see His point as well? Jesus’ earthly ministry was about the cross, not the crown. Not only the cross He would bear for the sins of Israel and the whole world, but spiritual death to self. Jesus said we would need to take up our cross (Luke 14:26-27), die to self, and be ‘born again’ in order to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).”
We may not know what the future holds, but we can know Who holds the future. May each of us turn from our sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who left the splendour of heaven to redeem us from our sins.
Scripture for the weekend: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’” John 14:23 (NKJV)
Thought for the weekend: “I never made a sacrifice. We ought not to talk of sacrifice when we remember the great sacrifice that He made who left His Father’s throne on high to give Himself for us.” – David Livingstone (quoted in “The Challenge of First Century Christianity” by Dr. John M. Moore)