The unjustified attack of the Ukrainian people continues this week. Nearly 3,000,000 refugees have fled the country. Missile strikes and shelling of civilian apartment buildings, shelters, and hospitals continues with the death toll of civilians in the 1,000s. This would be a sad state of affairs to observe in any country, but Ukraine has an especially high percentage of protestant Christians – and among that a large group of Baptist evangelicals. Many of those suffering in this scene of war and devastation are directly our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is very important that we pray for them and give to help toward the relief of their suffering.
If you are not up to date with the situation, or feel like I do, that most news services do a very poor job of actually summarizing the situation in a clear way – consider listening to “The World and Everything In It” podcast for March 17. This will get you up to date and give you an increased burden to be involved. As you pray for this situation, I encourage you to pray along these lines:
- Pray that the Russian military would stop its attack. May something happen to stop the hostility.
- Pray for the courage, grit, and victory of Ukrainian soldiers as they employ US defensive systems to defend their freedom. May they be successful in holding back the spread of dictatorial communism.
- Pray for the safe passage of fleeing civilian refugees (elderly, women, children, etc.) into neighboring NATO countries.
- Pray for support mechanisms and charities that will help support these millions of people in the coming months.
- Pray for pastors, chaplains, and missionaries in the midst of this conflict, that they would be effective in ministering to the souls of people crushed by fear, anxiety and real physical needs.
- Come to the joint church prayer meeting tonight at Mike Patterson’s house to join others in asking for God’s mercy in this terrible situation.
Lastly, consider giving toward Christian relief organizations that are on the ground and doing important work to support the flood of refugees. I recommend to Redeemer the work of Samaritan’s Purse and supporting their effort to continue operating a field hospital in Ukraine. All this work is done Jesus’ name to help those most in need. Below is a link to the Samaritan’s Purse webpage related to this crisis:
Samaritan’s Purse
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
Many newcomers to Redeemer ask, “Why are there so many FBI agents in this church? What’s going on!” The answer to this question is simple. Redeemer Bible Church was started with a base of people that formed through a workplace Bible study. Myself and three other Special Agents started a work-based Bible study close to a decade ago. We started small, but with a passion to reach our workplace with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord has brought so much of an increase that from that one study, two more local studies AND two churches have resulted from it! Every Wednesday morning at 6:15 am men gather to study the Bible and pray for each other in three different places, reaching three different audiences. Work-based Bible studies are an engine for sharing the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to our friends at work. Being an open and unashamed Christian can be very difficult in the federal work force. There is a sense of forced secularization, or the constant secularization can lead Christians to be combative instead of winsome.
Below is a link to a video I recorded helping you understand how I, and others, conduct these Bible studies. It’s a plan God has blessed over and over again for years. If you know the people of your workplace need Jesus, consider venturing out in faith to start a group like this. With love, humility, and boldness go out with a missionary mindset of not standing by silently while those around you die in their sins. Don’t be a bitter, complaining, worldly, ashamed Christian. Follow the call of Christ to be a fisher of men! Let’s boldly and intentionally reach our workplace neighbors with the gospel.
YouTube
May the Lord help us to reach federal employees for Christ,
Pastor Vic