Hello BRN family, it’s good to be with you today!
Many have asked me how we can help support what’s going on in Ukraine and there are many ways we certainly can try to help with what is taking place in that nation at this moment through the war.
The first one is the most obvious: Pray. Pray for God’s divine intervention. I know the Ukrainians that are there have been crying out for that and we, here in America, need to be praying the same on behalf of them. Something else we can do, we can support what’s going on over there as many Ukrainians are being displaced in Europe. We can support them by going to Send Relief. Through Send Relief, we can support the international efforts that are being made to help these displaced Ukrainians. So, I want to encourage you to go to Send Relief; if God lays upon your heart to give a gift to do so because it will get there quickly.
The other way we can support the Ukrainian folks that will be potentially coming to the United States is to begin to think about how we can help encourage our own Ukrainian churches throughout the BRN. We currently have seven churches, primarily in the Philadelphia area, but they’re also around a lot of other Ukrainian Baptist churches that are a part of the Ukrainian Baptist Convention USA. So, we want to begin to set the stage for perhaps those displaced Ukrainians that might come to the United States and be ready for them. So, if you’d like to give to that effort, so we can help our own churches here – our own Ukrainian churches – please go to the website that you see on the screen and give there.
But something else that’s on my heart I put out on Facebook – Have we really thought about praying for Vladimir Putin? I put it out there. What would it look like if we all rallied together to pray for his spiritual condition?
My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people. I hate to see what I’m seeing that’s happening to these children, to these women, to seniors – it breaks my heart and words can’t express how I feel about what is happening to them.
But I know the one responsible is a creation of God and I know our Creator. Our God has him in his hand and I know if there’s anybody that can change his heart it’s our God. What he needs most is Jesus. So, I want to ask you, church, pastor – I want to call all of our BRN churches to pray this upcoming Sunday in your morning worship service. Just take five minutes, pray for the Ukrainian people and then pray for the spiritual condition, the soul, of Vladimir Putin.
If God could get ahold of his heart, things could change tomorrow and we, as the people of God, need to be praying to that end. I also want to challenge you to not only pray Sunday morning, but every night of next week, Sunday through Saturday at seven o’clock – that Pennsylvania/South Jersey Baptists as well as others, perhaps across our nation, might rally together to petition the throne of God for the soul of Vladimir Putin.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if through all of this, not only would he be saved, but there could be a revival and awakening that might spread from Europe and, potentially, spread around the world? Could it be said that what Satan meant for evil God turned it around for good, and it would be nothing greater than seeing many people come to faith in Jesus Christ out of such a horrific tragedy. So, let’s pray together. Let’s start this Sunday., and let’s pray all next week for the spiritual condition, the heart, of Vladimir Putin.
Thanks for listening in today. I pray that God will quickly resolve the matter in Ukraine and I pray that we’ll stay focused, loving our neighbors, loving each other and loving those that God will send to us that might need that tender touching care in the future. God bless you. Have a great day!
