Cory Lemke and his wife Janice served as missionaries in Ukraine before Cory became Pastor at Shasta Way Christian Church in Klamath Falls. He wrote, “This week I talked with my friend Nicholai in Crimea. Nicholai and Nadia have five grown children and three of their children live in Ukraine with families of their own. Nicholai and Nadia also have other family members living in Ukraine.
As you can imagine this has been a very difficult week and who knows when it will end.
Nicholai said he isn't getting much sleep, getting up often in the night to pray on his knees. He is praying for peace and for protection of loved ones, but he is also praying for people to turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
On Sunday February 27th (a day of heavy bombing) churches in Ukraine were packed to overflowing, but none of them were hit. People are seeking answers, seeking perspectives on what is happening and the church is responding by meeting physical needs as well as spiritual needs of the people in Ukraine.
Even in Crimea, under Russian control for the last eight years, churches were full. Nicholai is a pastor, and as he talked about how he is trying to help his congregation, he brought up several points that are worth our examination.” End quote.
I want to hitch-hike on some of Nicholai’s thoughts and to add some my own.
What do you do in times of turmoil? Panic? Pray? React? Respond? Let’s read Jesus’ input: “And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. But the one who Thank you endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:4-14 (NASB).
How should the Christian respond to these crises? How should we not react?
I. DON’T BE MISLED:
A. Jesus said, "See to it that no one misleads you.” He was, contextually referring to those who would mislead us religiously. But the point is, “Don’t be a dupe; don’t let anyone lead you off the path of faith, trust, hope and love in Jesus.”
B. There are, and always have been, panic promoters.
1. Recall Israel leaving Egypt with Pharaoh in hot pursuit. They are between the devil and the deep Red Sea. “As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, ‘Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, “Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?” For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’" Exodus 14:10-12 (NASB)
2. There are the “End of the world, Tuesday, March 15 at noon” panic starters. Some have been gulled and gave away everything they owned, put on white robes, climbed a hill and sang Kum Byah.
3. Remember Y2K? Some of you are too young. It was believed that when the year 2000 came around, everything would come apart. Computers would crash; automobiles would refuse to operate. Anything and everything that had any kind of computerized component was to be dead meat.
4. Some thought it would be the end of the world.
a. I won’t try to explain that – just Google it.
b. I had a guy, panic in his face, shove a book in my face and say, “If the end is coming, we must get people to read this book.” I responded, holding out my Bible, “If the end is coming we must get people to read this book.” He left in a huff.
C. There are always con artists who capitalize on people’s suffering:
1. Phony charities established to provide for the Ukranians.
a. The Federal Trade Commission warned this week. “It’s true after natural disasters, when scammers set up fake charities that look and sound like real ones to get your money, And it’s true now that millions of people want to support the Ukrainian people.”
b. The grim reality is that whenever you get a phone call, a text message or an email, you can never be sure whether it’s coming from a legitimate charity or not. The FTC suggests checking CharityNavigator.org to check the organization’s name and determine not only if it is real but how much of what they collect goes to charitable works.
2. Book after book full of baloney were sold to urge people to buy survival kits – from them of course – at extreme prices. If it were the end of the world what good would a survival kit be?
D. There was once a farm where there lived a hen named “Henny-Penny.” One morning, as Henny-Penny was plucking worms in the henyard, an acorn dropped from a tree right onto her head! She had no idea what had hit her, however, and so she panicked and started shouting: “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”
She ran around in circles for a while, calmed herself, and then She waddled until she found her friend Ducky-Lucky. “Oh, Ducky-Lucky, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! And we must alert the king!” Henny-Penny exclaimed.
Henny-Penny and Ducky-Lucky waddled along until they met up with Turkey-Lerky. “Oh, Turkey-Lerky, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must alert the king!” Henny-Penny squealed.
Turkey-Lerky joined the group. They continue down the road until they met Piggy Wiggy. Henny Penny shouted, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must alert the king!” But he was skeptical and had more pressing matters to attend to so he wasn’t taken in.
Piggy Wiggy said “Phooey! If the sky is falling there’s nothing we can do about it! I’m going to go out in the pasture under that oak tree and eat some acorns and let the sky fall if it wants to!”
As the others waddled down the road, they met Foxy Loxy! “Hello, hello, hello,” cooed the fox. “Oh, Foxy Loxy, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must alert the king!” Henny-Penny shouted.
“Ah, yes, the sky is falling for sure! And I know where the king is!” replied Foxy-Loxy, licking his lips and telling the group to follow him. They began to waddle along after Foxy-Loxy. He led the group into a cave in the hill where he had a feast, while the pig who refused to follow the crowd lived on to enjoy eating acorns, the very thing that had precipitated the rumor that led to the demise of the others. (that ending is my adaptation). Don’t be misled.
II. DON’T BE AFRAID:
A. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs”
1. Jesus said many things like:
a. “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14:1 (NASB).
b. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27 (NASB).
c. And He said to the disciples, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Mark 4:40 (NASB).
d. "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7 (NASB).
2. Paul counseled, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB).
B. There is a prudent fear that keeps us from putting on a blindfold and running across the freeway. And there is a fear that keeps us from blindly following the counsel of fear-mongers or dooms-day deceivers.
1. Regardless of their pessimistic influence, believe, trust and find peace in Jesus.
2. Don’t allow anyone to panic you by tales of dooms-day.
C. As a little boy during WWII, I had frequent nightmares about Nazi bombs dropping on our town. This was aggravated by Blackouts which forbade any lights on or even smoking outdoors where even a match light could guide an enemy pilot. I have often had fear and grim forebodings and anxieties. But they go away when I remember that nothing can happen to me, or my loved ones, that God does not allow to happen for our good, or that we can’t handle with His help.
D. A man has been visiting a therapist because he has had a fear of monsters living under his bed. The man has been seeing this doctor for months. Every time he would come in the doctor would ask “have you made any progress?” Every time the man would say “No.” The man decided to go and see another doctor. When he went back to his first doctor and he asked “have you made any progress?” he said “yes, I am feeling all better now” The doctor asked “what happened”. The man said “I went to another doctor and he cured me in one session”. The doctor asked “What did he tell you?” The man said “he just told me to cut the legs off of my bed.”
If this war, or anything else, is getting your socks in a knot, take a break. Just turn off the TV news, put down the Newspaper, pick up your Bible and pray and in so doing, cut the legs off your bed. Don’t be afraid.
III. DON’T BE HATEFUL:
A. “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.”
1. It is so easy for us to become hardened and angry. This may be the hardest of this entire list.
2. To be bitter and angry seems a normal response, resulting in hatred of people Jesus calls us to love and forgive.
B. I confess to struggling with praying all kinds of disaster not to the Russian people, but to the military and the government, yes, and Putin.
1. I should be praying for an end to the conflict and for peace to prevail.
2. A few years ago some thug kidnaped a little girl. At Bible Study, I Prayed a harsh prayer for the child’s safety even if the thug had to die. I don’t know that I wouldn’t still pray that. But a woman at the study prayed for the little girl’s safety and that he would be convicted of sin and have a change of heart to release her.
3. Which prayer reflected the heart of Jesus?
C. Did Jesus not say, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”? Matthew 5:44 (KJV).
1. They can and will hate you and you can’t do a thing to change that.
2. Our job is to love God, love people, even Putin, and to leave things we cannot control in the hands of Him Who can!
3. Our enemy is Satan and we ought to hate the evil, greed and cruelty he incites.
4. But don’t allow yourself the privilege to hate people.
D. The story has been told that as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to begin, Admiral Nelson found two officers of his own flagship who were arguing hotly and about to draw swords. Nelson stepped between them and said, "Stop." Then, pointing to the French fleet, he said, "There is the enemy."
Christians need to remember who the enemy is. Nicholai continued: “Our enemy is Satan who is the conspirator behind all of the evil that we see. Pray against what Satan would do to conspire against us as believers and against all people. Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the powers of darkness. .... Though the enemy of us all comes as a thief, to kill and destroy, keep looking to Jesus. Keep pointing people to Jesus, the one who came to give life, life to the full.”
Thank you, Nicholai and Thank You, Jesus.
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