March 2, 2022

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has set the world on edge and with good reason. Egomaniacs without a conscience, without accountability, without limits, and with nuclear warheads is not a good combination. Nevertheless, Putin is on a leash and the Lord holds the other end. Another thing to keep in mind is that Putin does not speak for all of Russia. There are thousands of Christians in Russia. They are dear brothers and sisters whose testimony for the gospel is constantly tested in the refiner’s fire. Like us, they love their homeland and like us, are growing in their longing to be at home in that city whose builder and maker is God. So, we pray for Ukraine and we pray for Russia. In the near future, it may be that the refugee crisis that this war has created will allow us the opportunity to minister to some Ukrainian refugees if they are sent to our area. After all, we have a decent number of Ukrainian nationals in our area.

There is no shortage of matters to pray for as there is no shortage of other invasions taking place. Not all of them use military force. A pending Michigan Supreme Court case (the Rouch World case) could seriously threaten religious liberty by re-interpreting Michigan’s civil rights law to add protection based on sexual orientation and gender identity. A decision is expected in the first half of 2022. Similar language in the civil rights laws inside and outside of Michigan have been used to attack the liberty of religious people. Opponents could use such laws to try to force churches to allow biological males, who identify as transgender, to use female restrooms. Such laws could also be used to try to force religious employers to hire and retain employees regardless of their active promotion of same-sex sexual conduct. For more detail on this click here. Please pray! Pray that the seven justices of the Michigan Supreme Court reject this attack on religious liberty. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 commands us to engage in “prayers…for kings and all who are in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” It is good and right to pray that our government leaders will act in a way that gives breathing room for godly living and our gospel witness.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Sunday’s text: 1 Samuel 13:1-15a