Things have gone from bad to worse in Eastern Ukraine over the past couple of days. For several months Ukrainian soldiers nicknamed “cyborgs” have held the airport in Donetsk.
Today Ukraine finally admitted defeat at the Donetsk airport and the loss of 37 soldiers!
When the separatist forces entered the previously Ukrainian controlled airport they found both dead and wounded Ukrainian soldiers trapped by rubble.
They also made an unusual discovery in the pockets of these Ukrainian soldiers. In the video above Motorola, one of the separatist military commanders, shows what they found in the pocket of each Ukrainian soldier.
He shows what looks like a small audio player. When he presses ‘play’ a voice in Russian says the following:
“Hello my name is Charles Stanley, you are listening to a gift from ‘In Touch Ministries’ on a solar-powered audio player. I hope the topics will be of encouragement and support to you, I hope that they will help you in your spiritual growth and knowledge of Jesus Christ. May the truth of God’s Word fill your heart.”
Motorola then comments on Charles Stanley’s preaching.
“It just like hypnotizes them, such teachings, you start to believe that you can die and then everything will be great and they’ll welcome you with open arms. They’re simply zombifying them!… I just listened to it and started believing it myself”
I have no idea who gave these Ukrainian soldiers audio players with Charles Stanley’s sermons on them, but I’m glad they did! Maybe some of them had a chance to hear the gospel clearly and put their faith in Jesus before they died!
Ukrainian POW in Donetsk
Now that those audio players are in the hands of Russian separatist lets pray that they will also listen to these sermons and repent of their sins before the holy God! Sometimes we fail to think that God can save the enemy too!
But he can and he does!
One of our pastor friends from a church our relief fund is helping in Eastern Ukraine told the story of how his church was opening its doors to feed the people in their city. One day a Russian separatist came in uniform with his gun and stood next to the entrance. He quietly watched as the church served, prayed and preached the gospel.
When it was over he asked the pastor if he could come back next time. The pastor said,
“Yes, you can come back but next time don’t bring your gun.”
The next time he returned, this time without his gun and without his uniform. The pastor asked him what happened and the man said,
“I repented, so I returned my gun and my uniform because I don’t need them any more.”
How many times like that has God been at work when we didn’t even know it!
Let’s not underestimate the power of God to turn the most evil heart towards him!
Bill (cycleguy)
January 22, 2015Thanks for the “Good news” Caleb. Will keep praying.
Caleb
January 23, 2015Despite the deteriorating situation in Eastern Ukraine it is always comforting to know that God is at work. Who would have thought that those Ukrainian soldiers were listing to sermons from Charles Stanley? And now the Russians are also listening I’m guessing!
TCAvey
January 23, 2015Praise God!
His light shines brightest in the darkness
steve34609
January 23, 2015Amen!
Zee Gimon
January 23, 2015LifeNews… should be called DeathNews, would be more appropriate, since it’s the work of the devil.
Good that soldiers have / had them for reasons you’ve mentioned, but I can’t help but see this through the eyes of brainwashed Russians, who think this is a direct attack on their pseudo-Orthodoxy, which is nothing more than politics. (They are worse than Pharisees back in the day… or, perhaps, just as twisted.)
“Oh, look, this is all Americans’ plan. Zombify the Ukrainian people so they go against their “big brother” Russia, the country that is only trying to help those who have been oppressed.”
*sigh* I want it all to end.
Caleb
January 23, 2015Zee, certainly LifeNews isn’t going to be winning any award for ethics in Journalism! I think you’re right about how they were trying to make the Ukrainian soldiers look bad because they were listening to something from the West. That being said, you never know how God is going to use this. Let’s hope he uses to bring some of those Russian separatist to faith in Jesus!
TCAvey
January 23, 2015Amen.
DS
January 23, 2015There are many things can be said about your post Caleb. There are many remembering you and Ukraine in their prayers. We are aware of numerous really good works that have been disrupted by the war in the Donbas. It is encouraging to hear of how God’s word continues to spread even in the face of such hardship.
Nancy Suko
January 24, 2015Amazing!!!
Melanie Wilson
January 24, 2015Caleb, have you forwarded this to Andy Stanley? How awesome God is!
Caleb
January 24, 2015Melanie, I did tweet this to In Touch ministries and they retweeted a link to this post and they also put it on their Facebook, so I’m pretty sure Charles Stanley knows about it now but not sure about his son Andy.
Melanie Wilson
January 24, 2015That’s great! I’m sure his staff will tell him.
disqus_zmRXNSSWVc
January 26, 2015This is the work of Slavic immigrants living in Atlanta:
http://gcshelp.org/en/node/2746
http://gcshelp.org/en/node/4825
Caleb
January 26, 2015Thanks for sharing those links, it’s so great that they sent those players.
Loren Pinilis
January 26, 2015Man, that’s so amazing to see that so up close and personal in Ukraine.
Max Jordan
February 26, 2015I have been praying for the situation in Eastern Ukraine, that the Lord would have his way in all things, this video is an amazing confirmation that prayer is the most powerful tool that we as Christians can take full advantage of.
The Gospel message of Jesus Christ is alive and well even in the middle of this terrible bloody conflict, souls are being saved and lives changed! Halleluiah Praise God! Please pray for these people that God would have mercy on their souls and that the Holy Spirit would have His way. Amen
Caleb
February 27, 2015Thank you for your prayers Max! God is doing some amazing things in Ukraine!