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This is Why They’re Called Terrorists

Terrorists are those who use fear and threats to control people and get what they want. In general that means beat, torture and kill those who disagree with you or in any way oppose you!

Unfortunately Eastern and Southern Ukraine are full of terrorists now and sadly Pastor Sergey has experienced this first hand!

terrorists

Let me introduce you to Pastor Sergey, he has led a public prayer meeting in Donetsk Ukraine for the past 94 days! This group gathers daily around a little prayer tent in the middle of town. Anyone could come into the tent for prayer or to find help.

This little prayer meeting was seen as a threat to he leadership of Donetsk. You have to understand that Donetsk is under the control of separatists called “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR).  As a result fifteen armed men stormed in and torn down the prayer tent. They threatened all who were there that if they returned they would be shot!

Armed men with tear down the prayer tent in Donetsk -image prochurch.info

In an interview with prochurch.info Sergey described the situation (You can read the original in Russian here)
-Fifteen armed men with identifying signs from Donetsk People’s Republic and St. George’s ribbon destroyed the prayer tent while there were two people serving in it. The bandits took the equipment, battery, speakers and microphone. The banner and tent they threw into the river Kalmius. The attackers promised to shoot anyone who would come to the prayer meeting.
Pastor Sergey decided to go to city hall to see if he could figure out why they had destroyed the prayer tent and come to some agreement with city leaders.  He wrote about what happened next on his Facebook wall.

Friends, today was a tough day, but for me very difficult. To begin with, representatives of Donetsk People’s Republic destroyed our tent, and then there was the following story.

Several times I have gone to the city administration building to talk with the leaders of the Donetsk People’s Republic, so I went once again. I didn’t find the person I had talked with earlier there but happened to see someone who attended my church. I was glad when I saw him, but he didn’t seem too glad we met. He began to yell that I was manipulating the people and things like that. In short, the negotiations failed, in the eyes of these people I had become the enemy. You tend to have short conversations with your enemy.

People are very angry, because, first of all, their hearts are empty and not filled with God. I told them that God loves them, I harbored no anger or hatred towards them in my heart, even when they beat me. I will not describe the very beating, but that I am still alive, just the grace of God.

Among them were people who knew about our prayer tent, they cursed the others for what they did to me. After that, they gave me my things back and my money, then asked for forgiveness from me and that I would not be offended.

Before they started beating me I told them about Christ, called them to turn their hearts to God, and while they beat me I just prayed. I couldn’t make it to the prayer meeting in the evening because I had to go to the hospital.

Dark times have come to our region, people hate each other, they’re ready to kill, beat for a preposterous idea, and to die for those ideas. And they can not see Him for Whom it is really worth living and dying. God save the people, turn their attention to yourself.

It hurts not physically but morally, that Ukraine is wallowing in sin, and instead of people fighting together against the enemy they are pointing their weapons at each other.

I chatted with Sergey briefly after he was treated in the hospital for the wounds he received during his beating. Amazingly he has not giving up praying for Ukraine and still daily holds public prayer meetings. When I asked him what his one biggest prayer request was he simply answered,
Please pray for Donbas!

Of course Pastor Sergey’s story is only one story. There are many others from Eastern and Southern Ukraine that still have not been told. Many have been beat, abducted and murdered for their political views.

  • This church building and Bible institute was forcefully seized by 25 masked men with AK47s on May 25th.
  • This video (warning graphic) shows separatists in the city of Gorlivka executing 2 Ukrainian officers as a way to get one of their people released, they promised to execute 6 more!
  • The list of those who have been abducted or simply have gone missing in Eastern Ukraine is long and growing! Currently there are around 80 people being held in the basement of the separatist occupied security building in Donetsk.

One of the hardest things is to know how Christians should respond to these events. Here are my suggestions.

  • Let’s call sin, sin and terrorists, terrorists! We can’t afford to walk the fence and appease both sides. When groups and individuals use fear and violence to control others we must say, “This is wrong!” We must speak truthfully about who they are and what they do like Jesus did! (Mat 23:27)
  • Let’s not stop doing right because of the possible repercussions! Doing the right thing sometimes means you end up getting spit on and beat up and sometimes worse! (1 Pet 4:12-16)
  • Let’s not stop praying! Don’t forget that we are called to pray for our government (1 Tim 2:2) and pray for those who persecute us. (Mat 5:44)

Finally I want to leave you with a great response from Pastor Sergey. When asked what he thinks the church’s response should be he said,

– I am confident in this, that the church should formulate a clear position on such social issues like abortion, euthanasia, divorce and including separatism. The task of believers hasn’t changed, it is to be light in the darkness, not to agree with sin but to show people the love of God.

Question: In what areas do American Christians need to speak out and call sin, sin and terrorists, terrorists?

10 Responses
  • Floyd
    June 8, 2014

    Wow. Bone chilling. I’m praying for them, especially pastor Sergey. Only hearts filled with the Holy Spirit can come up with that kind of courage and determination. God is there! May He heal those people and our land as well!

    • Caleb
      June 8, 2014

      I’ve also wondered how those being persecuted can endure but it must come down to the fact that they have someone greater on the inside!

  • My heart aches for the condition of our world today. It makes me wonder how God must feel, and yet He offers us so much hope for an eternity with Him in His Kingdom, the way He created it to be. We must remain diligent in prayer for our fellow believers as well as for those that still need to know Him.

    • Caleb
      June 8, 2014

      Thanks for the reminder to look at things with God’s perspective. It’s hard to see these things happen and understand them even though we know that persecution is something the Bible talks about.

      • Very good point, Caleb. Not only do we know that these things must come to pass, but Jesus said we must rejoice when we are persecuted. Even knowing that doesn’t make it easy. This is why we must keep our eyes continually on Him lest we sink as Peter did when he took his eyes off his Savior. Keep the posts coming! You are reminding us of the great need to be constantly in prayer. Bless you and yours!

  • TCAvey
    June 10, 2014

    I’ve been away from the blogging world. You post brought tears to my eyes. I am praying. It’s burdens like this that caused me to write my book. Christians need to wake up. The world is changing and only God can bring the solution people are so seeking. But His people (us) need to be salt and light. We need to know God’s Word. We need to pray like never before.
    Thank you so much for sharing this. Please keep it coming. The world needs to see this. My heart and prayers are with you all.

    • Caleb
      June 13, 2014

      TC I’ll keep it coming as long as I have breath and the ability! Thanks for reading and keeping these people in your prayers!

      • TCAvey
        June 13, 2014

        As long as there is breathe in us, God has a purpose for us being here. Thanks for answering the calling He’s placed in your life.
        Praying for you and your family as well.

  • Dan Black
    June 12, 2014

    I’ll be praying. God want’s to use us to bring change into our dark world. We have to keep praying and sharing the gospel.

    • Caleb
      June 13, 2014

      Thank you Dan!