Reports: Christian missionaries under fire for sharing the gospel, handing out Bibles while giving aid to Ukrainian refugees

[Lovin Jesus]

Weaponizing humanitarian aid in order to share the gospel'
Samaritan's Purse, Jews for Jesus, and other Christian groups aiding Ukrainian refugees in Europe and Israel are being criticized for "weaponizing" humanitarian aid by also sharing their faith, according to reports surfacing online.

The missionary groups have reportedly been coupling evangelistic efforts with the provision of humanitarian aid to the tens of thousands of Ukrainian residents who have fled the country amid Russia's unprovoked invasion.

They are routinely handing out Bibles and sharing the gospel message with the refugees while also providing them with food, shelter, medicine, and other physical needs.

"Ukrainian families are hurting and in desperate need of physical aid and prayer during this difficult time," Samaritan’s Purse president and evangelist Franklin Graham said to the Tribune Papers earlier this month. "We are deploying life-saving medical care to aid people who are suffering. We want to meet the needs of these families in their darkest moments while pointing them to the light and hope of Jesus Christ."

Susan Perlman, one of the founders of Jews for Jesus, an organization with a staff spread across Eastern Europe, told the Times of Israel in a statement, "We give people food and medicine and Bibles and gas for their cars to get them moving. We see the Bible as just as practical as all these other things."

For these groups and others, the efforts are an attempt to model Jesus' behavior and obey his commands to help the suffering and spread the gospel to all nations.

More
https://www.theblaze.com/news/reports-christian-missionaries-sharing-gospel-aid-ukrainian-refugees

 

[Lovin Jesus]

It's sad that this is happening to Christians but not surprising

 

[Lovin Jesus]

It's expected that Christians will face opposition for sharing the gospel but while this occurs in countries like N Korea China and The Muslim countries the gospel continues being preached lest the stones cry out.

 

[Tall Timbers]

May the Lord bless and prosper the evangelizing

 

[lightofmylife]

This makes the darkness so mad to see the truth of the gospel being shared, and people getting saved.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

I back-tracked the "criticism" of the Christian organizations and it comes from an opinion piece presented as an article in an Indian publication.

India is Number 10 on the OpenDoors Watchlist, which is ahead of places like Saudi Arabia (11), Myanmar (12), Sudan (13), Iraq (14), Syria (15) etc., etc., etc.

"The persecution of Christians in India is intensifying as Hindu extremists aim to cleanse the country of their presence and influence.
The driving force behind this is Hindutva, an ideology that disregards Indian Christians and other religious minorities as true Indians because they have allegiances that lie outside India, and asserts the country should be purified of their presence.
This is leading to a systemic, and often violent and carefully orchestrated, targeting of Christians and other religious minorities, including use of social media to spread disinformation and stir up hatred."
More
https://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/india/


So absolutely no surprise that this "criticism" and disinformation would be spread/leaked to international media, in an attempt to turn international opinion against Christian organizations helping refugees and displaced people


FWIW, 78 percent of Ukrainins are Christians, and a lot of the fleeing people looked like they had nothing except the clothes on their backs, so unless they had possessions being transported by conveyance or a very small Bible in a pocket or on a cell phone, they even left without their Bibles

Obviously, the charge of Christian organizations only being there to convert non-Christians to Christianity, as alleged in the Indian "article," is false

​

3 things every Christian should know about Putin, Ukraine, war in Europe​

No. 1: Ukraine is one of the most Christian countries in Europe.
https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-698210

 

[MapleLeaf]

The whole point of humanitarian aid is to open doors to share the gospel. It's not an end to itself. And the refugees are free to say "no thank you" to the message and still get the aid.

 

[Everlasting Life]

I saw a picture of a young Ukrainian refugee man (about 12 or 13) avidly reading a bible tract in Poland. Apparently a major order for tracts from America was put through to get to these refugees along with needed help.


ing that many respond in repentance and faith in Jesus.

 

[Lovin Jesus]

I saw a picture of a young Ukrainian refugee man (about 12 or 13) avidly reading a bible tract in Poland. Apparently a major order for tracts from America was put through to get to these refugees along with needed help.


ing that many respond in repentance and faith in Jesus.

Amen. Praying the same

 

[daygo]

May the Lord bless and prosper the evangelizing

Agree,knoww of 2 teams that have gone to Ukraine.

 

[Lovin Jesus]

I back-tracked the "criticism" of the Christian organizations and it comes from an opinion piece presented as an article in an Indian publication.

India is Number 10 on the OpenDoors Watchlist, which is ahead of places like Saudi Arabia (11), Myanmar (12), Sudan (13), Iraq (14), Syria (15) etc., etc., etc.

"The persecution of Christians in India is intensifying as Hindu extremists aim to cleanse the country of their presence and influence.
The driving force behind this is Hindutva, an ideology that disregards Indian Christians and other religious minorities as true Indians because they have allegiances that lie outside India, and asserts the country should be purified of their presence.
This is leading to a systemic, and often violent and carefully orchestrated, targeting of Christians and other religious minorities, including use of social media to spread disinformation and stir up hatred."
More
https://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/india/


So absolutely no surprise that this "criticism" and disinformation would be spread/leaked to international media, in an attempt to turn international opinion against Christian organizations helping refugees and displaced people


FWIW, 78 percent of Ukrainins are Christians, and a lot of the fleeing people looked like they had nothing except the clothes on their backs, so unless they had possessions being transported by conveyance or a very small Bible in a pocket or on a cell phone, they even left without their Bibles

Obviously, the charge of Christian organizations only being there to convert non-Christians to Christianity, as alleged in the Indian "article," is false

​

3 things every Christian should know about Putin, Ukraine, war in Europe​

No. 1: Ukraine is one of the most Christian countries in Europe.
https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-698210

As pointed out in your post that Ukraine is 78% Christian, this refers to the Ukraine Orthodox Church. As the article you cite from the JP it says Ukraine is one of the most Christian nations in the world. If that 78% reflected the church of the gospel of Jesus it would be praise worthy but it's not.
Here's a little bit of background on the beliefs from the Ukraine Orthodox Church. I'm only showing one belief because that's enough to show that the Ukraine Christian Orthodox Church has a different gospel than from Jesus Christ. When it's reported that Ukraine is a Christian nation the word Christian is not necessarily true believers.

This about information is from the Ukraine Christian Orthodox Church of Canada......still Ukraine Christian Orthodox Church but in Canada.

"CHILIASM: Chiliasm, from the Greek word meaning “1000,” is a belief based on Revelation 20:2-7. In its classical form (which interprets the Revelation 20 verses verbatim), Chiliasm teaches that Satan will be bound by Christ for 1000 years, at which time Jesus and the Saints will reign on earth, and after which, Satan will be finally defeated and the Eternal Kingdom of God will be inaugurated.
In modern times, Chiliasm has been “boiled down” to the teaching that the world will end after one thousand years (or a number of years that is a multiple of one thousand). Though some Ancient Church Fathers of the first three centuries AD had Chiliast leanings, the Orthodox Church formally denounced Chiliasm at the Second Ecumenical Council, in 381. The Church maintains that the 1000 year reign mentioned in Revelation 20 is symbolic of the era of the Christian Church’s ministry in this fallen world, which shall come to its completion at a time unknown to all but God the Father."
https://www.uocc.ca/orthodox-faith/beliefs-and-practices/

From this belief that they hold the millennium of Revelation 20 under Jesus rule to them is symbolic. They believe in
Amillennialism. Below is an article on this from RF.

https://www.raptureforums.com/defending-the-faith/the-unbiblical-basis-of-amillennialism/

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

As pointed out in your post that Ukraine is 78% Christian, this refers to the Ukraine Orthodox Church. As the article you cite from the JP it says Ukraine is one of the most Christian nations in the world. If that 78% reflected the church of the gospel of Jesus it would be praise worthy but it's not.
Here's a little bit of background on the beliefs from the Ukraine Orthodox Church. I'm only showing one belief because that's enough to show that the Ukraine Christian Orthodox Church has a different gospel than from Jesus Christ. When it's reported that Ukraine is a Christian nation the word Christian is not necessarily true believers.

This about information is from the Ukraine Christian Orthodox Church of Canada......still Ukraine Christian Orthodox Church but in Canada.

"CHILIASM: Chiliasm, from the Greek word meaning “1000,” is a belief based on Revelation 20:2-7. In its classical form (which interprets the Revelation 20 verses verbatim), Chiliasm teaches that Satan will be bound by Christ for 1000 years, at which time Jesus and the Saints will reign on earth, and after which, Satan will be finally defeated and the Eternal Kingdom of God will be inaugurated.
In modern times, Chiliasm has been “boiled down” to the teaching that the world will end after one thousand years (or a number of years that is a multiple of one thousand). Though some Ancient Church Fathers of the first three centuries AD had Chiliast leanings, the Orthodox Church formally denounced Chiliasm at the Second Ecumenical Council, in 381. The Church maintains that the 1000 year reign mentioned in Revelation 20 is symbolic of the era of the Christian Church’s ministry in this fallen world, which shall come to its completion at a time unknown to all but God the Father."
https://www.uocc.ca/orthodox-faith/beliefs-and-practices/

From this belief that they hold the millennium of Revelation 20 under Jesus rule to them is symbolic. They believe in
Amillennialism. Below is an article on this from RF.

https://www.raptureforums.com/defending-the-faith/the-unbiblical-basis-of-amillennialism/

True believers do not all believe the same about prophecy. There will be a LOT of surprised Christians when

The test is found in John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16, KJV


I actually mis-read the article and there's 2 percent Evangelicals there, too.