Dr Paul Allen

The Story: Hundreds of people—including the dean of an evangelical seminary—were found massacred by Russian military forces in a suburb of Kyiv. The Background: Russian armed forces are accused of numerous war crimes—including murder, torture, and rape—as they were withdrawing from the Ukrainian suburb of Bucha. Evidence of the massacre was uncovered ​​on Friday, April 1, when hundreds of civilians in the city were found dead. According to multiple social media reports, the dean of the Slavic Evangelical Seminary in Kyiv, Ukraine, was among the murdered civilians. The body of Vitaliy Vinogradov, a graduate of the Kyiv Bible Institute and the Evangel Theological Seminary, was found on a street in Bucha. The total number of victims is still unknown. About 280 bodies were found buried in a mass grave in Bucha. Associated Press journalists also saw the bodies of at least 21 people in various spots around Bucha, some around a site that residents said Russian troops used as a base. Some of t

The Russian invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine is a textbook example of an unjust war. None of the six basic criteria for a just war are met: possessing just cause, being the last resort, being declared by a proper authority, having the right intention, having a reasonable chance of success, and the end and means being proportional. Just cause Vladimir Putin claims that Ukrainian overtures towards the EU and NATO threaten Russian sovereignty and, therefore, invading and annexing Ukraine is a just cause. This is a very weak claim, to put it mildly. Ukraine has the misfortune of being geographically located between Russia and the EU. On matters of the economy, rational Ukrainians prefer to be allied with the prosperous and peaceful European Union (with all its moral and political defects) than with the autocratic, corrupt, and aggressive Russian Federation. Militarily, Ukraine is located between the military spheres of influence of the Russian Federation – which collaborates wit

Simple Answer: No Then who are Magogo & Gog and why are people saying it is Russia attacking Ukraine? 1. Magog [May-gog] (Uncertain origin and meaning) (Genesis 10:2). Unspecified date. Magog was one of the sons of Japheth. His brothers were Gomer, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The book of Revelation (Revelation 20:8) states that Magog, together with Gog and Satan, will be destroyed by fire from heaven while doing battle against God’s people. The descendants of Magog (Ezek. 38:2), possibly a people who lived in northern Asia and Europe. The Jewish historian Josephus identified these people as the Scythians, known for their destructive warfare.  Magog may be a comprehensive term meaning “northern barbarians.” The people of Magog are described as skilled horsemen (Ezek. 38:15) and experts in the use of the bow and arrow (Ezek. 39:3, 9). The Book of Revelation uses Ezekiel’s prophetic imagery to portray the final, apocalyptic encounter between good and evil at the end of t

Russia has invaded Ukraine in an all-out assault.  Now the question for the West is whether we will get drawn into this war. President Biden had moved 3,000 of the 90,000 troops in Europe to Poland and Romania, countries that border Ukraine, hoping they would be a deterrent to Russian President Putin’s territorial ambitions.  That did not work.  So now President Biden is moving American troops and aircraft into the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which border Russia and which, like Ukraine, also had been part of the Soviet Union that Putin would like to reassemble.  Unlike Ukraine, though, they are members of NATO. Since all NATO members are obliged to come to the aid of any NATO member that is attacked, the Baltics and the American forces stationed there are a trip-wire for a war involving all of Europe and the United States. The NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, is warning that there is a “real risk” of “full-on” war in Europe: “Ukraine is a hig

Russia has invaded Ukraine. Who all gets involved and how all of this will play out, in the end, remains to be seen, but one thing is sure: the world is watching. That hasn’t stopped many from speculating if this will bring about another World War if China and Russia will collude, and if, God forbid, nuclear weaponry will be employed if others intervene, or even if the parties involved currently will use nuclear weapons. It’s understandable, in one sense, that these questions are raised. We live in a time where nations have the technological capability of amassing a body count like no other war before us. We all know of the propensity of mankind to commit great deeds of atrocity and the destructive powers they are capable of in their wickedness. History has shown us time and again that war is not only a constant threat, but it is an inevitable product of living in a broken, sin-filled world. We are the odd ones out in the history of mankind, where we have known relative peace for gener

Russia’s new draft law on freedom of conscience and the religious association will make it impossible for pastors trained outside of the Russian Federation to preach in a church or even conduct home Bible study groups, warn Barnabas Fund contacts. The bill amending Federal Law, which is being recommended for approval by the State Duma today (22 September), calls for the compulsory recertification in Russian educational institutions of pastors and “personnel of religious organisations” who have received religious education abroad, otherwise, they will not be able to engage in teaching and religious activities. Its main goal is to “prevent the participation of clergymen who have received religious education abroad and spread religious extremist ideology in the activities of religious organizations”. The new law is also intended to prevent “the involvement of members of a religious group in extremist activities and activities aimed at financing terrorism”. Sergei Ryakhovsky, head bishop o

Every once in a while, a leader, whether it be a judge, a king, or a Czar, tries to do the impossible and shut down the Gospel. All throughout history many have attempted this impossible feat. Perhaps one of the most famous attempts occurred in 1673. The Lord Judge Magistrate of Bedford was fed up with John Bunyan and his preaching of the Gospel.  John Bunyan was reaching thousands with the truth of scripture, and the judge obviously hated sound preaching. But when John Bunyan was told to stop, John Bunyan famously answered, “ If I am freed today, I will preach  tomorrow ! ” And so the judge sentenced him to jail and said, “At last we are done with this tinker and his cause. Never more will he plague us: for his name, locked away as surely as he, shall be forgotten, as surely as he. Done we are, and all eternity with him.” A sillier statement has never been spoken. John Bunyan went on to write  The Pilgrim’s Progress , along with other books that the Lord has used for cen

Leonhard Euler (1707–83), one of the most prominent scientists (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Voltaire and Frederick the Great mocked him; Catherine the Great of Russia employed him; Mathematicians revere him. His name was Leonhard Euler. The son of a Protestant minister, Euler was born on this day, April 15, 1707, in Basel, Switzerland . Euler showed early promise in math, a promise that was amply fulfilled. Gathered together, his works fill sixty encyclopedia-size volumes! He was a founder of analysis and made major advances in arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry and calculus. His symbols are used to this day. The Euler constant, Euler numbers, Eulerian integrals and other mathematical forms are named for him. Euler almost didn't make it into math. His father wanted him to be a minister. But Euler knew what he was best at and pleaded to be allowed to switch courses. His father finally agreed. Euler remained a staunch Calvinist all his life. Catherine I invited the young man to