Planting with hope

From greedy Czars to power-hungry Communists, rulers of Russia have often treated the people with abandon. We're over 90 years from the Russian Revolution, which was to free the people and instead plunged into them into hopelessness.

I'm praying over Europe with Campus Crusade for 40 days. If you haven't heard about it, check out this link.

Since 1990, when socialism fell and religious freedom was written into their new constitution, American Christians were hopeful that we could bring new faith and hope to them.

Even though Russia is the largest country in the world, spanning 11 time zones and inhabiting more than 160 million people, Christians have been busy explaining the gospel throughout the country. Campus Crusade reports that "there is not a region, republic, city or village where seeds of the gospel have not been planted."

Yet the fruit has been slow in coming.

Cuba still sleeps under a socialist dictator, which little religious freedom. Yet there is a flourishing Christian community there.

A Cuban Christian explained why: "Americans came to our country 150 years ago. Missionaries came to teach us about Jesus. Today, we are your fruit."

A foreign missions movement in the 1800's left spiritual seeds that have blossomed today.

In the first century, Paul faced a similar problem where the message was not always well received. His viewpoint is valuable. " I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." (1 Cor 3:6-7)

Without God, many lose hope. Let us not join them but continue on planting and watering. God will bring growth.