Georgia and Russia
About 500 worshipers yesterday attended the opening convocations for Calvin 500, the international Quincentenary celebration of the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth (July 10, 1509), at St. Pierre Cathedral in the old town of Geneva, reports Michael Ireland, chief correspondent, ASSIST News Service.
Beginning with a welcome by Mr. Guillaume Taylor from the St. Pierre Parish Council, the opening convocations, featured morning worship from Calvin’s time and a sermon on Philippians 3:8-12 by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson of the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina.
The evening services featured Ugandan Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, much psalm singing, and a sermon by Dr. Bryan Chapell, President of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
“Calvin is one of the most important thinkers in history,” said Calvin500 Executive Director Rev. David Hall, who also is pastor of Midway Presbyterian Church in America located in Powder Springs, GA, according to a media release.
“His ministry and writings left an indelible impression on the modern world, and especially Western culture. It would be hard to find a figure from history more worthy of remembering, if lasting impact for good is the standard,” said Hall.
“St. Pierre’s Cathedral in Geneva as unusually full for a morning worship service on July 5th, but admittedly a congregation that includes at least one archbishop, six seminary professors, twenty-four seminary professors, approximately 100 Reformed pastors from around the world and the author of over 300 books on Calvinist themes do not make up an ordinary congregation,'” said one attendee on a blog at the celebration website.
The writer stated: “As Dr. Ferguson noted, ‘Calvin would be surprised to see us here, and I am not sure he would have approved,’ however hopefully he would approved of the text.”
Another writer commented: “The evening was brought to a close with a truly wonderful exposition of Ephesians 1:3-6 by Bryan Chapell, a sermon which he called ‘In praise of predestination.’ With some memorable illustrations from Calvin and elsewhere, he carefully took us through the text urging us to see Paul’s commitment in showing us more of God’s Fatherhood than his sovereignty. God, he told us, is shouting: ‘I’ve been in love with you longer than the stars have been in sky or the fish have been in the sea.'”
Throughout the coming week, scholars and ministers will present lectures and sermons in these historic environs to celebrate the contributions of the Genevan reformer. The public is invited.
Report from the Christian Telegraph
With a deadline looming for Russia to pull its troops out of Georgia in fulfilment of its agreement in a French brokered deal following its deadly conflict with Georgia, Russian troops have begun dismantling bases and begun pulling out of Georgia.
Russian troops will remain in the two breakaway regions of Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which it has recognized as independent of Georgia, along with Hamas and Nicaragua.
The footage below reports on the withdrawal:
The nation of Russia appears to be heading back towards its former Soviet days following its invasion of Georgia and its deteriorating relationship with the west in recent times.
Now there appears to be an orchestrated campaign to apply pressure to Baptist Churches in Russia that have opted out of the government recognised Baptist Union and belong to their own fellowship, the Baptist Council of Churches. The churches have been harassed by state officials, including a state run television propaganda campaign.
The Russians are finally beginning to leave Georgia – well parts of it anyway. Slowly the Russians are beginning to adhere to the ceasefire agreement they agreed to over a week ago. However, it would seem they will not leave Georgia completely as they intend to maintain a ‘peacekeeping’ force in various locations.
The Russians and militia from both of the rebellious enclaves that were formerly part of the sovereign state of Georgia, have inflicted enormous casualties and damage on the Georgian people and state.
It seems that there is now a rapidly widening divide between Russia and the West, with a possible re-emergence of a Cold War status. The Russians have even threatened Poland with a pre-emptive nuclear strike for seeking to join NATO and for allowing the deployment of an anti-missile system within its borders.
View damage in Georgia below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9nhvSkvnZs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhMFTSZiWm0
It would seem that Russia is continuing its military action in Georgia despite agreeing to a ceasefire and the presence of American military personal in Georgia. They seemed to halt for a moment when the Americans arrived, but have since continued their push into the heart of the country and onward towards the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi. It would seem you can’t trust the Russians at their word, which would make them very close to the Soviet era approach to world diplomacy.
Is the Russian Federation becoming a rogue state? That is the question facing the West. I would personally view the Russian Federation as being very close to being a rogue state, if not already a rogue state. Russia is acting more and more like a tyrant toward the former Soviet republics that have gained independence.
Not satisfied with acting the bully toward the former Soviet republics, Russia is now turning its thug-like activities to countries that were formerly part of the Eastern Bloc, with Poland being a particular target.
Russian general, Anatoly Nogovitsyn has suggested that Poland is now open to a strike (which could mean a pre-emptive nuclear attack) for entertaining the possibility of joining NATO and deploying an American anti-missile system on its soil.
It would seem that the Cold War may be returning in a new manifestation – perhaps Cold War II.
Finally Russian troops are beginning to leave Georgia and may be adhering to the ceasefire agreement brokered by the French President.
Maybe I’m a little sceptical when it comes to Russian promises and movements, but it is interesting that the withdrawal has finally begun following the arrival of US troops in Georgia (bringing aid). Certainly this conflict had the potential to escalate with Georgia being a close friend of the United States. There were of course US advisers in Georgia providing instruction to Georgian military forces.
I certainly wouldn’t trust the Russian government which is basically controlled by the Russian thug Putin. I am thankful for the arrival of US troops and the aid they are bringing to Georgia, as well as the Australian government’s support of Georgia.
Has anyone else noticed how Russia is looking more ‘Soviet’ era with each passing day? It was expected, certainly by me, that when Putin left office that the new guy would be both a clone of the former KGB leader and more than likely a puppet.
With the war that has broken out with Georgia over the breakaway region of Georgia known as South Ossetia, Russia is looking even more like the Soviet era menace that it once was.
Sure, a good number of South Ossetia’s population is Russian, but how quickly has Russia intervened in an ‘internal’ situation of Georgia’s – something which Russia and its friends like China, are quick to use as an argument to not intervene in global troubles. Yet when it is something that Russia feels strongly about, in they go as strongly as they can – hypocrisy on a global scale!
Russia ought to be condemned for its action against Georgia and for encouraging the breakaway region which it alone has recognised as an independent region.
This action by Russia is typical of its usual hardline approach. Think of what it did to Chechnya. It also brings a reminder of the Soviet interventions in Eastern Europe whenever they felt like doing so in the 20th century.
Russia, looking more Soviet each day.