Thank you daniel1212 for posting the truth. As a former expat living in Russia I want to reiterate that the Body of Christ is alive and well there: genuine Orthodox, Catholics, Evangelicals alike.
But this in spite of, not because of Putin. And Evangelical missionaries in particular are lumped together with cult leaders and terrorists as “extremists” under the new Yarovaya Law.
The enactment of this law forced Franklin Graham to scrub the 2016 Christian World Summit, which was due to be held in Moscow:
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2016/august/franklin-graham-cancels-christian-world-summit-in-moscow
I do not doubt that God can use evildoers like Putin + Assad to accomplish His ends...but make no mistake: Putin’s interests are in destabilizing and undermining the West, undermining former Soviet countries seeking independence, from his grip from Ukraine to the Baltic states...
And above all, seeking to disrupt and undermine America’s geopolitical interests.
This means allying with rogue nations like Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea to do his bidding. In his own country, Putin has propped up Islamic despots like Kadyrov in the republic of Chechnya.
Also worth noting that as Putin expends his military and resources in Syria, freedoms and living standards are on the decline for average people within Russia - whose livelihoods are sacrificed at the altar of boosting his image as a power player, and fattening the pockets of his crony oligarchs.
This is a man who lends lip service to the evils of the Soviet Union and yet has fostered nostalgia for its godless glory and rehabilitated the image of Josef Stalin for a whole new generation of Russians. This is a man who refuses to order the burial of Lenin’s body in Red Square.
And in the meantime, the Russian government bullies and threatens countries like Poland and Ukraine for daring to tear down their Lenin statues ane communist idols.
Please do not be deceived.