Russia Will Need the Basics of Life

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, intended to be over quickly, is heading to its 5th year! I have pondered what, if anything, might that signify from Heaven’s strategic perspective?

From the start, I considered this war from the perspective of Ezekiel 38, which predicts a Russia-led coalition invasion of a then defenseless, potentially overcrowded Israel. No allies will be able or willing to come to its aid. Verse 13 signifies that invasion will likely be out of desperation for the basics of life! Curious? Indeed!

How Wars End

Sinners and Saints Benefit from Repentance (Part 1)

See the series here

Living In Systems We Didn’t Create

 

Most of us live inside systems we didn’t design, don’t control, and couldn’t survive without. These systems supply things so basic that we just take them for granted—breathable air, food, roads, utilities, digital networks, legal frameworks, etc. But we definitely notice them when they fail!

 

And yet, whether we like these systems, agree with them, generously benefit from them or not, one fact remains constant: Living in them means living under their explicit or implicit authority structures. Those structures exist for our common benefit and participation. As such, they don’t depend upon our personal agreement, affection, or approval.

 

We don’t wake up thinking, ‘I’ll gladly submit to layered networks of authority today.’ But we generally do submit to them—by driving on roads they create, using money they circulate and protect, relying on utilities they distribute, calling emergency services when necessary, entering into contracts they design and enforce, boarding airplanes, buying food, etc.

Pre-entry Purging Patterns (Part 2)

See the series here

Part 1 reviews key examples of how The Lord applied/will apply His ‘pre-entry purging pattern’ to various types of groups across our history. Let’s review a more familiar pattern that He applies and benefits from types of purging that He, Himself, did/does not initiate. 

 

Sidelined Purging

 

Here is a rather curious affirmation Jesus made during His life as a man:

 

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39)

 

The Lord has a bifurcated ‘peace agenda':

The Last Army-like Church-types (Part 1)

 

See the series here

The Church-types Reimagined (Series)  explains how The Lord applied a repeating strategic pattern to conceive, create, and commission successive ‘army-like church-types—both before and after the creation of humanity. Here’s the list as I perceive them:

1. An innumerable company of holy angels

2. Adam—and through him, humanity in general

3. Seth and his 1st-age righteous descendants ¹

4. Israel, as a set-apart “holy” nation

5. The post-cross, 3rd-age church ²

6. The tribulation, 4th-age church

7. The post-Millennial-Reign, 6th-age church

 

So far, The Bible and history show how significant parts of these early groups were unduly ‘re-imagined’—and therefore failed to honor The Lord’s commissions and commandments.

Pre-entry Purging Patterns (Part 1)

See the series here

Jesus Christ, The Lord God, LOVES repetitive patterns! Period. I recently began to perceive them as the equivalent of His ‘pictures on the box’ of His strategic puzzle pieces strewn across the pages and ages of The Bible. Scripture demonstrates two striking, opposite patterns that He apparently applies to nations, infrequently, to families, occasionally, and to individuals, frequently.

 

1. The Lord directly or indirectly purges individuals, families, societies and nations before allowing them to enter a new season of His peaceful blessing. ¹

2. Families, communities, or family-like groups purge individuals—but The Lord gleans the benefits. 

 

These are uniquely different, cousin-types of purging. One is initiated by The Lord; and the other is beneficial to achieving His purposes for us.

 

Divine Pre-entry Purging 

Useful Idiots! (Poem)

From presidents-to-paupers,

And everyone in between,

By presidents-and-paupers,

And evil spirits, unseen,

As useful idiot serfs,

We have all likely been screened! ¹

 

It seems, knowingly or un-,

Most of us were recruited,

Then prepped for more deception.

Few of us were unsuited,

And our tasks, we abandoned.

Most enjoy their conscription!

 

People who seem ‘above-board’,

Use other people to do,

Things considered ‘untoward’.

Neither group fears The One Who,

Will curse, or bless with rewards,

All, in this life, we will do! ²

 

Stop! 

Ask yourselves these questions:

By whom were we recruited,

Whether people or demons?

What tasks we’ve not resisted?

To whom are we beholden,

Useful idiot they’ve won?

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¹ Useful idiots - a derogatory term for a naive or credulous people who are unknowingly manipulated and deceived to advance a cause or political agenda; people who support a cause, but who are actually being exploited by its leaders or others. Yes, history and current events prove top leaders, even presidents, are not immune from this devilish trap. This becomes an ‘equal opportunity, 2-way street’ when people who are being manipulated, themselves find others to manipulate!

² Jesus Christ, The Lord God Who promises, and has demonstrated His power to bless or judge every righteous or unrighteous thing we say and do, in His own manner and timing.