In the first segment of this three-part series, I provided a thumbnail sketch of the problems that we are facing in our world and noted:
… some serious thinkers are becoming willing, without fear of ridicule, to declare, “This is different! Something unusual is happening in the world!” As a result, there is greater openness to eternal solutions.
At that time, I did not seriously believe that in less than two weeks, Vladimir Putin would carry out his threats for Russia to invade Ukraine and the leaders of the free world would struggle to develop a cohesive plan for responding. A simple question begs to be answered: With so much advance warning, why were these leaders unprepared? Over a century ago, George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Let’s reflect upon his warning through the lens of secular leadership, call to action, and comforting others.
Secular Leadership
Yielding to the delusion that God does not exist or if He does exist that He is no longer relevant in the affairs of humankind, leaders of the educational institutions of America have assiduously worked to remove the Bible from their curricula and replace it with the fables of humanism. That philosophy has filtered down into the thinking of political and military leadership: Attempts to erase the distinctions between men and women, denigrate the value of the unborn, and harbor naïve beliefs as to how our burgeoning problems can be fixed by the ingenuity of man have become part and parcel of mainstream thinking.
Call to Action
In many ways, this secular mindset has unduly influenced the followers of Christ and lulled the Church into complacency; the clear prophetic warnings regarding the role of Russia, as well as the kings of the East, in end-time events, have not been believed, or at least ignored, because they are not pleasant to hear. Admittedly, without Christ, they are terrifying! This week, while watching Ukrainian cities being bombed, soldiers needlessly dying in battle, and families being ripped apart as the men of fighting-age stay home while the mothers and children flee, I was struck by the fact that it is time for the Church to move from complacency to action.
Comforting Others
When starting this series, my intent was to use Paul’s brilliant discourse as a foundation for understanding and responding to suffering in the life of believers, especially dementia patients and their caregivers:
What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us. You can be sure that the more we undergo sufferings for Christ, the more he will shower us with his comfort and encouragement (2 Corinthians 1: 3-5 TLB).
Now, seeing what many military analysts believe is the first step in a series of expanding ambitions on the part of Vladimir Putin, I want to be a part of a greatly enlarged plan to provide comfort to those who are suffering in Ukraine; however, my home is over 5,300 miles from Kiev. So, how can I make a meaningful difference? Later, in that same letter to the believers at Corinth, Paul shares how he conducted Spiritual Warfare:
The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5 MSG).
- Human ingenuity, organizational skills, charisma and personality are in themselves wholly inadequate for demolishing a massively corrupt culture.
- Smashing warped philosophies requires that the wisdom of this world be replaced by the manifest righteousness of God, released through those who truly understand that God lives in them and that He is greater than the one who empowers the world.
- Tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God cannot be done in isolation. Rather, it takes place when God’s children recognize that they are part of a larger whole — collectively, forming the body of Christ.
Christian leaders around the globe are calling for the Church to pray and provide support for the people of Ukraine. I am committed to being part of that great exercise of faith, obedience and comfort!
Ron Harvard Ministries 