| (Copyright 2023) by Dwight Fleming (Oroville, California) |
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| Will Russia ever attack America? This has been a driving fear of U.S. policy since Russia obtained an atomic bomb in 1949. The nuclear arms race was on. With the development of the hydrogen bomb and delivery vehicles, such as, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), destruction of all life upon the earth became a frightening reality. To counter a nuclear threat from the Soviet Union, the U.S. developed a Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) policy which means that if Russia were to launch a first attack, the U.S. would have the means to launch a counter nuclear attack. It was hoped that if any enemy first struck the United States with nuclear arms, we would be able to launch nuclear-armed missiles against that enemy. This would act as a deterrent for anyone wanting to start a nuclear war against us. This was a “MAD” concept alright. There would be no winners, only survivors, if you were lucky enough to not only survive the initial blast but also the radio-active fallout. As a consequence, the U.S. built missile silos around the country which could survive a nuclear blast and then allow the launching of a counter-strike. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and certain arms limitation agreements in place, the threat of nuclear annihilation had eased somewhat until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Tensions between Russia and the U.S. are once again mounting, reviving fears of nuclear war. To bring this reality home, please watch the two short videos on our building of missile silos and the day-to-day business of being ready for nuclear war. We can’t ignore this constant threat. Obviously, the Bible offers a better hope for mankind. But we need to realize the spiritual battle that is taking place. A nuclear threat of destruction is only one part of it. The Russians fear us as much as we fear them. The Soviet era is over with its agenda of spreading communism. At present, it seems that we have greater enemies inside of our country than outside. The real enemy is the deception or false belief that is affecting our trust of others. Yes, we have to be cautious and not naive. But let’s not hate a nation simply because we may have inaccurate perceptions of that nation. We then fall into the snare of Satan rather than the grace of God (See 2 Timothy 2:25-26). Sharing a meal with someone helps to break down barriers (See Revelation 3:20). I will relate a memorable meal that I had in Russia. It was breakfast time at the hotel in Moscow. I was wondering what they would serve our tour group this particular morning. Out came the servers with platters of pancakes. “Great!” I thought. I love pancakes. “Where’s the maple syrup,” I asked someone. To my surprise, they brought out bowls of sour cream to put on our pancakes. “Are they kidding?” No. One male Russian server exclaimed, “This is what makes us Russians big and strong.” I couldn’t argue with him about that. He was huge. But I’m not a fan of sour cream on my pancakes. To my relief, there were some bowls of strawberry jam already on the table. The Russian people are wonderful people. They have the same hopes and dreams that we have here in the United States. It is a shame that our two countries have to be adversaries. After watching the two short videos on nuclear warfare, consider watching this Russian movie that came out in Russia. It was released on November 30, 2017. It portrays a 16th century legend about an invasion by the Mongol army that took place in the 13th century. Batu Khan is the grandson of Genghis Khan. The great Khan does not bow his knees to anyone. This movie doesn’t just portray a fictional historical battle, but it also depicts a powerful spiritual battle which is why I am recommending it. When the odds are against you and the enemy far outnumbers you, what will you do? Do you surrender to the horde? Do you run and hide? The day is coming when we may have to face these questions. How will we then respond? Read 2 Timothy 2:1-15. This movie will impact your emotions and hopefully give you courage to face any challenge. I won’t give any more details about the movie other than to watch for the pancakes. Here are the video links: Building Missile Silos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A91ZUeoBzVY Guarding America’s Missile Silos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42yejbS6OXM Russian Movie, “Furious” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTlxfNsBAAA&pp=sAQB Editor’s Note: We do not listen to video links or read print material that is linked to items we print, so we may or may not agree with those links. We only look at print material that is sent to us for print. Laura Lee |
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