Introduction
Greetings to all readers, especially to those from Slavic countries. I have dubbed the Russian invasion of Ukraine the 2022 Slavic War. A war starts when one nation invades another. The invaded nation does not start the war. The invading nation does. The invaded nation defends itself.
With this article, I have set up the 2022 Slavic War as a separate topic section. This is my fifth article. The previous four articles were on 3/8/2022, 3/20/2022, 5/12/2022, and 5/30/2022.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine becomes, too often, a side note. To Ukrainian and Russian brothers and sisters in Christ, you are not forgotten! The daily prayers of many, including me, are for peace. May it be so, Lord.
8-24-1991: Ukraine Independence Day
Thirty-one years ago, on 8/24/1991, Ukraine declared independence from the USSR. The official website of Ukraine includes a section titled “Origins & History of Ukraine.” Non-Slavic readers may wish to read the entire section.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ended on 12/31/1991. Source: “Collapse of the Soviet Union,” by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica; Last Updated 8/11/2022.
On 10/1/1994, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I joined two other families to serve as missionaries to Moscow and Klin, Russia. As of this entry, the topic section Mission Work includes twelve articles. Lord willing, I may write a book about our mission experiences.
Ukrainian independence marked freedom from Soviet oppression, dictatorship, and tyranny. Today, 8/24/2022, Ukrainians will find no joy, if there is any celebration of their independence from the USSR, which of course included Russia.
2-24-2022: Russian Invasion of Ukraine
On 2/24/2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Today, Ukraine Independence Day, marks day 182 of that invasion. Vladimir Putin and his minions started the war. Both sides argue the reasons. Propaganda abounds.
The Moscow Times section on the Ukraine War is a good source of information. I receive their weekly emails on Fridays.
Russia is not without faults. Ukraine is not without faults. No nation is. A peaceful nation should not be invaded by an aggressive nation. Unfortunately, history abounds with too many examples of aggressive nations invading peaceful ones.
Conclusion
The inspired Luke recorded the apostle Paul's meeting of the Areopagus in Acts 17:22-34. (The quotation below includes my bold highlight for emphasis.)
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the
Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you
are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at
your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship
—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
“The God
who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and
earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is
not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he
himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one
man he made all the nations,
that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he
marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of
their lands. God did this so that they
would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he
is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and
have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his
offspring.’
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we
should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or
stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God
overlooked such ignorance, but now he
commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when
he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He
has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them
sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this
subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became
followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of
the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
(Acts 17:22-34 NIV)
God has marked the appointed times of nations and set their boundaries. God does not, however, cause nations to commit evil. His grace allows free will, for people and nations to commit evil, for a while. The inspired Old Testament records God's hand in the rise and fall of nations. Deeper thought on the subject of God's providence and why God allows evil nations to prosper, for a time, is beyond the scope of this brief article. I may unpack my thoughts in a longer article later.
God requires all people, as individuals and nations, to repent of their evil and to turn to His Son, Jesus, the Christ. Universal Judgment Day is coming. The evils caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be judged. I will be judged. You will be judged. Our judgment will be just. If we have repented and turned to the Lord, our Savior, we will have everlasting life in heaven. If we have not, everlasting torment awaits.
Paul's sermon on the Areopagus, in the first century, led to the conversion of Dionysius, Damaris, and several others. Some, however, in free will, rejected Paul's words of salvation.
The word of salvation is offered. Many readers have chosen, as Dionysius and Damaris did. Other readers have not yet. Please decide wisely. The “Contact Form” on this website is available, if you would like to begin a private conversation. God's blessings to every reader and especially for peace in Ukraine.
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