"Grace to Help in Time of Need"

In Chapter 7 of his Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul describes our struggle with sin.  As long as we remain in our earthly bodies, as long as we live in this corrupt and immoral world, we struggle with temptation and doing wrong – often in spite of our best intentions to do the right thing.  Even when we try to do good, if we do it in our own strength without God it often turns out wrong. 

No one is exempt.  The secular person finds that they have trouble living up to their own philosophical moral code.  The Hindu, Moslem, and Buddhist struggle to keep their faith as they should.  Even celebrated Christian ministers with large public followings have had moral failures – often disillusioning those who trusted them for leadership. 

Sometimes we want to throw up our hands in exasperation and cry out in the words of Paul: 

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.  (Romans 7:24-25 NASB) * 

Our God is an awesome God, and the Holy Spirit gives us the answer in the first paragraph of the very next chapter (Chapter 8), which shows us how it is done: 

Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.  For what the Law could not do,  weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,  so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,  because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,  and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:1-8 NASB) * 

* https://biblehub.com/nasb 

I have had moral failures.  When I am struggling with temptation and sin, I find that singing this old hymn prepares my heart to repent, confess my sins to God, and ask for forgiveness.  Then I can rest in the sure and certain knowledge that I am restored to a right relationship with God. (1John 1:9)  For, Christ has won the battle for me.  He has given us the victory.  Praise God! 

Just a Closer Walk With Thee

(Anonymous)

​I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. 

(Refrain)
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. 

Thro' this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. 

(Refrain)
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. 

When my feeble life is o'er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. 

(Refrain)
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. ** 

** https://amazinghymns.com/just-a-closer-walk-with-thee/

 

 

War Crimes

Persons who advise caution regarding the response of the United States and NATO to the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine have come under severe criticism recently.  Former Congressional Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Tucker Carlson, (host of Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News), have been accused of things like being a Russian sympathizer, being a traitor, and cowardice – none of which I believe to be true. 

Tolerance of opposing views is difficult, but it is necessary for a free society.  Let me urge us all to respect each other. We will do well if we embrace the British concept of a “loyal opposition.” 

In a climate of war hysteria those whose views conflict with popular war sentiment may be castigated, disparaged, and slandered.  So, I hope to be clear, concise, correct, and complete when writing about the war in Ukraine. 

It is not my desire to alienate anyone from the primary purpose of Lamp in a Corner, which is to help others to find their way to Christ.  At times the events of this world are urgent, and free people must speak out.  So, it is with a prayer for tolerance that I offer you the following, (much of which is taken directly from Wikipedia): 

There is a lot of talk in the media about Russia committing “war crimes” in Ukraine.  Occasionally, I have heard similar accusations leveled against other nations and groups, including my own.  Do we know what war crimes are?  I did an internet search to find out.  Please let me encourage you to do the same, using search words like war crime, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

It goes beyond the scope of a blog post to provide an inclusive description of war crimes.  I am providing a brief sketch for a quick reference, to help readers to understand the (sometimes loose) talk about war crimes in the media. 

Sources say that there is a distinction between war crimes, international human rights law, and crimes against humanity.  They look similar to me, but I will respect conventional wisdom. 

United Nations 

According to the UN, war crimes include: 

·         Intentional murder of innocent people;

·         Torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments;

·         Willfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health;

·         Compelling a prisoner of war or other protected person to serve in the forces of hostile power;

·         Use of children under the age of sixteen years in the armed forces or groups or using them to participate actively in hostilities;

·         Intentionally directing attacks against civilian populations not taking direct part in hostilities;

·         Extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly;

·         Destroying or seizing the property of an adversary unless demanded by necessities of the conflict;

·         Using poison or poisoned weapons;

·         Intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals as long as it's not used as military infrastructure;

·         Willfully depriving a prisoner of war or other protected person of the right to a fair and regular trial;

·         Attacking or bombarding towns, villages, dwellings or buildings which are undefended and which are not military infrastructure;

·         Unlawful deportation, transfer, or unlawful confinement;

·         Taking of hostages.

·         Intentional assault with the knowledge that such an assault would result in loss of life or casualties to civilians or damage to civilian objects or extensive, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment that would be clearly excessive. * 

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_crime 

International Humanitarian Law (IHL), (a.k.a. laws of armed conflict) 

IHL is a type of international law that protects civilians affected by war.  It is intended to limit the suffering of noncombatants.  It defines the responsibilities of combatants and neutrals toward  persons not engaging in hostilities. 

·         Noncombatants, and those who are not taking part in hostilities in situation of armed conflict and neutral parties shall be protected in all circumstances.

·         The wounded and the sick shall be cared for and protected by the party to the conflict which has them in its power. The emblem of the "Red Cross", or of the "Red Crescent," shall be required to be respected as the sign of protection.

·         Captured persons must be protected against acts of violence and reprisals. They shall have the right to correspond with their families and to receive relief.

·         No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

·         Parties to a conflict do not have an unlimited choice of methods and means of warfare.

·         Parties to a conflict shall at all times distinguish between combatants and non-combatants. Attacks shall be directed solely against legitimate military targets.

Laws of War 

Internationally recognized, (but not always accepted), laws of war address things like: 

·         declarations of war;

·         acceptance of surrender;

·         the treatment of prisoners of war;

·         the avoidance of atrocities;

·         the prohibition on deliberately attacking non-combatants; and

·         the prohibition of certain inhumane weapons (land mines, cluster bombs, booby traps, incendiary weapons, blinding lasers, etc.)

·         It is a violation of the laws of war to engage in combat without meeting certain requirements, among them the wearing of a distinctive uniform or other easily identifiable badge, and the carrying of weapons openly. Impersonating soldiers of the other side by wearing the enemy's uniform is allowed, though fighting in that uniform is unlawful perfidy, as is the taking of hostages. * 

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_humanitarian_law 

International Criminal Court 

The International Criminal Court is headquartered in the Hague (Netherlands).  It tries violations of international law committed by nations that have subscribed to it.  Such crimes include genocide and crimes against humanity.  Crimes against humanity are intentional, widespread, systematic attacks and include: 

·         Murder;

·         Extermination;

·         Enslavement;

·         Deportation or forcible transfer of a population;

·         Illegal imprisonment;

·         Torture;

·         Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, and any other form of sexual violence;

·         Cultural, religious, racial, or gender persecution;

·         Enforced disappearance;

·         Apartheid. 

Lamp in a Corner supports obedience to all human laws that do not contradict God’s Word as provided to us in the Holy Bible.  The Bible calls the Antichrist the “man of lawlessness.” (2Thessalonians 2:3)  It is not our purpose here to disrespect any law that is consistent with Biblical principles. 

It seems, however, that the idea of war crimes misses the point.  War is by its very nature a crime against humanity.  The taking of human life without due process of law is always a crime, and only becomes “justifiable homicide” when it is necessary to use force to defend ourselves and others from an attack. 

America must do all that is reasonable to avoid war.  If we are compelled to go to war, then our duty is to do everything possible to win.  We should not allow our enemies to find sanctuary, no matter where they run to.  We should find, fix, close with and destroy all enemy combatants, until they are unable and unwilling to continue hostilities.  We owe that to our troops and our people. 

To the extent possible, the United States must avoid collateral damage to civilian populations and property.  However, some of our enemies mingle with civilian populations and fire on us from behind human shields.  They place surface to air missiles in schoolyards.  Factories that make war material are located near residential neighborhoods.  We must do all we can to keep noncombatants from getting caught in the crossfire, but when they get hurt, the responsibility falls on the cowardly persons who hide amongst them. 

Obedience to the law is who we are.  Some of our enemies commit war crimes and atrocities.  That is not the American way.  We must not allow them to drag us down to their level. 

I like U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.  I will always be grateful to him for advocating for a strong national defense and for the Second Amendment.  If I were a resident of South Carolina I would vote for him.  He was wrong, however, when he called on the Russian people to overthrow Vladimir Putin by “any means necessary.”  Murder is morally wrong.  Advocating it is not consistent with the traditional values Sen. Graham stands for, and the comment was not worthy of him.  We all hope the Russian people will throw Putin out, but not “by any means necessary.” 

Finally, I have provided information about what a war crime is.  Make up your own mind about whether the Russian Federation is committing war crimes in Ukraine.  I have.

DST for You and Me?

Daylight saving time started here today.  This thing is forced upon us every year.  It makes me wonder about how the daylight is saved.

Is it deposited in a bank somewhere?  If so, is it a local bank, a national bank, or a central bank like the Federal Reserve?  Does it earn interest, and if so how is the interest compounded? 

What happens if there is a run on the banks?  Is the daylight backed by the FDIC?  Will people begin hoarding daylight, and how will they do it?  Can they put it in a coffee can and hide it in their backyards? 

What is done with the daylight that is saved?  Is it loaned out, and to whom?  How is the lending rate fixed?  If the Interest on the loans is too low, does the economy get flooded with too much daylight?  Is the daylight devalued if it is too plentiful, or if the lending rate goes up will there be enough daylight to go around? 

If the government uses more daylight than it takes in, can it make more?  Whose daylight serves as the baseline by which the daylight of other nations is valued? 

It seems to me that daylight saving time creates more problems than it solves. Hawaii and Arizona seem to be able to get along just fine without it. Perhaps we should do away with it.

Give the Little Guy a Break

 

While serving in the U.S. Army, I was fortunate to be stationed in Germany for two and a half years.  My unit was deployed in the countryside, away from large cities, and the people were usually friendly there.  Where I lived, the local Gasthaus (or inn) was a gathering place where people socialized, drank beer, and talked things over.  At a Gasthaus, you can enjoy a great meal, have a few beers, and get acquainted with your neighbors. 

As was sometimes the case, one night the talk around the table turned to politics and current events.  The Germans can get boisterous, and discussions can get a bit “animated.”  That night, one guy at the table decided it was time to tone things down a bit, and he said something like, “Was können wir tun? Wir sind nur die kleinen Leute.” (What can we do? We are just the little people.)  There was a lot of wisdom in that. 

It doesn’t matter how people are labeled: Japanese, Italians, Americans, Brazilians, Chinese, Nigerians, or Pakistanis.  The vast majority of us are, “nur die kleinen Leute.” 

I wish the political, military, and business leaders of the world could get it through their heads that most people are just plain folks.  All everyman wants is a chance to do meaningful work for fair and just compensation.  We want to raise our kids, worship as we choose, love our spouses, and maybe watch a little TV.  The last thing we want is to send our kids off to war or have somebody drop a bomb on our house.  That isn’t much to ask, is it? 

We the people do not know everything, but we do know that we would all be better off if the human race could learn to resolve our differences peacefully.  We know that we are all diminished when we resort to violence - regardless of what the constant stream of revenge, fighting, and killing that is fed to us by the entertainment media seems to try to teach us. 

I am not a pacifist.  If I must use force to prevent myself, or others, from being injured or killed by an aggressor, I will.  The world is a dangerous place.  If we are not willing to defend what is rightfully ours, bad people will take it away. 

Although we have the right to defend ourselves, I only hope that one day humankind will learn that we would all be better off if we live in peace. 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

(Matthew 5:9 NASB)

 

None say it Better Than "The Great Burns"

 

Man's Inhumanity to Man

by Robert Burns 

 

Many and sharp the numerous ills
Inwoven with our frame;
More pointed still, we make ourselves
Regret, remorse and shame;
And man, whose heaven-erected face
The smiles of love adorn,
Man's inhumanity to man,
Makes countless thousands mourn. * 

 

* https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/mans-inhumanity-man

 

 

 

Knowing What God is Like

Have you ever wondered what God is like?  In the Holy Bible, we find verse after verse telling us about God.  From these verses, theologians have deduced a number of the attributes of God; characteristics that only God can have.  Two of these attributes are omniscience and omnipresence.  That means that God knows everything and that He is everywhere. 

God knows everything that has happened, everything that is happening, and everything that is ever going to happen.  We humans are only now beginning to understand the vastness of the universe and the complexities of the human brain.  God created them both, and He knows everything about them.  He knows everything we have done, and everything we will do.  Nothing is hidden from Him. 

As the saying goes, “You can run, but you can’t hide.”  God is everywhere - at the same time.  You can’t see God, but you know He is there.  If you are open to Him, you can feel His presence.  If you are a believer, and you have the Holy Spirit living in you, then you know when the sin you have committed has grieved the Spirit.  You know when you have broken fellowship with God.  You can feel it.  I know from experience that there is no other form loneliness that equals it.  Fortunately, we can be restored to fellowship with God if we repent, confess our sins to Him, and believe in His forgiveness. (1John 1:9) 

Psalm 139 clearly points to the omniscience and omnipresence of God: 

Psalm 139

(A Psalm of David) 

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting. (NKJV) *

 

* https://biblehub.com/nkjv/psalms/139.htm

 

 

A Warning to Europe

K.T. McFarland is a Washington insider, former senatorial candidate, and an advisor to high-level public officials.  She has received awards from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the Department of Defense, and the American Conservative Union (ACU).  She is a frequent commentator on Fox News, and I often find myself agreeing with her views. 

During an interview by Martha MacCallum last night, K.T. McFarland made comments to the effect that the sanctions that are currently being imposed by the Biden Administration on the Russian Federation for its invasion of Ukraine were ineffectual.  She indicated that the only sanction that would really harm Russia, and President Vladimir Putin, was removal of Russia from the S.W.I.F.T. banking system.  MacCallum interjected that our European allies are opposed to that because it would severely limit their ability to buy oil and natural gas from Russia.  MacCallum reminded that it would cripple the economies of Europe to kick Russia out of SWIFT. 

Agreed on all counts, but what then?  We can sit back and hope.  Hope that Putin will lose the support of his oligarch power base.  Hope that an anti-war movement will develop among the Russian people that is too strong to be suppressed.  Hope that by some miracle the Ukrainians will be able to stop the Russian war machine.  Clearly, this matter will not be resolved by hope alone. 

It will also not be resolved by handwringing, dithering indecision.  Most valuable things come at a very dear price, and ‘freedom isn’t free.’  To make a real impact on the Russian economy, and thus provide a compelling reason for them to bring the aggression against Ukraine to a halt, the peoples of the United States and Europe will have to pay a high price … but not as high as the Ukrainians are paying.  To that end, there are things we must take into consideration and act upon. 

A state or war exists in Ukraine.  So far, it is confined to Ukraine, but it must not be allowed to spread.  I submit that, although NATO, the EU, and other free societies are not involved militarily, they have chosen to involve themselves economically by imposing economic sanctions on Russia.  Sanctions are a weapon.  They are not combat lethal, but they often have lethal consequences.  They heavily impact the most vulnerable members of society. 

Sanctions take a long time to produce results.  Unless they are properly applied, they may not be sufficient to achieve the intended goals.  Often, all they do is prolong the suffering of the innocent. 

Military forces should never be committed piecemeal, and neither should sanctions.  If they are applied gradually, incrementally, and in proportion to the offense, they only give the opponent time to regroup, adjust, and adapt.  With all due respect to President Biden and the leaders of our European allies, the way that things are being done now will only earn the contempt of a man like Vladimir Putin.

The United States, the European Union, and our partners around the world must understand that if the aggression in Ukraine is not stopped now it will not be stopped at all.  It will spread.  Every conceivable sanction must be applied now, and all at once.  If we cannot make a united effort to immediately shut down Russia’s economy, it will only encourage Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea to commit further aggression, and somewhere we will all be dragged into a shooting war. 

Vladimir Putin has been clear that he does not want NATO forces stationed on Russia’s borders or conducting war games there.  Further, as the people of Ukraine show themselves to be willing to fight for their independence, Russia will grow increasingly frustrated with NATO for supplying them with the means to resist. 

Russian air superiority in the area will prevent the United States and others from resupplying the Ukrainian war effort by air.  Do you think Putin will tolerate resupplying an ongoing insurgency overland through Poland, Hungary, or Romania?  Might that not give him an excuse to invade them?  Be reminded that NATO is obligated to use its military forces to defend them.  Putin wants the Baltic States, and he wants to make client nations out of the Eastern European countries that are contiguous to the Russian Federation.  If he is not stopped, he will eventually move to accomplish those goals ... when he thinks the time is right.  

There are those who think we can fight a ‘limited’ war with Russia or China.  I disagree.  A limited war would not remain limited.  Once one side or the other starts to lose, they will resort to chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.  If that happens, the civilized, organized societies the world enjoys today are finished. 

It can happen easier than you think.  My own military experience in October of 1973 gives me to speculate that our nuclear forces are on a heightened state of readiness, right now.  They can be employed the moment they get the command.

I am not asking the US government to act without regard for our European allies.  Anything we do must have their full support.  The days when the United States could act unilaterally, (could go it alone), are over.  The reverse of that coin is that our European allies, and other aligned contributors, must shoulder a greater share of the burden. 

Be warned, European friends.  If Vladimir Putin is allowed to pursue his delusional dreams in Ukraine, he will take the fight to your doorstep next.  Employ every sanction you can now, while you still have time.