April 25, 2024 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)
#5: America ‘Hanging in the Balance’ a Biblical Warning!
How to respond to God when judgment is near
Note: The article is a composite of various writings & authors, not the work of Steve
Disaster was as close as the press of a red button. Four Russian submarines patrolled the Florida coast. US warships had dropped depth charges. The Russian captain was stressed, trigger-happy, and ready to destroy a few American cities. Each sub was armed with a nuclear warhead. Each warhead had the potential to repeat a Hiroshima-level calamity. Had it not been for the contagious calm of a clear-thinking officer, World War III might have begun in 1962. His name was Vasili Arkhipov. He was the thirty-six-year-old chief of staff for a clandestine fleet of Russian submarines. The crew members assumed they were being sent on a training mission off the Siberian coast. They came to learn that they had been commissioned to travel five thousand miles to the southwest to set up a spearhead for a base near Havana, Cuba. The subs went south, and so did their mission. To move quickly, the submarines traveled on the surface of the water, where they ran head-on into Hurricane Daisy. The fifty-foot waves left the men nauseated and the operating systems compromised. Then came the warm waters. Soviet subs were designed for the polar waters, not the tropical Atlantic. Temperatures inside the vessels exceeded 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The crew battled the heat and claustrophobia for much of the three-week journey. By the time they were near the coast of Cuba, the men were exhausted, on edge, and anxious. The situation worsened when the subs received cryptic instructions from Moscow to turn northward and patrol the coastline of Florida. Soon after they entered American waters, their radar picked up the signal of a dozen ships and aircraft. The Russians were being followed by the Americans. The US ships set off depth charges. The Russians assumed they were under attack. The captain lost his cool. He summoned his staff to his command post and pounded the table with his fists. “We are going to blast them now! We will die, but we will sink them all—we will not disgrace our navy!” The world was teetering on the edge of war. But then Vasili Arkhipov asked for a moment with his captain. The two men stepped to the side. He urged his superior to reconsider. He suggested they talk to the Americans before reacting. The captain listened. His anger cooled. He gave the order for the vessels to surface. The Americans encircled the Russians and kept them under surveillance. What they intended to do is unclear as in a couple of days the Soviets dove, eluded the Americans, and made it back home safely. This incredible brush with death was kept secret for decades. Arkhipov deserved a medal, yet he lived the rest of his life with no recognition. It was not until 2002 that the public learned of the barely avoided catastrophe. As the director of the National Security Archive stated, “The lesson from this [event] is that a guy named Vasili Arkhipov saved the world.” Why does this story matter? You will not spend three weeks in a sweltering Russian sub. But you may spend a semester carrying a heavy class load, or you may fight the headwinds of a recession. You may spend night after night at the bedside of an afflicted child or aging parent. You may fight to keep a family together, a business afloat, a school from going under. You will be tempted to press the button and release, not nuclear warheads, but angry outbursts, a rash of accusations, a fiery retaliation of hurtful words. Unchecked anxiety unleashes an Enola Gay of destruction. How many people have been wounded because of unbridled stress? Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:5-7 TNIV
This is where we begin as the Body of Christ. Knowing God is always near, prayer is the connection to God, confidence in the Word of God, and allowing Christ’s peace to keep you in the will of God, waiting and expecting God to do what He does best—our salvation.
The Greek word translated here as gentleness (epicikes) describes a temperament that is seasoned and mature. It envisions an attitude that is fitting to the occasion, levelheaded and tempered. The gentle reaction is one of steadiness, evenhandedness, and fairness. It looks humanely and reasonably at the facts of a case. Its opposite would be an overreaction or a sense of panic. This gentleness is “evident to all.” Family members, friends, coworkers, and others all take note and sense a difference. Others may freak out or run out, but the gentle person is sober-minded and clear-thinking. Anxiety is needless because God is near. The contagiously calm person is the one who reminds others, “God is in control.” This is the executive who tells the company, “Let’s all do our part; we’ll be okay.” This is the leader who sees the challenge, acknowledges it, and observes, “These are tough times, but we’ll get through them.” How can you and I keep our hands away from the trigger? How can we keep our heads when everyone else is losing theirs? We pray Phil 4:5-7 NIV Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. With this verse, the apostle calls us to act against anxiety. Until this point, he has been assuring us of God’s character: his sovereignty, mercy, and presence. Now it is our turn to act on this belief. We choose prayer over despair. Peace happens when people pray. We are told that if we pray “according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:15 KJV). But even if we do not know His will in a particular situation, we can still pray, for “the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26 KJV).
The Lord is near! You are not alone. You may feel alone. You may think you are alone. But there is never a moment in which you face life alone without help. God is near. After Moses’ death God told Joshua, Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Josh 1:8-9 TNIV You do not have to do it alone. Present the challenge to your Father and ask for help. Will he solve it immediately? Maybe, or maybe part of the test is an advanced course in patience. This much is sure; contagious calm will happen to the degree that we turn to him. Lucado, Max. Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World (pp. 67-76).
God is with us even when we mess up, make a mistake, have a bad attitude, or are working out of our flesh. God’s word presented with skill is like well-prepared good food, balanced, fresh, delicious, and nutritional; not just thrown on a plate. Spiritual food is life and nutritionally healthy, but it takes time seeking, asking, clear thinking, without stress, applied in God’s timing, the best solution not just a solution. Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they’re bursting with health. Prov 4:22 THE MESSAGE Listen with an open heart the Holy Spirit is near.
Occam’s razor, principle stated by the Scholastic philosopher William of Ockham. Ockham, however, mentioned the principle so frequently and employed it so sharply that it was called “Occam’s razor” (also spelled Ockham’s razor). The principle gives precedence to simplicity: of two competing theories, the simpler explanation of a problem, situation, or entity is to be preferred. The principle is also expressed as “Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity.” All things being equal, choose the simpler with fewer assumptions, which is usually the best answer. Do not assume malevolent malicious intent, thinking the world or someone is out to get me. Bad leadership decisions can be disastrous and blow everything up. Bad business decisions can be very expensive. Someone did not call you back, can lead us to believe they do not like me, when they had an emergency, accident, or the message was covered up or lost. Deal with the facts as they are presented, find, and review all the facts calmly without emotion. Try to remove as much stress as possible. Take the time to work the problem. Take care to apply Occam’s razor and God’s word correctly some problems are complex, and a simple solution does not work or there is more to the story.
“Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline,” said Rick Warren. Worry is an obstacle to joy. Worrying is forgetting that you are not in charge. Lean into that perspective and worry starts to fade. Bring worries to God, pray, and talk to God instead of talking to others. This gives someplace meaningful to bring worries, as opposed to trying to tell myself that my worries are not valid. Or scolding myself for worrying. Try to find God’s perspective. This is a better way of expressing yourself. Recognize that what you speak out has an impact. Speaking all the “What if’s“ has a negative impact and often unintended consequences. Pray and bring your worries to God. He can handle it. He is not going to flip out or be unsettled. Worrying and anxiety indicate trust in God is faltering. Stand firm on faith in God, he is in charge not me. Count your blessings one by one. Savannah Guthrie Guideposts Apr/May 2024. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:8-9 NIV
Start with Jesus, his wealth, his resources, and his strength. Remember the times Jesus helped you. Before you lash out, look up.
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Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com
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