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The developing crisis

The war in Ukraine has the appearance of being a stalemate, because the battle lines have not moved significantly this week. However, appearances are deceptive.

The artillery war continues unabated. Russia continues to pound entrenched Ukrainian positions in some of the most fortified places in the world. The Russian war strategy is to continue shelling until there is no more resistance; only then do they send in the infantry to occupy the territory. This is why the casualties are about 10:1 against Ukraine. Most of the casualties never see a Russian soldier.

The Ukrainian strategy is almost entirely defensive, trying to hold back the Russian-backed Donetsk militias. To do this, they continue to send in more replacement troops who become cannon fodder in the relentless shelling. It is a real meat grinder that continues because the West keeps promising more aid.

But that aid is now slowing. The latest $3 billion aid package that Biden promised will go toward placing orders with the Industrial-Military Complex for new ammunition and weapons that are scheduled for delivery next year and even 3 years down the road. By that time, it will be too late. Europe’s militaries have been depleted of their equipment and are reluctant to send any more. It keeps getting destroyed by the artillery.

Remember when Russia was supposed to run out of military equipment by the end of March? That was pure propaganda, as everyone now knows.

Ukraine is increasingly desperate. It has been shelling the nuclear power plant in the southern part of the country that is currently held by Russian troops (just north of Crimea). They claim that the Russians are shelling their own power plant, but few believe that. Yesterday, Russia cut off the supply of electricity to Ukraine coming from that power plant. Until now, it provided 20 percent of Ukraine’s electric supply.

Last week Ukraine sent an assassin to Moscow who attempted to assassinate Alexander Dugin, a Putin supporter and philosopher. Instead, the car bomb killed his daughter, Darya Duginas, who was his driver. Alexander himself got called away at the last minute, so he survived.

https://nypost.com/2022/08/22/russia-blames-darya-duginas-killing-on-ukrainian-spy/

Though some reports are saying that he was a Putin advisor (or “Putin’s brain”), I hear that there is no evidence that he has ever even met Putin. But even if he were an official in the Russian government, this attempted assassination is a clear escalation in the war. It opens up the path for Russia to justify political assassinations of Ukrainian leaders. That is truly serious.

The assassin escaped to Estonia. No doubt Russia will demand her extradition as a terrorist, and the Europeans will refuse. Watch for the Russian parliament to declare Ukraine to be a terrorist state, and then Russia will probably sanction Estonia and then Europe as a whole for supporting a terrorist state. If Russia cuts off all oil and gas supplies, Europe will be a cold, dark place this winter.

If Russia sanctions Europe and America, they will just be complying with the sanctions previously levied against them. In past months, the US government complained that Russia was still selling oil and gas to Europe, attempting to bypass the sanctions. Now they are complaining that by refusing to supply Europe with food, oil, and gas free of charge, they are using these as a weapon! Russia is not stupid. They are not going to give these things to the Europeans. As long as the financial sanctions are in place, payments to Russia are difficult at best and certainly do not come with any guarantees.

Meanwhile, Germany is going ahead with its plans to shut down its remaining three nuclear power plants in order to “go green.” It makes me wonder if this is an American plan to destroy Germany’s industry so as not to compete with American (and Russian) companies. Without energy, industry cannot function, and economies crash.

Slovakia is also being forced to shut down its aluminum smelter.

https://alethonews.com/2022/08/18/energy-crisis-forces-eu-aluminum-plant-to-shut-down/

The Slovalco aluminum smelter in Slovakia announced on Wednesday it will shut down primary production by the end of September…

The plant’s CEO told media that the Slovalco plant was a key supplier for Slovak and other European companies. After stopping production, Europe will be forced to import aluminum from countries including Russia and China, he added.

These policies give more evidence of Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity. They prefer to shut down their own aluminum plant so that they are forced to buy their aluminum from Russia! Makes perfect sense to at least 10 percent of the inmates in the asylum.

It sure makes me suspect that the Russians have taken over the governments of Europe and America! It looks like the Russians infiltrated western governments and induced them to impose sanctions on Russia. Biden shut down pipelines and new oil fields so that America would lose its energy independence and have to buy oil from Russia. It looks like an ingenious Russian plan!

But actually, I think that it is God’s way of drying up the River Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings of the east (BRICS) to overthrow Babylon (Revelation 16:12). The pattern was set in Daniel 5, and John prophesied a repeat pattern in the future. We are the future, and we are witnesses to Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity on full display.

The good news of the Kingdom is that the insanity and chaos in the world is paving the way for God’s Kingdom. People will soon be discontented, then disillusioned with their Babylonian leaders. They will long for government with integrity/righteousness. The question is whether or not we are ready to step up to the plate so that the world does not disintegrate.

Those who wait to escape in a rapture are largely useless in building the Kingdom. The solution is for them to get a better grasp of God’s feast days, as these prophesy the events surrounding the two comings of Christ. To remain ignorant of the autumn feast days (in particular) is to be in darkness when these feasts begin to be fulfilled.

We do what we can to bring the light of the word to the church and the world in general.