Shoulder To Shoulder #1275 -- 1/24/22 ---- "Hold on a Minute! Rebuilding the Bear -- Let's Get Things Straight!" (Interrupting the series)
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
Shoulder To Shoulder #1275 -- 1/24/22
Title: "Hold on a Minute! Rebuilding the Bear -- Let's Get Things Straight!" (Interrupting the series)
My Dear Friend and Fellow Kingdom Seeker:
Greetings again on a bright and toasty January day in Yuma. Sunday was another great day enjoying God's presence and the second highest attendance of the season thus far, including several first-timers again. After writing last week's letter to you, the Holy Spirit prompted me to actually preach about that very topic this past Sunday. It was both an exhilarating and sobering experience as we confronted the issue of becoming a serious and committed Christian by evaluating whether or not you are actually living by deep-rooted scriptural convictions, or by some other opinion, fad, or misguided values.
Today I had intended to write about the second of five things I had mentioned to you two letters ago on what it will take from us in order to survive the "shaking" about which the writer of Hebrews wrote nearly 2,000 years ago. Those five are . . .
1. Live with Conviction, not compromise.
2. See with Clarity, not confusion.
3. Act with Courage, not tentativeness or fear.
4. Live with Consistency, not contradiction.
5. Minister with Compassion, not callousness.
Since in my last letter I addressed, "Live with Conviction, NOT Compromise", I have already written most of what I want to share on "See with Clarity, NOT Confusion". And that was my plan all the way up until early this morning.
However! Recent coverage regarding Russia's potential invasion of Ukraine has my blood boiling, and I need to set the record straight regarding what those who don't know all the facts are saying. For that reason, I am interrupting this current series, "Facing The Future With Fortitude", and will resume it in my next letter (or perhaps the one after that). Now, as I review the letter, it is after over 10 hours of research and writing that I'm finally able to put it to bed -- and then head that direction myself.
From time to time Jo Ann and I watch Tucker Carlson. If you've ever watched him, you know he is a very opinionated man. Many of his opinions are similar to mine. But, when it comes to the importance of Ukraine to the United States and other western democratic countries, he is entirely in another solar system. He is wrong, wrong, flat wrong! His comments the past two nights have so disgusted me that I've had to fast forward through much of the discussions he has had with those hand-picked special guests he has chosen to interview. Clearly he has chosen only those who support his already established opinions and prove his "point".
So, having lived in Ukraine for six years after several previous ministry visits, I want to take a little time to look at the history of Ukraine and Russia. Hopefully, you will see that Ukraine is clearly of great value the the entire western world -- including the United States -- and is worth supporting and helping to defend against Russian invasion. So, let's forego the "This 'N' That" and "Quotes for the Week" and get right to it. You may not be a history buff, but you need to know at least a bit of what all has led up to this confrontation. It is a longstanding conflict between one who wants to dominate and one who refuses to be dominated -- longstanding in the sense of centuries, not days or years.
CRISIS IN UKRAINE --THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:
Our first trip to Kyiv was in 1995 when we traveled there that January to teach for the first time at St. James Bible School. Meeting in a former Communist "Cultural Center" where people had been indoctrinated with Communist propaganda for decades, the building now housed two Christian training schools, one of which was St. James. The school had been founded by Paul Ilyin in order to train young men and women for ministry soon after Ukraine declared independence from the former Soviet Union on August 24, 1991. The declaration was ratified by Ukraine's Parliament (called the Rada) just five days after hard-line Communists attempted a coup in their effort to restore Communist control over the remaining states of the old USSR. Hardly before "the ink had dried" on the declaration, Paul Ilyan's son, David, had gathered the very first class the next month in the city of Korostan, just northwest of Kyiv and west of Chernobyl.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was a three-year (1988–1991) process of internal political, economic and ethnic disintegration within the USSR which resulted in the end of its existence as a sovereign state. (To learn more of the sequence of events, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Soviet_Union.) St. James was begun the same year Ukraine declared independence.
Under some 70+ years of Communism, the vast majority of pastors throughout the Soviet Union had either fled the region, had been imprisoned, or had been executed. Christianity in general had been outlawed. The only churches that remained were the remnants of the Orthodox Church that either supported or tolerated Communism, the compromised established evangelical church, or the illegal underground church. The need for well trained pastors, evangelists, youth leaders, missionaries, and worship leaders was great.
Ukraine's new independence created an explosion of new churches, many of them house churches, and others meeting in theaters, civic centers, and other places. I remember one Sunday during our 1995 trip when I preached in a church that was less than nine months old and meeting in an unheated theater build like a concrete bunker. By the time Jo Ann and I spoke there they were running over 900 people in attendance. Such explosive growth was the norm, and not the exception.
The current crisis in Ukraine is one of many that have taken place over many centuries. And, even this one is misunderstood. If you think this is a new battle, think again. Russia actually invaded eastern Ukraine and also took ownership (they called it "annexed") in 2014, and has had military presence in eastern Ukraine and have occupied Crimea ever since. Every few days I receive reports from friends there who tell me how things are growing worse.
Jo Ann and I financially support different ministries at work in the country. We also have former students from St. James who are scattered across both countries, along with Belarus and several of the "Stan" countries. Even this morning Jo Ann received a text from our "Timothy" who heads up the Farsi ministry we started there in 2006. It simply stated, "Things are not good." -- and they now live in far western Ukraine near the border with Poland, a great distance from the Russian border.
It will be a great blessing to anyone who will take the time to study a little Ukrainian history. I became seriously interested in it when, after two more trips to teach at St. James Bible School, we moved to Kyiv in 2003 to serve as missionaries. While living there, I continued teaching annually at St. James.
Even though we instantly felt the darkness and oppression hovering over the city the moment we got off the plane that January 1st, 2003, we quickly fell in love with the people and the place. One cannot fully appreciate what is going on in Ukraine today with the demonstrations against their government unless they have at least a cursory understanding of the region's history. Ukrainians are NOT Russian . . . they are Ukrainian, and very proud of it. So, don't call them Russian, don't equate Ukraine with Russia, and don't call the country "THE Ukraine" . . . it's either "The Republic of Ukraine" or "Ukraine". Just as we never say "The America", neither is it "THE Ukraine".
ANCIENT HISTORY:
The region we have known as the former USSR actually has a 6,000 year history that even predates the Genesis Flood of Noah's day by some 1500 or more years. It will be an utter catastrophe to try to detail even a small part of the history, but let me share at least enough for you to get the picture. Its history is imperative to know if you want to understand what is happening with the ongoing Russian buildup on the Ukrainian border today.
The vast majority of people who think they know something about the region almost always know far less than they think. This is being clearly proven almost daily by so-called authorities, political analysts, and media talking heads. They do not understand the present, nor the recent past because they do not know the region's millennia-long history.
Over generations the area was invaded time and time again. In the book, Ukraine, A History by Orest Subtelney, the author writes, . . .
"If nature has been generous to Ukraine, history has not. Because of its natural resources and accessibility from ancient past to most recent times, Ukraine, perhaps more than any other country in Europe, has experienced devastating foreign invasions and conquests. Consequently, foreign domination and the struggle against it is a paramount theme in its history. Played out on a vast, open, and richly endowed stage, this history is long, colorful, and unusually turbulent."
History bears that out, and I dare paint even a tiny thumbnail sketch. Bordered by seven former Communist countries, Ukraine is an international melting pot, criss-crossed for over 5,000 years by major exploration, military, and trade routes connecting three continents. Names such as Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, Batu Khan, Hitler, Stalin, and others dot its pages of history, oftentimes spattering them with blood.
PRE-FLOOD HISTORY:
While the Sumerian Culture was still developing in Mesopotamia, and before the Pyramids of Egypt had even been built, the Trypillian culture (also called Tripolya culture) in western Ukraine, Moldova, and eastern Romania and was already so developed that some of its cities were larger than Rome, some covering as much as 1800 acres. Discovered in 1897 near the town of Trypillia just south of Kyiv, many scholars believe this “Golden Era” culture actually has its roots in ancient Mesopotamia (Iraq), and was ultimately destroyed by the Genesis Flood. There is virtually no evidence of its presence following around 2,500 to 2,400 BC.
Peaceful agriculturalists raising crops and livestock, the people left amazing examples of their farming implements, weapons, and artistic abilities. Ukrainian women today still decorate their homes, ceramics, jewelry, and painted eggs with many of the designs and symbols of that advanced culture.
Pre-Christian religions in the region were based on animism, as gods from the Babylonian mystery religions were commonly worshiped here from around 4,000 B.C. to 900 A.D. The people believed everything was inhabited by spirits to be honored and worshiped. These spirits eventually became sacred deities, later incorporated into other cultures and Greek mythology. Many of them merged into the beliefs and practices of early Orthodox Christianity.
Even today many are still practiced as either simple folk traditions or Christian rites. Many of the songs and dances of Ukrainian folklore are often about gods of nature such as Perun (the god of storms), Svarog (the father of chief deities), Dazhbog (god of the sun), and Svarazic( god of fire). Two important gods were Byelobog (the White God) and Chernobog (the Black God). Pagan worship rituals included both animal and human sacrifices.
As I mentioned above, the Trypillian culture suddenly disappeared around 2500 BC. Both the Bible and secular history tell us that after the Flood, the descendants of Noah’s son, Japheth, migrated northward while the others went east and south. The descendants of Gomer, Japheth’s oldest son, moved westward above the Black Sea into what now includes Modern-day Ukraine, and eventually throughout western Europe.
Evidence of Gomer's siblings, Rosh (Russia), Meshech (Moscow), and other names clearly link the entire Russian/Ukrainian region to the migration of Japheth's descendants. Interestingly, a detailed account of the post-Flood migration can be found in “Tales of Bygone Days” by the 11th Century Ukrainian chronicler, Nestor. You can actually locate that story by searching the internet.
Tribes and cultures back then were mainly nomadic and moved around, often infringing on the territories of other groups. Consequently, this region became dominated by the Scythians (modern-day Iran and Iraq) during the 7th to 4th Centuries B.C. Both in religious and secular writings, they were described as “unwashed, warring nomadic people who neither plowed or sowed” who were constantly besieging and killing others, sacking villages and drinking the blood of their victims. They are linked to Gog and Magog of scripture.
The Scythian culture was then followed by others such as Sarmathians,Turks, Greeks, Poles, Scandinavians, Khazars, Khans, and Mongols, each invasion and/or migration bringing its own version of religion, culture, and lifestyle, often implemented by military attacks and incursions. So, Ukraine has been a much-traveled, fought-over, and often violated place for at least 3,000+ years.
One of three navigable rivers creating a water route between the Black and Baltic Seas, the Dnieper River was part of a primary transportation link between the Mediterranean and the Scandinavian people groups in the Scandinavian and Baltic regions of the north. River routes were the norm for migration and moving commerce. So, when persecution in Jerusalem forced the early Church out of Jerusalem to “the uttermost parts of the world”, the apostles set out to the far reaches of Europe, Asia, and Africa, usually following the long established trade and travel routes of their day. This included the Dnieper River that flows into the Black Sea just east of modern-day Odessa.
Second Century Christian ruins in southern Ukraine verify early Christian activity and give evidence that the Apostle Andrew was part of that activity. We know the directions that most of the apostles went and the regions to which they traveled with the Gospel. The historical record tells us that Andrew traveled up into north central and western Turkey, which is on the southern shore of the Black Sea. Ukraine is on the north shore. Either crossing by boat or circumventing the Black Sea, he followed the Dnieper River northward.
Orthodox Church tradition claims that Andrew once stood on a hill overlooking the Dnieper River and prophesied that “someday a great city filled with churches will rest on these hills.” Early Christian theologian and historian Origen writes that Andrew clearly went to Scythia, which included modern day Ukraine. It is very probable that the Gospel was indeed preached during the First Century where Kyiv now stands.
You are probably asking, "What in the world does all this have to do with Russia's threat to invade Ukraine!!!!"
Hang in there; you will see.
FIFTH CENTURY AND FOLLOWING:
With the Dnieper River as a primary link, Varangians (probably Norwegians) traveled the River to Greece for its arts and foods, to Turkey for its spices, and to the Orient for its fabrics. Kyiv, meaning “the town of Kyi”, was founded by and named after Prince Kyi when, in 482 A.D., he and his two brothers and sister settled where Andrew reportedly predicted 400 years earlier a great city filled with churches would be born.
Kyiv is generally recognized as the the formal birthplace of the Kyivian-Rus culture when the Kyivian-Rus State was established there under the head of Prince Rurik in 862 AD. Rurik was a Viking, or Varangian, prince. His story is told in the The Russian Primary Chronicle, compiled at the beginning of the 12th century. However, modern historians don't accept the account at face value and look at it with skepticism.
According to the chronicle, the people of Novgorod, tired of political strife, invited the Varangians about 862 AD to establish an orderly and just government there. So, Rurik came with his two brothers and a large retinue (druzhina) and became ruler of the city and region of Novgorod. He died in 879 AD.
And THIS is where the Russia/Ukraine animosity probably had its beginning. Ukraine lays claim as the origin of the Kyivian-Rus people, and Russians insist it was in Novgorod instead of Kyiv. Even though Kyiv’s status waned after Rurik went to Novgorod to rule there, its role as the capitol city was re-established in 886.
Paganism retained a strong grip in the region of Ukraine, and Christianity’s influenced oscillated greatly for 900 years. However, Princes Ashkold and Dyr embraced Christianity in the late Ninth Century. Then Ashkold’s son, Prince Volodimyr the Great, deeply grieved over the pagan practices of his people, formally embraced the Orthodox Church as the official religion of the state, and decreed that all Kyivian-Rus citizens be baptized into the Orthodox Church.
So, on August 1st, 986 A.D., all citizens of Kyiv were baptized in the Dnieper River. All pagan idols were destroyed, and one tenth of the state’s wealth was given to the church. Prince Volodimyr had the Church of the Tithes constructed between 986 and 989 A.D. It was the first stone church ever to be built in Kyiv.
Since then, hardly a century has gone by without Kyiv being attacked from outside forces and the Ukrainian people enduring indescribable tragedy caused by wars and invasions. With each catastrophe, another layer of spiritual darkness dropped over the area. For example, In 1036 A.D., as the Pecheneg army approached the unprotected southern edges of Kyiv, Prince Yaroslav the Wise, Prince Volodimyr’s son, asked for God’s intervention, promising that if He would grant them victory, he would build a church in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This he did, building it on top of the Golden Gates following their amazing victory over the vastly superior Pecheneg’s. He also built St. Sophia’s Cathedral on the actual site of the victorious battle. Both sites are restored and easily accessible in Kyiv today.
From its most ancient days, Ukraine has endured suffering and hardship caused by natural disasters, invading armies, political upheaval, economic collapse, and such things. Kyiv’s embattled history Does help explain the hardy and determined spirit of the Ukrainian people today. For example, just a few of many:
+ BC, ongoing invasions by Scythians, Parthians, and others
+ 882 AD -- Conquest by Oleg
+ 912 AD -- Death of Oleg
+ 945 AD-- Drevilians kill Igor
+ 964 AD -- War with Khazars
+ 1036 AD -- Pecheneg Invasion
+ 1240 AD -- Mongol Invasion
+ 1362 AD -- Annexed and claimed by Lithuania
+ 1482 AD -- Mongols sack Kyiv and destroy it
+ 1569 AD -- Annexed and claimed by Poland
+ 1641 AD -- Russian Tsarist Rule Begins, lasting until 1721. (A good website on this era is http://smarthistories.com/tsarist-russia/.)
+ 1793 AD -- Russia rules all of Ukraine
Under the Russian rule beginning in 1793 AD, . . .
"Ukrainian lands in the Russian Empire formally lost all traces of their national distinctiveness. The territories were reorganized into regular Russian provinces (guberniyas) administered by governors appointed from St. Petersburg. The Right Bank, along with some adjoining territories, formed part of the Pale of Settlement, to which the Jewish population of the empire was residentially restricted (see pale). With the liquidation of the Sich and the annexation of the Crimean khanate in 1783, the sparsely settled southern lands (named Novorossiya, or New Russia) were colonized by migrants from other parts of Ukraine, as well as smaller numbers from Russia, the Balkans, and Germany."
Equally important developments occurred in the social sphere. As compensation for their lost rights as a ruling elite in the Hetmanate, the Cossack starshyna were equalized with the Russian nobility; many entered imperial service, and some achieved the highest government ranks. Through education, intermarriage, and government service, the Ukrainian nobility gradually became Russified—as the earlier Ruthenian nobility had been Polonized—though many retained a sentimental attachment to the land and its folklore.
Ukraine has never forgotten when Russia gained supremacy over Ukraine -- and neither has Russia. Russia ruled Ukraine through the Tsars until 1917 AD when the Bolshevik Revolution took place. Because of those centuries of Tsarist rule, Russia has seen itself as rightful master over Ukrainian territory and people, and Ukrainians have considered themselves to be unlawful slaves to a harsh, jealous, and dictatorial big brother.
TWENTIETH CENTURY:
Entering the 20th Century, and still reeling from the sequential rule of Poles, Hetmen and Tsars, Ukraine unwillingly became part of the Soviet Union in 1922 at the end of World War I.
Here's what the Twentieth Century looked like between Ukraine and Russia. When Tsar Nikolas was arrested and the Romanov family was executed, it triggered the Bolshevik Revolution, called the October Revolution. The Bolshevik Party under the leadership of Vladimyr Lenin took control of the country. Some of the events included . . .
+ 1917 AD -- The Bolshevik Revolution and the Ukrainian Rebellion against Russia (check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Revolution.)
+ 1918 AD -- Bolsheviks capture Kyiv and the Communist agenda is established in Ukraine.
+ 1918 AD -- Germany take Kyiv during WW I
+ 1919 AD -- Soviet Troops take Kyiv
+ 1920 AD -- Poland occupies Kyiv
+ 1922 AD -- Ukraine is forced to become part of USSR
When Stalin took power in Russia in 1922, he initiated the collective farming plan. Because the very successful and independent Ukrainian people resisted his plan to take control of all privately-owned farmland, he retaliated by orchestrating the First “Great Famine” in 1929, doing so by confiscating machinery, grain, and clothing, all-the-while increasing production demands which he then turned around and sold off as unwanted surplus.
Angered by their continued resistance, he then engineered the Second "Great Famine" in 1933. His intent was to completely eradicate the Ukrainian people. From 1932 to 1933, some 10 million Ukrainians starved to death. Conditions were so bad that mercy killings and cannibalism among the people were common. As late as 2006, Russia denied such intent ever existed, but has since acknowledged it took place. Do a web search on the events, and look at some of the pictures. They are heartbreaking.
+ 1929 AD -- First "Great Famine" caused by Stalinistic policies
+ 1932 AD -- Second "Great Famine" created by Stalin's orders
Following on the heels of those devastating famines, Adolf Hitler also began his rise to power in Germany. In his hunger to rule all of Europe and also eradicate all Jews, he targeted Ukraine because millions of displaced Jews lived there. So, . . .
+ 1941 AD -- Nazi Army Invades Kyiv, and thus the Holocaust includes Ukraine.
During WW II, German troops reached Kyiv on September 19, 1941. Eight days later a notice was posted for all Jews to assemble with documents, jewelry, and personal possessions at a certain location. Assuming they were to be deported, many arrived as ordered, only to be executed. Over 37,000 were murdered in two days, an average of 25 per minute of daylight hours. A few days later another 60,000 Gypsies and others from psychiatric hospitals were similarly shot, followed by Soviet soldiers and Ukrainian nationalist POW’s. By the time it was over, more than 100,000 were executed at Bab-Yar on the outskirts of Kyiv. Of the six million Jews killed during WW II, more than one million of them were murdered in Ukraine.
In total, more than five million Ukrainians died in the fighting between the Red Army and the advancing Germans during the Second World War. Of all the Soviet army casualties, the overwhelming majority were Ukrainian soldiers because these were the soldiers Stalin ordered to the front lines first.
+ 1945 AD -- Germany is defeated, Roosevelt, Stalin, & Churchill meet in Malta, Ukraine, and Russia gets Ukraine. Ukraine remained under Russia's Communist rule.
Kyiv’s long and difficult history still continued to be played out when the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred. On April 26, Reactor #4 exploded. Reaching 120 times its full power, two explosions disintegrated the nuclear fuel, blew the protective shield off the building, and scattered graphite and nuclear fuel onto the surrounding area. Radio active smoke and dust spewed into the atmosphere for days, seen from outer space and eventually reaching four continents.
It was more than 36 hours before the residents of Pripiat, a city of some 50,000 employees, and other nearby towns would be evacuated. Unsuspecting fire fighters entered the burning inferno with nothing but cheap dust masks and hand shovels. Thousands of people have subsequently died and tens of thousands still experience major health problems related to the radio activity. Hundreds of thousands more were relocated, never to return. Most of the surrounding towns remain abandoned today. Kyiv, just 50 miles away, was not told of the radio activity until four weeks after it happened.
+ 1986 AD -- Chernobyl Exploded, contaminating thousands of miles with economy collapsing in rural areas.
+ 1989 AD -- Berlin Wall was opened, and then destroyed in 1990, USSR begins to break up
+ 1991 AD -- Soviet Union is disbanded and replaced by CIS. Ukraine declares independence.
UKRAINE DECLARES INDEPENDENCE:
One would assume that the future would be bright and rosy, but that was not the case. Those who led Ukraine to declare independence, were the same ones who had ruled under Communism, and their "new form" made a revolutionary political change impossible. They didn't stop being Communists -- they just changed hats and labels. So, you still had in place the same leaders simply wearing different hats operating in the same institutional design of Communism. So the corruption, cronyism and harshness the people had experienced under Communism continued under Kravchuk and Kuchma, both of whom were corrupt to the core, used violence, intimidation, pay-offs and "elimination" of enemies on a regular basis. Kravchuk was a mere temporary puppet, and Kuchma was a bed partner Oligarch with Moscow.
People knew, especially those who longed for real democratic government and freedom, that Kuchma was essential a criminal in politician's clothing. Kuchma knew that they knew. When unrest against his policies and actions began to surface, he tried to appease them by appointing Viktor Yuschenko, head of the State Bank, as Prime Minister. Yuschenko immediately became more popular and a threat to Kuchma, so Yushchenko was fired.
When it came time for new elections where Kuchma was no longer eligible because of term limits, he and Putin in Russia got their heads together and picked a regional leader from the Donetsk area, Viktor Yanukovich, a small time mafia-style political head with money behind him, and a criminal record to boot. An extremely popular political figure and hero to many because of reforms he had initiated as Prime Minister, Viktor Yushchenko, however, was picked to run against Yanukovich.
Yushchenko had been educated in the U.S., understood capitalism, and was experienced in the banking industry, so he was favored to win. When Yanukovich was named the winner, everyone knew the election had been stolen, demonstrations took place, . . . and the Orange Revolution was in full swing. It was November, 2004. Jo Ann and I had moved to Kyiv in January, 2003. One of Tucker Carlson's claim was that the Ukrainians did not want to be part of NATO, but just the opposite was true, and I think remains true. Certainly there were those who loved the free handouts of the Communist government, meager though they were (retirement pensions even for professors and doctors was $50 per month when we first moved there), but the majority of the people leaned toward western democracy and capitalism.
When the corrupt election commission was forced to do a recount, the equally corrupt judiciary controlled by the President was forced to declare Yushchenko the winner. He chose popular charismatic and feisty Yulia Tymoschenko as Prime Minister, and the hope for real revolutionary reform and a major house cleaning of corruption seemed almost guaranteed. But, something happened to Yushchenko . . . I still don't know exactly what it was . . . and he and Tymoschenko had a falling out that resulted in her being fired after just seven months. There is an excellent detailed but somewhat burdensome analysis of Ukraine's history from 1991 to 2003 at http://www.ditext.com/danieri/4.html that will put much more "meat on the bone" for those interested.
The end result was that Yushchenko lost popularity and confidence of the people, Tymoschenko became more popular, and they split the pro-democracy, pro-west vote between them. The result was that Yanukovich was elected as President with barely one third of the populace voting for him. Not only did corruption in all levels of government remain, but under his dictatorship, it grew in all levels.
And this brings us to November, 2013, when Yanukovich broke his promise and walked away from the pro-west road to economic growth and greater democratic reforms and, instead, made an alliance (probably forced by intimidation) with Putin's Russia. Demonstrations began on November 21, 2013, and even as the crowds grew into the hundreds of thousands, the demonstrations remained peaceful . . . but they could not be controlled or stopped by the police.
In an attempt to squash the demonstrations, Yanukovich had his party, The Party of Regions, to come up with many freedom-stripping laws that made virtually every demonstrator a criminal if he continued demonstrating, and with automatic fines and prison sentences. Instead of crushing the demonstrations, however, this action simply threw volatile fuel on the fires of freedom, and the demonstrations quickly exploded into chaos that has resulted not only in bloodshed, but also in death, destruction of property, mysterious disappearances of demonstrators, and has essentially split the country basically along the Dnieper River. Most but not all of the people east of the River were pro-Russia while most of those west of the River were pro-west.
By then, Yanukovich was in deep trouble, many of his supporters both among the citizenry, the police, the judiciary, and his own cabinet resigned in opposition to his harsh laws. The protestors and the leaders of opposition parties would have none of it, and continued demanding for his resignation and early elections. Sitting in the background were Viktor Yushchenko and Yulia Temischenko, who had now been in prison for over two years.
The 2013 demonstrations in Ukraine were called "The Revolution of Dignity". While many of the older generation longed for the safety and security perceived to be in Moscow, the younger and more educated Ukrainians were drawn more and more toward western ideas. The most tragic events happened on February 20th when at least 42 mostly unarmed protesters were killed by government snipers around Independence Square in a matter of hours. The killings triggered Yanukovych's flight from Kiev after negotiating an internationally-backed ceasefire with protesters and opposition leaders.
Within a few short days, the Moscow-coordinated snipers killed more than a hundred Ukrainians. Yanukovich could not survive and was ousted from office by the Ukrainian Parliament in 2014. Moscow was not happy. They lost their puppet. Escaping in the middle of the night to Russia for refuge, he left behind billions of dollars. With over one hundred protesters, including 16 policemen killed, and almost 300 missing and unaccounted for, Ukraine’s revolution was the bloodiest event in the country’s modern history since gaining independence from Russia in 1991.
With Yanukovich gone, the Parliament appointed one of its own members, Oleksandr Turchynov, a Baptist minister and an economist as president. He agreed to serve temporarily until national elections could be held. Succeeding him was oligarch businessman Petro Poroshenko, the owner of the largest confection company in eastern Europe. While his presidency looked hopeful, it failed to accomplish the pro-EU and pro-west aspirations of the country, and it seems that he may have been tainted by corruption as well. He lost his re-election bid to comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, a populist who so far has surprised many people by his determination to lead Ukraine westward. Some have called him the Ronald Reagan of Ukraine.
NOW ABOUT TODAY:
As you can see, hardly a century has transpired in the past 2,000 years without some type of national calamity as armies from the east, the south, the north, and the west have marched their troops across this vast and productive land in wave after wave of invasions, wars, hardships, and tragedies. In many ways, especially since the 6th Century, Ukraine has been the victim of both the power grabbing selfishness of others and the unpredictable actions of nature.
On the heels of the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, the Russian military invaded the Crimean Peninsula and eastern Ukraine, particularly the Donbas region. This action raises two primary questions: 1) Why did they invade in the first place? and, 2) why would they want Crimea? You see, Crimea had been part of Russia since 1783, when the Tsarist Empire annexed it a decade after defeating Ottoman forces in the Battle of Kozludzha.
The Ottoman Empire had included Crimea and surrounding territory up until then. But in 1783 it came into Tsarist Russia's hands and remained so until 1954, when, for some unclear reason, the Soviet government transferred Crimea from the Russian Soviet Federation of Socialist Republics (RSFSR) to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (UkrSSR). The Wilson Center is a research foundation begun in 1968 that is known for its independent research and policy analysis that many political figures turn to for its professed objective research. It has an article about the true reason for Russia giving Crimea away to Ukraine.
The research article was written by Mark Kramer, Director of Cold War Study at Harvard University and a Senior Fellow of Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. I presume that means he's an authority -- or at least knowledgeable -- on the subject. Rather than my taking time to try to dissect and unravel it all, I simply recommend it to you at https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/why-did-russia-give-away-crimea-sixty-years-ago.
With the break-up of the Soviet Union and Ukraine declaring independence, Crimea remained a part of Ukraine until 2014, and even now the government of Ukraine has never lost true ownership of the peninsula. In the eyes of just about everyone around the world -- except Putin and his tribe, of course -- recognizes that Crimea still rightfully belongs to Ukraine, and that the Russian political, economic, and military leaders are occupation forces who have no legal right to be there.
The question, then, is . . .
IS UKRAINE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO DEFEND?
Tucker Carlson says "No!". Others agree, but many others don't. Those who say the nation is not worth our defending or helping say that it is because we can't go around continually fighting other people's wars at potentially great cost to us, and especially so because Ukraine has nothing that makes her of value in our national best interest.
Well, to begin with, it seems to me that an attitude like that is totally contrary to everything for which our nation has stood from our inception in 1776. Doubtless our years of living and serving in Ukraine certainly makes us prejudice toward Ukraine and her people. And, of course, since I personally apparently have Ukrainian blood in my veins by way of my maternal grandmother, that may have some influence. My great-great-great-great grandfather was an Orthodox priest who was reportedly the personal priest to one of the Tsars. He was banished to Siberia when he confronted the Tsar about his sinful living, but escaped from the train with his family and fled by foot to Hungary. I have a picture of my maternal grandmother visiting at the gravesite of the immigrant "Yverkisky" in Phillipsburg, PA.
All of that notwithstanding, here are some things about Ukraine that make me feel she is worth befriending, encouraging, supporting, defending, and praying for -- at least to some significant level. I certainly am not thrilled about the idea of U.S. "boots on the ground", but there are other very persuasive ways we can help defend her.
But, why???
1. Ukraine is the only truly democratic government in all of the former Soviet Union countries. If Ukraine falls into Russian hands again, there is no democratic government left in the region. Georgia is the closest thing that would be left, but tiny in comparison.
2. Ukraine is rich in mineral and agricultural wealth. Eastern Ukraine is known for its manufacturing prowess, and central and western Ukraine abound in agricultural produce. Ukraine is known as "the bread basket" of Europe because of its wheat production. I don't know the status now, but at one time it was the highest producer in all of Europe and the third highest in the world. I don't have current stats on that.
3. Ukraine is strongly pro-west. It is the most pro-west nation in the former Soviet Union. Almost all other nations are either pro-China, pro-Iran, or pro-Russia. She is really our only true friend in eastern Europe -- and the people as a whole love America. When Ukrainians have emigrated to other countries, the vast majority come to Canada and the United States, while others go to Australia, New Zealand, or some western European democratic nation.
4. Ukraine has a very strong military, and the only one in eastern Europe that is not controlled by Russia.
5. Ukraine has the best access to the Mediterranean Sea of any eastern European or Asian nation in the world via the Black Sea. In fact, as I noted earlier, because of the Black Sea and the Dnieper River, it was the primary trade route to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa from its earliest days.
6. Ukraine has moved closer to the western nations than any other country in the former USSR, and has systematically tried to strengthen ties with western Europe and North America.
7. Ukraine's manufacturing and technology industries have made massive strides in development and have invaluable contributions to make to the western world.
8. Ukraine is the most "Christian" nation in eastern Europe with a long history of strong religious faith and practice. I will write more about that momentarily.
9. While I'm not clear on the preferences among the politically elite, I know that the overwhelming feeling of the citizenry is that they want to be part of the west, and feel the need to be part of NATO -- for their own survival, if for no other reason.
10. When it came to aiding other free countries, Ukraine has often sent its own military personnel and equipment to help in the cause.
11. Intertwined by at least a dozen different major cultures -- Scythian, Parthian, Turkish, Asian, Scandinavian, Roman, etc. -- Ukrainian people are tough, resilient, unafraid of pain, loyal, courageous, stubborn, accustomed to suffering and hardship, very nationalistic, and incredibly proud of their history and heritage. They do not intend to give it up. They deserve the support and prayers of the rest of the world that Russia will not invade, that they can live in peace, and that they can prosper and be a blessing to the rest of the world.
So, . . .
WHY DOES PUTIN WANT UKRAINE?
Well, for some of the reasons I just mentioned, and in order to snuff out other of those reasons. Putin has always believed giving Crimea to Ukraine was a disastrous and absurd decision, and he seethes over the idea than anyone would have ever remotely considered dissolving the USSR in the first place. He has never gotten over the idea that the Communist Party caved in and made it happen. His blood still boils over the thought, and he's doing everything possible to rectify it. We've seen it in the battle over Chechnia, Cherkessia, and Georgia (essential to their access to the oil-rich Caspian Sea, Iran, and Iraq), and the Baltic states occupied by many Russian speakers (and essential to unrestricted access to the Baltic and North Seas). Now we see it in relationship to Ukraine and its strategic location and rich resources so badly needed as their economy continues to collapse.
Some people feel that Putin is interested only in the economic aspect of the former Soviet Union. I tend to think he also wants the power and political clout Russia once had. He has not changed one iota in his ideology and goals. He is still drunk on power, he is still a dictator in disguise, and he is still an old-line Communist through and through.
Russia is nearing an economic free-fall and desperately needs the natural, agricultural, and manufacturing resources in Ukraine. He also wants greater direct access to the Black Sea. He is still a ruthless KGB man at heart, and cannot be trusted. His country is saturated with high tech espionage, and almost as guilty of property rights theft as China.
Many analysts believe that all of this is just Russia and China creating a distraction so China can do its dirty work with North Korea, continue its expansionism, and further prepare to take Taiwan back. Others have differing views. I don't know who's right -- or if anyone is right -- but I am personally convinced that the United States should be Ukraine's best friend, and do whatever we can and as much as we can to dissuade Russia from doing something else stupid. They may have the desire for Ukraine, but they have no right to her.
I don't know how much stock you put in Bible prophecy, but if the Bible is as it appears to be, Russia intends to regain strength, continue forming alliances with other nations, and eventually launch military aggression on Israel and her allies. Before the "great bear" dies, it will regain its strength with a deafening roar and devastating strength before being struck down by the God of heaven.
ONE SUPREME FACTOR:
Through all of this, especially since the 9th Century, there has been a major factor that has quietly fueled the nationalistic fervor, honor-driven patriotism, and cultural tenacity of the Ukrainian people. Ukrainians are a devoutly religious people. They were deeply religious prior to the First Century AD, worshiping the pagan gods of the Babylonian mystery religions that migrated with the Scythians, Parthians, and other cultures.
When Christianity was introduced into the area by Andrew and others during the First and Second Centuries, they became deeply committed to the message of Christianity. Even when Paganism seemed to get the upper hand during the Fourth to Eighth centuries, they worshiped those gods. Since the Ninth Century Christianity has been the dominant religion . . . even the "state religion" for centuries.
There was one thing that wars, oppression, Communism, natural calamities, corruption, and dictatorship could never wipe out . . . the ideals and message of Christianity. Stalin tried to wipe it out, and it wouldn't die. Pastors were imprisoned and executed, but they wouldn't be silenced. Christians by the millions suffered under Communism's persecution, but remained faithful. Christians learned to suffer and endure both in Ukraine and in Russia, but never abandoned their faith and never lost hope. Atheism became the favorite word of many under Communism, and at one point people claimed that 40% of the Ukrainian populace were atheists. But you don't find that today.
While it is true that many who call themselves Christians, devout and faithful as they may be, many of them probably do not have a personal relationship with Christ. However, many are. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the open expression of Christianity has exploded. We may not agree with some of the doctrines of the Orthodox Church, but those people are incredibly faithful . . . they cross themselves the Orthodox way, they have a strong belief in God, they go to the ornate churches to pray and listen to sermons . . . always standing (no chairs or pews in Orthodox churches) sometimes for hours at a time. They give to the poor, they honor the priests, . . .
Now, I realize that some of this is probably done out of fear, intimidation, guilt, or tradition, but the point is, they do it. They actually practice the teachings of Christianity.
Then you have the extraordinary growth of new churches. When Jo Ann and I visited Kyiv in 2001, a missionary told me there were only five or six evangelical churches in all of Kyiv, a city of between two and three million at that time. Two years later we moved to Kyiv and there were over 100 evangelical churches. When we left in 2008 to return to America, there were over 1,000. Bible schools, Bible colleges, training institutes, and seminaries were springing up across the country.
Of all the countries making up the former Soviet Union, Ukraine is the most evangelical . . . and evangelistic . . . of them all. The largest Charismatic church in Europe is in Kyiv (25,000+ members), the largest house church / cell church movement in all of Europe is in Ukraine, the largest Messianic Jewish congregation is in Kyiv, one of the largest Baptist seminaries in Europe is in Kyiv, the largest Baptist denomination in Europe is the Ukrainian Baptist Union. One of the strongest, if not the strongest, Pentecostal denominations in all of Europe is the Assemblies of God in Ukraine. In addition, Ukraine sends more missionaries to other countries than any other country in Europe, and 90% of evangelical pastors in Russia are from Ukraine.
What many people don't know is that during the Orange Revolution in 2004, it was the expression of Christianity . . . the demonstration of what it truly means to be a Christian . . . that made such a difference in the outcome. Two things fueled those demonstrations; one is an absolute revulsion of the political corruption with the hope that it will soon be eradicated, and the other is the expression of biblical Christianity.
If you were to visit Maidan in downtown Kyiv today (as Jo Ann and I did during the Orange Revolution in 2004-2005), you would likely see Christian concerts going on in the heart of the city. You would see pastors from all denominations (Orthodox to Baptist to Messianic to Charismatic) praying together on stage . You would hear sermons being preached from the same stage from which political speeches were being made. You would see flags and banners with Christian symbols. You would see Christians donning medical identification vests and assisting the injured.
During the Orange Revolution -- and I understand the same thing was true during the 2014 Revolution of Dignity and subsequent political rallies --one would see others giving out food and clothing and water to demonstrators and onlookers. You would see them even offering friendship and prayer and food to those associated with the opposition. You would see people counseling others and praying with them. You would see prayer tents right in the middle of the demonstration "village", and you would see believers handing out tracts, Bibles, and sharing the Gospel with those who would listen. If you were to go outside Maidan, you'd find growing churches, prayer groups, training centers, seminaries, evangelistic campaigns, ministries to orphans and disabled scattered throughout the country from Sinferople to Lviv, from Odessa to Chernobyl.
WHATEVER ELSE IS TO BE DONE -- INTERCESSION IS ESSENTIAL:
John G. Lake said, "… Christianity did not go into the world apologizing. It went to slay the powers of darkness and undo the works of the devil, and it lived in holy triumph.” Lake (1870 – 1935) was a Pentecostal Canadian–American who ministered extensively in southern Africa and along the West Coast of the U.S. I ran across that statement several years ago, and it reminds me of the type of praying today's believer must be engaged if we are to see things turn around in Kingdom work.
Whenever one thinks of E. M. Bounds, one things immediately of prayer. Few authors have written more on the subject of prayer than has Bounds. In his book, The Possibilities Of Prayer, he wrote in chapter four, . . .
God's omnipotent power is the basis of omnipotent faith and omnipotent praying. "All things are possible to him that believeth," and "All things whatsoever" are given to him who prays. God's decree and death yielded readily to Hezekiah's faith and prayer. When God's promise and man's praying are united by faith, then "nothing shall be impossible." Importunate prayer is so all powerful and irresistible that it obtains promises, or wins where the prospect and the promise seem to be against it. In fact, the New Testament promise includes all things in heaven and in earth.
"God, by promise, puts all things he possesses into man's hands. Prayer and faith put man in possession of this boundless inheritance. Prayer is not an indifferent or small thing. It is not a sweet little privilege. It is a great prerogative, far-reaching in its effects. Failure to pray entails losses far beyond the person who neglects it. Prayer is not a mere episode of the Christian life. Rather the whole life is a preparation for and the result of prayer. In its condition, prayer is the sum of religion.
Faith is but a channel of prayer. Faith gives it wings and swiftness. Prayer is the lungs through which holiness breathes. Prayer is not only the language of spiritual life, but also makes its very essence and forms its real character.
O for a faith that will not shrink though pressed by every foe;
That will not tremble on the brink of any earthly woe.
Lord, give us such a faith as this... whatever may come... -- E.M. Bounds, The Possibilities of Prayer, Chapter 4
FINALLY:
So, then . . . what's my objective in sharing this history lesson with you? It's simply three-fold. First, is to help you understand what's going on in Ukraine, and to help stimulate in your heart a love and respect for the Ukrainian people because what little reporting you get in the U.S. is often inaccurate and generally inadequate. Second, I want you to see what courageous praying can do . . . it can sustain you in impossible circumstances, and it can be the key that leads to victory. Finally, I want to challenge you to be a bold and courageous prayer warrior, beginning right now by praying for the people of Ukraine.
Perhaps now you better understand why Putin wants Ukraine back so badly, and why Ukraine has no interest whatsoever in being dominated again by a bully.
There is so much more that I'd like to share about Ukraine's rich history and unending struggles, but I've already taken far to much of your time. So, let me conclude by urging you to pray for Ukraine and the Russian threat on its very doorstep. There is great alarm and concern in the hearts of many.
To that end, thanks for letting me share a microscopic view of the people of Ukraine . . . a people whom Jo Ann and I love deeply.
Next week we'll return to our look at "Facing the Future With Fortitude".
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
Life Unlimited Ministries
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Copyright January, 2022
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
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