"The Moscow Rules"
Once, while I was in the Washington, D.C., area holding a gospel meeting, I had the privilege of going through the International Spy Museum near Chinatown. Having an avid interest in both military history and the former Soviet Union, I was thrilled at the opportunity.
Although the museum displays how ancient the espionage game is, the greater part of the exhibits covers just the last 100 years. There is a whole section of the museum devoted to espionage during the Cold War. This period of intense espionage developed it's own “ten commandments” of spying (some say there are forty or more). The museum itself published ten of these so-called "Moscow Rules."
Some of these rules include: “assume nothing,” “don’t look back,” “there is no limit to a human being’s ability to rationalize the truth,” “maintain a natural pace,” “…if it feels wrong, it is wrong….”
Former CIA operative Jonna Mendez, as well as countless others, is quick to say that these rules are used by agents around the globe today. Many of these rules boil down to trusting instincts.
/SpyMuseum-573a30555f9b58723d0ceb00.jpg)
Whereas Christians battle a foe that will not collapse or capitulate until the Lord returns, we have been given rules of engagement that we must follow for our own spiritual preservation in, as our foe is the most formidable of them all (see 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Revelation 2:10; etc.).
We need to mature to the point of having our powers of discernment trained (cf. Hebrews 5:14). This will give us the kind of instincts we need to be most aware of our enemies tactics (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:11). We should not become paranoid or see problems where they do not exist, but we must not let our guard down either.
God’s Word will protect us and serve us heroically in this terrific battle (cf. Ephesians 6:17), but only if we know how to use it properly.
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).
((( Hate Symbol )))
Jonathan A. Greenblatt, for TIME, reports:
The (((echo))) symbol, typically consisting of two or more pairs of parentheses used around someone’s name to signify that the person is Jewish, is not entirely new. It was created during a 2014 anti-Semitic podcast. But anti-Semites have been using it with increasing frequency to target journalists thought to be Jewish. This could come in a retweet or a reply, typically accompanied with nasty comments and even serious threats. Its use became so widespread that the Anti-Defamation League, of which I’m the CEO, officially categorized it as a hate symbol.
One of the effects of the internet has been to provide an outlet for people to express their darker thoughts, so it should surprise no one to find it used as a tool for anti-Semitism. As terrible as it is that Jews should be singled out this way, it’s actually appropriate that anti-Semitism should be symbolized by an echo symbol.
Anti-Semitism has a long history, echoing from one generation to another. Sadly, the Bible tells us this hatred will continue until the coming of Messiah. That’s when Jesus will put an abrupt end to the worldwide persecution of the Jewish people. Then he will separate the “sheep” from the “goats,” the sheep being those who will act in faith, feeding and sheltering God’s chosen people, and the goats being those who will (((echo))) the anti-Semitism passed on to them from previous generations.
“He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matthew 25:33-35).
Temporary Blindness
“Blinding Laser Weapons” are weapons that are designed to blind soldiers on the field of battle. Most countries adhere to international law to minimize the power of their lasers. China, however, instead of limiting the power of such weapons, took full advantage of the potential, developing the battery-powered ZM-87 Portable Laser Disturber. Its desired effect was to injure or dizzy the eyes of enemy combatants. By seeking to blind the enemy, they render them unable to fight.*
I’ve never thought much about the tactics of war, but it makes a lot of sense that a soldier doesn’t have to be destroyed in order to be rendered useless. Blinding them is enough.
*Though effective in its main objective of blinding the target, the weapon had several technical glitches and was subsequently retired. No doubt, however, the Chinese will continue their efforts to perfect a reliable model.
Satan doesn’t have to get rid of us to take us out of the battle. All he needs to do us render us useless by blinding us to the truth.
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).