Some thoughts on decluttering by Aaron Hecht

A few months ago, I wrote a blog entitled Some Thoughts About the Little Foxes in which I talked about how I'm trying to get rid of bad habits and unhelpful routines that were no big deal of and by themselves, but when I added them all up, they were having a very negative impact on my life. I have continued to try to get rid of these bad habits and have had a fair amount of success. But I'm also trying to expand this concept into the realm of physical objects and stuff I have in my home.

Most people only ever do this when they're getting ready to move to a new home, but although I know we'll be moving out of this apartment we're in now someday, it's unlikely to be in the immediate future. However, experience tells me that it's never a bad time to shed excess stuff, or as it's sometimes called, declutter.

The last time we moved, from our old apartment into this one, I started the process of sorting and packing about four months before the last day we would be in that old apartment, thinking this would be plenty of time. It turned out to be woefully inadequate, and in the last two weeks I was forced to stop being careful and just throw everything into boxes to get it ready to move across town, so a LOT of unnecessary clutter ended up being brought from that apartment to this one.

Brothers and sisters, I urge you to learn from my mistakes. If you're going to be moving in a year or less, start the sorting and packing up process NOW!

Once again, although we're not moving any time soon, I have been utterly astounded at all the stuff I've already found, just in a few short weeks, that I could get rid of. Most of this stuff had been relevant at one time, but it is no longer relevant to my life, and keeping it in my home was just making it more difficult for me to keep the things that ARE relevant to my life organized and accessible when I need them.

This has included a great deal of the stuff that was in the room where my sons sleep that we could have, and SHOULD have, gotten rid of years ago. It included lots of toys, games, puzzles, books, clothes and other stuff that they outgrew a long time ago that's just been sitting there, taking up space in the closets, for years. Needless to say, there's also plenty of that kind of thing in my own closet, or rather there was before I started going through it all.

That brings me to the most important point in this blog, and that is the way I decided what I would keep and what I would get rid of.

You've probably heard of the KonMari Method for decluttering one's life. It is the product of a Japanese lady name Marie Kondo and the centerpiece of this method is to hold every object you own in your hands and only keep it if it "sparks joy" in your heart and mind. If this method of sorting stuff works for you, I won't try to talk you out of it.

But in my own experience, a better question to ask is "is this relevant to my life in the present and does it help me or hold me back from building the future I want to live in"?

I know that's not as catchy or concise as "does it spark joy" but I think it's more helpful.

For instance, one thing that I've had in my home for many years is a football helmet that I wore when I was playing in the Israel Football League. There were lots of great memories associated with that helmet, so it had been sitting up on top of my bookcase in the living room for all these years since I retired from playing. 

But as I looked up at it a few days ago, I realized that football is part of my past, and I've got plenty of pictures in my photo album that remind me of those good times and the friends I made. So I didn't need to keep that old helmet to remind me of that stuff.

So, even though looking at that helmet DID "spark joy" in my heart, it isn't relevant to my future, so it was time for it to go.

This is a good place to mention that I don't think "sentimental value" is a good reason to keep something. I know there are those who will disagree, but that's my opinion.

Another thing I had in my home that did NOT "spark joy" was a gift that my Russian-born sister-in-law gave me for the first birthday I celebrated after I started dating her sister, who would eventually become my wife. 

My sister-in-law didn't know much about me back then, in fact almost the only thing she knew about me that would be helpful in picking a birthday present for me was that I had grown up in a country called the United States of America. So she got me something that she'd heard Americans like. As it happened, I didn't like it at all, but of course, I pretended to be overjoyed at receiving it and I'd kept it all these years because I felt bad about getting rid of it. It HAD been a gift, after all, and I love my sister-in-law dearly, and so I felt obligated to keep this gift, which she'd obviously given me out of a sincere desire to help me enjoy my birthday.

But looking at it a few days ago, I realized this was simply ridiculous. That first birthday with my sister-in-law was literally a lifetime ago. She has probably forgotten all about giving me this gift and even if she does remember, she'd probably be shocked and amused to discover that I still have it. She certainly wouldn't make the mistake of getting me something like that these days, as she knows me much better now.

So,  for all these reasons, it was foolish for me to feel obligated to keep it, and now it's gone.

There were many more things I was able to get rid of. I had several shoe boxes full of old birthday cards, postcards, programs to plays and concerts I'd been to, and such like. Once again, this stuff had long ago served its purpose and was no longer relevant to my life, so with a few exceptions for cards that had been given to me by someone who really meant something special to me or in which someone had written a message which was truly meaningful, it all went into the dumpster.

One birthday card in particular made me recoil in horror before ripping it up and throwing away the pieces. It was from someone who was in my life for awhile but it ended badly, making me wish I'd never met this person in the first place. Why on earth did I still have this souvenir from that bizarre and unpleasant episode in my life?

That brings me to another point, which is that as I got rid of these physical objects that were no longer relevant to my life and/or which "sparked" something very different from joy in my heart, I began to notice that I was also getting rid of a lot of negative feelings and memories. I once read a book by Bible teacher Derek Prince called "Blessing or Curse, YOU decide!" in which he describes how having physical objects in your home can serve to give permission to demons and evil spirits to enter into your life. Even if there's no demonic influence associated with something, it can just make it difficult for you to move on from negative experiences or feelings.

I'm not the most Charismatic person in the world, but this concept makes a lot of sense to me.

There's one last thing to mention about decluttering, and it goes like this.

One day, you will die, and someone will probably go through all your stuff. In fact, that might even happen before you die, for one reason or another.

Is there anything you wouldn't want people to find?

Is there anything that might allow the people you love to find out about something that wouldn't do them any good to find out about, but which would just be painful for them and possibly even prompt them to make some bad decisions of their own?

If so, get rid of it NOW!

Repent about anything that needs to be repented of, and then throw that junk in the dumpster!

That's what I've got for you this week brothers and sisters, I hope this blessed someone.

Some Thoughts on the Passing of Lindsey Graham by Aaron Hecht

 

Let's start with the obvious. It is a very sad occasion when anyone dies unexpectedly, but it's also a VERY bad time for Israel and America to be losing Lindsey Graham. 

He was a great friend to Israel and a great leader in the Conservative movement in America. He was also one of the few people from whom President Donald Trump was willing to take advice, and that, all by itself, made him a precious asset to everyone in this season of history.

But that's not all. 

I believe the death of Lindsey Graham at this critical juncture has prophetic significance. I believe this is going to change the course of American history, Israeli history, and human history. I don't think Lindsey Graham simply "died" of a sudden heart condition the way people sometimes do at an advanced age. I believe the Lord took Lindsey Graham because he needed him off the stage in order for His plans and purposes to go forward.

Now, if you've been reading these blogs for awhile you know I try REALLY hard not to over-spiritualize things and/or get superstitious, but the moment I opened up my morning news update on my computer yesterday, that was the first headline at the top of the list, and as soon as I read it, a word flashed through my mind. 

The word was "Gettysburg."

But then, a moment later, another part of my brain replied; "yeah, but, Midway."

Allow me to explain.

For those who are not students of American history, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was one of the most brilliant tacticians in American military history, but sadly, he was fighting for the wrong side. He joined the Confederate Army shortly after the outbreak of the US Civil War and led his troops to victory in several engagements. Most Civil War historians would say that he was the most effective battlefield commander on either side in the Civil War, and if not the most important factor, then certainly one of the most important factors in the success that the Confederate Army had in the first two years of the war.

Then, on May 2nd, 1863, he was accidently shot by his own men during a confused nighttime reconnaissance mission. The wound was severe, prompting the amputation of his left arm, and then he came down with pneumonia, which in his weakened condition, he was unable to recover from, so he died on May 10th. This loss would have been devastating to the Confederate Army under any circumstances, but it came just a few weeks before the most decisive battle of the entire war, the Battle of Gettysburg.

Once again, most Civil War historians agree that had Stonewall Jackson been in his usual place at the Battle of Gettysburg, the battle and the entire war might have ended very differently then it did, and the trajectory of US and world history might have been very different. But he wasn't there, and the General who replaced him, Richard S. Ewell, made decisions that cost the Confederacy the battle, which was a decisive turning point in the US Civil War and by extension, a pivotal turning point in world history.

Fast forward to June of 1942.

Just six months after the devastating strategic defeat suffered by the United States at Pearl Harbor, the massive battle of Midway was fought and won by the US Navy. Just as the Battle of Gettysburg had been a turning point in the US Civil War, the Battle of Midway was a turning point in WWII. Also, just as at Gettysburg, the presence of one man who had replaced another played a major role in how the battle turned out.

Admiral William "Bull" Halsey was supposed to be in command of the American forces at Midway, but a few days before they were supposed to deploy, he was diagnosed with severe combat fatigue, accompanied by a stress-induced skin disease, that prompted his superiors to order him to check into a military hospital in Hawaii. He recommended his cruiser commander, Admiral Raymond Spruance, to replace him in command of the task force, which would soon be sailing towards Midway, and that turned out to be a very good idea. Admiral Spruance made decisions in that battle that resulted in a massive strategic victory for the United States. Halsey would later candidly admit that he would likely have made different decisions, which would have resulted in disaster.

So, when I saw the headline about the untimely demise of Lindsey Graham, my brain coughed up these two historical examples where a leader was removed from the stage just before a really important battle, and the person who replaced them made decisions that resulted in the battle ending very differently than what would have been the case had the original person been in command.

At both Gettysburg and Midway, the course of human history was bent very severely, in a good way, because of the result. I believe it was God's Will that these battles ended the way they did. I believe God intervened in human history on both of these occasions, removing someone who He knew would make certain decisions and replacing them with someone else whom He knew would make different decisions.

I have never claimed to be a prophet, and I'm not going to start now. But I DO have a feeling in my guts that we've just seen Him do something similar.

I believe something big is about to go down, and God took Lindsey Graham home because He needed someone else to be making the decisions that will affect what happens next in a way that will work for the advancement of His plans and purposes in this world. I believe it's going to be a glorious victory for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and a decisive turning point in the history of the Human Race.

That doesn't mean those of us who are caught up in whatever is about to happen next will enjoy it. The US won major, historic victories at both Gettysburg and Midway, but many Americans were killed and wounded at both battles.

So, brothers and sisters, hold on tight, keep your physical and spiritual eyes and ears wide open and pray without ceasing.

Some Thoughts on Iran, Turkey, Israel, and the prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39 by Aaron Hecht

Here in Israel, everyone is in shock over the announced Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that the Trump Administration and whoever they were talking to in Iran agreed to last week. I have spent several dozen hours this week listening to podcasts, think tank seminars, news analysis shows, etc. and the analysts and "Middle East experts" and "National Security experts" are all over the place regarding what they think this MOU means and what will happen next.

Candidly, I am among those who think that it is very unlikely that everything listed in this MOU will be implemented. I could tell you my reasons for thinking so, but it would make this blog too long for most people to read, and anyway, it's beside the point. I don't believe Iran's ruling regime will get the hundreds (or even tens) of billions of dollars they think they're going to get, and I also don't think they're going to crumble and disappear the way every sane, decent person walking the earth's surface hopes they will.

The reason they survived this war, beaten and battered but still on their feet, and the reason they're going to stay on their feet no matter what President Trump does or does not do to them in the months and years ahead, is not because of any current events. It's because of something that was prophesied 2,600 years ago. I am talking, of course, about the Book of Ezekiel the Prophet, specifically chapters 38-39.

I will be the first person to admit that the events prophesied about in these chapters have been predicted to be just around the corner many times in the past.

There's a few different reasons I think this time it's actually going to happen, and they are as follows.

Iran, or Persia, is prominently mentioned in these prophetic chapters, so it MUST be part of the coalition that comes against Israel. But Iran is in the midst of a brutal, years-long drought and is rapidly heading towards water bankruptcy. This will make it impossible for this country to survive as a cohesive state. Experts are divided on their estimates of when the breaking point will come, but already late last year, the dams supplying water to the major cities of Iran, including the capital of Tehran, were holding less then 15% of their capacity, and in some cases, the level fell to as low as 5%. These are the kinds of numbers that are almost impossible for a nation to recover from.

This is just one of many reasons I believe if Iran/Persia is going to take part in a grand alliance against Israel, it needs to happen soon, otherwise there will be no Iran/Persia to speak of.

That brings us to other members of the coalition mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39.

Some of the places mentioned in this prophecy as being part of the alliance that comes against Israel from the north make up what is today the modern nation-state of Turkey. For most of modern Israeli history, Turkey was a friend and ally of Israel, but since 2003, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP political faction have been ruling that country. The AKP is a political franchise of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas is the military wing of another franchise of the Muslim Brotherhood. There are franchises of this organization in many other countries all over the Middle East, Europe and even in the United States and Canada. They do not always agree on everything, but they have an overall, long-term strategic vision for what they want this world to look like, and Israel is not part of that vision. I could say a lot more about that, but once again I'm trying to keep this blog short.

Turkey, with it's Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated political leadership, has built alliances with the Muslim Brotherhood franchises in several other countries around the Middle East and northeastern Africa, including in places like Libya and Ethiopia, both of which are also mentioned specifically as being part of the alliance that attacks Israel in Ezekiel 38-39, as well as in other countries which include territories that are mentioned by their ancients names in this prophecy.

Finally, there's Russia, which has traditionally been identified with the prophecies about "Rosh" and "Gog, in the land of Magog" that are mentioned in this prophecy. I know that there is some argument about this, that not everyone is convinced that modern-day Russia is necessarily going to be part of this alliance that attacks Israel. I am among those who believe that it will, and there are all kinds of motivations for them joining the Turks, Iranians, and their other allies in the Middle East and northeastern Africa in coming against this country.

One motivation is that in the last four years since beginning the "special military operation" in Ukraine, Russia has turned into a country whose entire economy is based on war. If the Russia army stops fighting a war, the Russian economy will collapse. So, when the "special military operation" in Ukraine ends, as it might soon have to, one way or the other, the Kremlin will need to find a new war to fight.

I can even imagine them framing this as another "special military operation" to "protect the Russian-speaking population of Israel" against the "fascists" in the Israeli government who are persecuting them. This ludicrously absurd narrative is precisely what Vladimir Putin used to justify his invas...er, I mean, his "special military operation" in Ukraine. It would not surprise me at all if he tries to pull the same nonsense when he launches a similar "special military operation" against Israel, in support of his pals in Ankara and Tehran.

So, brothers and sisters, this is how I see things going. I won't try to put a date on when all of this will happen, but I believe it will happen soon, and it certainly can start very quickly and with very little warning. As it is, right now, at this very moment, the only thing holding this back from happening is America, and as we are already finding out, the Americans, in both major political parties, are losing interest in helping Israel.

So, God will get all the glory for the miraculous deliverance of Israel from all these invading armies coming from all directions.

It's difficult to know how to end a blog like this, so I'll just say thanks for reading it, and I hope it blessed your life.