Perspective

Expecting parents often struggle to come up with a unique name for their newborn child. Sometimes parents name their children after their parents or themselves. Other parents opt to start with characters in the Bible to find names for their children. Usually, names are chosen because of an admiration or love children may hold for the person who is the namesake.

Some characters in the Bible invoke feelings of inspiration while others bring forth the opposite. Many parents would rather name their children after Elijah or Deborah, but few if any would want to name their children after Ahab or Jezebel. 

As we survey current world leaders, there are some which are building a bad name for themselves. Several names come to mind. One would be the Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, and another would be the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who is legally considered "inviolable." Iranians are routinely punished for questioning or insulting him. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is quickly developing a bad persona in the Western world, which is growing worse with the continuing conflict in Ukraine. There are nations which loudly support Putin’s invasion, but nations like Cuba, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela have their own tarnished image issues which isolate them from most of the world. 

Names Mean Something

What is in a name? Names mean things, and this is why we choose them. A common name for boys, Stephen, is derived from the Greek, stéphanos. It means wreath, crown, and by extension reward, honor, renown or fame. 

Who was the Stephen of the Bible? The first time we read about Stephen in the Bible is in Acts 6. He was selected along with six other men to be deacons by the apostles to aid in the needs of the neglected widows of the Church. Stephen was chosen first (Acts 6:5 Acts 6:5And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
American King James Version×). He was chosen because of his good reputation, wisdom and being filled with God’s Spirit and full of faith. 

At his trial in front of Jewish leaders, he preached and witnessed with fervor about the true history of Israel, and he condemned them for not keeping God’s law and killing the prophets and Jesus. Then Jewish leaders condemned him, and he was stoned to death, remaining faithful to the end. Stephen was the first martyr of the Church. Stephen died with a good name and a crown of life awaits him in the Kingdom of God.

A young Pharisee, Saul, who became the great luminary, Paul, was there consenting to Stephen’s death. Through God’s great mercy the apostle Paul was redeemed. Interestingly, the name Saul means “prayed for” and the name “Paul” means “small,” and when he became small in his own eyes, God made him great through much sacrifice. 

The prophet Samuel told a rebellious King Saul, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17 1 Samuel 15:17And Samuel said, When you were little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed you king over Israel?
American King James Version×).

A Good Name Is to Be Chosen Over Great Wealth

In the Proverbs we are instructed to be aware, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1 Proverbs 22:1A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
American King James Version×). As we strive to achieve in our lives, developing a good name by being honest, faithful and trustworthy can be a special, valued asset worth more than the great riches of the world. 

A good name happens when we allow the mind of Jesus Christ to be formed in us. Jesus gave this message to those who strive to maintain a good name of faithfulness: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name” (Revelation 3:11-12 Revelation 3:11-12 [11] Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. [12] Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name.
American King James Version×).

This is my Perspective and the current edition of the Prophetic Times follows below: 

Prophetic Times

Russia Warns NATO, U.S. to Back Off or Risk ‘Catastrophic Consequences’

March 2, 2023 breitbart.com reported:

The United States and NATO were warned by Russia on Thursday they face ‘catastrophic consequences’ if they pursue further involvement in the Ukraine war. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva ‘the most acute strategic threat is posed now by the U.S. and NATO policy aimed at further fomenting the conflict in and around Ukraine.’

‘Their growing involvement in an armed confrontation is fraught with a direct military clash of nuclear powers with catastrophic consequences.’

AFP reports Russia’s diplomatic representative spoke before a largely empty chamber, with many Western diplomats gathering instead for a nearby photo opportunity in front of a mural painted in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag during his scheduled speaking time.

Iran can make fissionable material for a bomb 'in about 12 days' - US official

March 1, 2023 jpost.com reported:

Iran could make enough fissile for one nuclear bomb in "about 12 days," a top US Defense Department official said on Tuesday, down from the estimated one year it would have taken while the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was in effect. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl made the comment to a House of Representatives hearing when pressed by a Republican lawmaker why the Biden administration had sought to revive the deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"Because Iran's nuclear progress since we left the JCPOA has been remarkable. Back in 2018, when the previous administration decided to leave the JCPOA it would have taken Iran about 12 months to produce one bomb's worth of fissile material. Now it would take about 12 days," Kahl, the third-ranking Defense Department official, told lawmakers.

Russia growing its nuclear submarine fleet for Ukraine naval battleground

March 1, 2023 jpost.com reported:

Russia is set to add another two nuclear submarines to its naval fleet, RIA Novosti, a Russian state media outlet, reported on Monday.

The Russia-Ukraine war just entered its second year on Friday, and it has been estimated that, in that time, hundreds of thousands have been killed. However, despite these losses, the war has no end in sight as both sides seek to bolster their military capabilities. 

The announcement of new nuclear submarines was made by the head of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Alexei Rakhmanov in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Hamas threatens: The attacks will spread to all of Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem 

February 28, 2023 israelnationalnews.com reported:

Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanoua welcomed the shooting attack in the Jericho area on Monday, in which a 27-year-old man was murdered.

‘The shooting action in Jericho came as part of the response to the crimes of the Zionist occupation and its hordes of settlers, and the latest of which was the savage aggression against our people in Huwara,’ said al-Qanoua, referring to the clashes that broke out in Huwara on Sunday night, following a terrorist attack in which two brothers were murdered.

‘We salute the heroes of the resistance and the knights of the Lions’ Den who confront the occupation and perform heroic actions against its soldiers and herds of settlers in defense of our people and our country,’ added the Hamas spokesman.

‘Never will the crimes of the occupation and its hordes of settlers not be met by further stabbing, shooting and ramming, and they will set flames and fires all over the West Bank and Jerusalem,’ said al-Qanoua.

China Protests Flight of US Warplane Over Taiwan Strait

February 28, 2023 voanews.com reported:

China says the fight of a U.S. military plane over the Taiwan Strait Monday ‘endangered peace and stability’ in the region.
The Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army said in a statement that it closely monitored a U.S. Navy maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane as it flew over the waterway that divides mainland China and the self-ruled island of Taiwan. The Command said the flight ‘deliberately interfered with and disrupted the regional situation and endangered peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.’

The statement also warned that forces in the region ‘maintain a high level of alert at all times and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.’

The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet issued a statement saying the plane flew over the Strait in international airspace. ‘The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait,’ the statement said, adding that by doing so the U.S. ‘upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.’

Iran unveils new ‘Paveh’ cruise missile that can reach Israel

February 27, 2023 timesofisrael.com reported:

A senior Iranian general unveiled a new cruise missile with a range of 1,650 km (1,025 miles) that could potentially reach Israel in an interview with state television on Friday, in which he also reiterated Tehran’s desire to kill former US president Donald Trump.
‘Our cruise missile with a range of 1,650 km has been added to the missile arsenal of the Islamic Republic of Iran,’ said Amirali Hajizadeh, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps aerospace force according to the Reuters news agency.

The television broadcast what it said was the first footage showing the new Paveh cruise missile, showing the missile launch, then flying low over terrain before hitting a target.

Beyond the range, Hajizadeh gave no further details of the missile. The Guard in the past has said it has cruise missiles with ranges of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). It also has missiles that range up to 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles), more than enough to reach archenemy Israel and US military bases in the region.

Iran, which has developed a long list of homegrown weaponry, including drones, naval vessels, aircraft and electronic systems, has sparked mounting concern around the world with its supply of suicide drones to Russia for use in Ukraine and fears it could send other weapons systems to Moscow.

Plan would let kids seek euthanasia … without telling parents!

February 27, 2023 World Net Daily reported:

Assisted suicide and euthanasia have become rapidly accepted in Canada under the government’s Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) program, but there are still efforts to expand it even further. A new government report on MAiD was recently presented to Parliament, urging the inclusion of minors in the eligibility for physician-assisted death — without parental consent.

The Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying presented its latest report last week, which included a recommendation that minors be able to request MAiD.

‘For MAID and mature minors, the committee heard a mix of views about whether MAID should be available to those under the age of 18,’ the report read. ‘Many witnesses believed that age alone does not determine whether someone is capable of consenting to MAID. At the same time, a cautious approach was recommended, especially since there is little evidence from youth themselves on this topic. Most witnesses agreed that if MAID for mature minors were allowed, it should only be under track one (reasonably foreseeable natural death).

The committee recommends that mature minors should have access to MAID under track one. The committee also recommends that youth be consulted on the topic of MAID and mature minors.