Interview with the chief editor, Natalia Voronina
— Natalia, November 4, Russia celebrates the national unity Day. The festival, which aims to educate the Russians a sense of national identity and patriotism. And are Christians who profess biblical principles, a sense of patriotism? After all, Christianity is an international religion, and Christ is God, “of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).
— You call me a Russian man “to the bone”. I experience an amazing feeling of comfort when you’re outdoors in the middle of Russia, I love Russian songs, from which “unfolding soul”. I am very close to Russian “impractical”, a willingness to give “the shirt” and the ability to laugh at their weaknesses. I’m proud of the multinational composition of their country and admire the wisdom that God gives to rulers, to manage such a complex in its composition people.
But, however, having once the teachings of Jesus Christ, I got rid of one very serious drawback: treat your people better than others. So for me, the principle of patriotism is: “Love your country, work to make it even better, stronger, friendlier, prettier, richer, but remember that God loves the Russians and the Americans, people in China and Honduras the same love like My own children”.
But many religions are popular in their people precisely because they are national, “their”. Maybe every nation has its own way to God?
— Christianity is the belief in one God who created the whole world and all people. The word of God says that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of every person. He — “the desire of all Nations” (Haggai 2:7). The true Christian Church should be not national but global, where Russian, European, and native American, and African call each other brothers. Today the gospel of Jesus Christ is spread in all countries of the world, Christians, read the Bible, there are almost all Nations, and this process will develop.
But you must agree, if two countries in conflict with each other, their residents don’t just recognize each other as “neighbors” who need love.
— Of course, a good example is the events in the South-East of Ukraine. Since the end of last year, our country lived in an atmosphere of fierce information war, where mutual misunderstanding has reached the limit, eager and friendly kinship. For Christians it was a test of true faith. What we put on the first place in your mind: God’s love or political ambition?
In other words, you suggest our readers are not interested in politics?
On the contrary, I suggest interested. We live in an amazing time of Bible prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes. Many if not the events, the trends of contemporary world politics was foretold by ancient prophets, and today we can see in them signs of the approaching end of the history of our sinful Earth.
But the Bible is not the word “Ukraine”, “Putin” “Barack Obama”. How do you know what the prophecy says about our time?
— First and foremost, you need to understand the purpose of writing the Bible. Today millions of people sit in front of TV screens. In different countries, they watch different programs perceive different points of view and experience: who is right? who is to blame? What will happen to the economy (with goods in stores, with salaries, pensions)? Wouldn’t it be war? etc these are All important things. But remember, because people are experiencing different times: war and the dictatorship, somewhere the economic crisis, somewhere coming to power of new political forces, somewhere move the border. And people continue to live. And every human life depends not only on political conditions, and relationship with God. Will survive your family, whether you have bread if you can have peace of mind in the most difficult circumstances — it just depends on the Lord God, and here is a believer who trusts his Creator always wins. Reading the Bible, you begin to understand that God the fate of the state, its political system, its boundaries, etc. mean a lot less than the destiny of every man, because the state is a category of temporary, and man created to live forever. Therefore, the most important thing to God is the condition of our soul and our relationship with Him.
— So, God mentions in the Bible of the state religious system, politicians, if they have an impact on the spiritual condition of the people?
Yes. Today God is watching the Earth are many false religions. Sometimes they are called Christian, but in many ways contrary to the Word of God. Christ said that He once put an end to the human retreat, but of His triumphal advent retreat must attain its extreme point. This apostate religion is represented in the prophecy of the Apostle John as “the image of the beast” (see Revelation, Chapter 13, 14). It is a religious system that will compel all people on earth to obedience. It is the power and cunning will make people to forget their only hope for salvation from sin — Jesus Christ, call themselves Christian, it is “buried” in the minds of the people living faith in Christ under a variety of rituals, taboos and pagan attributes. And at the end of the story she would use to coerce a political force. And here comes the most interesting.
In the Bible there is the indication that this political force, forcing the whole world to worship the “beast”, will be the United States of America. This country is in prophecy called “another beast” who “had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon” (Revelation 13:11). (Read more about this prophecy can be read in articles “Who is the owner of the world” and “the Empire horns of the lamb”). Today we see that this power takes on the role of world policeman, forcing the various countries to favourable political decisions under the guise of the most plausible pretexts: the fight against terrorism, the struggle for democracy, for freedom, for human rights etc. At the same time and “freedom” and “democracy” imposed by force and political pressure. Indeed, this power, posing as an innocent lamb, “speaks like a dragon.”
Russia is one of the few States that has the force and the political will to confront America in the establishment of a unipolar world. Therefore, the conflict in Ukraine is a confrontation in the first place, Russia and the USA from overseas actively guide the process. So today I pray for peace for the people of Ukraine, to not killed and did not suffer the people who became hostages of the political struggle on both sides of the conflict. Pray, for peace in our hearts and there love. Pray for the government and, first and foremost, for the President of our country, that he was an instrument in the hands of God and not yielding to provocations, took a peaceful and godly decisions for the good of the world.
Such a categorical assessment of US policy you are not afraid to hurt ordinary Americans?
— I’m in America a lot of friends. In this country there are many sincere Christians of different denominations. None of them can answer for the policy of the White House, as I do not presume to answer for the political actions of the Russian leadership. There are things that people do not depend. Satan incites some politicians to violence, coercion, connivance, corruption. God uses others to do His good will. But the final outcome of this struggle is known, the Second coming of Christ and the complete victory over sin.
— You mentioned about the believers in America. Basically, USA is a Protestant country. In the newspaper “the Hidden Treasure” is often written about Protestants as people, following the immutable Word of God. How then to explain the fact that some Protestants in the United States, Ukraine, Europe supported the uprising on the Maidan? Or, for example, the acting President of Ukraine A.V. Turchinov, a parishioner of the Protestant mission “Word of life”, launched a military operation in the South-East, killing hundreds of people?
Protestants got their name during the reformation for having expressed their protest against the distortion of the official Church of the word of God. But “called” and “being” are two different things. If the man who calls himself a Christian, begins to divide people along ethnic lines into “bad” and “good” — he is not a Christian. If a person calls to war in any form — he is as far from Christ as earth from heaven. Whoever enters the principles of the law of God in favor of political interests, can not be called a follower of Christ.
Christians are called to preach the gospel. Faithful disciples of Christ for two millennia did it during war and peace, when all the authorities and the rulers, and the message of Christ has spread, despite changing state borders.
Christians who adhere to the teachings of the Bible, will not participate in violence, revolutions or other illegal forms of struggle against the authorities because they obey the commandments “thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13) and remember that “the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1).
— What would you wish readers of “Hidden Treasure” on the Day of national unity?
— I’ll tell the known truth: the closer each of us is to God, the closer we all are to each other. Let us learn from Christ to love God and others, then the unity will come by itself.