"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place; all this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish]." (Matthew 24:6-8)
I am writing this post with a bit shaky hands. Things are happening in our little country that have shaken us all. For the third day now there are Russians (some have come from Russia for this occasion and some have been stirred up here ... even kids stirred up by their teachers) to rise up and fight against Estonians. Our police has never had to deal with crowds like that nor have we ever had such riots in our city. By last night the riots had already spread to other towns of Estonia. A large part of the center of Tallinn (including old town) has suffered hundreds of broken windows, demolished cars, a lot of expensive shops broken into and robbed... hundreds of people have been arrested.
I've never seen anything like that before... I mean, sure in the news, happening in other parts of the world but not in our little country. Even the freedom in 1989 came peacefully to us with no shedding of blood... though I have to admit that a lot of Christians had prayed in unity for it for a long time. It is really weird that the man who decided to let Estonia leave Soviet Union, Russia's president of the time, Boris Jeltsin, died a few days ago. His funeral actually was a day before the riots started in Tallinn. It all began from a monument, that honored "Russians setting Estonia free from Hitler's Germany", being taken down... though the truth is that by the time the Russians came and overtook Estonia, we had no Germans here, it was a free country... but then again, there are always people who do not want the crowds to know the truth. Well, it has been made to look like it started from that monument but it is very clear that those riots have been prepared for a long, long time and the people who are behind them were just waiting for the right time.
I am sad to say that we as Christians have been too much concentrating on our own agendas and thus were not spiritually ready for our present events. Though I am thankful to say that we have recuperated pretty fast, understanding that this is a serious call for united prayer.
Such things happen suddenly and if we are not ready, we will be overthrown. Matthew 24 says: "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place." God never leaves us in the dark. Neither does He want us to allow fear and trouble to come into our hearts. He has promised us in His Word: "Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand)." (Jeremiah 33:3) He is faithful to His Word. Unlike me there are Christians who were not shaken by present happenings. They were prepared... and thank God they were, for they can now encourage those who are shaken!
History has proven again and again that were people pray, God supernaturally delivers them. Like Finland. Finland was not strong physically nor did they have a great army against Russia... but Finnish people turned to God and repented. Their country repented and prayed to God and Russia that had many times greater army than Fins did was not able to overtake them. Estonians though, did not repent and our country was occupied for 40 years... until Christians in our country rose up and started to pray for freedom and it was granted to us. Estonians are a very proud nation and very hard working, though relying on our own power rather than on God's power. This has again and again turned to our destruction rather than our salvation. Habakkuk 1:11 says: "they load themselves with guilt, [as do all men] whose own power is their god." Leviticus 26:19 says: "And I will break and humble your pride in your power, and I will make your heavens as iron [yielding no answer, no blessing, no rain] and your earth [as sterile] as brass." Proverbs 16:18 says: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Where there is pride and relying on our own power, there is the door wide open for destruction. Pride is exactly the sin that Lucifer indulged in. He was so, so beautiful to look at and he had an awesomely beautiful voice plus he had power. I can imagine how other angels were admiring his handsomeness and complementing him... until pride took over and he decided that he wanted to be as high and mighty and powerful as God... which turned to his complete destruction. So it is in our lives, where there is pride, there is the door wide open to the devil to come in and destroy. God hates pride. He does not hate the person in pride but he hates pride as pride is always of the devil. 1 Peter 5:5 says: "For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)--[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble."
...and humbleness means that we admit that God is wiser than us and we submit to His Word. David, about whom God said that he was a man according to His Own heart, was a man who had quite a bit of sin in his life... but still David had a humble heart. He always admit that God was right... he always quickly repented of his sins and turned back to God. Sure, he did suffer from what he did wrong but God still was there for him, strengthening him and helping him. David had a humble heart. There are many examples in the Bible about pride and humbleness. One of them is in the 2nd Chronicles 12... the story about Solomon's son Rehoboam:
"When Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. And in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had transgressed and been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. With 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen, and the people were without number who came with him from Egypt - the Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came on to Jerusalem. Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, Thus says the Lord: You have forsaken Me, so I have abandoned you into the hands of Shishak. Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, The Lord is righteous. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemiah, saying, They have humbled themselves, so I will grant them some deliverance; and My wrath shall not be poured upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless, they shall be his servants, that they may know [the difference between] My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries." God did grant them some deliverance but not complete deliverance... for the Bible says that God looks at our hearts... He knew that Rehoboam did not humble himself wholeheartedly... as verse 14 says: "And he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek (inquire of, yearn for) the Lord with all his desire."
We can fool others, but we can never fool God. He sees our hearts the way they are. Rehoboam's heart was still proud and self-centered. He was not a good king as just like he committed himself to God only half heartedly so did his people... and God was not able to fully deliver them. So it is with each of us personally and as a nation. We need to humble ourselves before God and He will deliver us from however powerful our enemy might be.
In the very next chapter there is a different account. This time Israel, who had forsaken their God, came against Judah who was faithful to their God. Again, Israel's army was many times greater than Judah's army, but Judah had God Himself fighting for them. As Israel came against Judah, Judah's present king Abija talked to them, saying: "We keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. Behold, God Himself is with us at our head, and His priests with their battle trumpets to sound an alarm against you. O Israelites, fight not against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot prosper." (v.11-12) It was the pride that made Israelites think that they could overtake Judah with their great strength and power... but Judah knew their God. Daniel 11:32 says: "but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits." Abija knew that God was fighting for them. He knew that it was a spiritual battle before it was a physical battle. Therefore he had the priests of the Lord right in the front row.
Verse 13 continues: "But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come around them from behind, so his troops were before Judah and the ambush behind. When Judah looked, behold, the battle was before and behind; and they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets." Humanly speaking Judah had no chance to win the battle. Israel's army was so much greater and they had also greater battle tactics... but it was all in vain. Verse 15 says: "Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as they shouted, God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. And the Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. Thus the Israelites were brought low at that time, and the people of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the Lord, the God of their fathers."
In the next chapter there is yet another story of success. 2 Chronicles 14:9 says: "There came out against Judah Zerah the Ethiopian with a host of a million [that is, too many to be numbered]... Then Asa (next king of Judah) went out against him, and they set up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. Asa cried to the Lord his God, O Lord, there is none besides You to help, and it makes no difference to You whether the one You help is mighty or powerless. Help us, O Lord our God! For we rely on You, and we go against this multitude in Your name, O Lord, You are our God; let no man prevail against You! So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled."
Indeed "the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits." Those kings who had taken the time to seek the Lord (during the peace time), had no problem in standing strong against the enemy when a war broke out against them and they received full victory. They knew their God and they were strong in Him. Also God knew them and their hearts and showed His power and His strength on their behalf. We can speak many words but if our hearts are not right with God, He knows it and not that He doesn't want to help us... He can't help us, for our own hypocrisy and pride stand between God's power and our need.
We as a nation need to repent and turn to God in order for us to come out victorious at this time. There is no other way for us... the other way is sure destruction. We relied on our own power and the result is always the same - disaster... it would have come sooner or later. Now it is here and we as the body of Christ need to come together and pray for our nation. If You feel led in Your heart, please pray in agreement with us for the supernatural protection over all the police that none will be hurt... I am also asking You to pray for our government, for godly wisdom and guidance be given to them, that they would make right decisions... and for our nation to get the message and repent.
Thank You.
Eve Juurik Health & Beauty Editor of My Walk With Jesus newspaper and website http://www.MyWalkWithJesus.net
Eve Juurik is a writer and speaker. She has
taught style and make-up to young models at a modeling school, written articles
for health and beauty magazines in Estonia, including Style and Health
Newspaper. At present Eve is a Health and Beauty Editor of a US based My
Walk With Jesus newspaper and website. She is a regular speaker at women's events.
Eve has been
invited to write for Recipes 365,Connecticut Herb Association’s
Newsletter and US
certified fitness expert Amy Lundberg’s Aim For It Newsletter. For 5 years she has been
teaching the Bible through weekly spiritual-inspirational articles. Eve
regularly writes for a US Christian newspaper and website My Walk With Jesus, website HandMaidens, and Estonian internet magazine The Voice of
Victory.
Eve promotes and sells certified organic skin-, body-, hair-, oral-,
men's-, home-care products through her website: www.TheSpringOfLife.net
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
