THE GOVERNMENT OR THE NATION?
THE GOVERNMENT OR THE PEOPLE?
INDEX:
-WHAT OUR GOVERNMENTS ACTUALLY REFLECT
-WHY PRAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT
-THINGS TO REMEMBER REGARDING GOVERNMENT
-THE GOVERNMENTS ARE UNDER MANY INFLUENCES
-HOW GREVIOUS IS THE SIN OF OUR LAND?
-ARE WE MISSING THE MARK AS GOD'S PEOPLE?
1 - HAVE WE BECOME DESENSITIZED?
2 - ARE WE ARROGANT?
3 - ARE WE OVERFED?
4 - ARE WE UNCONCERNED?
5 - HOW ARE WE CONCERNED CONCERNING THE SOULS OF OUR FELLOW MAN?
6 - DO WE ACTUALLY CARE FOR THE POOR AND THE NEEDY?
7 - ARE WE WATCHING AND PRAYING?
-WHY IS OUR COUNTRY/ WORLD IN THE SHAPE IT IS IN?
-WHERE THEN DO WE FOCUS OUR ENERGY?
a. PRAYER
b. SEEK HIM
c. TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS
d. WAIT ON THE LORD
e. DO
-REMEMBER
-CONCLUSION
INDEX:
-WHAT OUR GOVERNMENTS ACTUALLY REFLECT
-WHY PRAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT
-THINGS TO REMEMBER REGARDING GOVERNMENT
-THE GOVERNMENTS ARE UNDER MANY INFLUENCES
-HOW GREVIOUS IS THE SIN OF OUR LAND?
-ARE WE MISSING THE MARK AS GOD'S PEOPLE?
1 - HAVE WE BECOME DESENSITIZED?
2 - ARE WE ARROGANT?
3 - ARE WE OVERFED?
4 - ARE WE UNCONCERNED?
5 - HOW ARE WE CONCERNED CONCERNING THE SOULS OF OUR FELLOW MAN?
6 - DO WE ACTUALLY CARE FOR THE POOR AND THE NEEDY?
7 - ARE WE WATCHING AND PRAYING?
-WHY IS OUR COUNTRY/ WORLD IN THE SHAPE IT IS IN?
-WHERE THEN DO WE FOCUS OUR ENERGY?
a. PRAYER
b. SEEK HIM
c. TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS
d. WAIT ON THE LORD
e. DO
-REMEMBER
-CONCLUSION
“And again the anger of the Lord was
kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go number
Israel and Judah.’” 2 Samuel 24:1
“And Satan stood up against Israel
and provoked David to number Israel.” 1 Chronicles 21:1
“Zedekiah was twenty one years old
when he began to reign…And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord…For
through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until He
cast them out from His presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of
Babylon.” 2 Kings 24:18,19,20
"Then Paul said, 'I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest: for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.'" Acts 23:5
WHAT OUR GOVERNMENTS ACTUALLY REFLECT
WHAT OUR GOVERNMENTS ACTUALLY REFLECT
Dear friends, all too often we may find ourselves grumbling against our government (and perhaps justly so) for some of the decisions they make. We also blame them for an untold number of things, and again perhaps for good reason. But are we rightly aiming our grievances at the truly guilty??? God deals with a nation similarly to how He deals with an individual. He regards a nation as a body. Paul describes the church as a body. Although it is made up of many differing members, it is still one body 1 Corinthians 12. He does indeed deal with each of us individually, but He also deals with us as a whole unit. Consider His addresses to the seven churches in Revelation 2,3. It is the same with the nations. They are made of a multitude of people, and often very diverse, but together they comprise a body or country of specific values and characteristics, along with their strengths and weaknesses. And whether they realize it or not, all for the His Glory. God actually calls them the trees of His garden Ezekiel 31:8-9.
What I am getting at here is that the leadership actually not only represents, but reflects the characteristics of each country. They may not reflect everyone within their country, but they will reflect the dominating populace with its values and behavior. In other words, the government we have is the government that best represents the moral condition and dominate social values of our nation, whether we like it or not. We earned that government, either by choice or by default. Do not forget, typically the leaders of the government are citizens of that country and brought up under the values that reflect the country. When we say, "Why vote, because they all say and do the same thing?" Well this is one reason why. True, it is more complicated than this, but God will deal with each country according to it concluding outcomes however they are brought about. That can be scary and is a huge responsibility for the Church, His people, who are the salt and light of the world. "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:13-14 Obviously light illuminates the darkness, and salt adds flavour and holds back decay.
WHY PRAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT? "The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases." Proverbs 21:1 NIV
"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Prayer for our government is of huge importance before God as indicated from the scriptures above, and expected of us, even for our own good.
THINGS TO REMEMBER REGARDING GOVERNMENT
- GOVERENMENTS ARE ORDAINED BY GOD to serve His purposes and provide law and order for the people. "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." Romans 13:1 NAS
- God will deal with the people through the governments. “And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go number Israel and Judah.’” 2 Samuel 24:1 There are times when we are amazed at the bad or dangerous decisions our leaders may make. “Zedekiah was twenty one years old when he began to reign…And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord…For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until He cast them out from His presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.” 2 Kings 24:18,19,20.
We tend to judge everything by our own values and perspectives and do not necessarily picture ourselves as a single unit in a whole body. When God is judging a nation He is judging it by what He sees going on amongst the people not only individually, but also as a whole, and His perspective is perfect and just. In these verses, King David and king Zedekiah both made unreasonable and bad decisions. Yet they did so by the will of the Lord in order that He may carry our His judgment on the people. In the first passage, the Lord had told the forefathers of Israel that their numbers would be like the sand by the sea innumerable and the stars of the heavens uncountable. So by numbering Israel, David was performing an act of defiance, which would incur God's wrath. In this particular situation, the Lord did not indicate why in particular He was angry at the people of Israel. In the second passage of Scripture, Zedekiah had made a covenant with King Nebuchadnezzar that he would submit to his rule lest the Babylonians would destroy them. So when he rebelled against the King of Babylon, he sealed the destruction of Judah. God was angry against Judah because of their gross idolatry, their moral corruption, and the shedding of innocent blood. If we look at his decision from this perspective, who was really at fault? Well, actually both he and especially the people.
-THE GOVERNMENTS ARE UNDER MANY INFLUENCES
People in authority face numerous things that the average citizen does not. There are powerful influences with which they have to wrestle constantly. They need our prayers. Throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, there are descriptions of the spiritual realm that intervene and interfere with even our governments. The Books of Daniel and Revelation have some of the most elaborate illustrations regarding this. In the case of David numbering Israel, although God moved David to do it, He used Satan, Israel's true enemy. Furthermore, there are people (that are backed by these spirits) in leadership who manipulate the leader. King Zedekiah faced this to the point where they became a barrier against him to prevent Him from doing what is right before the Lord, which contributed to his ultimate downfall and reproach. "Then the officials said to the King, 'This man (Jeremiah) should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.' [Jeremiah, by the Word of the Lord, was admonishing the people to surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar so that they and the city would be spared.] 'He is in your hands, King Zedekiah answered, 'The King can do nothing to oppose you.'" "The women will say to you (King Zedekiah): 'They misled you and overcame you - those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.'" Jeremiah 38:4-5,22 NIV
I am not writing this to justify what they do or do not do, but that we may fear before the Lord regarding how we judge our leaders. Now if we find ourselves under the threat of an oppressive government, especially those of us who have lived in the freedoms of the west and in a post-Christian society, is it not because of the godlessness and lawlessness that our societies have plummeted into? Let us examine this a little further.
HOW GREVIOUS IS THE SIN OF OUR LAND?
One very saintly mother in the Lord told me years ago that we Christians are deceived by the false peace, and so we tend to disregard or regard very lightly the seriousness of the godlessness and moral decay in our land. We have enjoyed the freedom, peace, and prosperity for so long that we tend to think, or perhaps assume that it will remain like this indefinitely. We may even feel that we are entitled to this life of relative ease and comfort, and that it should always be this way, at least for us.
"For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things THE WRATH OF GOD COMES UPON THE SONS FO DISOBEDIENCE." Ephesians 5:5-6 NAS This is so serious. In our lands the sexual promiscuity to the point where we are becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah, the abortions and euthanasia which the Bible calls the shedding of innocent blood or murder (now socially acceptable), the drugs (which the Bible equates with sorcery), witchcraft, idolatry and so on, are rampant. And according to the Scriptures, these things will bring the wrath of God upon us if we do not repent. We need a sovereign move of God's Holy Spirit to bring the citizens of our nation back to Christ! I am not talking about churchianity here.
ARE WE MISSING THE MARK AS GOD'S PEOPLE?
"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek MY face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
This verse has come to the forefront of the Church in the West for the past few decades and many believers have responded and applied themselves diligently and obediently, but we continue to lose ground. We realize that we are heading into the last days, which may be one reason why we have not been able to prevail, but there are some things for sure that we must pay attention to. Before mentioning these, I wish to point out that the devil has been applying much pressure on the saints/believers, so as to handicap and cripple us in any and every effort for advancement in the works of the Kingdom of God.
1 -HAVE WE BECOME DESENSITIZED? I have mentioned this before, "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. they were haughty and did detestable things before Me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen." Ezekiel 16:49-50 NIV
Looking at this passage of God's Word, we see that the Lord was not addressing the ungodliness, immorality and perversion of Sodom and Gomorrah as the main sins. They were the fruit of the root problems. Let us look at them:
2 - ARE WE ARROGANT? Are we combative? Are we correctable? Are we willing to let others ahead of us and win? Are we irreconcilable? Does everything have to be on our terms? (2 Timothy 3:1-4) This is a sin that God hates. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverted mouth, do I hate." Proverbs 8:13
3 - ARE WE OVERFED? Do we always have to have something in our stomachs? Are we willing to do without so that we can pay wholehearted attention to the needs of the world around us? What is our number one priority - us, and to feed our flesh with all its cravings?
4 - ARE WE UNCONCERNED? Does the godlessness, immorality, violence...of the world around us grieve us? "And the Lord said unto him, 'Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." Ezekiel 9:4
Are we so used to seeing and hearing all the corruption, violence, immorality in our land, and in the movies and shows that we watch, that it does not grieve us any longer? Lot, Abraham's nephew, while living comfortably in Sodom, though his righteous soul was vexed day by day by their sinful behaviour, overlooked it so that he could continue to live somewhat at ease amongst them. 2 Peter 2:8 yet a terrible destruction was looming on the horizon. Are we just focusing on keeping our own personal lives successful and problem free, and leaving the rest of the world to themselves? Do we have this attitude, "There is nothing I can do about it. That is their problem."?
5 - HOW ARE WE CONCERNED REGARDING THE SOULS OF OUR FELLOW MAN? People are living and perishing around us all the time, lost in their sins, and are we actively, in some way or other, reaching out to them, at least in prayer? Do you care, or even believe that is a concern of yours?
ARE WE TOO DETACHED?
Are we so busy and focused on our own personal lives that we are not even aware of the needs and plights of those around us, the believers and unbelievers alike? Are we at all aware of their pain and hardships, the struggle for their eternal souls that they are undergoing?
6 - DO WE ACTUALLY CARE FOR THE POOR AND THE NEEDY?
Do we spend any of our time, and money , to help those less fortunate than ourselves. God is not asking us to take care of every need we see, but to at least obey the Holy Spirit when He puts it on our heart to do something.
7 - ARE WE WATCHING AND PRAYING? "Take heed, watch and pray; for you know not when the time is." Mark 13:33 "And the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do..." 1 Chronicles 12:32
We all have our responsibilities and our agendas, but are we aware of, seeking, and pursuing, the Lord's agenda for His Kingdom in the world around us, let alone for our personal lives? Are we in tune with the voice of His Holy Spirit, and watching through the Scriptures of the Bible to track what is going on from God's perspective?
WHY IS OUR COUNTRY/ WORLD IN THE SHAPE THAT IT IS IN?
Let us get right to the point. Why are things the way they are? Is it because of the government, or is the government merely reflecting the condition of our country, the behaviour, values, ideals, of the people it is representing, serving, RULING OVER? From the Biblical point of view, the problem is the sin of man, our corrupt and selfish nature, the nature outside of Christ. Laws, legislations, and revolutions, cannot change that, only the Gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST through the power of HIS HOLY SPIRIT CAN!!!
WHERE THEN DO WE FOCUS OUR ENERGY?
a. PRAYER - 2 Chronicles 7:14 In this passage the Lord tells us exactly what we are to do about the corruption of our land. Humble ourselves and pray. To pray seriously and in earnest, we must humble ourselves.
b. SEEK HIM - Far too often we find ourselves pursuing and seeking pleasures, happiness , and even valid worldly needs, instead of the Lord. That is why we lose sight of Him in our life, and the world in turn loses consciousness of Him .
c. TURM FROM OUR WICKED WAYS. - We may not be sinning like the drug users, fornicators, thieves, but our wicked ways may be our self-righteous and arrogant attitudes. Or perhaps our lack of love and concern for the welfare of others. Are we any better? Read Isaiah 58 and see how the Lord totally disregards even the prayer and fasting of those who claim to seek Him yet who treat others contemptuously. Why should we expect the Lord to hear our prayers when we are walking contrary to Him?
d. WAIT ON THE LORD - Before we run off in all kinds of desperate directions, we need to find out from Him what He want us to do "Then Jesus answered and said, 'The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for what things so ever He does, these the Son likewise also does.'" John 5:19 Wait on Him in prayer, and He will direct us His way and in His Own good time.
e. DO - What if we do not hear from Him specifically, do we do nothing? "... in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; the desire of our soul is to Your name, and to the remembrance of You." Isaiah 26:8, "Only let us live up to what we have already attained." Philippians 3:16 There are things that we know we need to be doing without having to be told, like praying, fellowshipping, walking in godliness, loving and caring for people- the saints and sinners alike by doing good wherever an opportunity presents itself. And if an opportunity arises to make some kind of stand for the Lord, that may be the answer to prayer you have been seeking. Who knows? It may even be getting involved in the government.
REMEMBER - A SINFUL AND CHRISTLESS SOCIETY WILL PRODUCE THE CORRESPONDING FRUITS IN ITS LAWS AND LEGISLATIONS.
We can get so out of sorts and bent out of shape about something, when the real problem and the thing we need to be doing is right there in front of us. To be sure, the devil does not want you to be occupying yourself in combating evil by winning souls for Jesus and loving your enemies. Yes, pray for your governments, vote, and do not agree with evil at any level, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 Jesus loves them, and you! WHEN PEOPLE CHANGE, SOCIETY CHANGES, AND THAT IS WHAT JESUS SPECIALIZES IN.
CONCLUSION
- As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, God has called us to be the salt and the light in this dark world. As we devote ourselves to a life of faith and love in Christ Jesus by prayer, upright, godly, and holy living, and reaching people for Christ, He can change the world through us. To this He has called us and Has equipped us. It is now up to us to do.
What I am getting at here is that the leadership actually not only represents, but reflects the characteristics of each country. They may not reflect everyone within their country, but they will reflect the dominating populace with its values and behavior. In other words, the government we have is the government that best represents the moral condition and dominate social values of our nation, whether we like it or not. We earned that government, either by choice or by default. Do not forget, typically the leaders of the government are citizens of that country and brought up under the values that reflect the country. When we say, "Why vote, because they all say and do the same thing?" Well this is one reason why. True, it is more complicated than this, but God will deal with each country according to it concluding outcomes however they are brought about. That can be scary and is a huge responsibility for the Church, His people, who are the salt and light of the world. "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:13-14 Obviously light illuminates the darkness, and salt adds flavour and holds back decay.
WHY PRAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT? "The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases." Proverbs 21:1 NIV
"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Prayer for our government is of huge importance before God as indicated from the scriptures above, and expected of us, even for our own good.
THINGS TO REMEMBER REGARDING GOVERNMENT
- GOVERENMENTS ARE ORDAINED BY GOD to serve His purposes and provide law and order for the people. "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." Romans 13:1 NAS
- God will deal with the people through the governments. “And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go number Israel and Judah.’” 2 Samuel 24:1 There are times when we are amazed at the bad or dangerous decisions our leaders may make. “Zedekiah was twenty one years old when he began to reign…And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord…For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until He cast them out from His presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.” 2 Kings 24:18,19,20.
We tend to judge everything by our own values and perspectives and do not necessarily picture ourselves as a single unit in a whole body. When God is judging a nation He is judging it by what He sees going on amongst the people not only individually, but also as a whole, and His perspective is perfect and just. In these verses, King David and king Zedekiah both made unreasonable and bad decisions. Yet they did so by the will of the Lord in order that He may carry our His judgment on the people. In the first passage, the Lord had told the forefathers of Israel that their numbers would be like the sand by the sea innumerable and the stars of the heavens uncountable. So by numbering Israel, David was performing an act of defiance, which would incur God's wrath. In this particular situation, the Lord did not indicate why in particular He was angry at the people of Israel. In the second passage of Scripture, Zedekiah had made a covenant with King Nebuchadnezzar that he would submit to his rule lest the Babylonians would destroy them. So when he rebelled against the King of Babylon, he sealed the destruction of Judah. God was angry against Judah because of their gross idolatry, their moral corruption, and the shedding of innocent blood. If we look at his decision from this perspective, who was really at fault? Well, actually both he and especially the people.
-THE GOVERNMENTS ARE UNDER MANY INFLUENCES
People in authority face numerous things that the average citizen does not. There are powerful influences with which they have to wrestle constantly. They need our prayers. Throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, there are descriptions of the spiritual realm that intervene and interfere with even our governments. The Books of Daniel and Revelation have some of the most elaborate illustrations regarding this. In the case of David numbering Israel, although God moved David to do it, He used Satan, Israel's true enemy. Furthermore, there are people (that are backed by these spirits) in leadership who manipulate the leader. King Zedekiah faced this to the point where they became a barrier against him to prevent Him from doing what is right before the Lord, which contributed to his ultimate downfall and reproach. "Then the officials said to the King, 'This man (Jeremiah) should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.' [Jeremiah, by the Word of the Lord, was admonishing the people to surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar so that they and the city would be spared.] 'He is in your hands, King Zedekiah answered, 'The King can do nothing to oppose you.'" "The women will say to you (King Zedekiah): 'They misled you and overcame you - those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.'" Jeremiah 38:4-5,22 NIV
I am not writing this to justify what they do or do not do, but that we may fear before the Lord regarding how we judge our leaders. Now if we find ourselves under the threat of an oppressive government, especially those of us who have lived in the freedoms of the west and in a post-Christian society, is it not because of the godlessness and lawlessness that our societies have plummeted into? Let us examine this a little further.
HOW GREVIOUS IS THE SIN OF OUR LAND?
One very saintly mother in the Lord told me years ago that we Christians are deceived by the false peace, and so we tend to disregard or regard very lightly the seriousness of the godlessness and moral decay in our land. We have enjoyed the freedom, peace, and prosperity for so long that we tend to think, or perhaps assume that it will remain like this indefinitely. We may even feel that we are entitled to this life of relative ease and comfort, and that it should always be this way, at least for us.
"For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things THE WRATH OF GOD COMES UPON THE SONS FO DISOBEDIENCE." Ephesians 5:5-6 NAS This is so serious. In our lands the sexual promiscuity to the point where we are becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah, the abortions and euthanasia which the Bible calls the shedding of innocent blood or murder (now socially acceptable), the drugs (which the Bible equates with sorcery), witchcraft, idolatry and so on, are rampant. And according to the Scriptures, these things will bring the wrath of God upon us if we do not repent. We need a sovereign move of God's Holy Spirit to bring the citizens of our nation back to Christ! I am not talking about churchianity here.
ARE WE MISSING THE MARK AS GOD'S PEOPLE?
"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek MY face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
This verse has come to the forefront of the Church in the West for the past few decades and many believers have responded and applied themselves diligently and obediently, but we continue to lose ground. We realize that we are heading into the last days, which may be one reason why we have not been able to prevail, but there are some things for sure that we must pay attention to. Before mentioning these, I wish to point out that the devil has been applying much pressure on the saints/believers, so as to handicap and cripple us in any and every effort for advancement in the works of the Kingdom of God.
1 -HAVE WE BECOME DESENSITIZED? I have mentioned this before, "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. they were haughty and did detestable things before Me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen." Ezekiel 16:49-50 NIV
Looking at this passage of God's Word, we see that the Lord was not addressing the ungodliness, immorality and perversion of Sodom and Gomorrah as the main sins. They were the fruit of the root problems. Let us look at them:
2 - ARE WE ARROGANT? Are we combative? Are we correctable? Are we willing to let others ahead of us and win? Are we irreconcilable? Does everything have to be on our terms? (2 Timothy 3:1-4) This is a sin that God hates. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverted mouth, do I hate." Proverbs 8:13
3 - ARE WE OVERFED? Do we always have to have something in our stomachs? Are we willing to do without so that we can pay wholehearted attention to the needs of the world around us? What is our number one priority - us, and to feed our flesh with all its cravings?
4 - ARE WE UNCONCERNED? Does the godlessness, immorality, violence...of the world around us grieve us? "And the Lord said unto him, 'Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." Ezekiel 9:4
Are we so used to seeing and hearing all the corruption, violence, immorality in our land, and in the movies and shows that we watch, that it does not grieve us any longer? Lot, Abraham's nephew, while living comfortably in Sodom, though his righteous soul was vexed day by day by their sinful behaviour, overlooked it so that he could continue to live somewhat at ease amongst them. 2 Peter 2:8 yet a terrible destruction was looming on the horizon. Are we just focusing on keeping our own personal lives successful and problem free, and leaving the rest of the world to themselves? Do we have this attitude, "There is nothing I can do about it. That is their problem."?
5 - HOW ARE WE CONCERNED REGARDING THE SOULS OF OUR FELLOW MAN? People are living and perishing around us all the time, lost in their sins, and are we actively, in some way or other, reaching out to them, at least in prayer? Do you care, or even believe that is a concern of yours?
ARE WE TOO DETACHED?
Are we so busy and focused on our own personal lives that we are not even aware of the needs and plights of those around us, the believers and unbelievers alike? Are we at all aware of their pain and hardships, the struggle for their eternal souls that they are undergoing?
6 - DO WE ACTUALLY CARE FOR THE POOR AND THE NEEDY?
Do we spend any of our time, and money , to help those less fortunate than ourselves. God is not asking us to take care of every need we see, but to at least obey the Holy Spirit when He puts it on our heart to do something.
7 - ARE WE WATCHING AND PRAYING? "Take heed, watch and pray; for you know not when the time is." Mark 13:33 "And the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do..." 1 Chronicles 12:32
We all have our responsibilities and our agendas, but are we aware of, seeking, and pursuing, the Lord's agenda for His Kingdom in the world around us, let alone for our personal lives? Are we in tune with the voice of His Holy Spirit, and watching through the Scriptures of the Bible to track what is going on from God's perspective?
WHY IS OUR COUNTRY/ WORLD IN THE SHAPE THAT IT IS IN?
Let us get right to the point. Why are things the way they are? Is it because of the government, or is the government merely reflecting the condition of our country, the behaviour, values, ideals, of the people it is representing, serving, RULING OVER? From the Biblical point of view, the problem is the sin of man, our corrupt and selfish nature, the nature outside of Christ. Laws, legislations, and revolutions, cannot change that, only the Gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST through the power of HIS HOLY SPIRIT CAN!!!
WHERE THEN DO WE FOCUS OUR ENERGY?
a. PRAYER - 2 Chronicles 7:14 In this passage the Lord tells us exactly what we are to do about the corruption of our land. Humble ourselves and pray. To pray seriously and in earnest, we must humble ourselves.
b. SEEK HIM - Far too often we find ourselves pursuing and seeking pleasures, happiness , and even valid worldly needs, instead of the Lord. That is why we lose sight of Him in our life, and the world in turn loses consciousness of Him .
c. TURM FROM OUR WICKED WAYS. - We may not be sinning like the drug users, fornicators, thieves, but our wicked ways may be our self-righteous and arrogant attitudes. Or perhaps our lack of love and concern for the welfare of others. Are we any better? Read Isaiah 58 and see how the Lord totally disregards even the prayer and fasting of those who claim to seek Him yet who treat others contemptuously. Why should we expect the Lord to hear our prayers when we are walking contrary to Him?
d. WAIT ON THE LORD - Before we run off in all kinds of desperate directions, we need to find out from Him what He want us to do "Then Jesus answered and said, 'The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for what things so ever He does, these the Son likewise also does.'" John 5:19 Wait on Him in prayer, and He will direct us His way and in His Own good time.
e. DO - What if we do not hear from Him specifically, do we do nothing? "... in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; the desire of our soul is to Your name, and to the remembrance of You." Isaiah 26:8, "Only let us live up to what we have already attained." Philippians 3:16 There are things that we know we need to be doing without having to be told, like praying, fellowshipping, walking in godliness, loving and caring for people- the saints and sinners alike by doing good wherever an opportunity presents itself. And if an opportunity arises to make some kind of stand for the Lord, that may be the answer to prayer you have been seeking. Who knows? It may even be getting involved in the government.
REMEMBER - A SINFUL AND CHRISTLESS SOCIETY WILL PRODUCE THE CORRESPONDING FRUITS IN ITS LAWS AND LEGISLATIONS.
We can get so out of sorts and bent out of shape about something, when the real problem and the thing we need to be doing is right there in front of us. To be sure, the devil does not want you to be occupying yourself in combating evil by winning souls for Jesus and loving your enemies. Yes, pray for your governments, vote, and do not agree with evil at any level, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 Jesus loves them, and you! WHEN PEOPLE CHANGE, SOCIETY CHANGES, AND THAT IS WHAT JESUS SPECIALIZES IN.
CONCLUSION
- As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, God has called us to be the salt and the light in this dark world. As we devote ourselves to a life of faith and love in Christ Jesus by prayer, upright, godly, and holy living, and reaching people for Christ, He can change the world through us. To this He has called us and Has equipped us. It is now up to us to do.
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