The World's Problems - Who to Blame?

It says in

Proverbs 29:2

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice:

but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." KJV

Dr Carl Baugh talks about how a nation deteriorates: He said

when people slip into apathy they then want the government to take care

of them.

APATHY - what is it?
Dictionary.com definition is:
"Lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting."

Are you a Christian? Are you APATHETIC? Or are you SALT and LIGHT to the world?

History has proven that it's dangerous to become apathetic!

When we lose our right to choose and give our power over to

those in the government, we are on a decline.

Proverbs 16:12 says, "It is a horrible thing for a king

to do evil, His right to rule depends upon his fairness."

v-12 "The king rejoices when his people are truthful and fair."

I'm of the opinion that we can't whine and complain about the government

and what's happening if we are Christians, because we are called by

God to do something about it! We are called to be the "SALT and LIGHT" of the

earth! We are to CHANGE NATIONS! How can we do that?

1. BEING THE SALT OF THE EARTH - Salt preserves, cleans, gives favor and has more uses.

From what I can see in the Bible - and in the Book of Acts, the early Church had power and exercised their authority and cast out demons, healed the sick and thousands of people were being saved! 3,000 in one day! If someone is a murderer and he gets "born of God's Spirit" - suddenly, his new nature wants to love people, not kill them. The same for a drug addict, liar, thief - all SINNER'S nature can be changed by giving their lives to Jesus Christ!

2. BEING THE LIGHT OF THE EARTH - From what I can see from the New Testament is that

when a person TRULY receives Christ - their LIFE IS CHANGED! SAUL, a murderer became PAUL the Apostle that started churches and wrote 3/4 of the New Testament! As Christians we should be so BRIGHT that the world has to put on their SUN GLASSES! Be like PAUL and have PASSION for SHARING JESUS to the WORLD!

Why aren't Christians making a difference in the world like they should? I believe it's because our SOUL hasn't been renewed in the Word of God. Hours and hours a week our mind (soul - conscious and non-conscious) are washed with the world's ways and agenda - instead of being washed with "The water of the Word" that the Apostle Paul tells us to do; to "meditate on the Word day and night" as Joshua 1:8 tells us; or "covet the gifts of the Spirit" as we are told to do - to bless the world!

We have to GET REAL with who we are! If we claim to be a Christian - are we SALT and LIGHT?

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Matthew 5:13

“For so the Lord has commanded us:

‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' ”
Acts 13:47

Let's quit blaming the world and everyone else - LET'S TAKE RESPONSIBILITY and BECOME LIGHT AND SALT!

How can we? Here's some Biblical ways:

1. Spend more time in the WORD than with the WORLD. (Joshua 1:8; Ps 1:)

2. Quit STRUGGLING and start YIELDING. (To whom we yield is to whom we will OBEY - Paul tells us in Romans). Yield to the Lord - ask Him daily, moment by moment for His SPIRIT to lead and guide you; and to teach and strengthen you; to USE YOU to pray for others; lay hands on the sick; speak with new tongues and be LIGHT and SALT!

3. UNION V.S. EFFORT - Apple trees don't struggle to bear fruit - fruit comes from UNION.

Read John 15: Jesus tells us that when we "Abide in HIM - we'll bear MUCH FRUIT".
Effort that is fruitless is effort that is done without the Spirit of God, without abiding in His presence.

4. From UNION will come ACTION inspired by the Spirit of God which will be PRODUCTIVE.

5. PRAYER! It's POWERFUL! When we understand that our PRAYERS ARE POWERFUL
and that they do IMPACT THE EARTH - we will PRAY MORE!

We are told to PRAY:

1 Timothy 2:4 tells us "Pray in this way for kings and all

others who are in authority over us, or are in places of high

responsibility, so that we can live in peace and quietness,

spending our time in godly living and thinking much about

the Lord. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for He

longs for all to be saved and to understand the truth."

People need to hear the truth in order to be saved!

Isaiah 60: tells us that we are to "ARISE and SHINE"

because the glory of the Lord is upon us!

It says that "GREAT DARKNESS will cover the earth"....

but God's glory will be upon us!

As Christians we must stay in the Word and pray, and stay close to Jesus!

We need to be like Jesus when He said, "I only do what I see the Father do".

The Lord bless and keep you!

Until next time....

Linda Cross
Associate Pastor
Christian Family Church
www.CFCLakeville.org