By the Numbers

Friday, March 22, 2013

God's Instructions for A Better World

                    God's Instructions for A Better World

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 Jesus and the Bible tell us of a God who loves us, became a man among us, lived a perfect life, died to save us, and rose again to show us it's all true. This teaching has been Christianity's  light through the darkness and it's standard of hope.  But Creation, the Bible, prayer in Jesus' name, the Ten Commandments, moral absolutes, the Cross, Jesus, and Christians are often ridiculed and banned. Evolution, moral relativism, corruption, condoms, the pill, S.T.D.'S, abortions, homosexuality, pornography, rape, divorce, violence, crime, poverty, suicide, and disregard for human life is taking their place in many areas. Why? Let me share reasons I believe it's true and what we can do about it.
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Why Such Spiritual and Moral Decline?
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1.  The atheist philosophy of evolution destroys everything Christian faith provides. No God means by chance and time we evolved as soulless animals without a basis for dignity, rationality, ethics, ultimate purpose and life after death. True, we can't perform an experiment to prove God, but we can't prove evolution that way either. If the missing links between life forms were found, that would prove evolution, but the fact that they're missing suggests they may never have existed, and that points to creation and God. We know too that life forms have genetic limits which again points to the Bible's claim that God created everything to reproduce after its own kind. Moreover, irreducible complexity among life forms shows they all must be complete and functional from the outset as none can exist with  partially developed reproductive, circulation, and digestive systems and organs to see, hear, and move. Now shouldn't reason and our most crucial benefits be preferred to unscientific prejudice? Shouldn't good science seek the truth wherever it's found?
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According to the Bible, God created the universe, then man in his image distinct from the animals. This gives us the basis for a rational world, human dignity, ethics, life after death, responsibility to God, justice, love, truth, even experimental science. Biblical Christianity gives abundant evidence of creation to those with open minds to receive it. Our conscience too makes no sense unless there's a God we're responsible to. Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, is right that it doesn't ultimately matter how many human heads he puts in his refrigerator if there's no God. Christ's fulfilled prophecies, miracles, claims to be God are based upon good history for those willing to check out the evidence both biblical and secular. But denials and unwilling excuses may prove fatal while chaos covers our lands and insecurity grips our people.
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2. Hollywood entertainment is demoralizing the United States and the world. One doesn't have to have lived long to discern the moral lapse of Hollywood entertainment. Profanity, adultery, nudity, betrayal, sex, seduction, violence, murder--things we would have been horrified to witness decades ago are standard shows now. Shooting the "walking dead" is just one example of dehumanizing human life. Hardly any pictures portray moral examples to solve our problems and guide our lives.
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3. Corrupt politicians that promise reform but promote their own agenda. They may be well meaning at first, but when politicians can raise their own salaries, cater to special interests that benefit them and enhance their power, prestige and wealth, the temptations are enormous. History is replete with emperors, dictators, kings and tyrants who live in palaces, suppress citizen's freedom, keep them poor and dependent with taxes, restrictions, and secret police so they can control them. They promote some ideologies such as socialism, communism, racial liberation, or Islam they claim will help their people, but it is a false hope and means to usurp power and control citizens. 
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4. Exploding Islam imposing Islamic Law on the world. Growing Islam is based upon Muhammad's claim that the angel Gabriel gave him the Qur'an making him Allah's final prophet or authority.  Knowledgeable people know Muhammad lived centuries after Jesus and His apostles yet claimed meticulous devout Jews and Christians changed God's Word which he corrected in the Qur'an. Muslim ethics is do whatever Allah's prophet Muhammad did to establish Islam. Muhammad robbed caravans, broke promises, and had persons killed with the sword who didn't submit to Islam (means submission). Women are denied rights given to men. Muslim teaching is that there's only two worlds: Islam and those who oppose it. And, there's no separation of Islam from the state and its duty to impose Islamic Law on every aspect of life by force if necessary.
5. The wicked world system. "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4). Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh,  lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of God (1 John. 2:15). He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John. 3:36).
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6.  The devil and his demons. Certainly, if the universe's Creator exists who made man, there's no reason He could not create spirit beings or angels as well. To deny God is to give place to the devil. The Bible calls him the god of this world, the prince and power of the air, the originator of evil, and a mighty angel. He can appear as an angel of light to deceive us about the the truth of God and the gospel (Gal. 1:8). But he can't be everywhere or know everything as God. He and his fallen angels or demons can be resisted by prayer and submission to God. Satan will one day empower the Antichrist to temporarily deceive and take over the world (Rev. 13:3-8).  But he is under God's power, his evil  included within God's purposes, and for God's greater glory. Praise our sovereign Lord!
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What Can God's People Do About It?
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 If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
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If my people who are called by My name. Threw out the ages people thought and called religious persons God's people who were not His people. God's people must have the true faith in the one true God (John 1:1-4; Heb. 1:1-3; 11:1-2; 6).  Today God's people are believers in Christ as Lord and Savior and called Christians. It's true all people are God's creation, but few people know God in redemption, and that makes an eternity of difference. Jesus said, "You must be born again" (John 3:7).
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Will humble themselves. Christians are to turn from self-promotion to God promotion. The lust of the flesh mentioned above is our attempts to satisfy our sinful nature in opposition to God.  Instead, we must trust, love and obey God seeking his kingdom first, then our heavenly Father will provide our basic needs such as food, drink, and clothing (Matt. 6:31-33). Others may not esteem our godly living as it makes them feel guilty about their rebellious lifestyle. Yes, we are to strive for excellence but beware of arrogance. Worldly positions of greatness people admire may be least in God's kingdom as it's not how many serve us, but how many we serve (Mark 9:34-35). "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10). 
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And pray and seek My face. A selfish, rebellious heart wants nothing to do with God. And it's not men of standing, but men of kneeling who please God. "Confess your tresspasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 4:16). Good king Jehoshaphat set up reforms throughout his land and when an overwhelming army came up against him, he turned eyes unto the Lord acknowledging the God of heaven who ruled the nations. He told his people to "Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe the prophets, and you shall prosper." When they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against his enemies and they were defeated." When God's people get right, God acts  (2 Chronicles 20:6, 20, 22).  2 Chron. 19 and 20 are most inspiring.
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And turn from their wicked ways. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Ps. 66:18). God who designed us knows what's best for us. His Word can speak to us about our family life, our work, our relationships, our financies, our temptations, fears, successes, failures and opportunities (Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:16).  Following His instructions enable us to accomplish things that make a huge difference in the world for good and that count for eternity. We are to be as salt that keeps the world from moral and spiritual decay and light that penetrates the darkness of ignorance and evil.  We need the Lord but we must turn from our wicked ways (Isiah. 55:6-7; Jeremiah 33:3).
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Then I will hear from heaven. "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes" (Prov. 21:1). The Lord can turn the king's heart and any heart to do His will but the Lord works through His people. Of the serious problems above and others I've not mentioned, I believe Christians themselves are the biggest hindrance to God's work. The Lord's final words were to tell others He Saves us sinners (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:46-47; Jn. 20:30-31). Acts 1:12).  Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). Are you obeying Jesus telling others of the Lord and Savior that can make a better world?
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We can make a dozen excuses to keep from following and obeying the One we call Lord. I don't have time, but may watch hours of TV, play computer games, or something else. That's for qualified pastors or theologians, but we've heard the gospel many times and they can only reach a few. My friends will think I'm a religious fanatic, but that means we're ashamed of the One who loves us most.  Even those on my blog without pictures show more fear than faith. I witness by my life, but only the gospel can save people from hell. The loving Jesus warned us more about hell than any other and if it doesn't exist, then it doesn't ultimately matter how we believe and behave. Modern technology enables us to witness in ways previous Christians could never imagine. Such as letters, telephone, radio, TV, and the internet in addition to warm loving face to face attention.
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We can win others to the Savior simply by explaining any Bible passage such as John 1:12-13; 29; 3:16; 3:36; 5:24; 11:25; 14:6; Rom. 5:8-9; 6:23; 10:9-10; Eph. 1:29; 2:8-9 and others.  Young people join the military knowing they may give their life for their country, how much better for time and eternity to give our lives for Christ. We can avoid being ashamed when we stand before the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus Christ to answer how we conducted our life (1 Cor. 3:7-15). Let's pray and trust God to enable us to tell others of our Lifegiver wherever we go.
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And will forgive their sin and heal their land. God is looking for gap men on behalf of the land or He's sure to bring judgment (Ezek. 22:30-31). Are you willing to be one? Considers how God made proud King Nebuchadnezzar a beast in the field until he acknowledged God as king (Dan. 4). How the Lord stirred up Cyrus, king of Persia, to build the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-3). "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know (Jer. 33:3).
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Would you do service for Jesus your King? There's power in the blood, pow'r in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing? There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.
There is pow'r pow'r, Wonder working pow'r in the blood of the Lamb.  Hymn by Lewis E. Jones
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1 comment:

  1. Please don't ignore older dated articles nor those in the right in categories with numbers of articles listed. They are terrific articles as well. Remember, your sharing is making a real difference for good in our world & for eternity. God bless.

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