God’s News In The News

Week One Hundred Fifty-Eight

Don’t Tell Me To Keep The Faith!

What A Dumb Process

If I told you to that I wanted to change the world, a world dominated by corrupt leaders who used taxes to control people and whose leaders were drunk with power, power derived from deriding their political rivals and rigging elections making them moot. Even when the hoi polloi manage to organize an uprising it is smashed down because the military is bought and paid for by the very leadership they want to overthrow. A revolt is then nigh impossible and the only hope is to slink back under the rock your oppressors put you under leaving you despondent and depressed and mad at yourself for even believing things could change. But I tell you that I have a plan that will work this time. Your eyes brighten up a little and I give you a ray of hope that yes, things are going to get better and all of those in power will pay for their crimes, the corruption will be dealt with and justice will once again be seen. Would you believe me?

My First Step

Now that I have your undivided attention, you ask me how we’re going to get started. I tell you that I need to pick a small group of people to train and mold, people who will then take over a movement that will last and be agents of change long after I am gone. You are excited and see that this could actually work. But then I pick a group of men whose resumes are hardly stellar. These people are more than rough around the edges, they are in fact very unimpressive. Some are blunt and use foul language, others want to use brute force to take over while others were actually a part of the corruption only mere days before and someone the people highly distrust. You would shake your head and think that this supposed leader was just not playing with a full deck of cards. In fact, you might just turn around and go home, because there is no way this motely crew could make a difference. In fact, you surmise that they will actually set back the cause for change.

And Then The Biggest Surprise Happens

I tell you that I need one more person on my team and I ask you to join. Seriously? How could you actually bring anything to the table that would now suddenly tip the scales in our favor? You do a little self-inspection and struggle to see how you could play a part in taking down the evil empire. And you start writing your declination speech starting off with all your weaknesses and all the mistakes you’ve made. Then you move on to note your lack of skills and previous experience. You aren’t an eloquent speaker, you’ve never been in the military and never graduated from college or been a part of a winning team at any level. In short, you want to tell me to look elsewhere is your team has any chance at succeeding. And in the back of your mind you even question my sanity. You feel that your doubts about me have been confirmed and that any faith you had in me is now on life support. You think that it’s time to find a new leader or just resign yourself to never seeing any changes in your lifetime. And yet I push you to accept the offer. I ask you to trust me anyway. Then, you relent and accept the offer.

You’re Already Ahead Of Me

If the scenario I just detailed sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because it is. Of course I am talking about Jesus and His 12 disciples. Before you say it, no I am not saying I’m Jesus. Far from it, but the point I want to make is a simple one. We are in what I believe are the last stages of the final fight for the soul of our nation. I know those are heady things to say, but I believe it is true. Yes, I know many said similar things during the last two world wars and it did seem that things were just as dire, but as a student of Bible prophecy neither of those wars occurred when Israel was a nation again. But the point I’m trying to make is that the next world war is most likely the one at the end of the Tribulation and God needs us to enlist in the battle for souls now. And we are looking around and it seems like nothing is going the right way. Justice just keeps being perverted, the powerful are still pulling all the strings and the prophesied changes seem to be delayed yet again. One step forward and two steps back is the pattern. A win here and there, but defeats keep taking the wind out of our sails. Like the 12 disciples, all of the hope gleaned from the miracles and healings and all the lives changed along the last three years can’t seem to overcome all the promises of justice and overthrowing of power. We’ve been told it will all happen but what we see with our eyes tells us nothing is changing. We’re told to keep the faith, that change is coming, that an avalanche or landslide is coming. What are we to do?

Change What You Can Change

This battle is being fought on many levels and in many venues. Not everyone is meant to be a general or a politician or a statesman. Every fight needs troops on the ground comprised of individual soldiers who do the hand-to-hand fighting that cumulatively wins the war. In our fight, the fight for souls is no different. I believe God is telling us that by reaching the people in our circle of influence we change what we can change and if all of us do that, He will do His part in the bigger areas. Jesus told His disciples to be fishers of men, a concept many of them were intimately familiar with. Some of them stood before the rulers of their day while others were back in their homes praying for them. Some went to Rome to testify while many others did their part to support them. And when those same people were arrested and in prison, individuals took the letters of encouragement they wrote to the churches they planted. The couriers of these letters probably didn’t realize the eternal consequences of their efforts. But we do. And billions of others are happy they did as well.

Keep The Faith!

I started this with the feelings of many who are growing tired of keeping the faith. We are told that God says there will be massive changes coming with corruption being rooted out at all levels. And the news of yet another sweetheart deal comes down that makes us shake our heads in disgust. With our human eyes the evidence of massive changes appears to be just the opposite of that. However, the army of the lord prepares differently. They put their worshippers at the front of the battle. They literally have done all the fighting on their knees in prayer, much like Daniel and of course, Jesus. And something happens in those moments of desperation when all hope is lost. The worship touches the thrown of Heaven and He bends down to listen and He hears the subsequent prayers of intercession. And rather than changing the circumstances next, He changes us. And what we don’t see is that when we are changed, we are ready to be raised up much like Joseph.

We Want Massive Changes

Let me end this lesson by telling you we are somewhat shortsighted when we keep asking for the removing of those in power and think that is all that needs to happen. When that transpires it will leave a vacuum of leadership that must be filled. Who will fill those roles? If we don’t prepare to be those leaders be certain that there are just as evil people ready to jump in. For every Haman there needs to be a Mordecai who exposed the treachery and was then promoted to replace Haman. Are we ready to do both? Let God prepare you in secret and promote you in public when the time comes. It doesn’t matter if you are new to the fight or a seasoned veteran with 50 years in the Lord. God uses all who are available and equips the weak with His strength and armor. It doesn’t matter where you come from, He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh to be used in His fight. We prayed for this, now let us be ready to put legs on our prayers. Now is truly the time to keep the faith!