(Romans 12:18) "So far
as it depends upon you, be at peace with all men."
Every day I see so much
strife in people's lives - people living in the power of their flesh and in their
struggle for self-preservation. They
live in constant fear, and rather than loving God and loving others, their love
for themselves dominates them and everything they do or aspire to do. If people don't meet their expectations or
don't dance to their tune, they are considered to be the enemy. They seek consolation and relief from their
fears and insecurities by accommodating their flesh and what it desires. Turning to things that promise peace and
consolation, but, in the end, only bring pain and destruction.
Our culture seems to be
imploding. Consuming itself. Looking for answers to the problems that
dominate us, but unwilling to acknowledge the true source of those problems. We criticize aberrant - wrong - hurtful
behavior and encourage it at the same time.
We condemn men for making sexual advances to women and exploit women in
the media and add sexual connotation even in television commercials about
everyday products. We wonder why there
is a problem with violence in our country and the majority of the most popular
television shows and movies are dominated with stark violence and death. As I watch this going on I feel helpless to
change it. But that is because the
source of the problem spiritual .. and most often misdiagnosed as a natural -
relational problem. And being a spiritual problem, it can only be solved with a
spiritual solution. My wanting my
children's behavior, for example, to be
different will not make it so! Only God
can do that - He is in the "business" of changing hearts. And their hearts can be changed, but only if
they will submit to His call and yield their lives in faith to the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 1:18) “For the message of the cross is foolishness to
those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
The solution is so simple,
but the truth is, the majority of the world will reject the Truth. (Romans 1:25) “They exchanged the truth
about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the
Creator .. " I am not making this
up. God has revealed the Truth to us
through the Word of God, by His Spirit and through His Son and His sacrifice. The world, our culture, rejects the idea that
the problem has spiritual roots and a spiritual solution. (1
Corinthians 2:14) “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things
that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot
understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” What a dilemma. What to do? The answer is simple. Don’t expect the world to get better … it is
running pell-mell into darkness … headed for destruction …
There was a song written in
the mid-60’s, a protest song, but I think it was prophetic. It was written by PF Sloan, during the
Vietnam war, and sung by Barry McGuire who later became a Christian. It speaks
to the calamity that rages in this world, but stops short of a solution. Barry McGuire found the solution … you know
the answer. My encouragement to you …. Be a light in this dark world … if
people seem to be looking for answers .. point them to Jesus .. most will
ignore you .. but that is between them and God.
Your obligation is to tell the world.
The Spirit will do the rest.
Eve of Destruction by PF Sloan.
The eastern world, it is
explodin', Violence flarin', bullets loadin', You're old enough to kill but not
for votin',
You don't believe in war, but
what's that gun you're totin', And even the Jordan river has bodies floatin',
But you tell me over and over
and over again my friend, Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.
Don't you understand, what
I'm trying to say? And can't you feel the fears I'm feeling today?
If the button is pushed,
there's no running away,
There'll be no one to save
with the world in a grave, Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare
you, boy,
And you tell me over and over
and over again my friend, Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.
Yeah, my blood's so mad,
feels like coagulatin', I'm sittin' here, just contemplatin',
I can't twist the truth, it
knows no regulation, Handful of Senators don't pass legislation,And marches alone can't bring integration, When human respect is disintegratin',
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin', And you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.
Think of all the hate there
is in Red China! Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!
Ah, you may leave here, for
four days in space, But when your return, it's the same old place,The poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace, You can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace,
Hate your next door neighbor, but don't forget to say grace, And you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend,
You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction. No, no, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.....
Jesus is the answer ... always was and always will be!
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