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[JD, Aug. 2012:] >> God must be the Lord of Montserrat for community rebuilding and nation building to be successful. God must be at the head of the building process.
“Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” PS127:1 NIVIf God is not at the helm it will be business as usual where we have experienced much sowing and planting but reaping and eating very little (and none in some cases) of what was planted, we work and bring in revenue and earn wages but we do not know where the money disappears to and the heavens are stopped from raining. Ultimately we are not the ones in control. God is in control.
When God is not honored in positions of governance and leadership the people and nation suffer.
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”A stop must be put to the de-Christianization of the land through the allowing of poisoning secularization and the steady desensitization of the population.
The filth and wrong that is allowed to sneak or be pushed on the island, promoted, played on the airwaves and television and practiced should be stopped. We must be cognizant of what is happening around us and vigorously excise the wickedness while defending and cultivating the way of God and our positive attributes that are lost elsewhere in the world.
God requires those who are in positions of rulership, governance, authority to be “just and rule in the fear of God” 2Sam23:3; “serve the Lord with fear “3 defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4) Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked” Ps82:3-4; “govern righteously and lead the cause of the poor and needy” “sober and not to be partaking in and given over to alcoholic drink and drugs” ”serve with mercy, truth and justice” “faithful” “serve and trust in the Lord with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding” (Proverbs).
God knows how leadership impacts and influences and that the type of leadership affects the type of society and the well-being of the people and the land.
“When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.” Prov11:10
“When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.” Pro 28:12
“2) When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. 4) By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for[a] bribes tear it down.” Prov 29God knows that the only possible way for leaders to lead with all honesty, truth, justice, fairness, righteousness and love is through being humbled and submitted to Him. Through His divine love God sends His Word via His servants to the leaders and the people so that they can stay on the right path being obedient to Him or to warn leaders and the people to repent from their wicked ways of disobedience and rebellion.
The Word of God shows clearly that there is nothing new under the sun and that what is happening today is merely mirroring what God shows in His Word.
They call God’s servants madmen, trouble makers, accuse them of spreading propaganda and false reports and opinions and are hated for speaking thus saith the Lord (1&2 Kings).
Because the Word of God stands forever the choice of the rebellious is to persecute the messengers, to hear but choose not to listen, understand and obey; choosing rather to listen to self, false advisors, refusing sound doctrine and so satisfying their own lusts and desires (2Tim). Though deathly wrong they refused correction. (Jer5:3-5; Jer2:30; Am4:9; Zep3:7; 2Tim4:3)
They rather to selectively hear what they considered to be good, lovely, positive things, conveniently ignoring all God’s copious messages from the past and present and not wanting to understand that their salvation and true sustainable development did not reside in disobedient living but in obeying what God was saying through His servants and repenting (1Kn22:13).
They were working hard on their own plans for their own economic development but God blew it all away and it amounted to nothing (Isa40, Hag1).
They were fools in their thinking and darkened hearts and imagination that God could have His say but they will have their way and their minds are made up to do whatever they felt like, not considering that “God rules in the kingdom of men” (Kings, Chronicles, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Dan4&5) and that by God’s will leaders are set up and taken down (Isa40, Pro8).
Even spiritual leaders were choosing rather to be in the good books of the politicians and perceived power brokers, condoning sin through participation and silence thus misleading the sheep, encouraging wrong and calling good bad and bad good; these civic and spiritual leaders who were disobedient to God speaking deceit with authority and conviction.
Not wanting to consider that because of His love, long-suffering, grace and mercy:
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2Pet3:9)This unfortunate conduct does not negate, change or make of none effect what God is saying through His servants:
“10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isa55:10-11)God did not cease from delivering messages through His servants throughout the millennia, centuries, decades and years. God keeps sending His servants for every generation to proclaim, “thus saith the Lord”, so that no one is without excuse and all will be held accountable by God (Rom1 & 2).
There are many examples of territories that had extremely peaceful, friendly, wholesome, democratic and God-fearing societies where steadfast Godliness was abandoned for the dream of money, riches and development fueled by the illusions from Godless exploitative, plans and schemes; all this in the guise of looking out for and answering to the plight of the people.
Casinos; lotteries; gambling; legalizing of sinful practices; alcohol, tobacco and other drug factories; revelry; dens of prostitution; greed and all such things became the order of the day.
God was ignored and relegated to a ceremonial figure used to massage an empty form of Godliness.
In every instance all those societies who ignored God’s messages and turned their backs on God suffered tremendously and the people are mourning. Crisis in these societies has been the fruit of man’s plans.
“There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death” Prov16:25 Amp.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. 22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent (Isa5:20-23).
Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees (Isa10:1),
Woe to you, O destroyer, you who were not yourself destroyed, who deal treacherously though they [your victims] did not deal treacherously with you! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have stopped dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you.
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands (Isa45:9)?
“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice (Hab2:12)!
Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work (Jer22:13);
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right (Pro16:8).
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon (Isa55:6-7). >>
________________Sobering words that should be heeded. END
