Proverbs 14:34. Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach (shame, disgrace) to any people.
Well then, it’s Saturday, and we moving on! Yes friends, we moving on, because we cannot afford to stand still in this ever-changing world, else we’ll get left behind. However, we don’t need to move on just for the sake of moving on, but moving on when the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, and leads and guides us, tells us that it’s time to move on. And if we are afraid of the changes that are necessary, we don’t have to make them all in one fell swoop either, we can take our time and make them.
Don’t worry, our wonderful and ever-LOVING God will look out for us, and make sure we don’t go astray. So this Saturday morning, let’s ditch fear, and embrace faith with a vengeance nuh! (smile) Remember Bruh Paul’s reminder to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind (self-control)’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
And having shored up our faith with that powerful and reassuring scripture, let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week nuh. And the first quote says: ‘Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning.’ Now we can all see a fair amount of truth in that statement, for freedom is a very complicated and rather thorny subject to handle or deal with, in whatever area you choose to profess or preach it.
That means a lot of people won’t agree or acquiesce quietly to whatever we are touting freedom for or in. Consequently, that will mean dissension and disagreement, even strife and all-out war, as we are currently seeing in so many countries of our world. Yuh notice in Jesus’ time, He claimed to have come to bring freedom, and though it was a good kind of freedom, freedom from sin, it was not the kind of freedom His people were seeking, they wanted freedom from Roman oppression, thus there was much dissatisfaction and disagreement among the different groups of the Jewish people, that even had them calling for His death.
The very word ‘freedom’ implies agitation and disturbance, and it’s very seldom, if ever, we can have freedom without theoretically plowing up the ground, or experiencing plenty thunder and lightning. (smile) That leads us to this next interesting quote. ‘Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.’
Now that’s a basic truth of life. Smart leaders of countries, organizations or whatever kind of grouping is involved, will take the temperature of their people, test them to see just how far they can go, or what they can get away with, without stirring up rebellion or revolution. But the problem, as we are seeing all over the world, is that our leaders are not smart enough to take their time and learn how to control their people. The hunger and greed for power causes them to try and impose their selfish will in a draconian manner, possibly backed by military forces, but that always seems to bring opposition and consequently rebellion.
And our world right now is a perfect example of that, with rebellion over almost everything, from the covid 19 supposed virus, that’s killing us left right and centre, which some claim to be a bacterium, to the vaccination that’s supposed to keep it in check. Then there are things like climate change, and the social type of system that some leaders want to impose on their people, from dictatorship to communism, to socialism, to free for all ism. (smile) Oh, and let’s not forget the many people who are trying their best to rid our society of God. A task that they will obviously fail at.
The fact of the matter is that right now our world is very contrary and divided. I doubt we can find one subject or topic that most of us can agree on. That leads us to this next quote: ‘Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.’ Now that’s a truth from which we can never escape. And I think it’s borne out best in the words of Bob Marley in his song titled ‘War’ where he reiterates a part of a speech given by the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, in California in 1968.
Bob sings: “That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior, is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned. That until there are no longer first and second class citizens of any nation. Until the colour of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes. That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race. That until that day, the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained… And everywhere will be war…ah say war…”
And that’s exactly the kind of world we are looking at until Jesus comes back and sets up His everlasting kingdom, where there is no sin, darkness, pain, tears, death or anything negative; nothing but joy and peace, LOVE and godliness for ever and ever! Glory be! That brings us to this last quote: ‘The life of a nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.’ And if you have any sense at all, you will realize that that’s the gospel truth! Any living organism banded together can only be secure if there’s trust and truth between them.
And in support of that please listen to these two seminal scriptures from Cousin Sol. The first says: ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach (shame, disgrace) to any people.’ (Prov. 14:34) Yes friends, the Lord lifts up a nation that worships and lives under His banner, but brings shame and disgrace to sinful, disobedient peoples. And the second potent scripture from Cousin Sol declares (yeah!!) ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint, become lawless and godless): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18)
Oh my people, the morality and righteousness of a nation depends on the prophetic vision the revelation of God’s people to which we sincerely and righteously adhere. Without it, we’re totally lost and headed straight for hellfire and damnation. That’s why taking God out of society is nothing but craziness, but foolishness and utter folly!
And we’ll end with this very interesting and relevant commentary found on the allanturner.com website, talking about a Nation without God. It reads thus: ‘In Psalm 11:3, the question is asked, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Of course, when the foundations are destroyed, the righteous are made a prey of the wicked. Consequently, the very purpose of government is the protection of the righteous or law abiding. In other words, Government is ordained by God as a mechanical remedy against evil (cf. Romans 13:1-7).
Thomas Jefferson clearly understood this principle (when he supposedly said “The God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?”), and so must we if we are to keep the “unalienable rights” endowed us by “our Creator.” Jesus Christ is sovereign of the universe. Consequently, His law is above all laws and all men everywhere are subject to His authority. Many earthly authorities have not understood this. Consequently, they have not heeded the wise counsel of the psalmist, who said: “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way” (Psalm 2:11,12).’
It’s as simple as that friends! If you don’t have the Creator God as your mainstay, then things just go haywire. These seem to be the steps to our downfall. ‘When a nation rejects God; it turns to a false religion; then it becomes bogged down in immorality and violence; then God judges it.’ Beware my people, I believe that God is judging us right now! Much LOVE!
…without the Living God as your sure foundation…you are headed for certain destruction…
P.S. Yes, it’s a tad long (smile) but I think it’s good, and hope you do too. Much LOVE!
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