When our boys were small, they loved the original “Ghostbusters” movies! They had all the toys, and even nicknamed our huge, ancient Oldsmobile “Ecto 1”. The movie theme song asked “Who You Gonna’ Call?” when you had ghosts, and the answer of course was “Ghostbusters”!
I think a more relevant question today, when it comes to the really significant issues in life, is “Who You Gonna’ Trust”? (please excuse the grammar, teachers!) What about questions like “Who am I, and what am I here for?” Does anybody really love me? How can I know real forgiveness, peace, and purpose in my life? Does it matter what I do? Is there another life after death, and if not, what difference does it make what we do now? Is my life making any significant difference in this world? And of course, will the Tigers ever win another World Series?
As children, if we are fortunate enough, we can trust our parents for security and guidance on the big issues of our young lives. And as Christian parents, we have the opportunity to point our children toward God at an early age, letting them know that God is our ultimate source of strength, hope, and wisdom! But when we turn adults and realize our parents are fallible and sometimes as confused as we are, where do we turn then? Sadly, in our culture today, most people turn to social media sites and the endless drivel of confusion, or they actually look to politicians as though they are responsible for making our lives happy and fulfilled! Christians, of all people, should know that a good government will protect us from harmful enemies, establish basic laws of right & wrong , have a system of basic, if imperfect, justice, and if they are really effective, provide us with freedom & opportunities to work and succeed at life. Historically, most governments don’t even accomplish that! Our present government, as much as people dislike it, is still better than most in history. So, pray for our political leaders that they will get back to the basic stuff they are called to do, and maybe get away from trying to micro-manage our lives in ways they were never intended to do.
As Christians, I encourage you to remember how God works in history! He sometimes used governing authorities, even evil ones, but mostly he worked through his people IN SPITE OF THE RULING AUTHORITIES! God has always called his people to trust in Him above all else! … not social media, nor partisan politicians or pundits, nor even well-meaning teachers or professors! God ALWAYS works through humble people, willing to obey and trust him!
I recently read an amazing article about the Methodist church in Cuba! In spite of many decades of ruthless Communist dictatorship under Castro, murdering his own people, and the resulting poverty and hopelessness of many, the Methodist church has seen amazing, Holy Spirit led revival and power to overcome the worst in life! They now have 410 churches and 927 churches in formation. One church leader said they are unified in “seeking God, the movement of the Holy Spirit, the falling of the fire and anticipating the glory of God to descend”! This revival began in the 1970’s, and has been transforming lives ever since! Another pastor says, “We rejoice every time we think of what God has done for us! In central Havana, many people were drug addicts, idol worshippers, prostitutes, and God took them out of that way and saved them. The Bible says that one who is forgiven much, loves much. And when somebody pays a huge deb for you, then expressions of joy and happiness come out of your heart and that’s what’s happening in Cuba!”
WOW! How can people with little in life, living on less than $20/month, be so filled with joy, power over their life circumstances, and know freedom from the sins that used to entangle them and pull them down? It’s simple! They trust and believe what God says! There is a major revival happening around the world, mostly in poor nations, and it’s based on the belief that the Bible is truly the Word of God, and that the Holy Spirit is real, powerful, and can miraculously transform our lives from the inside out!
So, in our extremely wealthy nation, why are so many Christians being duped into looking for entitlements and trusting the government, rather than actually seeking and trusting in God first?
1) We have forgotten our first love, Jesus, and have drifted from our foundation of trust and faith alone in Him!
In his wonderful book entitled “Stay the Course”, Pastor Choco De Jesus quotes theologian D.A. Carson, who said:
“People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking that we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”
2) We need to pray for revival, beginning with you and me!
King David prayed “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. –Psalm 139:23-24
And once we confess our own sins, allow God to transform us from the inside out!
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
As a retired pastor, I regret not preaching and teaching more effectively on the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us and free us from the sin that limits us. To those who were in my churches, I apologize for not doing that better. But as a baby boomer, I also realize that in the years I have left, God is still calling you and me to pray for revival, not only for us personally, but for our nation and world as well! God is powerfully changing lives around the world right now, in spite of bumbling governments. He has done it in America before, and wants to do it again! Won’t you join me in returning to our first love, Jesus , and really trusting in His Holy Spirit to transform us, and then use us to humbly join him in transforming the world around us?