Over the past few years, we've experienced some of the largest catastrophes in human history. Today I heard about the terrible earthquake in Pakistan, this following other domino-like tragedies as hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, and Rita, and the devastating tsunami that ravaged Indonesia. Hundreds of thousands of precious lives have been lost through terrorism, warfare, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, mudslides, tsunamis, disease, and earthquakes just in the past few years. What's happening to our world? It suddenly seems vulnerable, spinning out of control on its axis, and a lot smaller.
It's not my intention to minimize the enormity of these tragedies, however, even more alarming and distressing are the disasters we create; societal disasters that have resulted in countless lives and souls lost. And they're shameful. And yet, as dire as they are, we allow the enemy to roar unfettered, and now, many of these tragedies of society are of cataclysmic concern.
Losing Sight of Our Vision
These disasters are the millions of unborn babies murdered each year. They're the hungry children in third world countries that we've allowed to starve while we feed off of the milk and honey. They're the trembling Terry Schiavo's living death sentences because of their disabilities. They're the traditional mom and pop families on the brink of extinction. They're the teens without direction, lost and confused, addicted, depressed, and suicidal. They're the lost innocence of our children in a world of sexual perversion and immorality. They're the hundreds of millions of souls who yet do not know the compassion of a Savior who sacrificed His life for them. They're the removal of the name of the Almighty, our Creator from our schools, governments, and public places. They're the apathy of Christians, who've chosen the comfort of an easy chair, over coming out of their comfort zones. They're the lack of unity among the churches, and discord among believers. They're the lukewarm Christians who are neither hot nor cold, or are head, and not heart believers. They're the loss of millions of souls to the enemy. What's happened? We, as believers have lost our vision.
The societal disasters are "unnatural" ones. They are consequences of our own actions, not the law of nature. Unnatural disasters are ones that violate natural law and that deviate from a behavioral or social norm. God's law is the natural law, and the behavioral and social norm. He laid it all out thousands of years ago, first with Moses and then in the New Testament. The Book of Proverbs is an excellent example of His laws fleshed out in detail.
The word "disaster" means: a violent upheaval that causes great destruction or brings about a fundamental change; an event resulting in great loss or misfortune; a state of extreme ruin; an occurrence causing widespread destruction and distress. One of the biggest fundamental changes is the absence of God in our government and society and this is our greatest loss. Our loss is widespread and the enemy is using his weapons of mass destruction against the people. But why? Because as God's own, we've lost sight of our vision and live by our own laws, and not His.
Greater is He who is in Us
So what can we, as believers do, to thwart the disasters? How can we effect change? Can one person do it? Maybe 1 John 4:4 can give you the answer: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
One person changed and overcame the world, and He was Jesus Christ. His sacrifice on the cross empowered us to change the world also. Jesus wasn't super human', and nor are we. But He lives in us, and that means we've inherited the same Word, the same Promises, the same Presence, the same Holy SPirit, and the same ability to pray. So yes, we can single-handedly change the world, if it is God's desire for us to do so by ourselves.
Godly Order vs. Chaos
However, we've plucked God's word from every nook of life, and these unnatural disasters have become increasingly more devastating. Where once countries like the US and Canada were governed in accordance with God's Word, we've now lost the vision of His Word, and govern ourselves by our passions for violence, sexual immorality, and social anarchy. We've cast off restraints and created laws that are lawless. Take the unborn child and the "rights" of women over their own bodies. We call it choice, and have legalized murder. We call violence entertainment, and homosexuality alternative lifestyles. We call "pulling the plug" or withholding food and water from the weak, the right to die, and our right to put them out of their misery. We call famine, "their problem", and glorify sexual perversion on television.
Hello? This is disastrous! We live in two cultures, life and death. It's the culture of death or lawlessness where the people are governed by their passions; and the culture of life where the people are governed by God's Word and law. It's godly order versus chaos.
There's no Excuse
Why isn't every Christian on their knees praying and standing in the gap for lost souls, our governments, and a return to Godly values? Why aren't we praying and asking God for mercy. Why aren't we believing for our country, for the nations? Not one single Christian has an excuse big enough for not doing something to help our world return to these godly values. We have a perfect blueprint, God's word. And it doesn't condone these disastrous practices. Have we failed as Christians; as a church? Have we lost our vision and truly cast off our restraints? Our laws simply cannot supersede God's laws. His laws are not theocratic hogwash. They work. That's why our forefathers founded our countries on them. But is the world too far gone to reverse the damage?
The Most Powerful Weapon in our Arsenals
I don't think so. Prayer is a powerful way to affect change. It's the most powerful weapon we have. Mary Queen of Scots said that she feared the prayers of her nemesis, John Knox more than an army of thousands. Why? Because the enemy's armies tremble when they know we are on our knees in prayer to our Almighty God.
The king of Syria was gunning for Elisha. He sent an entire army after him in the dark of the night, and surrounded the place where he and his servant were staying. His servant awoke and looked outside and there were chariots and horses, and a great host surrounding them. It terrified him, and he trembled with fear. If ever there was a reason to be afraid, this would be it! They were trapped! But Elisha, He knew God's power, and he prayed and asked the Lord to open his servant's spiritual eyes so that he could see what Elisha saw by faith. He saw a vision of a mountain of God's power, full of horses and chariots of fire. His prayers brought God into their midst.
Change is Possible
As long as God is still on His throne, as long as He is still Almighty God, as long as we know He is still there, reigning and ruling, as long as we know that He still hears and answers prayer, as long as we keep our vision, see the mountain of God's power, and obey the law, change can become a reality.
By being faithful in prayer, we can fizzle the eye of the societal storms; rescue the lost, save the children, thwart terrorism, heal the weak, impact poverty, famine, and vie for collective change that honors God, and brings Him back into our midst where He belongs.
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