What Is Wrong With This World?
7/25/15
This is a popular question that I personally have heard numerous times. Many people stumble over this question even though the answer to it is plain as day. The answer can prove taxing too many and to some, they shall never believe the answer. The world is under a ruler and everything revolves around this ruler so he dictates what occurs; easily I might add since he has been unabated for millennia. There is a way to stop the world from grabbing a hold of your heart and it requires one simple step. God is the answer for this world and His ways are proof that the answer works.
Another movie theater shooting graced our televisions, radios and computer screens the other evening and while the numbers of victims are considerably smaller than the previously recorded theater shooting, the results are the same, people have been injured and some have been sent to their eternal places never to have their status changed. A while back a couple of students were made famous by shooting up a school here Colorado and ever since that day the number of school shootings across the country has increased, so has the number of shootings, stabbings and other violent crimes as well. It seems like our world is becoming more violent each week even to the point where my breaking news app does not even go off any longer when these types of situations occur.
This time, the shooting occurred in another part of the country and once again the media and social media are lighting up with so many questions, rants, yells, backings and cursings that one can become overwhelmed within a few minutes just trying to find out a few details about what happened. Of course all of the sides are going to be heeded and raked over for the next few weeks making sure that every point and every voice is heard before the story eventually shadows itself with the next event to hit the waves.
As we sit, watch and listen to all of the opinions and arguments that will be given over the next few weeks or so, pay close attention to how many people refer to the true answer that everyone is trying to secure. I can almost guarantee that the true answer will not be given nor will it be brought up, especially from the mainstream media outlets. This truth that all of us “want” to have is sitting right in front of our noses, yet we continue to ignore it. We choose to ignore this truth because it draws attention to our actions and who controls the world instead of giving us an excuse or someone else to blame.
The answer lies in one passage in the Bible and it takes place during the life of Christ. If we want to be like Christ then we must proclaim the truth just as He did while He walked this earth. The specific passage is located in Matthew Chapter 4. The setting is when Jesus was being tempted by Satan and it was at this time when Jesus was fasting and was very weak; the perfect time for Satan to appear. After a few altercations with Jesus, Satan takes Jesus up on a high mountain and makes a huge claim and it is this claim that provides the answer to what is going on in the world and what is wrong with it. In verse 8 of chapter 4 it states the following: “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You fall down and worship me.””
That is a profound and bold statement by Satan but what Jesus does next is even more profound and speaks volumes because it gives the answer that is posed as the topic of this article. The portion of the verse where Satan is talking he gets very specific by using the singular word “I” in the statement “I will give You these things”. If one does not have possession of something they could not make that claim and when you are talking with the Son of God, every word that flows out of your mouth that is a lie shall be challenged immediately. But Jesus does not challenge this statement which means that Satan was actually telling the truth about the kingdoms of the world. He has control over them, enough control to give them away if he desires. And here lies the answer to the question that forms the topic of this article.
This proclamation by Satan sets the stage for what is in play concerning God and Satan. It also defines who is after what territory and who controls what territory. According to this passage Satan controls the world; it is his kingdom because one cannot get more specific than the word “I”. This means that he is not in a battle for the world for it is already his. It also means that his battle cannot be over God for he has already been cast from his position that he held due to the choices that he made. So, who or what does that leave for him to battle over? The answer to that question is, you! The battleground is not the world for it already demonstrates the spirit that controls it. There is nothing beautiful about the presence that influences the world. The scenery may be magnificent, but Satan did not create it, God did. Your life is a gift from God, Satan did not create it, God did.
It is through this passage that we must understand that while we walk in the world it is the job of God’s enemy and our enemy to promote his agenda, not God’s. It also brings to life why the world is the way it is, because our enemy hates us and he hates everything that God stands for, which includes eternal life. Satan wants nothing more than to find ways to separate us from God and while he is doing his best to accomplish this feat, God is at His wits end trying to bring His beloved creations back to Him. God does not want chaos, pain and hurt to rule and dominate our lives, He only desires peace and eternal closeness with His children.
With the participants being addressed in this passage we can confirm that there are only two kingdoms that are present. If there were a third, it would be logical for that ruler to be represented at this temptation period. This means that these two kingdoms are at war from the top down, not just over a selected few. Satan understands the importance of why Jesus was on the earth and he also understands the continuous mission that Jesus gave the Church to complete; the importance of Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection had to be fulfilled in order for our mission to ring loud and true, all the while providing a violent grace that pushes back all darkness from Satan’s defeated kingdom.
With all of the hate and anger that is harbored within Satan, the only condition that can be portrayed by his kingdom shall mimic what is in his heart. It is clear that it is his job to wreak havoc in our lives and it is also clear that we are making his job a lot easier with the choices that we are making. History is full of mistakes and if we do not begin to comprehend who actually rules this world and why the problems are occurring as they are, we are sunk no matter how hard we try to fix things. The cry from many people around the world is love and how we should love each other and that God is love. All of these things and saying are true but if we do not turn back to God the love that we will find will be filled with utter disappointment and destruction.
The progression of the human mind shall be in force because it is a gift from God. This progression will accompany the world’s philosophy if we do not understand its origins; therefore, unless we separate ourselves from the world completely, the patterns that we are witnessing today shall continue and only increase in number and in ferocity. The world promotes this chaotic setting and there is but only one way out of it and that is through God alone.
The Bible points out the origins of why the world is in trouble very clearly. The Bible is the literal Word of God and the primary source of our defense against our eternal enemy. It is important that we begin to study the Bible more effectively and stop trying to pick and choose its content to satisfy our whimsical ideas, hang-ups and habits. Take to heart what God has said and what is going on within the world. The choice is yours to make. The world shall not change, for its ruler loves its destructive ways and as long as we continue to accept these ways, there will be only one outcome that will be presented and that is death and destruction on all levels. God is calling His children back to Him and for those who listen to His voice they are guaranteed peace, hope, love and separation from this destructive world and its ruler. Allow God to restore you in the most utmost manner, for it is His desire to grant this to you.
If we allow God to be #1 in our lives again we will never have to sit and wonder or even ponder the question that defines the topic of this article again, for the truth will be known to all that believe and understand. But if we choose not to heed this truth then we shall always be baffled at the truth that the world has to offer. The king of this world said it himself as to what was in play, God loves you, Satan does not. Keep this truth in your mind as you think about what God has shared with us. And this passage also serves as the foundation as to why we are told to be separate from the world.
DLB
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