Want to Change the World? Here’s What You Can Do
Are You Changing Your Environment?
It's past time to take personal responsibility for the world you're living in. There's no question that most of us can't change the world. But you can change your world. And if all of us change our worlds, we'll change the world.
Some Christians have more influence than others, but we all have influence. The question is, What are you doing with the influence God has given you? Are you using it for things that will be meaningless in one hundred years, or on the one thing you can celebrate for eternity? For Christians, the only thing that will matter a hundred years is how many people are in Heaven because of your influence.
A Trip to 'Sea' the Light
Years ago Karen and I had the most amazing travel experience of our lives following the footsteps of Paul on a three-masted sailing ship called The Sea Cloud. Our voyage took us from the Isle of Patmos to Phillipi, to Turkey and the sites of the seven churches of Revelation. We toured in the coolness of the mornings, followed by on—deck lectures in the afternoons while we were under sail. It was an incredible experience.
During that trip I met a missionary pastor in Singapore who's still going strong today. She's one of the most amazing ministers I've ever met. I couldn't listen fast enough to capture all the godly wisdom that flowed out of this incredible lady. It was a moment in time when I was in the limited space of a boat with her for a week.
One of her most profound comments was also one of the simplest. We we talking about influence and how we can change the world, not just as denominations and churches, but as individuals. This brought us to the subject of being salt and light. She pointed out that salt and light only have one characteristic in common: they both change their environment. Then she said every Christian can be defined by this question: Are you changing your environment or is it changing you? Whoa! That cuts to the chase immediately. The question being asked is, Are you moving your environment closer to God or is your environment moving you further away from God? You need to ask yourself that question.
Satan's Having a Field Day
Satan is having a field day right now with most of the world following his lead. He's taking my breath away by the power he's exhibiting all over the world at the same time. With almost 80 percent of our population being unchurched and less than 6 percent of our population still holding to a biblical worldview, we're in the worst-cast scenario for the trumpet to sound with the voice of the archangel. That's when those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be called up to meet the Lord (1 Thes. 4:16) in the air to be with Him forevermore.
It's called the rapture of the church, and it could happen at any time. Matthew 24:37-39 describes it well: "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes" (NLT).
The gravity of our current situation and the clarity of Scripture collide in Matthew 7:13-14: "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it" (NLT).
Are you taking the broad path, going with the flow and doing nothing to change what's happening? The failure of the church, and most Christians, to use their influence to change our environment is what got us here. We, the church, have allowed the destruction of America -and hundreds of millions of souls—by failing to use the influence God gave us to change our environment.
This is not a political issue. The only way to change our environment is to ignite Christians to ignite America with revival, one person at a time.
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