davidbowerkingwood

“Throw a dart at the map of the world and you are likely to hit a nation where corruption is influencing current events.”

I, along with many others, have discovered an interesting writer by the name of Alan Caruba; he writes regularly for “RenewAmerica” and in an article named “The other cause of terrorism” dated February 4, 2015, Mr. Caruba, who wrote the headline sentence, discussed the impact of widespread corruption on terrorist activities around the world.

Corruption impacts every nation and every people to some degree; those of us who live in the United States can certainly see corruption at work in many of our institutions both public and private and may well wonder to what extent corruption has impacted our national response to terrorist activities at home and abroad.

Mr. Caruba wrote, “By the time the Founders came together to create the U.S. Constitution, they had been well-schooled and experienced in what it would require to keep corruption at bay with a government whose powers were limited and divided among executive, legislative, and judicial branches.”

In George Washington’s Farewell Address he spoke these words:

“Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason, and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” …”It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”..Washington’s Farewell Address, Sept. 17, 1796

We have turned our national back on God and the Bible and although a solid foundation had been laid, time and corruption have resulted in the growing power of a centralized government that threatens to destroy this nation as a constitutional republic; by disregarding Biblical principles we have let the same lust for power that has historically destroyed great nations in the past now begin to destroy ours.

The Root Cause of the Problem

The relevancy of Christianity, Christ, and the Bible is now being challenged in most Western Nations including the United States. What a tragedy the only clear source of information on the cause of the world’s problems and the one remedy that works is being discarded as irrelevant and, as a result, the problem is growing in scope and intensity as more and more time passes. Terrorism is but one of the symptoms that have emerged as the root cause continues to be ignored.

This root cause of man’s problems is his fallen, sin nature and his dead spirit. The Bible teaches us that all mankind died in Adam and that all of us with human fathers are born spiritually dead.

The one and only solution to that problem is to be born again and only by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior can that be achieved. Trying to deal with any of the symptoms without dealing with the problem is a pathetic exercise in futility.

From the Frying Pan into the Fire

Mr. Caruba’s article points out how many people are turning to Islam because it seems to offer a solution to the symptoms of corruption. He writes:

“Why then should we be surprised that many throughout the Middle East have turned to Islam to address the problems they encounter from the corruption of their governments?”Lured by militant advocates of a religious ordering of human affairs, they will seek to roll back four hundred years of political history.”

Sadly that is too similar to “jumping from the frying pan into the fire.” Those who turn to Islam for an answer are simply switching forms of corruption and terror.

While Mr. Caruba’s article is an excellent diagnostic piece he stops short of describing a solution to the problem that will really work and concludes the article with the following:

“The role of corruption in the nations experiencing Islamic terrorism cannot be underestimated. Its role in the conduct of the world’s affairs is huge and a constant threat whose many forms must be understood, addressed, and eliminated to the greatest degree possible.”

While that is all true, there is nothing there on how it can be accomplished; the problem is spiritual, not economic or political and must be addressed at the spiritual level.

Just as the Lord Jesus Christ told Nicodemus, “You must be born again,” the only answer is the new birth, a birth that brings spiritual life and delivers from spiritual death.

Human Depravity

The fallen nature of man is capable of terrible things; we have recently seen that demonstrated in the Middle East where a young man was burned alive. The Bible warns us that as we approach the end of days the situation will only get worse. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 it is written:

“3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

I believe we are living in those times and watching prophetic events develop on a world-wide scale. As bad as things seem to be getting the Bible tells us they will get worse; right now God, the Holy Spirit, is still suppressing the worst manifestations of sin and will continue to do so until the church is removed by the rapture.

The Final Gathering of the Sheep?

Even as these terrible things are happening there is a wondrous movement around the world with thousands of people turning to Christ and being born again by faith. We are seeing this in the most unlikely places all around the world. Christ is calling His sheep and they are hearing His voice and responding to the call.

I think it possible that this age of grace, which has now lasted almost 2,000 years, may soon come to an end but I have no idea whether we’re talking about 2 years or 200 years; only the Lord knows.

Regardless of what happens or when it happens we have clear instructions from the Lord on what our attitude should be:

^“4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4-9

When God’s hand begings to move it can move with blinding speed; I believe we are seeing the hand of God at work in the affairs of men in a manner unprecedented in the experience of anyone living today! As for us, we should…

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!