HOW CAN I BECOME A GODLY INFLUENCE ON OTHERS? (EZEK. 22:30)
THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS IS ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WHAT IT CALLS "A FEW GOOD MEN." THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE LIKEWISE SCANNING THE EARTH IN ORDER TO FIND GODLY MEN AND WOMEN WHO WILL STEP FORWARD AND USE THEIR INFLUENCE TO EXALT RIGHTEOUSNESS (SEE CHR. 16:9) WE SEE EZEKIEL, WHERE GOD SAYS, "SO I SOUGHT FOR A MAN AMONG THEM WHO WOULD MAKE A WALL, AND STAND IN THE GAP BEFORE ME ON BEHALF OF THE LAND, THAT I SHOULD NOT DESTROY IT" (EZEK. 22:30)
A "GAP" IS SOME PLACE WHERE ERROR OR FALSEHOOD HAS CREPT IN, ALLOWING SATANIC CONFUSION AND INVITING THE JUDGMENT OF GOD. SOMETIMES THESE GAPS ARE SO SERIOUS THAT THEY IMPERIL ENTIRE NATIONS. SUCH A TIME FACED ISRAEL FOLLOWING THE EXODUS; BUT THE WORD OF GOD RECORDS THIS REMARKABLE STATEMENT: "THEREFORE HE SAID THAT HE WOULD DESTROY THEM, HAD NOT MOSES HIS CHOSEN ONE STOOD BEFORE HIM IN THE BREACH, TO TURN AWAY HIS WRATH" (PS. 106:23).
FEW OF US WILL EVER BE CALLED UPON TO SAVE A NATION. BUT WE CAN BUILD UP WALLS OF PROTECTION AROUND OUR FAMILIES AND CHURCHES BY INSISTING ON SPEAKING THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD. WE CAN RESIST THE DEVIL DAILY AND REFUSE THE SENSUALITY AND PERVERSIONS OF THIS AGE. IN MOSES' DAY, ONE MAN MADE ALL THE DIFFRENCE. WHY NOT BE THE ONE WHO MAKES A DIFFRENCE TODAY?
A PROSTITUTE NAMED RAHAB MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND BECAME THE ANCESTOR OF THE MESSIAH. A WIDOW NAMED RUTH CHOSE THE GOD OF ISRAEL AND BECAME THE GREAT-GRANDMOTHER OF KING DAVID. AN INFERTILE WIFE NAMED HANNAH POURED OUT HER SOUL TO GOD AND BECAME THE MOTHER OF SAMUEL. A MAN CALLED ABRAM RESPONDED TO GOD, LEFT HIS RELATIVES BEHIND, AND BECAME THE FATHER OF ALL WHO BELIEVE. A WOMAN NAMED MARY POURED EXPENSIVE PERFUME ON JESUS' HEAD AND GAINED FOR HERSELF AN ETERNAL MONUMENT IN THE STREAM OF HISTORY.
WHO ARE THE INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF THIS EARTH? THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ALL LEAVE ALL TO FOLLOW THE LORD-MEN AND WOMEN WHO PROVE THEMSELVES TO BE "BLAMELESS AND HARMLESS, CHILDREN OF GOD WITHOUT FAULT IN THE MIDST OF A CROOKED AND PERVERSE GENERATION, AMONG WHOM [THE] SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD" (PHIL. 2:15). YOU MAY DOUBT THAT YOUR LIGHT SHINES BRIGHTLY BY THE WORLDS STANDARDS-BUT SINCE GOD CALLS YOU A LUMINARY, KEEP ON SHINING!
THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS IS ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WHAT IT CALLS "A FEW GOOD MEN." THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE LIKEWISE SCANNING THE EARTH IN ORDER TO FIND GODLY MEN AND WOMEN WHO WILL STEP FORWARD AND USE THEIR INFLUENCE TO EXALT RIGHTEOUSNESS (SEE CHR. 16:9) WE SEE EZEKIEL, WHERE GOD SAYS, "SO I SOUGHT FOR A MAN AMONG THEM WHO WOULD MAKE A WALL, AND STAND IN THE GAP BEFORE ME ON BEHALF OF THE LAND, THAT I SHOULD NOT DESTROY IT" (EZEK. 22:30)
A "GAP" IS SOME PLACE WHERE ERROR OR FALSEHOOD HAS CREPT IN, ALLOWING SATANIC CONFUSION AND INVITING THE JUDGMENT OF GOD. SOMETIMES THESE GAPS ARE SO SERIOUS THAT THEY IMPERIL ENTIRE NATIONS. SUCH A TIME FACED ISRAEL FOLLOWING THE EXODUS; BUT THE WORD OF GOD RECORDS THIS REMARKABLE STATEMENT: "THEREFORE HE SAID THAT HE WOULD DESTROY THEM, HAD NOT MOSES HIS CHOSEN ONE STOOD BEFORE HIM IN THE BREACH, TO TURN AWAY HIS WRATH" (PS. 106:23).
FEW OF US WILL EVER BE CALLED UPON TO SAVE A NATION. BUT WE CAN BUILD UP WALLS OF PROTECTION AROUND OUR FAMILIES AND CHURCHES BY INSISTING ON SPEAKING THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD. WE CAN RESIST THE DEVIL DAILY AND REFUSE THE SENSUALITY AND PERVERSIONS OF THIS AGE. IN MOSES' DAY, ONE MAN MADE ALL THE DIFFRENCE. WHY NOT BE THE ONE WHO MAKES A DIFFRENCE TODAY?
A PROSTITUTE NAMED RAHAB MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND BECAME THE ANCESTOR OF THE MESSIAH. A WIDOW NAMED RUTH CHOSE THE GOD OF ISRAEL AND BECAME THE GREAT-GRANDMOTHER OF KING DAVID. AN INFERTILE WIFE NAMED HANNAH POURED OUT HER SOUL TO GOD AND BECAME THE MOTHER OF SAMUEL. A MAN CALLED ABRAM RESPONDED TO GOD, LEFT HIS RELATIVES BEHIND, AND BECAME THE FATHER OF ALL WHO BELIEVE. A WOMAN NAMED MARY POURED EXPENSIVE PERFUME ON JESUS' HEAD AND GAINED FOR HERSELF AN ETERNAL MONUMENT IN THE STREAM OF HISTORY.
WHO ARE THE INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF THIS EARTH? THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ALL LEAVE ALL TO FOLLOW THE LORD-MEN AND WOMEN WHO PROVE THEMSELVES TO BE "BLAMELESS AND HARMLESS, CHILDREN OF GOD WITHOUT FAULT IN THE MIDST OF A CROOKED AND PERVERSE GENERATION, AMONG WHOM [THE] SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD" (PHIL. 2:15). YOU MAY DOUBT THAT YOUR LIGHT SHINES BRIGHTLY BY THE WORLDS STANDARDS-BUT SINCE GOD CALLS YOU A LUMINARY, KEEP ON SHINING!
