29-09-2006, 01:42 PM
I am reading a book at the moment: "The Book that Transforms Nations - The Power of the Bible to Change Any Nation" by Loren Cunningham.
Something I read last night caught my attention.... here it is:
"Responsible choices and behaviour are called righteousness. Irresponsibility is called sin. The Book teaches us throughout its pages that whenever people obey God, they receive certain blessings. When they disobey they receive cursus.
When we hear words such as "blessings" or "curses", we may imagine God stepping in each time to bring these about. Instead, I believe it is the law of sowing and reaping. Certain actions bring certain results, automatically. Even organically.
Think of responsibility as "response according to one's ability to obey the truth." Protesters often call for more rights, for more authority. But have you ever seen a crowd of demonstrators shouting for more responsibility? Usually we want good fruit without good roots.
Picture a nation as a tree, with common beliefs as its root system. From those roots grow the trunk - the nation's values. The tree's branches are laws, policies, and practices. The leaves are various forms of cultural expression. Finallly, the fruit is produced - either freedom and prosperity, or bondage and poverty.
Can you count the number of seeds in a fruit? Yes. But you cannot count the potential fruit in a seed. The fruit of the tree - the multiplication of blessings or cursus - comes from the roots and the trunk - the belief system and values of a country. A belief system held by a critical number of the population can bring either the benefits of truth or the ruin of lies.
In recent years we have seen more and more countries wanting to become democracies. But for democracy to work, it must have responsible citizens. You cannot enjoy the fruits of democracy without the roots and trunk of biblical truth and morality. In order for democracy to function, a country must have a critical number of citizens relying on the Word of God as their manual for government and every part of society."
Just something to think about this Friday afternoon
Something I read last night caught my attention.... here it is:
"Responsible choices and behaviour are called righteousness. Irresponsibility is called sin. The Book teaches us throughout its pages that whenever people obey God, they receive certain blessings. When they disobey they receive cursus.
When we hear words such as "blessings" or "curses", we may imagine God stepping in each time to bring these about. Instead, I believe it is the law of sowing and reaping. Certain actions bring certain results, automatically. Even organically.
Think of responsibility as "response according to one's ability to obey the truth." Protesters often call for more rights, for more authority. But have you ever seen a crowd of demonstrators shouting for more responsibility? Usually we want good fruit without good roots.
Picture a nation as a tree, with common beliefs as its root system. From those roots grow the trunk - the nation's values. The tree's branches are laws, policies, and practices. The leaves are various forms of cultural expression. Finallly, the fruit is produced - either freedom and prosperity, or bondage and poverty.
Can you count the number of seeds in a fruit? Yes. But you cannot count the potential fruit in a seed. The fruit of the tree - the multiplication of blessings or cursus - comes from the roots and the trunk - the belief system and values of a country. A belief system held by a critical number of the population can bring either the benefits of truth or the ruin of lies.
In recent years we have seen more and more countries wanting to become democracies. But for democracy to work, it must have responsible citizens. You cannot enjoy the fruits of democracy without the roots and trunk of biblical truth and morality. In order for democracy to function, a country must have a critical number of citizens relying on the Word of God as their manual for government and every part of society."
Just something to think about this Friday afternoon
