Lately, if you pick up the local paper you read about the number of people who have been convicted or indicted for fraud in the Las Vegas housing market.  Realtors, attorneys, prominent citizens, mortgage companies, HOA members and the list go on.  Have you wondered why prices skyrocketed up to 2008?  People were being encouraged to buy houses they couldn’t possibly afford. If you could breath and sign your name you could get a loan.  Plus, you have people buying multiple homes for the sole purpose to hold for a few months and then flip them.  The credit flood gates were wide-open and unscrupulous individuals took advantage and made, sometimes millions of dollars.  Society became so self-centered, greedy and immoral that it seemed anything goes.  What kind of a world are we leaving for the next few generations?

Isn’t it about time people start to change their previous behavior?  How do we start to change things?  If everyone in the world were like you, what kind of a world would we have?  Christ came to give us the example that would change the world’s attitude, principles and values and He did.  Now, it seems to be changing.  Christians should have a positive spiritual attitude which comes from knowledge and faith.  With Biblical knowledge comes spiritual wisdom.  The wiser and more informed a believer becomes, by understanding the Trinity, the more dependent we are on God, resulting in being more spiritual.  Christ asked that each Christian share the Gospel throughout the world.  Are we, as Christians, living as examples that can change the world?

Romans 8:5 – “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”  Isn’t this part of the problem?  People’s minds are focused on what the flesh desires and not on the Spirit?  If you were to check, what is it that you focus on?

Those without Christ are unable to subject themselves to God as God intended.  I Corinthians 2:14 – “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

Our mind-set and how we live not only determines eternity, but our quality of life on earth.  Those accepting the Holy Spirit can receive a life of peace and joy.  The Holy Spirit brings freedom and if we don’t have peace, joy or freedom then we are relying on ourselves and not trusting God for our needs.  The lack of peace, joy and freedom are missing in too many Christians.  You may have the Holy Spirit but may be allowing your self-centered nature to control you rather than the Holy Spirit.

How does the world really see us as Christians?  Do they see a Christian living a worldly life having little if any influence on others?  Or are we living as the Bible instructs?  Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our behavior and influence others at home or on the job?  Did you play, maybe an insignificant role in the Las Vegas housing problem and now find yourself tremendously underwater?   Now your dilemma is: “What is the moral thing to do”?

The Bible repeatedly tells us to take on a new role, in a new direction, with a new way of thinking, led by the Holy Spirit.  Just think—what if every new convert and every Christian had done as commanded and spread the Gospel. Could it not have changed the world?  This is why Christ formed the church, in order for God’s message to be shared with the world and the world could be filled with freedom, joy, peace, love and morality.  Christians and the church failed to complete their mission as Christ planned and instructed.  Satan and his churches may have done a greater job of rejecting Christianity and therefore, influencing the world against Christ and Christians.

Is it too late?  Is the world lost and without hope for God to intervene?  Or has Satan deceived and hardened the hearts of just too many? Have you recently felt unworthy because of some of the actions you have had to make when it comes to a credit problem?  Regardless, we must discipline ourselves and give up self-control, the likely thing that got us into trouble, and now start trusting in God.  We then must allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.  There will always be a struggle between our self-centered desires and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  To some degree our failures and an unwillingness to give up control have stopped us from witnessing.  The result may have allowed guilt to keep us from testifying and sharing the Gospel with others.

While on this earth, as Christians, we have been commanded to share Christ with the purpose of changing the thinking and behavior of the world.  For years, our church’s mission was to evangelize Las Vegas and beyond.  No matter where you live, that is what we have been commanded to do as Christians.  We must change the world, one person at a time.  If you haven’t already started, it isn’t too late to start.  Always keep in mind that the world watches a Christians every move and we are to live to please God.  Otherwise the world will only get worse.