Can you transform a city?

Can you change a city and bring down the crime rate?
Can you bring down violence in a city?
Can you transform a city into one with empty prisons, as criminals don’t exist?

Can you break the chains over drug addicts?
Can you give their lives a purpose, meaning, and great joy?

Can family breakups in a city be reduced?
Can families become a place where love abounds, encouragement thrives, and protection shields?
Can peace, joy, and unity in families be increased?

Can peace, harmony, and joy in a city be increased?
Can the kindness of citizens be increased?
Can greed, covetousness, and evil be banished from a city?

We cannot do these on our own, but partnering with God, any of us can take up this challenge to transform a city.
Here are a few reasons why we say you and I can. Click to dive deep and be convinced. Start to celebrate with Jesus when you start seeing the results.

1) A righteous man changes the city’s destiny
2) A determined woman prevents the destruction of a city
3) Can ethnic* cleansing be stopped? 
4) A woman became God’s channel for salvation for a whole city
5) A man stopped all filthy talk, drunkenness, and crime in a city
 

1) A righteous man changes the city’s destiny

Abraham and his nephew Lot had left from Haran in modern-day Iraq.
But because of their abundant cattle and the many herdsmen who were quarreling, Lot wanted to part ways with Abraham.
Lot went ahead and stayed in Sodom and Gomorrah. But as wickedness increased beyond every imagination, God had decided to judge this city. But God chose to inform his friend Abraham. Abraham was a righteous man, seeking God and always diligent in obeying God’s instructions.

When God informed Abraham of His judgment to destroy the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham was alerted.

He knew his nephew Lot stayed in the city. Abraham desired to explore if in any way the city could be saved from destruction.

He asked God if 50 righteous people were in the city, could the judgment of destruction be averted. As the city did not have 50 righteous people, God was deciding to go ahead and judge the city, thereby destroying the city. But Abraham did not give up and started negotiating with God. But this time, he asked God if the judgment could be avoided if a lesser number of righteous people were available. This negotiation went on until Abraham discovered that the city was low in numbers.

So the city could not be saved from the judgment. Yes, when a city lacked 10 righteous people, the judgment and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah could have been averted.

Lot and his family were escorted and brought out of the city, as Lot was Abraham’s nephew.

Note that the city had much possibility of avoiding judgment and destruction because of Abraham. From 50 righteous persons, God was willing to avoid destruction even if 10 righteous persons were inhabiting the city. We can see that Abraham – a friend of God – had the privilege to save the city from destruction.

Ponder on this:
Can you become a friend of God?
Do you remain still? Can you not be busy in many matters to hear from God for a city that you love?

Extra
In another instance, the wickedness in man had brought about a disaster on the earth. We read The wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” This grieved God. We read, “And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Genesis 6:6 NKJV.

But one man and his family were set aside. The flood at Noah’s time was the Lord’s mercy so that all of mankind would not slide into evil. The flood was a reset for mankind.
 

2) A determined woman prevents the destruction of a city

Sheba, a wicked man during the time when David ruled, tried to start a rebellion against King David. Sheba blew a trumpet and declared the northern tribes did not have any role in David’s kingdom. Thus, he was causing some of the people of Israel to desert the king. After Absalom’s rebellion, Sheba saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of the situation to split the nation. At that time, only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David. David orders his commanders to pursue Sheba. Joab, one of David’s commanders, tracked Sheba to the city of Abel Beth Maakah. They laid siege to the city.

To save the city from destruction, a wise woman whose name is not known tries to prevent the attack on the city by Joab and his army. Joab was doing so in obedience to King David’s order to capture Sheba the wicked man. She then sought the help of fellow citizens to capture Sheba and behead him. Then the wicked man Sheba’s head was thrown over the wall as proof that Sheba was killed. The siege and the impending attack on the city of Abel Beth Maakah were called off.

So a wise lady whose name is not known prevented the attack on the city.

One person can make a difference. If she had remained silent, many in the city would have lost their lives and properties in the attack from King David’s army.

This lady had wanted to avoid a possible war and destruction. She sprung up into action. She did not have any formal authority. She had only a love for the city.

Ponder on this:
Do you love any city dearly? Any one city?

Are you disturbed by any issues that a city is facing? Be it drugs and substance abuse or any injustice in God’s perspective? Whatever it is that you are concerned about.

You can start by praying for the evil situations to be uprooted from the city.

As you pray, the Lord will lead you to further strategies.
 

3) Can ethnic* cleansing be stopped? (*killing any group/category of people)

In south western Persia (modern-day Iran), in a country of Shushan, near the foot of the Zagros mountain, lived an ordinary girl who lost her parents when she was young, but her uncle took good care of her. Due to unusual circumstances, her kindness and graciousness to those around her and her graciousness made a path for her. Her uncle had nurtured faith in God in her. Both saw possibilities in and through God, although their circumstances were limiting. She grew in favor with people around her, and ultimately, she became the queen of the country.

But an evil man was also increasing in favor with the king of the land. This girl who was the queen had a choice to speak up or be silent. If she chooses to be silent, she would be protected for a while, but in the long run, its effect was not known. It was certain death and destruction for the people of her ethnicity in the country.
But if she chose to speak, in the immediate future, she risked her life, but the probability that she and people with her ethnic background could be protected, saved from destruction emerged.

Her uncles’ training and upbringing in obeying the laws and commandments of the Living God during her growing years guided her throughout her life. The hope and expectation from the promises of the living God was a greater reality for her than the evil circumstances that were surrounding her!

She decided to risk her life and take a chance to protect and save her people. One person saved the people of her ethnic background from death and destruction in the whole country. This was certainly the foreshadowing of the New Testament. But that is for you to discover, not for this article to explain.

The lady is Queen Esther. You can read more about her in the Old Testament portion of the Holy Bible in the book of Esther. She saved the Jews from death and destruction by the evil man Haman. She was not a queen or a princess when she was born. Her uncle’s name was Moderchai.

Ponder on this:
Stewarding the present moment, the present phase of life is most important. Moderchai carried out the responsibility of bringing up the child, his niece, who went through tragic circumstances of losing both her parents. He brought up obeying the laws and the commandments. He brought her up with hope and expectation from God’s promises.

Can you directly or indirectly influence children within your near or extended family? Or children in your immediate or wider friends circle? If your life, behavior, or conversations are not a good influence, is it not time you change them?

If you are like the girl in the above passage, God will lead you to become a responsible adult in your future. You may become a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, a wife, a mother, a nurse, a ballet teacher, or a princess, a prime minister? Whatever you become, will you stand for justice? Will you speak up?
 

4) A woman became God’s channel for the salvation of a whole city

She was most probably beautiful. Certainly youthful and good-looking. At the height of mid-noon, she stepped outside. So she could avoid meeting people. She married four or more times – the count is not an important aspect of this article.

She was disciplined; consistently at mid-noon, she came to the well to draw water. She was the talk of the town probably because she had many men. But she most certainly had an ardent desire to seek and know God. She knew the scriptures to some extent. Like many of us or like many around us, she had a struggle within her between spiritual yearnings and the desires of the flesh.

But Jesus decided to bless her with an encounter, change and transform her life. He who was to go one way decided to go via Samaria by the well of Joseph. He knew the potential of taking this route on that day, as He always heard His father.

Jesus saw her potential. He saw beyond the many men in her life. Jesus had heard a cry for significance from her. Jesus heard her silent cry about the emptiness. Jesus heard her confession that having many men had not satisfied her, but left her high and dry.

Jesus heard her thirst for God that was deep down within her. She spoke about it. The woman said to Him. ” I know the Messiah is coming. (who is called Christ) “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” (John 4:25 NKJV)

After she had declined offering water to Jesus from the well of Samaria, she was amazed at discovering that Jesus offered instead living water.

Once, Jesus told all about her past and present man in her life without her letting him know; she was on cloud nine.

She could not contain her great joy knowing about God’s great love for her. She could not ever imagine, fathom, or understand why the God of the universe had considered her and poured out His love and loving kindness and considered her as the apple of His eye.

She left her water jar at the well and ran throughout the city and told all the citizens about Jesus Christ, the Savior, the Messiah, having come to the well.

Knowing the scriptures, hearing the Word of Knowledge from Jesus about her colorful past and present, the encounter with love and kindness of Jesus broke the chains of shame she was limited by. She rose to the full potential she was born for – she became the first evangelist mentioned in the Bible. In the Gospel according to John, verses 39 and 40 show that many in the city believed in Jesus and received salvation.

Ponder on this
The past life was not a limitation for the lady to be used by God. Same case with you and me. Irrespective of our past, when we receive His loving kindness, all limitations are broken off from us. We get catapulted into God’s will for our life – all this above and beyond the limitations that had limited us – limitations from our past/resent life.

So step into the possibilities God has for you. You are not defined by your past.
 

5) A man stopped filthy talk, drunkenness, and crime in a city

Evan Roberts was born in 1878, in Wales, part of the modern-day United Kingdom. He started working in the coal mines when he was 12. For a decade, he prayed constantly for spiritual revival in Wales.

He used no notes for preaching. He spoke from his heart for repentance. His focus was on four points:
i) confession of sins to God,
ii) letting go of all habits that displease God,
iii) obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit promptly,
iv) confession of the name and faith in Jesus Christ.

The spiritual revival transformed the community.
1) Crime decreased – Police workload decreased as fights and fierce arguments decreased
2) Drunkenness decreased, bars lost much business, and some of them closed
3) People took initiatives and cleared debts on their own
4) This anecdote is often spoken and is most likely to be true. The ponies that were used in coal mines, which were used to swear words to direct the donkey for navigation, were confused as the people started speaking wholesome words

Ponder on this
Even Robert was on it for many years – praying consistently for 10 years – while earnestly desiring change and revival. The way the community transformed is just remarkable.
As this is so reachable, let us earnestly desire this and pursue this. Which is the city or town you love most? What aspects would you like to change by partnering with God?
Isn’t this a great opportunity available to each one of us?
If each of us reading this blog decides one city each for our daily earnest prayers consistently for years, we will make the world a better place.