World leaders make promises to get elected, but once in office why can't they keep them?
"WHEN I am in power, peace will prevail!" And the people prayed. "When I am in office, prosperity will rain upon everyone!" And the people cheered on the campaign. "When I am in control, the scales of equality and justice will balance for all!" And the people roared! He won the victory — and later the people cried. So the story goes. Promises, promises, promises. Why do most leaders fail to fulfill their campaign promises? Why are the hopes of the oppressed dashed? Is there any leader able to keep all of his or her promises? Is there a true champion of the people, a leader who can guarantee peace, prosperity and justice? Where is a leader worthy of our trust? We will introduce you to this able leader in this article, but first, let's see why this world's leaders cannot keep all their promises.
Good Intentions, Bad Inclinations
Privation and oppression dominate the lives of most people in this world. Flesh-and-blood human beings struggle to survive. Daily their hearts pound, sometimes from fear of civil or personal violence, sometimes from gross injustices. Pockets of hunger dot the world. In much of the Third World, those at the bottom of the social ladder catch fewer and fewer of the crumbs. And what about justice? Well, justice is often administered by the golden rule. He who has the gold makes the rule. However, a sense of duty swells within the hearts of some men to change things. They desire to stop the violence and produce peace, to eradicate poverty and radiate prosperity, to break the yoke of injustice and balance the scales of justice. Such are the noble intentions of men, but such are not the noble actions of human beings. Some men even rise to power and begin following through on their intentions, sincerely trying to change the evils of the human scene. But the problems of war, poverty and injustice are problems of the human spirit, not of policies or programs. Man has conquered the edge of outer space, but he has failed to conquer the inner space of his own spirit. So a leader finds it impossible to keep all of his promises. World leaders cannot deny the obvious lesson of nearly 6,000 years of human history as stated in Isaiah 59:8, "The way of peace they know not" (Authorized Version). What world leader today knows the way to true peace, prosperity and justice? And the only leader who could fulfill his promised hopes and dreams men rejected, and, as it were, voted against him. Who is that leader? How did humans vote against him?
The First Political Promises
Thousands of years ago, man was offered peace, prosperity and justice. This offer was made by two very different beings. One of them was honest and straightforward. He said there is a way that leads to all the things humans desired. He explained that they would have to overcome and give of themselves to accomplish it. It is not the quick and easy way, but it is the right and lasting way. He should know — he is the Creator God, who set all laws, spiritual or physical, in motion. The other would — be leader looked good, and sounded good, but he was not good. Satan was his name and making promises was his game. He too offered a way to peace, prosperity and justice. His political platform was based on acquiring the knowledge of good and evil, a mixed bag of truth and error. This idea looked good, but was rotten to the core. It represented the way of getting something for nothing. Let us listen to Satan's political pitch. First, he directs some subtle mudslinging at his opponent. He slyly tries to undermine God's credibility by asking, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (Gen. 3:1, Revised Authorized Version throughout, except where noted). God, he implies, was denying them their rights. God was unfair and harsh. In reality God never denied them access to any tree. However, God warned them of the consequences of creating one's own standards — determining good and evil for oneself — and commanded them not to take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17). Next, Satan slips in his political punch line by using the age-old ploy of promising something for nothing. Listen as he strings the first human family along: "'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it [the tree of the knowledge• of good and evil] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil'" (Gen. 3:4-5). Satan promised the first humans everything without their having to do anything. All they had to do was to reach out and TAKE. This way looked and sounded like a better deal compared with God's way of give and obedience to the Creator. Whom would they choose to be their leader? Which program would they choose to fulfill hopes and dreams? Unfortunately, the woman let her desire of something for nothing get the best of her. And her poor husband, the weak fellow, did not have the fortitude to stand up for what he knew was right (I Tim. 2:14). Adam allowed the vote of his wife Eve for Satan to go uncontested (Gen. 3:6). Satan, for that and other reasons, has been in office as world leader ever since (II Cor. 4:4), and we have experienced nothing but violence, poverty and injustice. Human leader after leader, promise after promise — all fail to bring peace, prosperity and justice.
Champion of the People
Where is the leader who can do more than just promise? Where is the leader who can guarantee peace, prosperity and justice? Believe me, he exists. The true champion of the people is about to emerge. Let me introduce you to him. This Leader is uniquely qualified — he was born to rule. When asked about his destiny to rule, he said: "'You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born...'" (John 18:37). You may be wondering, how can he succeed where others have failed? How can he solve this world's seemingly insolvable problems? It's simple. "'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts" (Zech. 4:6). God's Spirit is more powerful than all the nuclear weapons man could ever produce in a billion years. He's got the power to fulfill all his promises. You may be wondering about his motives — what does he want out of all of this? Nothing but the best for you and me. His whole purpose in life is to make us happy. He honestly and straightforwardly tells us his motives. "'The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly'" (John 10:10). Who is this daring Champion of the people? It's Jesus Christ, born to be Lord of lords and King of kings! Jesus is the Messiah, the soon-coming Ruler who will do more than just promise peace, prosperity and justice — he will bring it all about! Nothing and no one will be able to stop his program. Thousands of years ago, the prophet Isaiah declared: "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (Isa. 9:7).
The Path to Peace
Will all nations readily accept his rulership? Unfortunately not. The nations will fight Christ. The rulers of this world will not accept Christ's leadership because the only path to peace man knows is war. So Christ will give them war like they have never seen before. Truly a war to end all wars (Rev. 19:11-12). But who are the real rulers of this world? Who are they that gather the kings and their nations to fight Christ? The apostle John gives the answer: "And I saw three unclean Spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon .... For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:13-14). In the end Jesus Christ wins. Jesus Christ and his administration are ushered in while the incumbent and his administration (Satan and his demons) are banished (Rev. 20:1-3). Like in the board game Monopoly, Satan does not pass on his influence — he does not collect a single follower. The only thing he monopolizes is his miserable self. Then and only then will humans know true and lasting peace. Then international disarmament will not be just a hope — but a reality. "He shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isa. 2:4). What age-old secret will Jesus Christ use to produce peace on earth and goodwill among men? That path to peace, that way to harmony, is the way of give. It is the way the first humans rejected nearly 6,000 years ago in the garden of Eden.. Jesus Christ and his administration, composed of human beings born again as spirit beings — the very sons of God — will teach people how to give rather than get. People will practice putting the welfare of their neighbor ahead of their own. They will learn that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Jesus Christ will use a revolutionary new technique in the pursuit of peace — heart transformations! For men to follow the give path to peace, their hearts and minds must be changed. Jesus Christ declares: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36:26). The unfailing love of God will then be available to mankind (Rom. 5:5) and for the first time all the world will begin to live in peace.
The Path to Prosperity
Unshackled from the burdens of war, man under God will finally win the war on poverty. Human creativity and ingenuity will be unleashed on problems of hunger and poverty under the direction of God's government. The principle of self first will no longer be the rule of business. The cancer of greed that permeates our economic system will be cured with the medicine of loving your neighbor as you love yourself. Each person, each family, each nation will be striving to see how much it can give rather than get. The give way will transform this world from poverty to prosperity. In the great society under the rule of the kingdom of God, each person will be able to prosper because the government of God will teach people how to prosper. The approach of teaching people how to fish instead of simply giving them a fish will be applied. Everything from how to make a living to how to manage that living will be taught. The biblical principles of farming and finance when applied will cause the whole world to prosper. Since land is a vital key to prosperity, each family will be given roots in the land. Ezekiel prophesied of this prosperous time: "The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. So they will say, 'This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited'" (Ezek. 36:34-35). That's not just a PROMISE — that's a GUARANTEE. So with peace and prosperity well under way, what's next? You guessed it — justice!
Justice for All
All men, and women, may not be created equal, but all should have an equal opportunity. Jesus Christ is the true Champion of justice — the Deliverer of the oppressed! Is not this his purpose? "To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?" (Isa. 58:6). Again, Christ's give way will bring justice for all. Satan's get way is the cause of the injustice and oppression we have today. Jesus Christ is a Leader who cares for the people and a Ruler who is touched by the afflictions and the hurts of human beings. Jesus has been there. He, like most of us, was the victim of injustice: "He was oppressed and He was afflicted" (Isa. 53:7). Jesus understands. Jesus Christ will administer justice fairly — he can't be bribed. He does not care if you are rich or poor — right is right and wrong is wrong. In God's government there will be one law for all. "'One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you'" (Ex. 12:49). In God's government there will be perfect judgment. Why? you ask. Because he is able to know the hearts of men. No thought will be hidden from him. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool God any of the time. There will be nothing to demonstrate for or strike for. Everyone will be happy knowing that equity and justice fill the earth. Yes, Jesus Christ will bring justice for all. Very soon now the desire of the ages will come. Very soon now Jesus Christ will be sent to set up his kingdom. No more broken promises — no more dashed hopes. We will have a true Champion of the people — we will have the promises of peace, prosperity and justice fulfilled. Why are we so sure? "'I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it,'" we are told (Ezek. 36:36).