April 3, 2007 Mount Salem, St. James, Jamaica …. [Nigel Coke/WIU/ANN]
Stand up and uphold righteousness in society, Pastor Michael Harvey, president of the of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North Jamaica, recently challenged hundreds of members of the church and government leaders.
Pastor Harvey was speaking at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mount Salem, St. James on Saturday March 31, at a service attended by Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, her husband Errald and members of her cabinet to mark the anniversary of her first year in office as Prime Minister.
Referencing Judges 19-21 during his address, Pastor Harvey told the congregation that society cannot be guided by individual whim, but by God's standards.
“He has not left our conduct up to us and our opinions,” Harvey said. “We can avoid conforming to society's low standards by taking God's commands seriously and applying them to life. Anyone who has not submitted to God will end up doing whatever seems right at the time.”
Harvey told the government members present that God uses human government to accomplish His will.
“Government is important, and God establishes government; but rulers, senates or parliaments can't limit God,” he declared. “God is sovereign! Regardless of the form of government a nation has, Proverbs 14:34 still applies: 'Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.'”
Addressing the believers, Pastor Harvey said that when God's people are unspiritual, nations decay.
“God wants us to exert a positive influence on society,” he said. “When the church ceases to be a holy people, obedient to the Lord, the salt loses its taste and the light goes under a bushel. Compromising Christians not only hurt themselves, their families and churches, but also contribute to the decay of the whole nation,” he purported.
In her address to the congregation, the Prime Minister thanked the church for accommodating her for worship and praised the Adventist Church in Jamaica for its role in nation building.
“You Seventh-day Adventists are a constant source of inspiration,” she said. “Your faith in God is unshakeable, and your contribution to Jamaica's development especially in the areas of education, health and community outreach services is outstanding,” she added.
The Prime Minister also used the opportunity to urge the nation to practice their motto “out of many, one people” and unite for a better Jamaica. She further asked that the Adventist church continue to pray for her and the government.
Copyright (c) 2007 by Adventist News Network.
