The Next Government

The Next Government

November 7, 2016

Romans 13:1  "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God."

The Lord is in charge of anything and everything that matters and even the things that don't seem to matter.  He is in control and has never left His throne.  There is no one or thing that can usurp His authority or establish any government without His permission.  Nothing fashioned against Him will prevail and nothing comes as a surprise to Him.  If anything happens it is because He has willed it or allowed it to take place.  This was true ten thousand years ago; this was true last year and this will still remain true this next coming week.  No matter what happens this next coming week, the Lord has either willed it to happen or allowed it to happen as a direct result of our own choices, decisions, or behaviors.

Scripture says there is no government established on earth that has not been established (allowed) by the Lord your God.  Scripture further states we are to submit to that government, willfully submit.  This is your opportunity to demonstrate your Christianity, your willingness to follow the Lord your God.  Is the government in control over your life or is the Lord in control over your life?  Does the government's rule reign over you or does the Lord's rule reign over you?  Whom should you fear and respect more, the established government or the one who establishes the governments?  He is the one who establishes governments, the current government and the one to come, and the one far in to the future.

Does this mean you should lay down and roll over and let be what will be?  Absolutely not.  If something is within your power and authority then it is within your God-given duty to discharge that with excellence.  If you are in charge, then administer laws in service to the King of Kings.  If your only influence is the ability to vote, then vote as if you were voting on behalf of the King of Kings.  If you have significant influence or less than a you'd want, in either case you have the authority under Heaven and earth to at least pray.  Pray with all your might, for the government in power and the one that will be in power when your children become adults.  If you don't like the government, then submit to it's rule and pray.  If you've been granted the ability to change that government, then I suggest you change it for the Lord after you've prayed.  Then pray for it once it is established.

If you chose not to submit to your government,the government the Lord has established, then you've eliminated your option to complain about it.  If you didn't serve in changing that government when given the opportunity, then you've eliminated your option to complain about it.  If you didn't even exercise your ability to vote or pray for it, then you've eliminated your option to complain about it.  Actually, if you are a Christian, you've eliminated your option to complain about it.  Whatever happens to the government, the one established this week or in the next ten years, submit to the Lord, then submit to the government.  The Lord is still in control, over your life and the government that is over your life.  He is still on His throne, both now and for eternity.

The next government is the one established by the Lord. 

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Josh 1:9, Ps 23:4, Ps 27:1, Ps 139:5, Pr 21:30, Pr 29:25, Phil 4:6, Is 9:6, 1 Peter 3:14, 1 Peter 5:6-7 

No Advice

No Advice

October 31, 2016

John 21:6  "He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.'  When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."

Peter was a fisherman.  It is true that Peter eventually became one of the most prominent Christian evangelists of all time, but by trade, by training, he was a fisherman.  Back in Peter's time, there were no schools you could attend to learn your craft; you learned by apprenticeship most likely from your father.  Peter learned to fish when he was considered a youth, during his apprenticeship, and then honed his craft as he got older.  While I do not know what level of skill he ever achieved, I'd say you could call him a true professional at fishing.  He knew his stuff, his job.  Conversely, Jesus was trained as a carpenter.  Before Jesus ever healed someone, he honed his personal craft as a carpenter.  As a child, his father taught him about working with wood and I'd venture to guess, as soon as he could hold a hammer, he was driving nails.  Fishing and carpentry have very little in common.  In fact, you could probably say carpentry and fishing are almost completely opposite fields, with no crossover.

Despite the opposing fields of carpentry and fishing, Peter and Jesus started on an unique friendship that was centered around their belief and dedication to God.  A carpenter and a fisherman only talked about the Heavenly Father.  One day, Peter and a few fellow expert fisherman had fished all through the night and caught nothing.  fish at night with nets so the fish aren't spooked away by what is exposed by the daylight.  But daybreak came and it was highly improbable a fish was going to get caught (if a fish hadn't already been caught).  Enter Jesus, the expert carpenter.  From the shoreline, the carpenter called out to the fishermen who were finishing up and about to head in, calling it quits.  The carpenter advised the fisherman to try again, but this time to cast their net on the other side of the boat.  Pause and realize what just happened.  A carpenter was telling a group of expert fishermen to change their tactic and try it his way just one time.  I can imagine all the fishermen on the boat, secretly rolling their eyes regarding the advice from a carpenter.  I know very few experts, when among their colleagues, would heed the advice from someone else not in their field of study.  It goes against everything an expert stands for.

Peter, the expert fisherman, didn't need fishing advice from Jesus, the expert carpenter, but he took it anyway.  Jesus was right and they caught a record number of fish in just one cast.  This speaks to Peter's trust in the word of Jesus, not as a carpenter but as the miracle working God incarnate.  Peter wasn't trusting in the advice from a carpenter; he was trusting in the advice from the Word, God's own Son.  Maybe Jesus doesn't speak audibly to you today, but you've been given somewhere to go for advice, God's Word.  If you are without a fresh word, needing advice or not, you may consult your Bible.  Before you suggest you are an expert on anything, you should consult the Lord and then His Scriptures.  I don't care how advanced you are in your field, if there is a recommendation found in the Bible, and it goes against what you've learned in your modern day education, you should follow the advice of the Bible.

The Bible is full of wisdom that goes against the face of mainstream thought and worldly expert advice.  The world says to save your money, store it up and keep it all to yourself.  But the Word of God says to give and then it will be given to you, that you should store up for yourself treasures in Heaven.  The world says you should demand payment from those who owe you (emotionally, physically, and spiritually), but the Word says you should forgive and even turn the other cheek.  The World says you should try every deceitful tactic in order to win in a court of law and manipulate the jury, but the Word says you should give honest testimony, not covering up the truth.  The world says to divorce the spouse that you have fallen out of love with so you can follow your heart, but the Bible says you should be faithful to your spouse.

As you get to know His Word, you'll learn how to trust His advice even when it goes against your conventional training.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Pr 12:17, Matt 5:32, Matt 5:59, Matt 6:14, Matt 6:19-21, Matt 6:33, Lk 5:4, Lk 6:38, James 5:14-15

Stick Your Neck Out

Stick Your Neck Out

October 24, 2016

1 Corinthians 1:1  "Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes. . ."

You did not raise yourself in the woods.  There were may significant people who are to be given credit for helping to make you who you are today.  Sure, you are responsible for making mature decisions, but other people have put themselves in the line of fire, taking risks, for making a significant impact on your life.  You are not an island and did not happen by yourself.  There is no shame in giving credit for the help others have given in support of your life, those who propelled you forward.  Even the Apostle Paul, a significant leader, could not have made it without the impact of others, especially someone who risked his life for him.  Paul needed someone to stick his neck out for him, literally.  Sosthenes, a man with a seemingly funny name, was beaten, almost killed, because he took a stand for Paul and Paul's ministry.

Paul, a Jew, was a religious man who first persecuted Christians to the point of death.  Then Paul became a convert to Christianity, himself.  Being a Christian was not popular, especially if you were a Jewish Christian.  To add to being unpopular, you certainly didn't try to make friends by trying to proclaim Christianity to other Jews.  But Paul risked his life, encouraged by the Holy Spirit to do so, and stayed in Corinth, reasoning with the other Jews for over a year, even on the Sabbath day.  It should be noted the Synagogue leader had to the legal authority and the power to make your life difficult if you were teaching anything contrary to their beliefs, which is exactly what Paul was preaching.  The Synagogue's leader was Sosthenes.  Apparently Sosthenes let Paul speak, and evidently even listened to him on more than one occasion.  Then things came to a head.  Paul was challenged in a court proceeding and the Synagogue leader, Sosthenes, refused to press charges.  Paul was allowed to go unharmed, while Sosthenes was beaten by the mob because they disagreed with Sosthenes leadership.

Sosthenes had the authority to have Paul flogged and possibly put to death for heresy, and yet did nothing.  The mob, gave Sosthenes Paul's intended beating.  Sosthenes saved Paul's life, risking his own.  Sosthenes was on his way to becoming a believer when he stuck his neck out for Paul.  Thankfully, Sosthenes didn't die that day and actually did become a believer.  It should have been Sosthenes who thanked Paul for leading him to salvation, but instead Paul credited Sosthenes for his own ministry.  In an open letter to the church in Corinth, the church Paul started while there, Paul thanked God first and then Sosthenes second.  If Sosthenes had prosecuted Paul that day, Paul could have been led off to his death.  Paul could not have made it out alive without Sosthenes.

You, too, have someone like Sosthenes in your life, who has risked much for your benefit.  You could not be who you are today without that significant person in your life.  Someone has stuck his neck out for you.  Sosthenes thought Paul's ministry was worth it, that Paul was worth it.  Someone thought you were worth it, too.  I have a few questions for your you.  Were you worth it; was that person's risk in vain?  What did you do with that person's risk or sacrifice on your behalf?  Are you willing to stick your neck out for someone else in return?  Give some credit to him who stuck his neck out for you.  Be a hero and do the same for someone else when it matters.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Acts 18