Month: August 2015

From sheep to sons

Re: Verse reading–Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Hebrews 13:17-18 (day one)

” He gave. . . some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints. . .until we all attain to the unity of the faith. . .to a mature man. . .the measure. . .which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”–Ephesians 4:11-13.

It begins low, but ends high.  God’s vision for the human race.  First we are sheep.  Helpless/foolish.  Then, in salvation, we become saints. Eventually, by His grace, we attain unity, maturity as sons of the Most High!  “Conformed to the image of His Son” shouts the scripture!  No longer infants.  Stable. Strong.  Loving. God’s provision toward this miraculous transformation is to send shepherds.  (Pastor means shepherd in the original language).  Pastors protect/feed sheep, but they also equip/lead lead them toward maturity.  At the end of life, it won’t matter who your Pastor was.  It WILL matter whether you gained strength from him/her to get forward on the road from being a sheep to a son.

A prayer for good government (and good Christians)

Re: Verse reading–Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (day seven)

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, SO THAT WE MAY LEAD A QUIET AND PEACEABLE LIFE IN ALL GODLINESS AND DIGNITY.”–1 Timothy 2:1-2.  “In this world nothing is certain, except death and taxes”–Benjamin Franklin.  No avoiding it. Government is a given!  So, the Bible tells us to pray for those who govern with an eye to the way God uses them to provide things we need to get on with the business of living godly lives.  To the believer, government is incidental, the larger goal is holiness! Will you, today, thank God for the roads, the armed forces, the economic opportunities that we enjoy in this nation?  Will you pray for those who work hard to provides these privileges?  Will you, then, pray for yourself the grace to get forward in a life of holiness?

Collision Course

Re: Verse reading–Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (day five)

Romans 13 begins to address the other side of the great collision between the Christian and Culture.  In Romans 12, Paul writes the words that are SO familiar to many Christians.  “Do not be conformed to this world”.  So the tension and collision are created.  The natural question the believers in Rome would ask is, “What do we do with Caesar?”  “Do we support him?”  So in chapter 13 Paul anticipates and answers.  (By the way, Jesus had the same tension and same questions asked of Him.)

2 insights from this passage help navigate the tension.  1- We must remember that where we live and where we belong are different (Philippians 3:20).  Paul uses the concept of “authority” to point this out.  2- Humility and Submission are often the ways that people see and sense our faith and love for God. (1 Peter 2:13-15)

John Piper comments. “Paul risked being misunderstood on the side of submission because he saw pride as a greater danger to Christians than government injustice.“

How Do We Respond?

Re: Verse reading–Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (day four) 

Is civil government autonomous from God?  Can they do what they want and we are commanded to obey?  Government is not equal to God, it is in subjection to Him.  If government commands against God’s commands, it has abdicated its authority.  The blood of the martyrs, who stood for truth against the tyranny of their nations, speaks in testimony.  If the government is autonomous from God, they are exalted to a position equal to or greater than Him…that’s called idolatry.  No prayer in school, abortion on demand, redefinition of marriage and the family, or parental rights given over to the state…do we obey God or man?  How do we respond?  Paul writes to Timothy that first it is a call to prayer.  “Prayers are to be made on behalf of all men, for kings and for all in authority…”  Have we made and are we continuing to make the first step?

Steward

Re: Verse reading–Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (day three)

“The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Here’s a question: Do you listen to the voices of MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, the New Republic, National Review, etc., with a mind shaped by the Bible—or do you listen to the Bible through a mind shaped by one of those voices?  Which is it?  When our nation is wounded by flaws in our governing entities, let’s let the Bible be the first responder to our souls.  That way, we become people who remain concerned with how we can steward together the system of authority God has placed over us.

We the People…

Re: Verse reading–Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (day two)

Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:7

Can you tell that I’ve been listening to Christmas music lately? This Messianic prophecy from Isaiah tells us that there will be an incorruptible everlasting form of government, but not one ruled or established by men. Our best thoughts, our greatest minds have tried to construct ways to fairly govern people since the beginning of civilization. Most educators would agree that students need some sort of structure to succeed. What is acceptable and what is not. How to behave and the consequence for disobedience. In exchange students should feel reasonably safe, they should expect a quality education. This is what we should expect from our government. A system to follow with the expectation of safety. However, even in the most enlightened societies, they are run by fallen people. Even fallen people with the best ideals are still fallen. God’s system is flawless. His promise to be just and righteous is made to all. We must model our lives, our actions, and our obedience to await that perfect government.

Who governs the government?

Re: Verse reading–Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (day one)  

Christians are a paradox where government is concerned.  Sometimes we are patriots.  Sometimes we are rebels.  The Bible teaches us to be” subject to the governing authorities”. (Romans 13:1)  We are to pay taxes.  We are to show respect, give honor.  (13:6)  But, to whom is government subject? God! The mandate that government holds comes from Him, not from any popular vote.  It is for this reason that Christians, over the course of history, have had no ache of conscience in disobeying government when to do so constituted disobedience to God.  “We must obey God, rather then men” said Peter and John in Acts 4:19. When government oversteps its authority, it loses its authority–that’s what we believe.  “The government is merely a servant.  It cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what it wrong, who the patriot is and who isn’t.  Its function is to obey orders, not to give them.”–Mark Twain.

Let it go

RE Verse reading–Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-25; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; Titus 2:9-11 (day seven)  “Six days shall you labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.”–Exodus 20:9-10.  Unless you’ve been on another planet for the past few years, you have heard (or heard of) the Disney movie, “Frozen” and the featured song, “Let it go”.  As Queen Elsa “lets go” of her fears to embrace her strengths, believers “let go” of our fears to discover our strength in union with Christ.  It is a weekly spiritual rhythm called sabbath.  WORK for six days!  This is the command of God.  Get up!  Think! Innovate!  Achieve!  Subdue!  Rule! (see Genesis 1)  But, on the sabbath learn a different skill.  Let it go! Rest!  Pray! Seek His face!  Engage the world with courage, then retreat from it to declare your trust in Something higher.  We are double-sided creations, dual-natured.  God commands us to work, and then to let it go.