July 2, 2016

Are you frequently frustrated with the leaders of your government?

Do you get discouraged as you look and listen at the next slate of candidates promising to make it all better if they get elected?

Is it tempting to just drop out of the system? Or opt out of voting? Or strike out in anger?

Me, too, at times. But as Christ-followers we must be careful. Jesus has commanded His followers to be "salt and light" in the world He has strategically placed us. That demands involvement and impact from us.

In my last post I shared Paul's admonition to the Romans to obey their laws and be subject to the authority of their government. We are cautioned and counselled to find ways to be submissive not subversive, but the Bible records several exceptions to that admonition.

I will share them briefly with you over the next couple of posts so you can study them in greater depth.

In Exodus 1, after the Pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew baby boys were to be killed at their birth the mid-wives disregarded his edict and continued delivering them. 

Of course, this was blatant defiance of governmental authority but the Scripture records that God blessed the Hebrews with a surge of healthy, robust baby boys, therefore honoring the civil disobedience of these Jewish women.

That is one example of God showing favor those who broke Egyptian law.

In Daniel 3, the three young Hebrew men living under captivity in Babylon very but respectfully defied a royal decree when they refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's large graven image.

For this bold stand honoring God over the king, God delivered them from the fiery furnace, thus vindicating them and validating their rebellion, as respectful as it was.

Over in Daniel 6, the King urged by his devious counselors, issued a decree that would be punishable by death if anyone was caught praying. 

Even though Daniel heard the King's decree he continued his daily practice of three prayer sessions. It was a trap set by these jealous and hateful men who were out to get Daniel. He knew what they were up to and he knew it was against the law but he chose to pray to his God.

It is obvious that Daniel was a law-breaker but we all know the rest of the story. God shut the mouths of the lions when he was sentenced to death in the lion's den. Daniel's God rescued him from the punishment of the King thereby sanctioning Daniel's act of civil disobedience.

So, there are three Old Testament stories that chronicle God's exceptions to His general rule of living under the authority of the state and by extension the sovereignty of God.

Prayerfully see what you can learn from these three inspiring accounts of courageous faith contrary to the law of the land.

As a rule, Christ followers are to be exemplary citizens so if they ever make an exception there better be a very good reason.

In these three instances the exception had to do with obeying God's will above the royal directives to the contrary.

Read. Pray. Tread cautiously.

Law Abiding Citizens

The Apostle Paul is adamant that the early Christians were to be subject to those in authority.

Remember, he was writing this to Christians in Rome while he was locked on in a Corinthian jail for the "crime" of preaching the gospel.

So, despite the injustice he was suffering and the corruption rampant in the Roman Empire Paul told the Christ followers to make every effort to be law abiding citizens.

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.” Romans 13:1-7

Far from urging or inciting civil resistance or revolt, I think it is clear God holds Christ-followers responsible to obey every civil law they can for as long as they can, in good conscience.

Let’s review Paul’s godly admonition to the believers in Rome living under the ruthless rule of the Roman Emperors.

1) The government you have is the government God gave you. He is SOVEREIGN over earthly rulers.

• and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God
• so anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted
• and they will be punished. 

2) Do right and you will not have to fear government.

• Do what is right, and they will honor you.
• The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good
• But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid
• they have the power to punish you

3) Government is God’s servant

·  To maintain law and order

4) Submit to government officials

• To avoid punishment
• To keep a clear conscience

5) Pay your taxes and fees

6) Give respect and honor to those who are in authority

Wow, this is hard isn’t it?

But those who follow Christ must also follow the laws of the land.

The Standard Of Citizenship

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, he who resists the authorities, resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore, one must be subject not only to avoid wrath but also for the sake of conscience." Romans 13:1-7

This clear and compelling portion of Scripture is about the standard of citizenship for Christ-followers but even more so it is a statement about the Sovereignty of God.

Paul makes three arguments why followers of Christ are to be subject to the authorities:

1) all governing authority has been ordained or instituted by God. If there is a government, God put it there, V. 1b

2) therefore, a person who resists or opposes governing authorities experiences two things: one is pangs of conscience that he is really opposing God, and the other is punishment that the authorities mete out to those who oppose them, Vv. 2-4

To avoid these two experiences, verse 5 concludes with:

3) to avoid wrath and a bad conscience, therefore, be subject to the governing authorities. In summary then, governing authorities are appointed by God; therefore, to oppose them is to oppose God and to incur punishment; therefore, do not oppose them, but be subject to them.

So, if you are following Christ you are expected to understand God's sovereignty over nations and government, to keep a good conscience and avoid punishment. When you are subject to the authority of the state it is evidence you are under submission to Christ.

In the previous chapter, Paul has given a description of what the surrendered and Spirit-filled life should look like. He concludes that by living this Spirit-filled Christ-led life will overcome evil.

It is within that context that Chapter 13 begins with the emphasis on the sovereignty of God in world leadership. Living under the sovereignty of God is much easier when led by the Spirit of God.

You are called to follow Christ. A question you should continually ask yourself is "am I following"? One way to be sure is to live as a good citizen of your world.

June 30, 2016

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household." Matthew 10:34-36

This is one of the more troubling statements Jesus during His earthly teaching. It sounds contradictory for One Who was called the "Prince of Peace". What is going on here?

Obviously, the first thing required here to define peace from God's lexicon because His is the one that counts. Peace means "being made right with God and coming into a spiritual relationship with Him."

When the sinless, righteous and holy Son of God shows up in a fallen, sinful and thoroughly corrupt world you can expect some tension to develop.

When a searchlight of absolute truth is shined into the utter darkness of a confused and deceived world there will be vicious attacks launched against the light.

What happens when you are proven wrong about something you believe? Your immediate response is defensiveness isn't it? You are confronted with two choices. Either you can change you beliefs and conform to the truth or you can seek to discredit the truth.

What happens if you choose to face the truth, repent and change what you believe? Once you change how you believe your behavior suddenly begins to change. When your belief and behavior change it will change the dynamics of your relationship with your spouse or you children or your employer or your co-workers. When that happens the other person is confronted with a need to change and tension comes into the relationship. When Jesus brought peace to your life He also brought a sword.

OK, now multiply that by several billions of people and relationships and you begin to see the scope of what Jesus is saying. 

So, the Prince of Peace came to earth as God in the flesh to make peace with God a possibility. But He also came knowing He would have to disturb the status quo in order to bring real lasting change. Only lasting change can bring lasting peace.

The status quo doesn't die without a fight. Peace doesn't come without a price.

June 28, 2016

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 14:34

What is righteousness?

We established that righteousness is what God says it is!

But in addition, righteousness is Who God is!

Righteousness is not a code or a creed or concepts, righteousness is a PERSON!

The Founders understood that and it was their understanding of righteousness that formed the foundation for this great experiment that became the most powerful and prosperous nation on earth, the United States of America!

You could very properly rephrase this verse, "God exalts a nation, but ignoring God is a reproach to any people."

Our Founders understood that since God was the Righteous Creator, He was the right One to bestow rights on citizens of a nation. And since a Righteous Creator is the source of our individual rights then doesn't it follow that those rights would be preserved by righteous living?

"How do I live righteously?" you ask.

Righteousness is the result of living in a faith relationship with the Righteous God from Whom the rights originate.

So, again you could accurately say, "Right relationship with a Righteous God exalts a nation, but evil is a reproach to any people."

Righteous people make the best citizens of whichever nation they belong to. Their righteousness exalts or elevates that nation because it unleashed the presence, the principles and the power of God into that land.

Do you know the righteousness of God?

Are you living in a faith relationship with Him?

Who Decides?

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people." Proverbs 14:34

If righteousness elevates a nation, the question becomes, "What is right and who should decide what is right (or wrong)?"

Have you ever wondered who decides what is right (or wrong)?

Is it the White House that makes that decision?

Is it the Congress that decides what's right?

Is it the Supreme Court who decides what's right?

Could it be the prevailing public opinion that makes that decision?

How can a nation be exalted by righteousness unless there is a clear understanding and agreement of what is right?

You can't have a card game or a ballgame unless everyone agrees on what rules will guide the game.

When the Founding Fathers faced this big question in the formative days of our nation, the rules were being made by a powerful, arrogant, and greedy King of England. Most of the Colonists felt that intolerable to the point of rebellion and revolution.

In their inspired wisdom, the Founders agreed that the rules by which this new nation would be governed should be the ones given by the God Who created the planet. They phrased it like this: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Doesn't it make sense that the One Who created the race should also create the rules by which that race should live? Shouldn't the One Who has never been wrong and never been less than perfect be the One who makes the rules for His creation to live under?

Obviously, the Founding Fathers felt strongly that God, as Creator and as eventual Judge, should be held as the Sovereign Law-Giver and Judge of mankind.

Sounds right to me!

What do you think?

June 26, 2016

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him." Luke 5:1-11

We know these are four of the first followers of Jesus. I can't help but wonder what number I am! Have you ever thought of that?

Not that it really matters, but God knows!

The fact these four fishermen became convinced in their faith and began following Jesus is significant. I don't want to discount that or diminish it in any way, but there is another important point I want to make in this intriguing story. It is significant that He called them but it is equally significance HOW He called them!

Jesus came preaching along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and a crowd gathered. The longer He preached the larger the crowd grew. Soon He was backed up to the very water's edge and he continued to preach. While he preached the throngs listened and down the shore several fishermen were listening in as they cleaned their nets.

That illustrates the first phase of following! Following begins with listening. "Faith comes by hearing", Paul wrote to the Romans. Christianity is an informed religion. Jesus wants willful followers and you can't commit to what you don't know.

As the crowd continued to grow and Jesus ran out of shoreline He moves down the beach and asked one of the fisherman for permission to use his boat to preach from. Peter agreed to interrupt his net cleaning and loan the Lord his boat.

That's the second phase of following: loan Him your boat. Jesus saw the fishermen listening and asked them to invest some time in his ministry. It was an interruption and an inconvenience for Peter but he agreed to loan Jesus his boat.

Jesus preached from the boat as Peter, Andrew, James, John and the rest of the crowd continued to listen and learn from the Teacher. And when Jesus finished teaching He then asked Peter to head out to the middle of the lake and do some fishing. That leads to the third phase of following: Take Him fishing.

Peter had gone fishing thousands of times but he had never done it in broad daylight. That's just not how you fish. So, therein is the significance of this step of following Jesus. Jesus was asking him to do something he had done many times but do it in a totally different way. Jesus was asking Peter to trust him.

So, Peter tossed the nets into the sea probably feeling a little silly and wondering what all his fishermen buddies on the shore were thinking. But Luke tells us that something totally unexpected happened. When they went to pull the nets back up they couldn't pull the nets back up because there were so many fish it would take two boats to get them all back to shore.

While his fishing buddies were scrambling to get the fish in without breaking the nets or sinking the boats Peter fell to his knees before Jesus and worshiped Him. In that moment Peter saw who Jesus really was. And when he saw Jesus clearly he also saw himself for who he was.

All of those wonderful and miraculous things happened because Peter decided to trust Jesus and do something in a way he had never done it before!

So, after they got the catch into the boats and the boats into the shore Jesus looked at Peter, Andrew, James and John and issued the call to the fourth step of following: Leave your nets.

They did. And they followed. And they fished for men. And you are part of the catch!

Four phases of following Jesus:

1) Sit and listen
2) Loan Him your boat
3) Take Him fishing
4) Leave your nets.

Are you following Jesus?

What's your next step?

Will you take the next step?