The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: “The one who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.” 2 Samuel 23:3-4 NLT
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Hello All,
Wow! Almost June. Can you believe it?
Are you living in the daytime? Are you experiencing true freedom in Jesus Christ? Do you have the great peace and joy of a conscience in perfect harmony with your Creator and Redeemer?
It’s all there. Don’t have to be a super-saint. Just faithful to God and his word. The first thing we need to do is listen to him. He will tell us what is most important, most meaningful to him. He will give us his list of priorities and responsibilities for our lives.
All we have to do is listen and then obey? Piece of cake. Or at least it should be. Okay, I know it’s not a piece of cake, fiery trials and all, gut punches, etc. But this is the life. All the abundance that God could bring. Floodgates of heaven opened because of the price Jesus Christ paid at Calvary. Wow!
We are to live in real expectation and anticipation of the soon coming of Jesus Christ. This expectancy should be yielding peace, courage, strength, trust, etc.
If you are still living in fear of world events, still tossed around with political trends, and maybe even insecure as to your standing before God …
Then I have great news for you! God has won. The war has been settled over 2,000 years ago, and if you have trusted in Christ and have received his gift of eternal life, redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins, then guess what?
You have won too.
If you don’t know this, if your world is one of dark and gloom, then please hear his voice.
So wake up and smell the daytime, Christian Pilgrim.
Message Title: Owe Nothing but Love
Message Text: Romans 13:8-14
Ding, ding, ding … Now we are in the bonus round. I have included more study sheets to supplement this week’s study.
Or is it possible that he has a plan, and we are missing it? We sound the alarm. “This legislation is passing; that liberal was elected … We need a plan. We need to do something.”
Have world events and national trends taken him by surprise? Slipped by him? Fallen through the cracks of his sovereign, providential rule? Did God not take into account the political climate in the United States as he wrote these words 2,000 years ago?
So are we saying that we need to “come up with a plan” because there is not a plan in God’s Bible? And what does that tell us?
Isn’t it funny–as in not really funny but sad and ironic–that we (evangelical, fundamental Christians) spend so much time, energy and resources denouncing and disparaging our government, calling for a plan, calling for reform, and God nowhere in his Bible tells us to do such a thing.
No it isn’t funny.
No place in Scripture does God call us to spend our lives seeking government reform. For something that is clearly NOT taught in Scripture, why is it so high on our priority list?
Because we put it there. So we must know better than God?
What God does tell us in his Bible is to submit to governing authorities, obey them, honor them and respect them.
In fact find anywhere in the entire Bible that supports this agenda.
Here are the first two verses of our text this week.
God calls us to a lifestyle that honors both our citizenship in heaven and our citizenship on earth.
Is our cause so “righteous” that we are justified in pushing these truths aside?
God’s plan for reform begins in our hearts and it works its way out through the words we say and the attitudes and actions we embrace.
Hello Everyone,
Do you love your country and want to support it in every way possible, but do not want to compromise your faith in God and his word in the process?
Are you sometimes torn between the rhetoric of patriotism and the rhetoric of the pulpit?
What if …
What if I said that there is a very plain, simple track to being a blessing to both God and country in your Bible?
We can be a blessing to both God and country. The key is that we first and foremost live as citizens of the kingdom of God in a manner that is both prescribed by him in his Holy Word and pleasing to him.
Our text today in Titus 3 presents a life-style that transcends any government, society or culture and is pleasing in the sight of God.
Message Title: Remember This!
Message Text: Titus 3:1-11
Hello Everyone,
Should we run for office? Should we support a right-wing agenda?
Should we lobby our legislative bodies of government? Etc.
To some it is a non-issue, but to many people this is the “hot topic” of their lives.
But Romans 13:1-7 does not speak to our involvement in government but with our relationship to government, as do Matthew 22:15-22, John 18:33-36, 1 Timothy 2:1-3, Titus 3:1-11 and 1 Peter 2:13-17.
And since I am preaching through Romans this will be “the headline.”
If I were to preach on our involvement in government, I would go to … Well, let’s see … Hmmmm …. Not sure where I would go. Seems to be a lack of direct communication “in the Bible” on this topic. Not that this often slows us down. 🙂
If I were to address the subject of civil disobedience, I would look at the Old Testament books of Daniel and Esther, but even there I believe the people pushing a right-wing “Christian” agenda would be disappointed if we look at what God actually says.
In these supplemental study sheets, I do give more background as to the historical, cultural setting for Paul’s instruction to us. Albert Barnes gives an excellent overview, and as always John MacArthur adds his insight which is always grounded in the Word of truth.
Here is a question that should have our attention:
Are my actions and attitude toward a leftist, liberal, gay [fill-in-the-blank] agenda putting my mind and heart in opposition to God’s agenda?
And with the direction I have chosen in this matter:
Am I more or less secure and at peace in
God’s sovereign and providential rule?
And one more:
Is my biblical/political stance yielding the fruit of a peaceful,
quiet, good, thankful, godly and dignified life pleasing to God?
PS Also decided this morning that we are going to spend two weeks in this and related texts. Next week is Memorial Day weekend, so it seems very appropriate.
Hello to You,
And welcome to Romans 13:1-7, one of the most controversial passages in the Bible. And there is our key.
“In the Bible …”
I have been thinking through this text for weeks now, anticipating, sometimes almost dreading, our arrival here. But not now. God did something a while back.
He said, “Dave, what does it say? What is the headline? Preach the headline. Preach the words plainly stated, clearly written, and I will be pleased.”
So I am asking you. What does it say? Let’s begin here.
So what does God say? It is “in the Bible,” so what does God tell us “in the Bible” as he begins to instruct us on our relationship with those in authority over us?
Submit to, be subject to, etc. depending on our translation. Same meaning, same problem.
So will we honor God by taking him at his word? Is our government evil to contend with or God’s servant? What does God say? Three times in our text God calls the people in government over us his ministers or servants. (See the study sheets for more details.)
If we trust God as Sovereign LORD and providential Ruler of the Universe, then we have a wonderful opportunity of blessing to trust him here.
Whatever position you decide to take as you approach this text, you may want to ask yourself this question: Is my study (or my protests or my hypotheticals) bringing me closer to obedience of this very plain truth or taking me further away?
And there you have it. It’s “in the Bible.” Will you study and gather information that directs you to hear the voice of God or will you throw in with the many evangelical and fundamentalist voices that blur the clearly written truth and spew dishonor and fear.
Message Title: Governing Authorities: The Servants of God!
Message Text: Romans 13:1-7
Hello to You,
How do I win? How do I overcome evil? What are God’s specific instructions? And where does a person begin?
Now our LORD prepares us for practical service and the evil we will face, both within and without.
Message Title: Overcoming Evil with Good!
Message Text: Romans 12:9-21
Hello to All,
May you be blessed this good day on the path of Jesus Son of God!
God is always amazing me. Praise him for his word of truth. Where would we be without his inspired, holy words to guide our lives?
In our Romans study for this Sunday we take the next step on God’s solid foundation to service and worship.
Seeing the real you …
Message Title: Thinking with Sober Judgment!
Message Text: Romans 12:3-8
(Psalm 89:5–7 NLT)
All heaven will praise your great wonders, Lord; myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness. 6 For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord? What mightiest angel is anything like the Lord? 7 The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne.
