" Subject to the Governing Authorities "

   We all have our differing opinions when it comes to how our government should or should not be run.  Even I find myself being very critical when it comes to our current bunch of elected officials, especially our last President and the current one. Even our President during 9/11 got my dander up now and then, and I gave him some leeway, for no other President, since Franklin D.Roosevelt had to deal with our country being attacked by foreign enemies.  The knee jerk reaction, and understandably so, is to attack back and so we do but at a very high price in lives and debt. When Pearl Harbor was attacked we knew exactly who had done it, but with 9/11/2001 we just tried to attack the nation that was sympathetic to terrorists and their dictator had been a thorn in our side for many years, so we started there.

     What does GOD's WORD have to say about our Governing Authorities ?  Well as I was thinking about what subject to write about for this blog, the current climate of animosity towards our elected officials immediately came to mind.  I am always amazed at GOD's leading in this blog !!! There are many good scriptures that either give us clear instruction on the responsibilities of our Governing Authorities or gives us examples of what they are or are not to do.  Let's look at some of them and see what GOD says. Remember these are not suggestions, but the nation that has the ONE TRUE GOD as its builder should do as the LORD instructs, because HE also tells us what happens to the nations that forget the GOD that established them, ask Israel about their history.

     One of the most concise scriptures about Governing Authorities is in Romans 13:1 thru 7 - Let every soul be subject to the Governing Authorities. For there is no authority except from GOD, and the authorities that exist are appointed by GOD. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of GOD, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority ? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is GOD's minister ( not the same word as preacher ) to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid: for he does not bear the sword ( death penalty, legal authority given for police and military ) in vain; for he is GOD's minister ( again not the same word as preacher ), an avenger to execute wrath on him who practises evil. Therefore you must be subject not only because of wrath but also for conscience sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are GOD's ministers ( again not the same word for preacher ) attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

      Even when the Governing Authority is not Christian, we as Christians are to be involved, such as Joseph in Gen.42:6 - Now Joseph was Governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. Also in the book of Daniel, he and his friends were taken captive and moved to a strange country by their captors. If you read Dan.1:17 thru 21 you see how GOD blesses the 4 young men to be of great help to their captor king. - As for these four young men, GOD gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams ( this was long before the canon of scripture was complete, no Godly people like this today ). Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them 10 times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.

      If the Governing Authorities are wise and the Christian is behaving as GOD commands then there is a symbiotic relationship between even and unbelieving king / president and the Godly Christian.  We as GOD honoring Christians are to FIRST obey GOD in all things, see Acts 5:25 thru 29 - Then one came and told them, saying, " Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people ! " Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, ( when we take a stand for GOD's WORD we take the consequences peaceably ) for they ( the officers ) feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, " Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name ( JESUS ) ? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this MAN's blood on us ! " Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said:  We ought to obey GOD rather than men. "     IF any of man's laws are in direct violation against GOD's law, the Godly Christian should never condone or go along with that law.  Currently we have many laws that go against GOD and as they try and force the Christian to accept these perverse laws then the Christian in America, as in other countries, will have to bear the consequences of peaceably disobeying mans law.

     The Godly Christian can live in uncertain times such as we live in today because we have a GOD that is Sure, Strong and always in control. Governing Authorities will come and go as the LORD wills for HIS ultimate purpose but GOD's people will have their part in eternity Rev.21:3 thru 4 - And I ( John ) heard a loud voice from heaven saying, " Behold, the tabernacle of GOD is with men, and HE will dwell with them, and they shall be HIS people, and GOD HIMSELF will be with them and be their GOD. And GOD will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

     Truly born again Christians will be the only ones, humanly speaking, that will have their place with GOD in heaven.  We are all sinners that deserve to be thrown into a devils hell, but GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON that whosoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life....... and this is the only difference between the Truly Born Again Believer / Christian and the unbeliever, is that the Christian knows he is a sinner and has accepted the fact that he can DO NOTHING  to save himself so he bows his head and prays to GOD the FATHER through JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON that he accepts the fact that he is a sinner and cannot save himself, he prays for GOD to forgive him and to come into his heart to save him, in JESUS's name, and HE will, HE surly will.
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie