I find the upcoming Alabama
election with controversial candidate Judge Ray Moore fascinating. The uproar reminds
me of same atmosphere that was present when Jesus was before Pilate. The
religious and political leaders conspired to have the Lord crucified and
Barabbas released…and the people in the crowd, the voters of that day, believed
that they controlled the narrative. We would do well to remember that whether
it is Obama, Trump or Moore, it is God who purposed these people for their position.
Paul said, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for
there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities
that exist have been established by God. (Ro 13:1 NIV).
3 comments:
Gail;
-----We forget more than the importance of submission to the authority God established. We forget what God established. And we forget what submission is. America was formed from Christian thought and established for virtuous purposes. Its first colleges were all Christian universities established to train ministers and missionaries. Its first reading primers used the Word of God and Christian principles for its exemplars. It went out to the general public for the specific purposes of educating it to read the Bible and cultivating the Christian faith and lifestyle everywhere. George Washington was on his knees to the Lord as much as he was on his horse to work. Prayer has always opened Congressional sessions to this very day. In the days before our contemporary, political charade, that prayer was in the Name of Christ.
-----What did Judge Moore do which much of Congress also does? What did he do which much of Congress would never do? These are not trick questions. They are revealing questions. Judge Moore is accused of having done what much of Congress is doing: sexual harassment. Last week news of a $15 million dollar slush fund for settling sexual harassment cases against members of Congress and their staffers surfaced. Stories have it that $17 million dollars has already been paid out. How much have we heard of that! The answer to question two: Judge Moore repented. He changed his ways. I’m not saying he is guilty of these sexual harassment accusations. I am not saying he isn’t. And even if he were a Christian in those days, if he did it the lack of accusations from the time of his 30 year marriage vouches for his repentance. I am saying repentance and humility are the lifestyles he has chosen to live, not the harass-and-lie-then-accuse-your-oponent lifestyle of Congress. Where are the rest of the Congressional members following Judge Moore’s lead of repentance to the Lord who established America? Oh, yes. They’re too busy dishing out hush money and paying janitors to sweep dirt under their Congressional carpet while sending those same janitors after Moore with pitch forks.
-----I have a request I would like to humbly ask of your readers, Gail. As Christians, we often quench political discussions with the old “God established the government” adage. When any mind does not serve the same details in its perceptions as reality serves in its truth, then Scripture in that mind slips from Word of God to old adage. Let us elevate this old adage back to scripture by bearing in mind that the government God established honored Him, sought Him, and glorified Him. Today’s government is that government twisted into knots of entrapment. The deceit of it needs to be resisted in all legal ways to untangle its evils. Or has God changed? Which government did He establish, the humble God-seeking one, or the arrogant God-denying one? Please, bear that in mind when using the “God established” thing.
-----John Adams said in defense of the British soldiers of the Boston Massacre, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they can not alter the state of facts and evidence.” I hope the people of Alabama see clearly enough to elect a repentant Moore rather than the one leading people to doing facts and evidence far, far worse than what Moore is accused of doing to those young girls.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
Steve,
Going off established — Daniel said, “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him” (Daniel 2:20-22 NIV).
Also Paul said, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in (Ro 11:25 NIV). We know that God hardens hearts, such as in the case of Pharaoh, so it seems like this is established by God. Hopefully I’m not twisting and stretching the thought.
Gail
Gail,
-----I don’t think you are twisting the thought at all. In fact, I think you are recognizing the fact that everything works to the Lord’s purpose, “…even the wicked for the day of trouble.” (Prov 16:4b) God’s establishment of governments began the day Noah stepped off the ark. Noah built an alter and sacrificed to the Lord, which pleased Him. So God blessed Noah and instructed him that, “For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it and of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed…” (Gen. 9:5-6a) In that command was the first element of God given governmental responsibility: protection of human life. God did not establish governments for being murderers of human life, as Hitler’s was, as ours murders over a million children per year, and as governments have murdered and caused mayhem throughout history. Are we to obey the governments which rule over us? Yes. Daniel obeyed Nebuchadrezzar. Joseph obeyed the Pharaoh. God told the Israelites in Babylon to live peaceably there and obey them. Esther obeyed Ahasuerus. And when the Jews rebelled against Rome, all h#@l broke out for them..
-----But obeying is one thing. Supporting is quite another. Fortunately, the evil of our government has not quite formed the tyranny of other governments. We yet hold in our hands -in our citizenry hands- the actual ropes of government. What I am saying is that the government God established in America is not gone, for we are yet the government. It has just been piled upon so high and deep by lies, fraud, schemes, and traps that evil is its our government’s trending effect. Again, the actual government is yet the voters. If we surrender to the trend, failing to vote according to the principles God founded in this country, then tyranny will tie us to the stake and the government God established will indeed be dead. We yet have this choice.
-----I believe America has two ways it can be removed from the post of restraining evil in this world that God established it for doing. The most likely way is its turning evil itself or succumbing to outside attack. The way I would most like to experience, the way that yet has a chance (maybe as much as hitting the lottery) is our yet struggling for the righteousness and godliness God established for America to be, praying for His guidance and our restoration, until America is taken out by the rapture. I advocate for the second choice, encouraging all Christians to stand against sliding into the first option.
Steve
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