1 Peter 2:13-17 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
For a season, I worked in Washington, D.C., for one of America’s largest Christian political organizations. Sometimes I saw how politics could get ugly and, more often than not, how it changed people — not for the better…but usually for the worse!
As I observed the network and social media coverage over the weekend regarding the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump, I was struck by the highly charged political atmosphere—it’s the worst I’ve ever seen. The level of outrageous attacks happening across the country feels almost surreal. Sadly, I believe these attacks will likely intensify in the days to come. Despite this, I find reasons to be encouraged. Often, what is meant for destruction can be transformed into opportunities for testimony and victorious proclamation!
Let me give you an example: during the period of history known as “the Enlightenment,” the “enlightened” philosopher Voltaire proclaimed that within twenty-five years, the Bible would be forgotten and Christianity would be a thing of the past. Forty years after he died in 1778, Voltaire’s house was purchased and used to print Bibles and other Christian literature. Such is the irony of one man’s prophetic folly. His own house became God’s platform for proclaiming the message that Voltaire despised. Watching the current election process in America, without mentioning names, I suggest we may again witness such an irony.
Don’t let the political season shape you for the worse, with bitterness, mockery, sarcasm, rancor, etc… — but rather, transform the political landscape by who you are — a king and a priest of the Most High! Be a confident, respectful, and quietly shining beacon of light in this dark (political) world, and continue to pray for the Lord’s guiding hand upon the leaders who face the tremendous responsibilities and challenges ahead!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Shortly after WWI, Lawrence of Arabia was entertaining some of his Arab friends in Paris. He showed them the sights of the city: the Arc d’Triomph, the Louvre, the Champs Elysees. It was a remarkable irony to Lawrence that these amazing sights were not what most impressed his Arab friends — but rather the bathtub faucet of their hotel room. They were completely astonished that someone could turn a handle…and get all the water he wanted.
In this prophetic passage the critical question is immediately followed by the powerfully convicting answer. Joel prophesies the Day of the Lord, and asks, “Who can endure it?” The next word “therefore”, is followed by the prophet’s urgent counsel: “Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning!”
The Lord gave us His promise to send us a helper -- the Holy Spirit. The word for "helper" in the NT Greek is "paraclete". This word has more meaning then simply "helper" -- it was also an ancient term used in warfare. When Greek warriors went onto the battle field, they went out in pairs, so when the enemy attacked they could stand back-to-back, covering each other's blind side. The battle partner in Greek was called a "paraclete" -- he was there to watch your back!
When I was younger I used to take an ax and cut up firewood from the woods behind our house. The one thing I always did was sharpen my axe! A dull axe meant harder work chopping through fallen trees. The sharper the ax the less effort and energy required for the task. So I learned early on to sharpen my ax before venturing into the woods, and I saved myself a lot of time and energy. (Besides I was a small kid, growing up, so I needed all the help I could get! 😉 )
One of His greatest promises to us is that nothing can separate us from the love of God. No tribulation or distress we might ever suffer can obliterate the power of His love to carry us through!
In Israel, the Ministry of the Interior is called Misrad Ha-Pnim, translated literally, "Office of the Faces". Those in charge of immigration and citizenship are looking into the faces of those who seek citizenship or residency within the land. Some have observed that the officials there carefully scrutinize each applicant...