| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Pastor Dan Coburn Many of you can remember the scene on the cover of Time Magazine in 1988. A Russian tank sat poised in Red Square, with it’s big gun pointed at the Kremlin. The hatch was open and a young officer peered out at two distinguished looking gentlemen who stood side by side looking back at him from beneath their two-ribbed fuzzy hats. Evidently the young man was related to one of the older men and the caption read “He Won’t Shoot”. This is interesting enough, but pales in comparison to the series of events it set into motion in our country. You see, our Government realized that in the event of a real dilemma here, (riots or civil unrest) our law enforcement or even our National Guard would not likely fire on our own people. How then could they keep order? Their solution? The United Nations Peace Keeping Force. Remember “the Blue Hats are coming”?. Now we can have people from other countries enforcing laws that we didn’t agree to, on our soil, and since they would operate under a “treaty” they wouldn’t even be subject to our Constitution. Is this the end times? Are there wars and rumors of wars? Are there natural disasters? Some of you are thinking I am a closet radical. Some of you have already turned the page. Some of you are ready to quit your jobs, head for the hills and start the First Idaho Church of the Beanie-Weenies and the AK 47s. To whatever degree these things are true, let’s turn the spiritual switch and ask the real question. As a Christian, what should I do?. How should I respond to the world around me? Does God realize what I’m up against? The answer is a resounding YES!. God is absolutely in control. Did it ever occur to you that nothing ever occurred to God?. Here then is Gods instruction to us in a troubled time. “Go ye therefor and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost:” Matt. 28: 19. Here is another one from Romans ch. 13: 1-2. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation”. What? Surely that only refers to the “good” kings. The “good” powers. Nope. Here is the principal. How can I pretend to subject myself to a Holy God I’ve never seen, if I can’t subject myself to the authorities around me? Need more? Consider Joseph, Daniel or the Hebrew Children. They all served pagan kings in pagan lands, and after being imprisoned, fed to lions, and tossed into a furnace, note how they addressed their rulers: “Oh King live forever”. I know people who can tell you the spiritual significance of the third toe on the left foot of the beast in Revelation, but they don’t remember the last time they told somebody about Jesus. What about you? Are you in turmoil or at peace. Do you realize that all the problems of the world could be folded into one wrinkle of Jesus’ robe? My God is truly Awesome. |
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