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. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.   Romans 13:1-2, NIV (1978)

 

What do you think of this passage? I believe it is one that Christians better be giving a great deal of thought to, for we live in unsettled times. So, is God commanding us to obey our authorities no matter what? We better figure out the right answer to this question, because we will be judged someday by the One who will hold us to account for the that answer.

 

Do you think that most Americans even know who their supreme authority is when it comes to the laws of our land? Is it the law makers - from the national to local levels? Is it the executive branch, from mayors to governors to presidents - are they our final authority? Perhaps it is the judicial branch, from our municipal to federal judges, all the way to the Supreme Court?

 

The answer, of course, is all of the above when they agree with each other and the constitution, but what happens when they don't. Did you know that America is set up under a constitution that was designed to be the supreme law of the land, and that when the legislative and executive and judicial branches come into conflict with this document that they are no longer the proper authority? If you didn't know this, why not? Maybe it's because most schools have stopped teaching founding documents and founding principles.

 

I wonder why that is...

 

Here is something else to think about - something far more important. Who is the authority when it comes to religious matters? Is it the Pope, or your pastor, or your preacher, or maybe even your church elders? You may be surprised to hear this answer, but here it is: None of the above, unless they are in agreement with the Word of God. Since the religious groups mentioned are definitely not in agreement with each other, then there can be only one source when it comes to our final authority: The Bible!

 

If you didn't know this, why not? Maybe it's because most churches have stopped teaching the Bible.

 

I wonder why that is...

 

When the apostles were brought in before their authorities for preaching Jesus, they were asked why they were disobeying their orders not to preach about Christ any more. Their reply was instructive: They said, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

 

So what's the point of all of this? Is it to create anarchy in the streets of America and in the churches of the land? Far from it! The reason that the founders made a final authority was to resolve the problems created by evil men, or by men who were ignorant of what their supreme authority really was. Where did they get the idea of a final, supreme authority? The founders were almost unanimously believers in Christ and students of the Word of God. And the Word of God has always indicated but one true Supreme Authority, and it has never changed.

 

So, for those who are struggling with which authority to obey, you can do one of three things. You can submit to whoever claims power, whether legitimate or otherwise. You can, by default, just go with the flow and not even think about it. Or, you can go with the proper authority of God and men. This will require an effort most are unwilling to give, because most men are lazy - that's how we got into the mess we are in today.

 

If you want to find out more about your proper governing authorities (at least for those who live in America), may I suggest three readings that will help? The first is the Declaration of Independence. The second is the Constitution. The third is the Federalist Papers, which are essentially an explanation of the founder's original intent for the Constitution.

 

Before you read these, though, may I suggest you start reading the Bible - wherever you may live - to find out about the true, Supreme authority? Without a working knowledge of the Bible, you cannot function as a Christian or as a citizen of a country that was founded on this very document.

 

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Acts 4, 18-20, NIV

Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; Hosea 10:12(a), NIV

 

What a year this has been. From the disease that popped up in the first part of the year, to the response that followed, we have been through a lot. We have witnessed riots by those who were unhappy, with arson and looting and violence on a scale usually seen only in third world countries. Now, we are going through an election that has been so corrupted that, regardless of the outcome, half of the nation will never accept its result. Add to that the food shortages and homeless realities that are cropping up all over the world and we can see why most people feel a bit more stressed and confused than normal. But, then again, things haven't been normal for quite some time. Why is that, you may be wondering...

 

I believe the root of the problem is that we have stopped sowing righteousness. I believe that a people who accept the mass killings of innocent children and call it their right to choose, and who then turn around and accept orders to stop worshipping with the church because, they say, we haven't the right, have likely forgotten what righteousness is, so how can they possibly begin to sow it.

 

Maybe it is time to get back to our roots. In America we have a Constitution. It is our final authority when it comes to all things on a governmental basis, but we have forgot that and have thought that our elected officials and their minions were our ultimate governors. So we kill the unborn, celebrate immorality, close down churches and call it right behavior. Does this sound right to you? Looking at the world around us, I am afraid we have forgotten that we even have a Constitution.

 

But far worse is the fact that we have forgotten that we have One who is our final authority in all things: The Lord! We have forgot that He has provided us with a document that is the final say in all things! Yet we have turned to men with strong opinions, smooth speaking skills and impressive degrees to tell us what God really wants, even when it isn't. Again, it is time to return to our roots by returning to God and His Word.

 

Until we do these things, we will never be able to have anything that resembles "unfailing love" because God has placed the immutable principle in all areas of life that we will always reap what we sow. And, He tells us, that we must first break up our unplowed ground, but most have failed to do this because they have been distracted by wicked people who have been abusing their positions of authority... so what can we do?

 

We can begin to seek. We can seek out what our nation was founded upon, instead of continuing the same practices that have reduced its people to shame and poverty.

 

But before we can do that, we need to seek God and find out what He wants us to do. Until we do that, any attempts to right the wrongs of our nation and the world will never succeed, because we will attempt to right the wrongs with the opinions of men, rather than the way of God. We have all seen how that has worked out.

 

Don't you think that it is time?

 

For it is time to seek the LORD, until He comes and showers righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12(b), NIV

"Don't dial 911. No one's going to answer. Know that it's just you and God"

 The quote above is Port Arthur, Texas' mayor's response to those who did not heed his warning and flee Port Arthur as hurricane Laura approached the area.

 

I don't know about you, but I have something of a mixed reaction from this statement. On the one hand, I really value our emergency responders, and I agree that individuals who put themselves in harm's way should not be risking the safety of our first responders when those individual decided to stay, come what may. So, this is not any indictment on our first responders, as I have nothing but respect for them.

 

Having said that, I am continually amazed at how often a public official will become surly when people don't heed his or her advice. As Ronald Reagan once brilliantly stated, "Some of the most terrifying words in the English language are: I am from the government, and I am here to help." It's not that I question their sincerity, (though, secretly, I sometimes do), it's just that I question their ability to accurately assess danger and make a correct response.

 

And whether this gentleman's warning was from the perspective of what he perceived to be a strong situation or weak when it comes to trusting to God's help, it is my personal belief that we have a much better chance of survival when it is just up to us and God, as opposed to when it's just up to us and government. And, while I am always delighted to have the help of our first responders when the need arises, I also know best for myself when I can risk failing to heed the warning of some bureaucrat, who may or may not be the sharpest tool in the shed.

 

One more thing. A lot of people really have been impacted in serious ways by the recent hurricane, and are in need of our prayers. They have already received a great deal of help from our courageous first responders, and for that we are grateful. But most of all, we are glad that God was there to help those who truly wanted and needed His help.

 

  I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13, ESV

 

Yesterday is over, it ended last night.

 

This quote hangs near the door to my office. It was put there to remind me to get over the things that I no longer have control over and to get on with the things that I can change today. In short, it reminds me to live in the present.

 

One of the things I have noticed in people after preaching for a quarter century is that most people live in the past. They are disappointed in their own actions, they are angry at the actions of others, and they are frustrated at the things that didn't go the way that they would have preferred. The ironic part of this is that by focusing so much on the past, they fail to change the very things that they wished they had taken care of differently, and they doom themselves to repeating a life of frustration.

 

So what in your past do you wish was different? Can you see that by allowing yourself to dwell so much in the past that you are limiting the things that God wants you to accomplish today?

 

For example, are you saved? Are your loved ones? Are you sure?

 

Yesterday truly is gone, and all of the wishing in the world will not bring it back. The beautiful thing about being a Christian, though, is that you still have the same amount of time left today  that you did all those yesterdays ago: Eternity!

 

What will you do with that eternity?  If you are not sure, why not start finding out today. The right answer to this question is found within the pages of the Bible...

 

and you can start today! All you need to do is put yesterday in the past where it belongs, and focus on the things that are within your reach today. Paul said something about this very thing nearly 2,000 years ago:

 

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  - Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, - I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Philippians 3:12-15, NKJV