" BE SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENT "

Romans 13:1 " Says every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Now, there are times when we should not submit to the government? We should never allow government to force us to disobey God. Jesus and his Apostles never disobeyed the government for personal reasons: When they disobeyed, it was in order to follow their higher loyalty to God. Their disobedience was not cheap: they were threatened, beaten, thrown into jail, tortured, and executed for their convictions. Like them, if we are compelled to disobey, we must be ready to accept the consequences. Now, I'm of the mind that christians understand Romans 13 in different ways. All Christians agree that we are to live at peace with the state as long as the state allows us to live by our religious convictions. As far back as can be remembered there have been at least three interpretations of how we are to do this (1) There are some who are of the mind that the state is so corrupt, Christians should have as little to do with it as possible. Although they should be good Citizens as long as they can do without compromising their beliefs, they should not work for the government, vote in elections, or serve in the military. (2) Others believe that God has given the state authority in certain areas and the church authority in others. Christians can be loyal to both an can work for either. They should not, however, confuse the two. In this view, Church and State are concerned with two totally different spheres - the Spiritual and the Physical - thus complement each other but do not work together. (3) Now, my school of thought, is that Christians have a responsibility to make the state better. We are to be good citizens and we can do this politically by electing Christians or other High - Principled Leaders. They can also do this morally, by serving as an influence for good in society. In this view, Church and State ideally work together for the good of all. Now neither of these views advocate rebelling against or refusing to obey the government's laws or regulations unless those laws clearly require you to violate the moral standards revealed by God. However we find ourselves, we must be responsible citizens, as well as responsible christians. Until Next Time... Jim,

" INSULTS TRULY HURT "

This week we are looking into " Insults, I think that we can all agree that "Insults " hurt. Insult is defined in this manner: A disrespectful or scornful abusive remark or action. " He hurled insults at us." To treat with Insolence, Indignity, or Contempt. Okay, this week we are exploring the word " Insult." I'm reminded of the time in the book of Numbers when Moses married a Cushite woman. Then there was murmuring chiefly by Miriam and Aaron. Now, let me get back on track. Insult(s). Spitting in someone's face was considered the ultimate insult and a sign of shame imposed on wrong doers. The religious leaders spat in Jesus' face to insult him (Matthew 26:67). God punished Miriam for her smug attitude toward not only Moses' authority, but also God's. He struck her with leprosy, then ordered her out of the camp for a week. This punishment was actually quite lenient. A week was the length of time she would have been excluded if her father had spat in her face. How much more she deserved for wrongdoing God! Once again, God was Merciful while retaining an effective discipline. Insulting others and being jealous are not right responses when we feel left out. But seeking revenge for an insult is just as wrong, and can be very costly. It's very important to remember when someone annoys or insults you, it is natural to retaliate. But this solves nothing and nearly encourages trouble. Instead, answer slowly and quietly. Your positive response will achieve positive results. Proverbs 15:1 says, " A gentle answer turns away wrath." Lastly Luke 6:22 says: " Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn tour name as evil, for the Son Of Man." Until Next Time... Jim,

" THE ART OF CORRECTION "

Between you and me I don't like to be Corrected, but I know from past experiences it is necessary. Now Continuing to be transparent, said Correction caused me to search my heart and to do better. " Correction " is defined in this way: Act of Correcting; state of being Corrected; Discipline; Chastisement; Counteraction. The Bible is not a collection of Stories, Fables, Myths, or merely human ideas about God. it is not a human book. Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed his person and plan to certain believers, who wrote down his message for his people (2 Peter 1:20-21). Now this process is known as inspiration. The writers wrote from their own personal, historical, and cultural contexts. Although they used thier own minds, talents, languages, and styles, they wrote what God wanted them to write. Now Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing. It's words are entirely authoritative for our faith and lives. The Bible is " God-Breathed." READ IT, and use its teachings to guide your conduct. Question, do you care enough to Correct a fellow believer in love? Nobody wishes to be Corrected / Reprimanded by a friend or even a fellow believer with our wrongdoing. Proverbs 27:6 says: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy." Sometimes our friends make choices that we know are wrong. If we ignore their behavior and let them continue in it, we won't be showing love to them. We show love by honestly sharing our concerns in order to help these friends do and be their very best for God. When we don't make any move to help, we show that we are more concerned about being well liked than about what will happen to them. LAST POINT: it is easy to point out someone else's faults or sins. I'm reminded of Job, now his friends accused him of sin to make him feel guilty, not to encourage or correct him. If we feel that we must admonish someone, we should be sure we are confronting that person because we love him, not because we are annoyed, inconvenienced, or seeking to blame him. Until next Time... Jim,

" THE PATIENCE OF GOD "

Okay once again another week has come and gone. This week we are re-visiting " Patience." And if you're anything like me, even though I'm aware that The Father works things out in his timing impatience on my part comes into play. First things First, patience the endurance according to Galatians 5:22-23, one of the nine components of the Fruit Of The Spirit. As a Chronic Pain Sufferer, I'm aware that it invoves endurance in suffering, tolerance of others, etc. I believe that it's noteworthy that we don't mistake God's patience as approval for our sin(s). Now if we're not completely honest with ourselves we will recognize that we must suffer because of our failure to follow God wholeheartedly. God was supremely loving and Patient with Israel, just as he is today. Now I'm of the mind that we must not confuse his Patience with us as approval or indifference to our sin. Beware of demanding your own way because eventually you may get it - along with all its painful consequences. Now, in his thoughtfulness, or maybe I should say his kindness, God holds back his judgment giving us time to repent. It is easy to mistake God's patience for approval of the wrong we are living. Self-evaluation is difficult, and it is even more difficult to expose our conduct to God and let him tell us where we need to change. But as Christians we must pray constantly that God will point out our sins, so that he can heal them. Unfortunately, we are more likely to be amazed at God's Patience with others than humbled at his Patience with us. It's time for us to be real. Until Next Time... Jim,

" Godly Wisdom "

We all like to believe that we are Wise, and we somehow believe that what we have experienced is good for another. Wisdom is the ability to see life from God's perspective and then to know the best course of action to take. Now I believe that most folks would agree that Wisdom is a valuable asset, but how can we acquire it? Proverbs 9:10 teaches that the fear of the Lord (Respect and Honor) is the beginning of Wisdom. I'm of the belief that Wisdom comes from knowing and trusting God; it is not merely the way to find God. Knowing God will lead to understanding and then to sharing this knowledge with others. Now in this age of information, knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is scarce. Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot it is a basic attitude that affects an aspect of life. The foundation of knowledge is to fear the Lord - to Honor and Respect God, to live in awe of his power, and to obey his word. Faith in God should be the controlling principle for your understanding of the world, your attitudes, and your actions. Trust in God - he will make you truly Wise. LAST POINT: Do you consider the knowledge and experience of those elderly, those older and Wiser as a resource for Wisdom? I'm reminded of Simeon and Anna who were very old. They never lost their hope of seeing the Messiah. Led by the Holy Spirit, they were among the first to bear witness to Jesus. Now in the Jewish culture, elders were respected, so because of Simeon's and Anna's age their prophecies carried extra weight. Our society, however, values youthfulness over wisdom and potential contributions by the elderly are often ignored. Now, as Christians, we should reverse those values whenever we can. I once shared that we should encourage older folks to share their wisdom and experience. Listen carefully when they speak. Offer them your friendship and help them find ways to continue to serve God. Until Next Time... Jim,