Category: Living Daily

Submit to the Government

The Apostle Paul wrote to Roman followers of Jesus: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1 esv) (note: some translations use ‘submit,’ others use ‘be subject to.’) Apostle Paul was not the only Apostle to call for such submission to rulers. The Apostle Peter wrote: “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution. . .” (1Peter 2:13 esv)

Historically, Rome held control over Israel and the known world of that time. The Roman rulers were pagans, idolators, mostly cruel, and generally despicable. When Apostle Paul wrote to his letter, the Roman Emperor desired to be worshipped as a god. Despite this, Apostle Paul charges Believers to be subject to ALL authorities, and Peter says to do so “for the Lord’s sake.”

How can this be? Am I instructed to abide the edicts and whims of an elected office or a dictator, regardless? I’ve asked this question, and come to my own conclusion. Your conclusions my differ. And that’s the first of four points to consider concerning this topic: 1) It is up to the conscience of each Believer whether or not to be subject a specific individual that represents a governing authority; 2) there are consequences for disobedience, such as getting tossed into a den of lions or losing one’s head, literally; 3) Opposing a specific individual, a king or governor, is different that opposing government. G-D establishes government, in general, for the benefit of all His people, to promote order and happiness [maybe like “life, liberty, pursuit of happiness”] and 4) Any ruler that “departs from this principle, and becomes the protector of the evil and the oppressor of the good, the case is reversed, and the obligation to its support must cease.”

Whether to obey or not to obey is a complex issue. My points are really only starting points on a long quest in which all Believers must decide where the line is that will not be crossed.

One thing: We were created in G-D’s image. We are not animals that follow blindly their instincts. As humans we have an obligation to use the thinking, reasoning, capacities which we were given. Consequently, we are not to follow blindly any exhortation from any source, whether that be within our Christian circles or from our own government and its officials. The choice is ours. May G-D be honored and glorified in our choice and our sacrifice.

Here’s some links to three commentaries from which I base my points:

Ellicott’s Commentary

Barnes’s Notes

Benson’s Commentary

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Today’s Message on a Mug

Coffee in a Cup of Strength

There’s more to this message, however:

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel,

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;

in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

But you were unwilling. . . (ESV)

Rather than “returning,” the New International Version (NIV) uses “repentance.” Ellicott’s Commentary says this: “In returning and rest . . .—The words describe a process of conversion, but the nature of that conversion is determined by the context. In this case it was the turning from the trust in man, with all its restless excitement, to a trust in God, full of calmness and of peace.”

Before the strength of quietness and trust is attained, there is a turning from our battles, our sin, and a turning to the Creator of the Universe, in Whom we find forgiveness from our sin and rest from our own strivings and attainments.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Joseph Conlee: From Methodist Pastor to Drunken Beggar to Pentecostal Educator — Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center

[I found this repost from AG History touching, enlightening, and encouraging. L-RD Bless. . .]

This Week in AG History — December 19, 1936 By Darrin J. RodgersOriginally published on AG News, 17 December 2020 Old Joe Conlee (1853-1929) was a dirty, ragged drunk. He spent every penny on liquor and begged on the street corners in Los Angeles for money to feed his addiction. Then, in 1897, a man […]

Joseph Conlee: From Methodist Pastor to Drunken Beggar to Pentecostal Educator — Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center

Supplementing Church Services

While pulling a flatbed for Arrow Trucking out of Tulsa, OK, I covered 125,000 miles and 46 states during my first year over the road. It was a blessing to attend many churches across the nation. Some I thoroughly enjoyed, others I found lacking. Not always was it possible to park near a church, however. There were many truck stops that allowed a pastor to conduct church on Sunday. Sometimes these services were in the truckers’ lounges. Others were held in converted semi-trailers. Several times a local church would send out a van or small bus to collect truckers, taking them to the services at their churches.

There were other ways to listen to church services too. As most of the newer trucks had CD players incorporated in the AM/FM radio, many preachers made CDs of their services and left them at truck stops in their areas. Not always was the quality “state of art,” so to speak. But mostly they worked well enough to hear a Sunday service.

It seems today, with churches still either under mandatory lockdown, or voluntarily suspending Sunday services, that this might be a way to reach those with no other means to hear their local church service.

As Pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out a sermon from 1964, this is only a supplement to actually attending church: Why Preaching. In this sermon he says that many feel they can simple read the Bible and not need to attend church. Pastor Lloyd-Jones points to Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, as written about by Luke in Acts 8:26-40.

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south[a] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
    and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
    Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[b] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Acts 8:26-40

It is the preachers role to preach Jesus, and to expound upon the meaning of the scriptures, according to Pastor Lloyd-Jones. He furthermore is adamant that one must actually sit in a seat in an assembly of other Christians to fully receive this teaching.

This brave new world in which we live has brought new problems, and old solutions might well be something G-D might wish for us to consider as a supplement to gathering in an assembly of Believers. Hearing the sermon, whether online or from a recorded CD is at least a valid supplement.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Quick [video] introduction to shortwave radio listening

Peter Parker, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, today posted a video primer on Shortwave Radio Listening: Quick introduction to shortwave radio listening.

In his video, Peter explains the basics of the shortwave bands, how radio waves get from the transmitter to the receiver, and shows a few ideas for outside antennas. Peter also demonstrates what broadcasts sound like when received. As you’ll see, the audio is not like a local FM station.

In writing about shortwave listening, my thoughts generally have been about Christians receiving Christian broadcasts with out internet or local stations broadcasts. In a quick trip across the bands, I mentioned a programs featuring talk radio and music. There are other ways that shortwave broadcasting is used today, as it has been for many years. This article, while a bit technical, explains how pro-democracy groups are beaming broadcasts to Chine, to citizens that are generally not able to hear anything but China propaganda: How Dissidents Are Using Shortwave Radio to Broadcast News Into China.

Then there are the Pirates. Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license–Wikipedia. There are some famous, or infamous depending on one’s viewpoint, pirate stations. While the name pirate may sound sinister, not all are such.

“Pirate radio in the UK first became widespread in the early 1960s when pop music stations such as Radio Caroline and Radio London started to broadcast on medium wave to the UK from offshore ships or disused sea forts. At the time, these stations were not illegal because they were broadcasting from international waters. The stations were set up by entrepreneurs and music enthusiasts to meet the growing demand for pop and rock music, which was not catered for by BBC Radio services.” Wikipedia.

BBC pretty much had a monopoly on radio in the UK then. And the Brits wanted to listen to Rock Music. I can’t imagine being in London and not even being able to listen to the Beatles. Stranger still, the British government required citizens to have a permit to receive broadcasts, even if those broadcasts were from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). If that isn’t enough, the permits excluded listening to certain stations, such as the pirate radio stations.

That reminds me of the many WWII movies I’ve watched that included as scene in which Nazis confiscated radios. And if radio transmitters were found, well, the owners were murdered.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .