The election; What does the Bible say?

Romans 13:1

13 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. (NLT)

Romans 13:1 & 2

Every Christian ought to obey the civil authorities, for all legitimate authority is derived from God’s authority, and the existing authority is appointed under God. To oppose authority then is to oppose God, and such opposition is bound to be punished.

What do this passage say to us after the election? What if the authority ask us (tell us we must) do something that is anti-christian? What if like Hitler; the governing authority/civil authority begins to kill Jews (other group) and asks/tells us that it is our civil duty to support them in that killing? What if there is some  "Chicago" system voting?  Do we still "obey the civil authorities"?  Is obedience to the civil authorities what God calls us to when the civil authorities are, in our opinion out side of God's will?  If out side the will of God are those civil authorities "legitimate authority"?

 

The other question would be is Paul making a statement for all time "the existing authority is appointed under God" or just for his own? 

In any case we need to we need to follow the idea of Timothy in
1 Timothy 2:1-4  I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

Who's language do we speak?

Act 2:5-8 New Life Version (NLV) ⁵ There were many religious Jews staying in Jerusalem. They were from every country of the world. ⁶ When they heard this strange sound, they gathered together. They all listened! It was hard for them to believe they were hearing words in their own language. ⁷ They were surprised and wondered about it. They said to each other, “Are not these Galileans who are speaking? ⁸ How is it that each one of us can hear his own language?

These verses were part of Men's Group this evening.  The one I have made larger is one that hit me in the face as it was read.  It caused me to wonder if we as the Church are speaking in "the language" of those we are trying to meet.

I wonder if we use words that are a code for us insiders.  Not always as an attempt to keep the not-yet-christians or any other new comer in the dark but simply cause we have always used the terms; "born-again, second blessing, save, washed in the blood" to name a few.

I also wonder if we need to reach those that are not-yet-christians that are say under 45 years old and younger if we need to change our language?  How we present the gospel; both in words and also in other ways; which I,  as a 50 something former pastor turned hamburger flipper,  am not sure I can innumerate.  Change our time frame; both hour and day?  What makes Sunday between 9 a.m. and Noon the time for church?  Why not Friday at 7:52p.m. or Saturday afternoon or Tuesday evening?      Change our method of presentation?    Is there a way to do the sermon as a text or email that then can be discussed at the "worship time" (even that phrase "WORSHIP TIME" is our/my language.)  These and many other thoughts go wandering through my wondering mind this Wednesday evening between 6:00 p.m. and 7:29p.m. followed by Choir practice.

One more moment of wondering

This is a video of Ed Dobson. While his statements are about his life as a pastor; I wonder if it is not just as true of the body of Christ in general; ie the congregation.  We get so busy with the business of the work of the ministry that we forget to do the ministry in the community in which God has planted us.
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2012/02/11/eds-story-my-garden.cnn#/video/living/2012/02/11/eds-story-my-garden.cnn

We have a HOPE!!

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 18 (New Living Translation) ¹³And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.  ¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. ¹⁵We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.  ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.  ¹⁷Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.  ¹⁸So encourage each other with these words. 

The above passage is one that I have used for years as I did funerals; especially for believers funerals.  I see it as a comfort for the family, both blood and Spirit.  I would comment about the fact that Paul does not tell us not to grieve but that we are to grieve as a people of hope.  That hope is the knowledge that we will see the loved one when we see Jesus face to Face.

When I returned from a vision committee meeting Sunday I began to think on the vision statement we had arrived on; "Bringing the HOPE and LOVE OF JESUS to [insert city's name here] and the world.  This passage and how I and many pastors use it struck me.  If we have a hope that changes how we grieve, should not that same hope change how we live? 

I see the "sermon" starting with the passage as usual but then putting a missional twist on the passage, which I have only done at one funeral (and only backhandedly at that).  That twist would be if we have a hope which changes our grieving and we believe in that hope of Jesus then should we not be sharing that hope with others.  Meaning, are we not obligated by that hope to tell people that Jesus want to have a relationship with them?  Should we not tell them that Jesus want to know them and lead them so that at some point with when the person dies and go to heaven or when we meet Jesus in the air; that person will  also get to meet Jesus as well? 

It has been funny (not in the Ha ha concept) that in the last couple of weeks I have been able to get a word in about knowing where I will go.  On both occasions a person said something about my going to Hell.  I responded with "No thanks, I have reservation for the other place!"  Both people just looked at me and laughed but knew what I meant.

We have a hope!  Why not share it with the hopeless?!?

JESUS' Marching Orders

Matthew 28:18 - 20 (NCV) ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All power in heaven and on earth is given to me.  ¹⁹So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  ²⁰Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.”

At the church I attend (and am also a member) we have been attempting to find God's mind on what our church, also known as the body of Christ that meets at 17th and Main in a certain community, needs  do to bring God glory.  I have seen a couple of things over the last week.

One is that we need to look at if those outside this group would "Know we are Christians by our love!" Both for those within and outside the group.  At times I am sorry to say that our love within is lacking and therefore OUR love without is not into good of shape either.  As I think about and pray about how we love those outside the group I have to say that we must not be doing a great job in that our rate of converts is not at all that good.  I we believe that the world is going to hell as we say we do and we chose a path that would keep us from going to hell; why would we not want to keep every one from going?  I am as bad as any other within the group about not having the passion to share (read the guts to share) Jesus with a dyeing world.  This leads to the second thing I have seen over the last week.

The second is that of Jesus' Marching Order to the Church; GO! Making converts of everybody!  Why? Because Jesus said; "All power has been given me in heaven and on earth.  This gives the people of God the energy, and ability as well as it should given us the desire to do what we are asked to do.  Jesus told his church to make converts; baptize those converts and then teach them to MAKE CONVERTS!  Jesus even goes on to say that He is with us to the end.  What are we waiting for?  We have the engraved invitation!  Why aren't we as a large group doing what Jesus (and God) has called us to do?  The reason may be we are scared?  We do not know how to make converts?  We may just simply not care!

So; if you have read this far into my non politically correct statements here and you claim to be a follower of Jesus the Messiah; I have one question: "What are you going to do about these orders?