"Now hear this,..rulers of...Israel, who abhor justice and twist everything that is straight....Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, her priests instruct for a price and her prophets divine for money." (Micah 3, NASB)
I am obviously in Micah. Notice to whom the Word of God came, rulers, priests and prophets, and they were all engaged in perversion of The Word of God, "abhor justice and twist everything that is straight,..judg[e] for a bribe,..instruct for a price and...[prophesy] for money." Obviously, no good can come from this. Notice the Word is to the "religious" community and to the government. It is a great disservice to limit the Bible to "church." Anyway, no one can do that, try a he/she may. There is no limit, no restriction of God's words. All throughout the Bible Jesus, "The Word of God," is speaking to every person on the Planet, male and female, young and old, preachers and parishioners, management and worker, governors and the governed.
Yesterday I was in Washington, DC. Our text is way too descriptive of not only the American Government, but also the American "church." Everywhere I went I had a Bible audio program playing. The "God-Breathed" Word was read allowed in the Supreme Court Building, the Capitol Building, the Hart and Dirksen Senate Office Buildings, during the Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing, and the streets of Washington, DC. Why not? The very Words of God saved my life during my deepest misery. Why should I not believe He can do the same for others and for world governments? "Spirituality" does not motivate this; testimony, i.e., experience, does. "They over came him by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word to which they bore witness" (Literal translation of Revelation 12:11) I have been overcoming in life, not primarily by "my testimony," but by, "the Word to which I [bear] witness." Witness to anything/anyone other than the Words of God and the Word of God, Jesus, is a fruitless witness.
I was able to spend some time with Dick Simmons whose wife, Barb, passed away just a few weeks ago. We both affirmed that the only way to change men and nations is not primarily teaching and preaching and talking, but to pray the change. It is difficult many times to "see" prayer results, especially when one is praying for national and global issues. Yet such praying affects world missions, government policies, et. al. I would suggest that for every minute of verbal witness, every minute of committee meetings, church planning sessions, government and corporate meetings we should have ten minutes of prayer. Prayer is like an artillery barrage before a military attack; such softens up the enemy.
You know as well as I do that this day was far easier to start with just "get-to-it" rather than praying. Why? The enemy of man does not want our most effective, "weapons of our warfare," in the battle. He would rather just face our efforts than Jesus Christ's. The Bible tells us that Jesus is ever interceding for us. Maybe we should learn the lesson.
Father, in Jesus' Name, may I continually learn. Amen.
I am obviously in Micah. Notice to whom the Word of God came, rulers, priests and prophets, and they were all engaged in perversion of The Word of God, "abhor justice and twist everything that is straight,..judg[e] for a bribe,..instruct for a price and...[prophesy] for money." Obviously, no good can come from this. Notice the Word is to the "religious" community and to the government. It is a great disservice to limit the Bible to "church." Anyway, no one can do that, try a he/she may. There is no limit, no restriction of God's words. All throughout the Bible Jesus, "The Word of God," is speaking to every person on the Planet, male and female, young and old, preachers and parishioners, management and worker, governors and the governed.
Yesterday I was in Washington, DC. Our text is way too descriptive of not only the American Government, but also the American "church." Everywhere I went I had a Bible audio program playing. The "God-Breathed" Word was read allowed in the Supreme Court Building, the Capitol Building, the Hart and Dirksen Senate Office Buildings, during the Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing, and the streets of Washington, DC. Why not? The very Words of God saved my life during my deepest misery. Why should I not believe He can do the same for others and for world governments? "Spirituality" does not motivate this; testimony, i.e., experience, does. "They over came him by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word to which they bore witness" (Literal translation of Revelation 12:11) I have been overcoming in life, not primarily by "my testimony," but by, "the Word to which I [bear] witness." Witness to anything/anyone other than the Words of God and the Word of God, Jesus, is a fruitless witness.
I was able to spend some time with Dick Simmons whose wife, Barb, passed away just a few weeks ago. We both affirmed that the only way to change men and nations is not primarily teaching and preaching and talking, but to pray the change. It is difficult many times to "see" prayer results, especially when one is praying for national and global issues. Yet such praying affects world missions, government policies, et. al. I would suggest that for every minute of verbal witness, every minute of committee meetings, church planning sessions, government and corporate meetings we should have ten minutes of prayer. Prayer is like an artillery barrage before a military attack; such softens up the enemy.
You know as well as I do that this day was far easier to start with just "get-to-it" rather than praying. Why? The enemy of man does not want our most effective, "weapons of our warfare," in the battle. He would rather just face our efforts than Jesus Christ's. The Bible tells us that Jesus is ever interceding for us. Maybe we should learn the lesson.
Father, in Jesus' Name, may I continually learn. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
