by Pastor Ricky Kurth
“Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates…” (Titus 3:1).
Who are these “principalities and powers” to whom we must be subject? Well, we know there are different kinds of principalities and powers, since in Ephesians 6:12 we are told to “wrestle” them, while here we are told to “be subject” to them! Ephesians, of course, speaks of the unseen demonic host, “the rulers of the darkness of this world,” who wrestle with us as we proclaim God’s Word. But Titus 3:1 speaks of the human rulers of this world, the “magistrates” in government to whom God says we must be subject (Rom. 13:1-7).
You wouldn’t think Christians would need to be told this, but once we learn we are already citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20), it is easy to think that this somehow negates the responsibilities of our earthly citizenship. But remember, while there is “neither bond nor free” in Christ (Gal. 3:28), Paul still tells servants to “be obedient unto their own masters” (Titus 2:9). While there is also “neither male nor female” in Christ (Gal. 3:28), Paul still tells wives to “submit yourselves unto your own husbands” (Eph. 5:22). And while in Christ we are already citizens of heaven, we must still be subject to magistrates.
Solomon warned, “fear thou the Lord and the king; and meddle not with them that are given to change” (Prov. 24:21). This refers not to voting men out of office, but rather to getting involved in subversive anti-government activities. God has said that the meek in Israel will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5), and so He plans to fix all of earth’s governments for them prior to the establishment of His kingdom (Rev. 11:15). But this world is not our inheritance, we’re “just a-passing through” it, and so fixing her governments is not our fight.
An example from Israel’s past might serve to illustrate this. As Israel was passing through the wilderness on her way to the Promised Land, Edom refused to let her pass through their land (Num. 20:14-22). Why didn’t Israel fight, as they later fought those who resisted them in Canaan? Because God had instructed them to “meddle not with them,” since Edom was not their inheritance (Deut. 2:1-5)—they were just a-passin’ through! Just so, this world is not our inheritance, and so we should “meddle not with them that are given to change” its governments. We are called to “fight the good fight of faith” (I Tim. 6:12), and “no man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (II Tim. 2:4).
Apr 5, 2012
No Man Can Say That Jesus is the Lord, But By the Holy Ghost
1 Corinthians 12:3
by F. B. Meyer
Jesus is Saviour, but is He Lord? Hast thou yielded to Him the Lordship? Nothing short of this will give thee true peace and power. Thou must be brought to say with the psalmist, "Other lords beside Thee have had dominion over me; but by Thee only will I make mention of Thy name."
Jesus must be Lord of thy heart; every affection must be brought under His most wise and loving control. He must be Lord of thy home, so that no conversation may be indulged, no recreation set afoot, no society entertained, which is inconsistent with His character and claims. He must be Lord of thy business and its returns, so that thou shalt live in perpetual communication with Him, along the lines of the Heavenly Telephone; and in the use of all its proceeds He must have the supreme voice. He must be Lord of thy plans. It is for Him to say Go, or Come, or Do this. That was a true message which Ahasuerus sent through the good Ezra to the Jewish people: "Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven." I liked that word exactly.
But this perpetual recognition of the Lordship of Jesus is only possible to those who have yielded their entire nature to the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, who loves to glorify Christ. Dost thou seek the attitude of consecration which thus honors thy Lord? Then let the Holy Spirit work it for thee! Wouldst thou have it maintained? Let Him maintain it! And if thou askest thyself, whether thou hast received the Pentecostal endowment, be sure that thou hast, if with all thine heart thou sayest that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This is the certain test.
by F. B. Meyer
Jesus is Saviour, but is He Lord? Hast thou yielded to Him the Lordship? Nothing short of this will give thee true peace and power. Thou must be brought to say with the psalmist, "Other lords beside Thee have had dominion over me; but by Thee only will I make mention of Thy name."
Jesus must be Lord of thy heart; every affection must be brought under His most wise and loving control. He must be Lord of thy home, so that no conversation may be indulged, no recreation set afoot, no society entertained, which is inconsistent with His character and claims. He must be Lord of thy business and its returns, so that thou shalt live in perpetual communication with Him, along the lines of the Heavenly Telephone; and in the use of all its proceeds He must have the supreme voice. He must be Lord of thy plans. It is for Him to say Go, or Come, or Do this. That was a true message which Ahasuerus sent through the good Ezra to the Jewish people: "Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven." I liked that word exactly.
But this perpetual recognition of the Lordship of Jesus is only possible to those who have yielded their entire nature to the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, who loves to glorify Christ. Dost thou seek the attitude of consecration which thus honors thy Lord? Then let the Holy Spirit work it for thee! Wouldst thou have it maintained? Let Him maintain it! And if thou askest thyself, whether thou hast received the Pentecostal endowment, be sure that thou hast, if with all thine heart thou sayest that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This is the certain test.
Your "Want To"
(by Paul Chappell)
"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."
Luke 9:57–58
I remember talking to a man who didn’t like what we were doing at Lancaster Baptist Church. "You just do everything the Bible says to do," he accused. I told him, "I love the Author of the Book, and I want to do what He says." Although I don’t always succeed at that effort, it is my goal to do what God wants me to do.
The reason for that "want to" is that I love Christ and desire to follow Him. It is not that the Bible is a list of rules for me to keep. There are commands of God which carry blessings for obedience and punishments for disobedience; but the Christian life is far more than just that. Walking with God in a close personal relationship through prayer and spending time in His Word creates a desire in our hearts to follow what He has said to do.
Someone once said, "Rules without relationships bring rebellion; rules with relationships bring response." The closer I am to Jesus, the more likely I am to want to do what He wants me to do. Remember before Peter three times denied the Lord, he was first following Him "afar off" (Matthew 26:58).
The more time we spend with Jesus, the more like Him we become. Acts 4:13 says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." The more like Jesus we become, the stronger our desire to please the Father becomes, and the more we desire do right.
Rooted Principle:
If your "want to" concerning following Christ’s commands is weak, check the strength of your walk with Jesus Christ.
"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."
Luke 9:57–58
I remember talking to a man who didn’t like what we were doing at Lancaster Baptist Church. "You just do everything the Bible says to do," he accused. I told him, "I love the Author of the Book, and I want to do what He says." Although I don’t always succeed at that effort, it is my goal to do what God wants me to do.
The reason for that "want to" is that I love Christ and desire to follow Him. It is not that the Bible is a list of rules for me to keep. There are commands of God which carry blessings for obedience and punishments for disobedience; but the Christian life is far more than just that. Walking with God in a close personal relationship through prayer and spending time in His Word creates a desire in our hearts to follow what He has said to do.
Someone once said, "Rules without relationships bring rebellion; rules with relationships bring response." The closer I am to Jesus, the more likely I am to want to do what He wants me to do. Remember before Peter three times denied the Lord, he was first following Him "afar off" (Matthew 26:58).
The more time we spend with Jesus, the more like Him we become. Acts 4:13 says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." The more like Jesus we become, the stronger our desire to please the Father becomes, and the more we desire do right.
Rooted Principle:
If your "want to" concerning following Christ’s commands is weak, check the strength of your walk with Jesus Christ.
Apr 1, 2012
"Memories"
Some golden daybreak the trump is going to sound and the dead in Christ shall rise first and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then: “We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men...” (II Cor. 5:10,11).
When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ
And He shows me His plan for me;
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way, and I see
How I blocked Him here and checked Him there
And I would not yield my will,
Shall I see grief in my Savior’s eyes;
Grief though He loves me still?
Oh, He’d have me rich, and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While my memory runs like a hunted thing
Down the paths I can’t retrace.
Then my desolate heart will well-nigh break
With tears that I cannot shed.
I’ll cover my face with my empty hands
And bow my uncrowned head.
No! Lord of the years that are left to me
I yield them to Thy hand.
Take me, make me, mold me
To the pattern Thou hast planned.
—Author Unknown
May God give us the strength to redeem the time wisely. Only one life; ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.
When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ
And He shows me His plan for me;
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way, and I see
How I blocked Him here and checked Him there
And I would not yield my will,
Shall I see grief in my Savior’s eyes;
Grief though He loves me still?
Oh, He’d have me rich, and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While my memory runs like a hunted thing
Down the paths I can’t retrace.
Then my desolate heart will well-nigh break
With tears that I cannot shed.
I’ll cover my face with my empty hands
And bow my uncrowned head.
No! Lord of the years that are left to me
I yield them to Thy hand.
Take me, make me, mold me
To the pattern Thou hast planned.
—Author Unknown
May God give us the strength to redeem the time wisely. Only one life; ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Mar 30, 2012
Mar 8, 2012
My Hightower
(by Berit Kjos - http://www.crossroad.to)
Seeing the World from His perspective
“The Lord is... my High Tower and my Refuge.” 2 Samuel 22:2-3
My strong Tower rises high above the ground, offering an entirely new view of earth and its people. Its lofty shelter offers me peace and safety in the midst of all kinds of struggles. Whether I stand at the top or hide within His impenetrable walls, the troubles and turmoil of the world cannot reach me.
Jesus is that unshakable Tower. My Lord has raised me up and seated me with Him in the heavenly places. (Eph. 2:6) There He shares with me the perspective and the safety of His heights. In the wonderful peace of His presence, I can rest while He shows me His majestic view of the world and the people He loves.
From His high vantage point everything looks new and different. The Goliaths — the overwhelming giants below, which looked so terrible at ground level - seem tiny from up here. Why did I fear them so?
Through His eyes I see the people I love, those who hurt and reject me, those who misunderstand, those I cannot understand.... They look different from up here — smaller, more fragile.... I see God’s hand on them - His personal path for each, His chosen struggles to teach dependence on Him.... I see loneliness and pain in those who had seemed so happy and composed.
In the calm and safety of my High Tower, I turn all my worries over to Him. He is my strength and my defense. No need to fear when He is near. Instead I simply listen and learn without stress or distractions. When I delight in Him, My King smiles to me. He always has new things to share.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts,” He whispers. “Abide in Me!" (Isaiah 55: 8-9, John 15:4-5)
In His nearness, my mind is renewed and my heart overflows with His joy. Filled with His Spirit, I’m ready to let His compassionate love reach out to others who need a refuge and hope. How can I bring them to my Tower? How can my walk on earth help others see the Tower through me? I trust Him to show me!
Precious Lord, my High Tower, let me rest in the heights with you every moment, even as I live and work in the world. Hide me within your walls, so that I won’t be hindered by my human feelings of anxiety. Be to me “a tower of deliverance” from all the enemies of your kingdom - fear, anger, anything that is out of harmony with your life in me. Let me see all people and things, not from my own limited earthly perspective, but from your high vantage point. Then, by your grace, I can lead others to your safety and strength. Thank you.
1 Samuel 17:26, 32-47; 2 Samuel 22:2-3, 51; Psalm 18:2; 61:3, 144:2; Isaiah 55:8-9; Ephesians 2:6
Seeing the World from His perspective
“The Lord is... my High Tower and my Refuge.” 2 Samuel 22:2-3
My strong Tower rises high above the ground, offering an entirely new view of earth and its people. Its lofty shelter offers me peace and safety in the midst of all kinds of struggles. Whether I stand at the top or hide within His impenetrable walls, the troubles and turmoil of the world cannot reach me.
Jesus is that unshakable Tower. My Lord has raised me up and seated me with Him in the heavenly places. (Eph. 2:6) There He shares with me the perspective and the safety of His heights. In the wonderful peace of His presence, I can rest while He shows me His majestic view of the world and the people He loves.
From His high vantage point everything looks new and different. The Goliaths — the overwhelming giants below, which looked so terrible at ground level - seem tiny from up here. Why did I fear them so?
Through His eyes I see the people I love, those who hurt and reject me, those who misunderstand, those I cannot understand.... They look different from up here — smaller, more fragile.... I see God’s hand on them - His personal path for each, His chosen struggles to teach dependence on Him.... I see loneliness and pain in those who had seemed so happy and composed.
In the calm and safety of my High Tower, I turn all my worries over to Him. He is my strength and my defense. No need to fear when He is near. Instead I simply listen and learn without stress or distractions. When I delight in Him, My King smiles to me. He always has new things to share.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts,” He whispers. “Abide in Me!" (Isaiah 55: 8-9, John 15:4-5)
In His nearness, my mind is renewed and my heart overflows with His joy. Filled with His Spirit, I’m ready to let His compassionate love reach out to others who need a refuge and hope. How can I bring them to my Tower? How can my walk on earth help others see the Tower through me? I trust Him to show me!
Precious Lord, my High Tower, let me rest in the heights with you every moment, even as I live and work in the world. Hide me within your walls, so that I won’t be hindered by my human feelings of anxiety. Be to me “a tower of deliverance” from all the enemies of your kingdom - fear, anger, anything that is out of harmony with your life in me. Let me see all people and things, not from my own limited earthly perspective, but from your high vantage point. Then, by your grace, I can lead others to your safety and strength. Thank you.
1 Samuel 17:26, 32-47; 2 Samuel 22:2-3, 51; Psalm 18:2; 61:3, 144:2; Isaiah 55:8-9; Ephesians 2:6
Mar 3, 2012
Knowledge Shall Increase
(1) A camera on a military drone with an 1.8 gigapixel camera (“Latest US Military drone,” Digital Trends, Jan. 3, 2012). The camera, which is part of the Argus-IS drone helicopter package, is 900 times the resolution of a standard 2-megapixel camera. The drone can lock on multiple targets simultaneously from altitudes as high as 20,000 feet.
(2) A nano-ear capable of detecting sounds six orders of magnitude below the threshold of human hearing to detect sounds made at the bacterial level (“The World’s First ‘Nano-Ear,’” Popular Science, Jan. 11, 2012). The invention uses an optically-trapped gold nanoparticle as a listening device. The particle is 60 billionths of a meter or roughly a thousand times smaller than a human hair.
(3) Microrockets that can zip around the human stomach, powered by hydrogen bubbles (“Microrockets,” Popular Science, Jan. 18, 2012). A team from the University of California, San Diego, has created the tiny self-propelled motors that can move around in an acidic environment without the need for any external fuel. The power is supplied by hydrogen bubbles produced by a reaction between an acidic solution and the zinc that the microrocket is made of.
(4) X-Ray laser that super-heats aluminum foil to 3.6 million degrees (“World’s Most Powerful X-Ray Laser,” Popular Science, Jan. 25, 2012). The Linac Coherent Light Source SXR chamber at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory creates and measures 2-million-degree matter, which can be used to watch biological molecules at work and to understand the processes of nuclear fusion. (5) First bionic leg that fuses to the body to be fitted in Australia (“Woman’s Bionic Leg,” Fox News, Feb. 13, 2012). The leg, which will be fitted to a woman who lost her leg after falling beneath a train on the London Underground in 1996, is supposed to fuse to muscle and bone. Orthopedic surgeon Munjed Al Muderis described the procedure as “the future for amputee patients.” About 2,500 years ago, during the Medo-Persian Empire, an angel told the prophet Daniel, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4). The Psalmist said, “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psalms 119:160). (Friday Church News Notes, www.wayoflife.org)
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