02/06/11

Submit to earthly authorities

1 Peter 2:13,14 - Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.


As a Christian we need to submit to the authorities that are set on us like the councillors, ministers, police, prime minister, president etc. As Peter puts it in today's message it is the Lord Who puts these people over us for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.

Now, many would say, do we need to abide by those who are evil and are set in those positions?

If one reads the book of Samuel the Israelite did not have anyone ruling over them other than the Lord through Men of God but when they kept on insisting that they want to have a human to lead them, the Lord set men over His people. They got corrupt leaders because their hearts were not right and these leaders persecuted and oppressed them.

When we see leaders not behaving like good leaders we the congregation need to look inside us and see are we walking in the way of the Lord?

Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and the Lord God is the giver of Peace. Peace is not fought for, for it is not in any human's hands. If we want peace we should be looking for it from the one who gives it and if we be like Christ walking in His instructions we too will be like the Prince of Peace having authority over peace.

Prosperity flourishes only where peace exist. To put us under the curse of poverty Satan tries to take away our peace and make us concentrate on cursing and complaining against those set over us. Instead of doing that let us audit our own hearts and pray from the Lord's mercy and guidance on ourselves and those with us.

The Bible does say as we grow in the Lord one day would come where again Men of God would administer over His people.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You are our King and Lord. With You we do not need anyone to guide or lead us. Since our foolish ancestors complained against You, You have put humans over us. These humans have persecuted your people and at times taken away the prosperity of many. Help is Lord to realize that when we are in You abiding by your instructions no one else has power over us and can affect our blessings in You. Instead of complaining help us correct ourselves...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripturesr ]
1 Samuel 8:4-22
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

1 Corinthians 6:1-2
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

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