Scripture: Romans 13:2, 2 Peter 2:18-25
In Romans 13:2-4 we are told, “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” Now we discover here that spiritual exousia and natural exousia are different. Whoever resists the spiritual authority resists the ordinances of God and whoever resists will bring judgment on themselves. The police, the military and the judges are natural authority. They are appointed and they have an important function in society in keeping and maintaining order. The Bible says if we resist them, we will bring judgment on ourselves. That assumes government is obeying God. What about government that legislates evil against God. If they are not operating in righteousness, we are directed to go (to prayer) with God against them and against their evil edicts. As Christians we are not obligated to support and bow to unrighteous government. We have a command to resist it as the early church did. The book of Acts is full of occasions when the disciples actively resisted government. Acts 4; Acts 12. When rulers rule in righteousness then they are ruling for God. When they depart from God’s righteousness and start to dictate unrighteousness, then it is our obligation to pray them into the judgment of God. In 1 Peter 2:18-25 we learn that Jesus suffered wrongfully yet committed Himself to God Who judges righteously, and God reversed the death sentence with resurrection. History records the horrors of 70 AD as the judgments Jesus prophesied manifested against Jerusalem! The Kingdom of God triumphed over the Jews and the Romans! There is only One God and Jesus the pattern Son Who rule history. The Father and Son will bring many sons to glory in the last great harvest! Time is short. Let us make it count!
- Read Isaiah 54 and Psalm 30.4-5. This is a season of increased capacity out of a stretching season. Stretching is often uncomfortable where you are thrown out of your comfort zone.
- Ask the Lord to help you see more clearly the processes you have been through because your night is over as the day breaks with the joy that accompanies it.
- Read Psalm 126. Pray that in this month Jehovah will bring to fruition and prominence every seed of His word that you had planted in your life, and every seed you have sown in terms of time, financial resource, intellectual or physical resources which have come to their time of springing forth and you will rejoice in the harvest.
- Read Nehemiah 8.10, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 4:4 This is a season of joy and release. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you songs of joy and deliverance in this season. You will rejoice and be glad in Him in all things.