Submit to Authority As A Matter of Conscience

Romans 13:5
Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.
Titus 3:1,2
1. Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,
2. to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.
Malign: speak evil of, slander, speak cruelty, blaspheme

    To speak against those who have the rule over us, includes our governing bodies, whether we elected them or not. For it is God Who sets up rulers and it is God Who removes them from office. So, when we speak against them, we are speaking against God and His Authority.

    Speaking against these men and women, and refusing to pray for them, is being disobedient to God [1 Timothy 2:1-4]. God loves them, too. And desires for them to be saved. So when we speak against them, we speak against God's desire for their salvation.

    Now, I may not agree with their attitudes, their policies, or their wisdom, but I do trust God. I believe that God is moving behind the scenes, accomplishing His purposes even if we are not always happy with the outcome which is visible to us.

    God is on His throne, and He's calling all to salvation through His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ. Even the politicians, the gang leaders, the lobbyists, the judiciary. He calls the haters and the killers to salvation. He calls the self-righteous, the prideful, the good, and the wanderers to salvation.

    Who are we to speak against God and what He does in this world? He is Creator and He created this earth for Himself. But sin contaminated this world, and the sin-nature became imbedded in our dna through Adam and Eve's disobedience to God's Authority.

    We repent of the evil we have spoken against our national leaders and against any church leader whom God has ordained to be His under-shepherd. On that note, we need to be able to discern who is a real under-shepherd, serving God, and who is an underhanded-shepherd, stealing from God. And for discernment to take place in the Christian's heart, The Holy Spirit needs to be there, opening our eyes to what is True and what is Faithful to God's Holy Word.

    This is where we need to know our Bible for ourselves. Read it daily. Study it out. And especially praying to God for understanding what we are reading. Asking Him to reveal Himself to us in it. Asking Him to apply it to ourselves, that we might be the people He has called us to be. For we are all called out of the darkness of our hearts into His marvelous Light. We are all called out of our sin-nature into His holy-nature. We are all called out of hate, fear and loathing into His Love, His Peace, and His Righteousness. Even those in authority over us are called out. So, as we submit to God, let us also remember to submit to God's Authority. In everything, for everyone.

    

    

    

The Great Commission

 

Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in The Name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

    We first make disciples of Christ when we tell somebody our testimony of saving faith in Christ. We tell them Who Jesus is, why Jesus came to us, and how much Jesus loves each and every one of us. 

    We teach these new disciples how to live a Christ-centered life, and Who The Holy Spirit is, for it is He Who trains us in holiness living.
    We baptize these new disciples, fully immerse them, in water, in public. Sometimes right out in the open, sometimes within a church's building.
    We who have made an independent, conscious choice to believe in The Name of Jesus Christ for our salvation also want to tell the world right away by being baptized in whatever water is available. It is this baptism that symbolizes we are dying to what we want and living for what God wants.
    We learn what God wants us to know when we attend Sunday School, not only as children, but attending adult Bible Classes. Some are able to have church services every night of the week, with different studies and prayer meetings for each night.
If we hunger and thirst for the things of God, we will always find God's people ready and eager to help satisfy us. I am thankful I had a couple of strong role models for Sunday School teachers when I was a youth and a teenager; one of whom was my Mom. 

    Leaving us with that last reminder, that God never leaves us to do this all on our own: He is always with us. His Light leads us and His mercy and goodness follow us. His Word is a fire burning within us and we must tell as many people as we can about God's great Love and Mercy and the grace that awaits them if only they, too, would believe. 

SO IN LOVE -Isla Vista Worship

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Leave It All For The Sake of The Kingdom

 

    Luke 18:29,30

"Truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times more in this age - and in the age to come, eternal life."

    These words were said to the rich young ruler, who had observed the law and obeyed the commandments since he was young (verses 18-28). But Jesus knew this man's heart, as He knows all hearts, and that the man would not be so easily persuaded to give away his treasury. Are we not just as guilty when we refuse to part with whatever we hold most dear to our hearts? 

     

    God is the God of Restoration. 

    Matthew 6:33

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."

    Matthew 19:29

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My Name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." 

    Mark 10:29,30

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life."

    There's your real prosperity gospel. Our souls prosper when we surrender everything we have, leave (the opinions of) everyone we love and give all that we are to His mighty hand. For in His hand is Life and Life Eternal. God wants to be first in our lives. So does everyone else. But only we can make a decision who we will listen to and follow. 

    We must consider the consequences of our intended direction, taking time out of our busyness to contemplate the results of our actions. This would be the wise action to take. Seldom do we make wise decisions, especially when we are young children or young adults. But God desires us to seek Him out first, whether early in life or early in the day. To put what He wants (His will) ahead of what we want (our own will) for our lives. 

    LIFE: Job 12:10 & Acts 17:28; Psalm 31:15

DEATH: Ecclesiastes 9:1-6

    LIFE ETERNAL: John 1:1-3; John 20:27

DEATH ETERNAL: Revelation 20:14,15

    PROSPERITY: 1 Chronicles 29:12

LACK: Philippians 4:11,12

    Why does the Bible say 'many are called but few are chosen'? (Matthew 22:14). Because all of us are called to do our part in the kingdom, but not everyone wants to be in this kingdom. Nor does everyone want to do what it takes to serve in this kingdom. 

    We are all called to salvation. Yet, the path to salvation is narrow. It is the width of a cross. The path to salvation is small. It is the size of a mustard seed. The path to salvation is both old and fresh. The call to be saved through Jesus Christ still rings out, yet the plan of salvation was set in motion when Adam and Eve sinned. 

    We are all called to serve in this kingdom. In whatsoever capacity God sees fit to use us, that is where we will serve. But wherever we serve God, it will be for the advancement of God's kingdom. 

    We are all called to love each other like Christ loves us: willingly, wholeheartedly and sacrificially. 

CALLED TO LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND

For The Sake of The Call - Steven Curtis Chapman

My Portion - Isla Vista Worship

Seek First - Jason Upton

Love You Just Like That - Jason Upton

Magnificent Obsession - Steven Curtis Chapman

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Lauren Daigle

    

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Obey

 

    Jeremiah 7:23

But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'

HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD

    In order to obey God's voice, we first have to hear Him speak. How does God speak to us? In His Word. We can read and study it out, praying over it and as we make our way through it. We ask God to reveal Himself and show us what His word means to us. 

    But there is a second part to this hearing His voice: Walk in all His ways. To walk in His ways is to ask the Holy Spirit to apply God's Word to our hearts and our minds, that we may live a righteous and holy life. For we desire to see God and live. 

    The third part here says 'it may be well with you'. In Psalms 1:1-3 David writes of the blessing of a prosperous soul. The soul which obeys the voice of God and lives a Spirit-filled life has crucified the fleshly desires which tried to destroy it. We have overcome the darkness in us, and, by faith in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ, we will continue to shine the Light of God's Love through us.

    Galatians 5:24-26

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. 

Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.

THE BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S VOICE

    1. He will be our God

    2. We will be His people

    3. We walk with Him

    4. It is well with us

CALLED TO OBEY

Hear The Word of The Lord - The Kingsmen

When i Say Jesus - Jimmy Swaggart

Favorite Song of All - Phillips Craig and Dean

Sinner Saved By Grace - 

I Need A Ghost - Brandon Lake

I Will Serve The Lord - Carman

Trust & Obey - Big Daddy Weave