Having spoken with friends who are well-affiliated with various well-known churches and televangelists, they have most certainly changed their tune and tone. I find it hypocritical indeed that prayers are not publicly going up on behalf of our current president and his administration. Has this scripture lost its efficacy?
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.Many pastors and preachers are praying alright, but their prayers are against the current president and his administration. There are no prayers for tranquility and quietness. Their prayers are full of "prophetic" and apocalyptic rage in a presumed effort to steer policy, including health care reform and to weaken the president. Many pastors and preachers ought to be "ashamed" for not "rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) Many are hypocrites. They are not "good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior."
4 comments:
Good for you Judith. These ignorant arrogant bastards who can quote the Bible and pay no attention to what it says, who call themselves Christians and can pray for destruction and failure, who claim God as the cause of tornados and hurricanes instead of Nature, who stab at honesty with beatific smiles on their faces, who mislead congregtions down the filthy road of hatred and distrust, who do devilish work under the cloak of righteousness and who malign our President just because he's black, or liberal or who won the election even though they didn't vote for him, make me sick.
There is NO War on Christmas, in spite of Keilor's feelings, but if there is a war on Christianity it will be because of these creeps.
DB
I so appreciate your words, DB, dear sir. Thank you. I understand your sentiments. I have been angered by many of the exact things that you have mentioned here.
In Romans 13 is says,
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."
So, yes, even the cruel, immoral, authoritarian, etc. authorities are in place because God allows them...for His purposes, which are higher than our purposes. (Not that I'm calling our current government these things, just thinking of governments over history and the world.)
So we should always pray for those in authority over us, whether we agree or not. However, we are also responsible for working towards installing authorities over us which uphold all that we believe and value.
I praise God that we live in a country that we have the ability to speak freely and to "bloodlessly overthrow" our government every couple of years.
To be honest, I don't put my hope in any government. I put my hope in the One who allows each government to govern.
Corrie - Thank you for your thoughtful words. They're appreciated. There are many interpretations of scriptures. The scriptures that you have quoted, I know well. But I am still unclear about some of the verses. Some scriptures are contextual and you need other scriptures to enlighten them. Thanks again for your words.
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