SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/17/2022 10:14 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-4 “The Provision Delivered”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
17:27b
Message of the verse: “go to the sea, and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a stater. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”
On
my other blog I have been posting the Spiritual Diaries I did earlier when I
studied the book of Acts and I just finished a little while ago things from the
forth chapter which tells when Peter and John were in front of the Jewish
officials. They were told not to teach
in Jesus’ name any more and Peter responded “Whether it is right in the sight
of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot
stop speaking what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). Then in the fifth chapter we read something
similar as the disciples were back in front of the Jewish leaders again: “27 When they had
brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned
them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in
this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to
bring this man’s blood upon us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered,
"We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:27-29). The truth is that in the early church many
believers lost their freedom, their possessions, and even their lives because
they refused to offer incense to Caesar.
They would honor him as a human leader, but they would not worship him
as a god.
John
MacArthur writes the following and with the events that are happen in our
country I think that this is very timely:
“The Christian’s first obligation is to obey God, and when His law is
directly opposed by men’s laws, God’s law must prevail. The Christian, for example, has no right to
lie, steal, commit murder, or worship a false god, no matter what the dictates
of a human government might be and no matter what the consequences for
disobedience might be.
“Nor
is it that a Christian has no right to help change unjust laws and governments
when he has opportunity to do so. But in
a democratic society especially, the major injustices and evils within it are primarily
the result of poor government or poor laws, bad as those might be. When the people have no respect for law; God’s
or men’s, and when their standards and motives revolve around their own selfish
interests, no government can be stable or provide justice and order. Even the most godly and moral leaders cannot
infuse morality into an immoral society.
It is futile to work at changing evil laws and removing evil leaders
without changing evil hearts of those whom the laws try to control and the
leaders try to rule.”
The
New Testament writers have even wrote about how slaves are to be submissive to
their owners. Paul said that if a slave
has the opportunity to get out from under the ownership of their owners that
they should do so, but if not they are to submit to their owners. I have said before that the passage in
Philippians two, which speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ tells us that He was a
slave, and that He submitted to the will of His Father in coming to earth, and
then paying the price for our salvation, to those who will accept it. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also
in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form
of a bond-servant, and
being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the
name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL
BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that
every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.”
The following is the definition of “bond servant” “doulos doo’-los
1) a slave, bondman, man of servile
condition
1a) a slave
1b) metaph., one who gives himself up to
another’s will, those whose service is used by Christ in extending and
advancing his cause among men
1c) devoted to another to the disregard
of one’s own interests
2) a servant, attendant
MacArthur
concludes “The Christian’s being a citizen of God’s kingdom does not exempt him
from responsibility to human kingdoms.
In fact his being a citizen of God’s kingdom gives him a special
obligation to human kingdoms, because those, too, belong to God and are
ordained by Him.
“By
being a good citizen the believer shows love for his fellow men, even those who
are lost and unjust. By being a good
citizen he shoes respect for God-ordained human government, even when its leaders
are ungodly, corrupt, and oppressive. By
being a good citizen he shows that he loves God as well as his country and his
fellow citizens. In light of such
testimony the on looking world is compelled to consider the power that makes such
love possible.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: The point of all of this is love and the
example is seen in the passage from Philippians chapter two which I
quoted. Love has to come from within a
person fueled by the Holy Spirit. I certainly
have to give myself over to God in order for the Holy Spirit to produce that kind
of love needed in the ungodly society that we are living in at this present
time.
My Steps of Faith For Today: I trust that I will do a better job in loving
others as Christ loves me.
11/17/2022 11:12 AM
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