Good Monday morning (6-28-10),

We must not forget to pray for our country and those who are running it. More than once the writers of the Bible have commanded us to do this very thing. If for no other reason, it’s so that leaders might provide an environment within which the Word of God can easily be taught.

In one of our recent services, I heard a lady talk about the effort some political groups are making to totally discredit godly forefathers. In their disrespect I assume they’re attempting to make it easier to install their own anti-christ system, which would be run by their own anti-christ politicians who strive to install their barriers against the Gospel.

Even so, as anti-everything-which-we-may-stand-for as most of our leaders may seem to be, the Bible is very specific about the way we shall present our attitudes towards them. We as Christians are commanded to love and honor and pray for those who are in authority, both the good and the bad.

“Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king,” so commands 1^st Peter 2:17. What’s so amazing about this scripture is that, no doubt, Peter must’ve been severely tested to do what he himself wrote. Tradition says this man, the Apostle Peter, died as the result of being crucified upside down at the hands of Rome’s Emperor Nero during a persecution in 67-68AD.

Even to the point of death, Peter honored the king. He commands us to honor our rulers too.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God,” so commands Romans 13:1-2. No doubt Paul, who wrote this scripture, must have been severely tested to keep what he commanded as tradition says that this same Apostle Paul was beheaded by that wicked Emperor Nero in the mid 60s AD.

Even to the point of death, Paul honored the King. He commands us to honor our rulers too.

As we read the New Testament, we find what great struggle was given in preaching the Kingdom of God. Lives were so totally dedicated in this effort that fortunes, reputations, and lives were brutally lost only because those Christians bucked the system by loving others as Christ does, and because they did forsake the world and its pleasures.

How that doctrine enflamed the ruling authorities of the day!

Still, in spite of the persecutions and the obvious hazards to life and property, those early forefathers changed the world and the universe by simply choosing to be God’s light, His city on a hill, and the salt of the earth.

They did all this while at the same time honoring the King.

Even Jesus was tempted to fight against wicked authority. But instead, as He was beaten by evil rulers and then crucified, He did what He was commanded to do; He “prayed” for those who hurt Him and “did good” to those who despitefully used Him. As Jesus hung and died on that cross, He cried these amazing words, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!”

Forgive who? Forgive those wicked rulers who hurt Him and His cause.

I’ve many times wondered what in the world had to be going on in the minds of parents who watched that madman Nero burn their children alive on stakes of wood, purely to entertain and bring pleasure to his demonically tortured emotions. Still, they too were commanded to honor the king.

The issue of honoring others sounds good in theory, but in application, the real life doing can be so very antagonizing. How many times have I said “yes Lord” only to go and do exactly what I wanted because an inflamed attitude produced spurn and disrespect toward some certain authority I disagreed with?

Parents know that our children (and the world) pick up on our attitudes and ways of thinking. Therefore it’s almost impossible to maintain credibility in the eyes of our families (or the world) when we have a track record of, “do what I say, not what I do.”

If we expect to be respected as parents –who are authority figures—but we in the same breath disrespect those in authority over us, our hypocrisy trains our kids (and the world) to disrespect our authority. In essence, we reap what we sow.

I figured out pretty early on that if I wanted to teach my kids, or anyone else for that matter, to respect a policeman, I’d better respect them myself. Spouting off about what a jerk that officer was (even if he was a jerk) annuls everything I teach them about respecting authority. People watch what we do, not what we say.

I will reap what I sow. If I’m hateful toward authorities, especially in front of others, I’m basically giving the green light for others to be hateful to me. Perhaps this is why it’s so important that we respect all authority, because then we have a covenantal right to expect and receive the respect due us as ministers of the Gospel.

I’m certainly not implying that Christians should stay out of politics or anything like that. Christians should occupy every seat of authority. And Christians should speak up and vote and demonstrate Biblical viewpoints every chance we get, and contest tyranny too.

But we must do it God’s way; we must demonstrate honor even as we struggle against wickedness. Let’s be as Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, who [when he fought for the body of Moses] did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Jude 9 The Living Translation

Wayne Witcher

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16