By Pastor Mike Taylor
“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.
In this highly charged atmosphere in this country with all the violence of racial intolerance , terrorist attacks and random police shootings, many people are concerned with the direction that this country is taking, especially in light of the present “administration”. I use that term lightly, but they were elected twice by a liberal leaning nation that mourns basically their decision of electing a man whose claim of “HOPE and CHANGE” has shocked the nation of the moral collapse of this country.
Before I continue, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I am a complete proponent of law and order based on our Constitution and being the parents of a son who is a sergeant in the Missouri State Highway Patrol, we are solid supporters of our men in blue that risk their lives everyday. We as parents are concerned with the lawlessness that has enveloped every section of this country from east to west coast with the major unrest in large metropolitan cities. With that admission solidly behind me, let me continue with what I believe Paul was driving at in this passage. Some pastors of modern churches take the opening verses of Romans 13 to say that we obey authority no matter what they say...but is that correct?
“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: (Romans 13:3)
No other country has been an advocate and an enforcer of common sense laws, based on the Ten Commandments as has the USA in times past. But alas, the ship of reason and law has become based on shakey ground and it comes from those at the Federal level that filters down to our state and local authorities by edict.
I have always, and I suspect most who read this message, have been law abiding citizens that respect and appreciate the job well done by your local branch of law enforcement departments. But as we get closer and closer to the end of this age, there are forces that wish to pervert the bedrock foundation that this country was built upon and demands complete submission to their decrees, no matter how onerous they may be.
In this passage, Paul gives us a very clear, categorical commandment at the beginning of our text. The commandment is addressed to all mankind, without exception. Every person is included in this instruction—both believers and unbelievers. Every person is required to be in subjection to the governing authorities. Subjection certainly includes obedience, but it implies even more. Subjection focuses on the spirit or attitude of the individual, which leads to obedience. It recognizes an authority over us to which we are obliged to give not only our obedience but our respect. It implies a spirit which seeks to understand the perspective and purpose of the one who is superior and to seek to enhance that one’s position and purpose. WE must obey, TO A POINT!!
I am reminding of several passages in the Bible where those who were subject to the powers that be, followed the law of the land that was ruled even by pagan authorities and supported those governments in their everyday lives, that is until they overstepped their bounds and opposed the laws of God.
Peter when the disciples were brought before the Sanhedrin and the Jewish authorities for their preaching of the death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, when asked why they preached in this name:
“27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Act 5:27-29)
This they could not do, lest they disobey God. Though they could not and would not stop preaching about their resurrected Lord, they did not challenge the authority of this body. Their answer was evidence of their submissive spirit and intent:
“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).
Submission usually is demonstrated by our obedience, but even when we must disobey, we can and should do so in a submissive spirit and manner.
Thus, Peter and the Apostles could not suspend preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus, because they had been commanded by our Lord to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Even though the Jewish authorities demanded why they continued to do so, Peter was respectful and submissive to the questions, but firm in their belief that God and His commands took precedence over the commands of those in authority.
Another case in point, the Hebrew children in the book of Daniel of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were commanded as all those in the Kingdom of Nebachadnezzer, King of Babylon to bow down to the golden image that he had set up as an idol of worship. Note that these three men were leaders and governors in the king's empire and were highly favored in his court because of their loyalty, their intellect, and their support of the government of the king and as friends and fellow countrymen of the second in command of all the kingdom, the prophet Daniel, in Daniel chapter 3. When brought before the king, who was highly displeased that they had failed to obey his command, the Hebrew children in this passage were humble and submissive to the king, but firm in their conviction of who they must worship. They made it clear that they were in submission to all his decrees, just not this one:
“16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
Notice they were careful in their speech and showed respect and humility to their king, even a king of a pagan government, but stood firm when the command conflicted with the laws of God and who should be worshiped.:
v.3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
v. 4, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. “
v. 5, Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;”
(Exodus 20:3-5)
Jesus is our Supreme example of giving to God what belongs to God:
When Jesus was tempted by the Jewish authorities over taxes paid to Caesar. Jesus answered their trickery:
“21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?
24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.
25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.” (Luke 20:21-25)
From several Scriptures one might come to the conclusion that there are exceptions to the rule or precept Paul has laid down here. There were times when men had to chose to "obey God, rather than men" . I would like to suggest to you that while the Christian may not, in good conscience before God, be able to obey the government in every instance, true submission to the government is never actually set aside. Generally, submission is exhibited by one’s obedience. But when one cannot obey, they can still demonstrate a submissive spirit. This submissive spirit should never be set aside when it comes to those in authority over us.
Civil Government Is Divinely Ordained
From Paul's argument, the civil authorities are set up by God for order and the rule of law. It is based upon a fundamental premise: God is sovereign. He possesses ultimate authority. He is the sole authority of His creation. All human authority is delegated to men by God. No one has authority independent of God. How do we know that a government is ordained by God? Because it exist and that it possesses divinely delegated authority. Paul says, “those which exist are established by God.” God is sovereign. He is in control of all things. He causes all things to “work together for good” . The Bible says:
“20, Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” (Daniel 2:20-22)
And for our benefit:
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Roman 8:28)
We have had good and bad presidents and administrations in the past 26 years and even before that to the beginning of the 20th century But God has raised up each according to His sovereign will for our good and to prevent lawlessness to abound, where the hearts of evil men abound if left unchecked.
BUT, In the last almost 8 years, I have never seen the rule of law perverted as I have seen it done beforehand in any other time. Our Constitution gives us the right, even the duty to remedy such abuse. We have laws that give the people an avenue to address such lawlessness and disregard of the Laws that made this country the greatest in all the earth, like no other in any other time period. In the Declaration of Independence there is a passage that addresses lawlessness in government:
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. “
Such was the intent of our founding fathers, who saw and attempted to prevent the rise of tyranny by a run away government who abdicates it's duty to follow the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights.
But there is a right way and a wrong way to address these abuses, and it's not taking to the streets in anarchy by rioting as have the Black Lives Matter “domestic terrorists” groups that are financed by the likes of George Soros and the liberal left to damage and even to destroy the foundation basis of this Republic. Nor do we take matters into our own hands in lawlessness by shooting innocent men and women, even those who are entrusted with our safety on the streets: your local law enforcement agencies and departments. We have courts and judges to hear such cases and pronounce judgment through jury trial and grand juries that investigate abuses of law, even by governmental agencies. You may not always agree on their verdict, but they are entrusted to enforce and interpret the laws of this land.
To do otherwise, is to play into the desires of the global elite that only wish to destroy the last vestige of the mankind's freedom found in the USA. We, this land we call home, are THE LAST MAN standing to combat evil in this world. And what if this nation falls and there is NO one to stand in the gap, either locally, nationally, or internationally? The likes of the present administration is salivating when the idea of “martial law” and suspending our God given rights are usurped by a lawless government. Must we play into their hands? This coming election will either hasten that implosion of this country or delay it for a time, but understand my brethren, the time is coming, and sooner than anyone would like to think. God uses powers of government to either reward, or to punish a nation who has neglected or even thrown the God of Heaven out of every part of our national institutions from the top down, from the POTUS, even to the local level of your city council.
THE RISE OF THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT AND THE ANTI-CHRIST
The powers of darkness have been working very hard for the last 100+ years to make that very idea of a “utopia” of a One World Government and it's partner in evil, the One World Religion that will demand worship of one man, as a god.
“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
With the rampant evil that we see roaming our streets, or the lack of following the laws of our land by a POTUS that has gone hog wild to abuse his oath of office, the implosion of that “Last man standing” could be on the foreseeable horizon, just over the next political hill, just out of site.
It was stated in times past, in a quote attributed to Henry Speak the former premier of Belgium when he said:
“"What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the alliances of all people and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, and be he god or devil, we will receive him."
That has been the mind-set of politicians since this was quoted in as far back as 1957. The world is even in a bigger mess, than it was then and is growing exponentially a dangerous and unsafe place to live. The world of any sane human being longs for peace and safety, and if this is any indication of the beliefs of an unsaved generation of godless people, then our time, this generation is ripe for the coming of what the Bible calls “the Lawless One”. I believe the man of sin is alive today, noting how the rise of anarchy, murder and terrorist attacks upon innocent men and women in the Western World have increased, especially in the last 8 years...(”thank you, POTUS...uhh..you know his name” I still can't stomach even mentioning this “usurper in chiefs” name and I won't give him the honor of mentioning it.) He has created a climate that is ushering in what Henry Kissinger spoke of when this man became the POTUS...Kissinger said, and I quote
“The president-elect is coming into office at a moment when there is upheaval in many parts of the world simultaneously,” Kissinger responded. “You have India, Pakistan; you have the jihadist movement. So he can’t really say there is one problem, that it’s the most important one. But he can give new impetus to American foreign policy partly because the reception of him is so extraordinary around the world. His task will be to develop an overall strategy for America in this period when, really, a new world order can be created. It’s a great opportunity, it isn’t just a crisis.”
That is why this present POTUS was elected to bring about his “hope and change” to the detriment of our freedom and our Constitutional Republic. And a marvelous job he has done in their evil eyes. Some will say, that the man is the Anti-Christ, and he sure is “ANTI-” on so many of our basic beliefs that of the rule of law, the bible, marriage, homosexuality, abortion, and every Christian idea that has created this nation. Many believe the man is a closet Muslim educated in Indonesia in a midrash or an Islamic school. Is HE the foreseen Anti-Christ? If not, then he sure is precursor to the evil one and is making his path easy to follow.
THE COMING TRIBULATION IS CLOSE AT HAND
Jesus warned us, that the generation that shall see these changes will see the coming of the Lord:
“32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:32-35)
We are living in that generation of the budding of the fig tree. Israel has been a nation now almost 70 years ending in 2018. Are we on the cusp of the coming of the AC? I believe we are...when? Jesus said that “no man knoweth the day or the hour, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36) He speaks of His soon return. It will before this man is revealed. You can see that we are bumping up right upon the threshold of the coming Tribulation and soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ, but getting back to what this message was about.
WHAT MUST WE DO IN THE MEANTIME?
As we patiently wait for the coming of our Lord for His Bride, the Church, we must be about our Father's business. We are to give due respect to those who are in authority over us, and obey the laws that have been given as God has used them for our good, but when those laws become in direct conflict with the laws of God, then as Peter, the Hebrew children did and many more examples as even the Apostle Paul wrote:
“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Unfortunately for those who do not have a guarantee of their deliverance from the wrath to come, there is coming a time I've been speaking of, when it will be impossible to follow the laws that will be given to control every man and woman on this earth without going against Almighty God. When I spoke of a man on a white horse in Revelation 6, who carries a bow with no arrows and destroys be deceit, if you should see this man, then know that the Tribulation hour has come. We will not see him, as the Church of the Living God is my firm belief, but we will have a good idea of who he is. Why do I say that?
“6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” (2nd Thessalonians 2:7-11).
The Restrainer by much Bible study, can only be One Person, as the personal pronoun is of One Person, and that is the Holy Spirit. It can't be Michael the arc- angel, as he could not do it alone, as the word is singular, not plural as using other angels. Nor can it be Satan, as the devil would not work against himself. But when “He” is withdrawn, or should I say, changes His focus upon this earth to Pre-Pentecostal manifestations, then the evil man called the Anti-Christ will be revealed to do what his father, Satan bids him to do without restraint.
WHAT WILL YOU DO IN THIS HOUR?
You who see this world imploding, being an unbeliever in Christ Jesus, you know that something is terribly wrong. You can feel it. There is a deep down foreboding that is gripping your mind and your heart. Your fear level is growing. You try to ignore it and go on with your life, that is until it slaps you up side the head with disaster that strikes way too close to home. It could be your family, your friends, or your neighbors, or even yourself, but your world has just been thrown into total chaos and you're afraid and angry at such lawlessness that has invaded your private space. What can you do? Nothing, as it is prophesied that it will happen, no matter if you're ready for it or not. Prophecy is warning us to all who will listen, that the time of this world's end is upon us. Where will you appear on what side of either God or the god of this world? Will your allegiance be with God, or with the man who is coming, the man called the “lawless one” the Anti-Christ? This man will demand allegiance that he forces all to take a “mark” in their right hand, or their forehead:
“15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:15-18)
Those who dare take this mark, are doomed to “outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Where the worm dieth not, nor the fire quenched.”
“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:8)
If you think the time we live in right now is bad, wait to see this man, the Anti-Christ when he comes upon the scene. As the old saying goes, “you ain't seen nothing yet.”
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21)
As I always do , I beseech you my reader to be taken away from this hour of the coming Tribulation and submit to our only Hope in this world, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. This time coming will be unspeakable death, lawlessness, and tyranny that if not halted by God, “no flesh would be saved, but for the elect it will be shortened”. (Matthew 24:22)
How can you avoid such a unspeakable time of horror that is coming upon this world?
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
This is just a warm up of what's coming. Man in his nature is evil to the core. Unrepentant men will continue to do indescribable evil and murder upon other men. When this time gets wound up and God's wrath found beginning in Revelation chapter 6 gets firing non-stop, then all hell will break loose on this earth, from Satan, from mankind found in the “man of sin” the AC, and from God Himself, as He pours out His wrath upon a rebellious world in righteous indignation.
BUT UNTIL THEN.....
Until then, we submit in love, the powers that have authority over us, UNLESS it is in direct conflict with the Laws of God. Know that God uses the authority of the government for our good, or for judgment upon a idolatrous nation. That is where I believe we are. Judgment may have started and God is using the powers that be to enact coming judgment upon the whole earth. Only we here in the USA have never seen this type of lawlessness until recently. We must stand strong in the power of His might and pray God's protection upon each of us, and be submissive in love and honor to the law of the land, as long as we can do so with a clear conscience . For we must submit ourselves to obey God rather than obey man in those coming abuses leading up to a time called the Tribulation. We will know the difference, as it will go against what is taught in your Bible.
This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying that you stay strong and putting your faith in Jesus Christ for deliverance. If you have a question, need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, God bless you all,
TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET.
By Pastor Mike Taylor
“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.
- 2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.” (Roman 13:1-2)
In
this highly charged atmosphere in this country with all the violence
of racial intolerance , terrorist attacks and random police
shootings, many people are concerned with the direction that this
country is taking, especially in light of the present
“administration”. I use that term lightly, but they were elected
twice by a liberal leaning nation that mourns basically their
decision of electing a man whose claim of “HOPE and CHANGE” has
shocked the nation of the moral collapse of this country.
Before
I continue, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I am a complete
proponent of law and order based on our Constitution and being the
parents of a son who is a sergeant in the Missouri State Highway
Patrol, we are solid supporters of our men in blue that risk their
lives everyday. We as parents are concerned with the lawlessness that
has enveloped every section of this country from east to west coast
with the major unrest in large metropolitan cities. With that
admission solidly behind me, let me continue with what I believe Paul
was driving at in this passage. Some pastors of modern churches take
the opening verses of Romans 13 to say that we obey authority no
matter what they say...but is that correct?
“For
rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou
then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou
shalt have praise of the same: (Romans 13:3)
No
other country has been an advocate and an enforcer of common sense
laws, based on the Ten Commandments as has the USA in times past. But
alas, the ship of reason and law has become based on shakey ground
and it comes from those at the Federal level that filters down to our
state and local authorities by edict.
I have
always, and I suspect most who read this message, have been law
abiding citizens that respect and appreciate the job well done by
your local branch of law enforcement departments. But as we get
closer and closer to the end of this age, there are forces that wish
to pervert the bedrock foundation that this country was built upon
and demands complete submission to their decrees, no matter how
onerous they may be.
In
this passage, Paul gives us a very clear, categorical commandment at
the beginning of our text. The commandment is addressed to all
mankind, without exception. Every person
is included in this
instruction—both believers and unbelievers. Every person is
required to be in subjection to the governing authorities.
Subjection certainly includes obedience, but it implies even more.
Subjection focuses on the spirit or attitude of the individual, which
leads to obedience. It recognizes an authority over us to which we
are obliged to give not only our obedience but our respect. It
implies a spirit which seeks to understand the perspective and
purpose of the one who is superior and to seek to enhance that one’s
position and purpose. WE must obey, TO A POINT!!
I am
reminding of several passages in the Bible where those who were
subject to the powers that be, followed the law of the land that was
ruled even by pagan authorities and supported those governments in
their everyday lives, that is until they overstepped their bounds and
opposed the laws of God.
Peter
when the disciples were brought before the Sanhedrin and the Jewish
authorities for their preaching of the death and resurrection of the
Son of God, Jesus Christ, when asked why they preached in this name:
“27 And
when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the
high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we
straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and,
behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to
bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the
other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than
men.” (Act 5:27-29)
This
they could not do, lest they disobey God. Though they could not and
would not stop preaching about their resurrected Lord, they did not
challenge the authority of this body. Their answer was evidence of
their submissive spirit and intent:
“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).
Submission
usually is demonstrated by our obedience, but even when we must
disobey, we can and should do so in a submissive spirit and manner.
Thus, Peter and the Apostles
could not suspend preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus,
because they had been commanded by our Lord to proclaim the Gospel to
every creature. Even though the Jewish authorities demanded why they
continued to do so, Peter was respectful and submissive to the
questions, but firm in their belief that God and His commands took
precedence over the commands of those in authority.
Another case in point, the
Hebrew children in the book of Daniel of Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego who were commanded as all those in the Kingdom of
Nebachadnezzer, King of Babylon to bow down to the golden image that
he had set up as an idol of worship. Note that these three men were
leaders and governors in the king's empire and were highly favored in
his court because of their loyalty, their intellect, and their
support of the government of the king and as friends and fellow
countrymen of the second in command of all the kingdom, the prophet
Daniel, in Daniel chapter 3. When brought before the king, who was
highly displeased that they had failed to obey his command, the
Hebrew children in this passage were humble and submissive to the
king, but firm in their conviction of who they must worship. They
made it clear that they were in submission to all his decrees, just
not this one:
“16 Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O
Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God
whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it
known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship
the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
Notice they were careful in
their speech and showed respect and humility to their king, even a
king of a pagan government, but stood firm when the command
conflicted with the laws of God and who should be worshiped.:
v.3,
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
v. 4,
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,
or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth. “
v. 5, Thou
shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the
Lord thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate me;”
(Exodus 20:3-5)
Jesus is our Supreme example
of giving to God what belongs to God:
When Jesus was tempted by
the Jewish authorities over taxes paid to Caesar. Jesus answered
their trickery:
“21 And they
asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest
rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the
way of God truly:
25 And he said
unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's,
and unto God the things which be God's.” (Luke 20:21-25)
From
several Scriptures one might come to the conclusion that there are
exceptions to the rule or precept Paul has laid down here. There were
times when men had to chose to "obey God, rather than men"
. I would like to suggest to you that while the Christian may not, in
good conscience before God, be able to obey the government in every
instance, true submission to the government is never actually set
aside. Generally, submission is exhibited by one’s obedience. But
when one cannot obey, they can still demonstrate a submissive spirit.
This submissive spirit should never be set aside when it comes to
those in authority over us.
Civil Government Is Divinely Ordained
From Paul's argument, the
civil authorities are set up by God for order and the rule of law. It
is based upon a fundamental premise: God is sovereign. He
possesses ultimate authority. He is the sole authority of His
creation. All human authority is delegated to men by God.
No one has authority
independent of God. How do we know that a government is
ordained by God? Because it exist and that it
possesses divinely delegated authority. Paul says, “those which
exist are established by God.” God is sovereign. He is in control
of all things. He causes all things to “work together for good”
. The Bible says:
“20, Daniel answered and
said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and
might are his:
21 And he changeth the
times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he
giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know
understanding:
22 He revealeth the
deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the
light dwelleth with him.” (Daniel 2:20-22)
And for our benefit:
“And
we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His
purpose”
(Roman 8:28)
We
have had good and bad presidents and administrations in the past 26
years and even before that to the beginning of the 20th
century But God has raised up each according to His sovereign will
for our good and to prevent lawlessness to abound, where the hearts
of evil men abound if left unchecked.
BUT,
In the last almost 8 years, I have never seen the rule of law
perverted as I have seen it done beforehand in any other time. Our
Constitution gives us the right, even the duty to remedy such abuse.
We have laws that give the people an avenue to address such
lawlessness and disregard of the Laws that made this country the
greatest in all the earth, like no other in any other time period. In
the Declaration of Independence there is a passage that addresses
lawlessness in government:
“But
when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the
same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism,
it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government,
and to provide new Guards for their future security. “
Such
was the intent of our founding fathers, who saw and attempted to
prevent the rise of tyranny by a run away government who abdicates
it's duty to follow the Declaration of Independence, the
Constitution, or the Bill of Rights.
But
there is a right way and a wrong way to address these abuses, and
it's not taking to the streets in anarchy by rioting as have the
Black Lives Matter “domestic terrorists” groups that are financed
by the likes of George Soros and the liberal left to damage and even
to destroy the foundation basis of this Republic. Nor do we take
matters into our own hands in lawlessness by shooting innocent men
and women, even those who are entrusted with our safety on the
streets: your local law enforcement agencies and departments. We
have courts and judges to hear such cases and pronounce judgment
through jury trial and grand juries that investigate abuses of law,
even by governmental agencies. You may not always agree on their
verdict, but they are entrusted to enforce and interpret the laws of
this land.
To do
otherwise, is to play into the desires of the global elite that only
wish to destroy the last vestige of the mankind's freedom found in
the USA. We, this land we call home, are THE LAST MAN standing to
combat evil in this world. And what if this nation falls and there is
NO one to stand in the gap, either locally, nationally, or
internationally? The likes of the present administration is
salivating when the idea of “martial law” and suspending our God
given rights are usurped by a lawless government. Must we play into
their hands? This coming election will either hasten that implosion
of this country or delay it for a time, but understand my brethren,
the time is coming, and sooner than anyone would like to think. God
uses powers of government to either reward, or to punish a nation who
has neglected or even thrown the God of Heaven out of every part of
our national institutions from the top down, from the POTUS, even to
the local level of your city council.
THE
RISE OF THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT AND THE ANTI-CHRIST
The
powers of darkness have been working very hard for the last 100+
years to make that very idea of a “utopia” of a One World
Government and it's partner in evil, the One World Religion that will
demand worship of one man, as a god.
“And
I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were
the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
v2,
And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a
bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering,
and to conquer.” (Revelation 6:1-2)
With
the rampant evil that we see roaming our streets, or the lack of
following the laws of our land by a POTUS that has gone hog wild to
abuse his oath of office, the implosion of that “Last man standing”
could be on the foreseeable horizon, just over the next political
hill, just out of site.
It was
stated in times past, in a quote attributed to Henry Speak the former
premier of Belgium when he said:
“"What
we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the alliances of all
people and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are
sinking. Send us such a man, and be he god or devil, we will receive
him."
That
has been the mind-set of politicians since this was quoted in as far
back as 1957. The world is even in a bigger mess, than it was then
and is growing exponentially a dangerous and unsafe place to live.
The world of any sane human being longs for peace and safety, and if
this is any indication of the beliefs of an unsaved generation of
godless people, then our time, this generation is ripe for the coming
of what the Bible calls “the Lawless One”. I believe the man of
sin is alive today, noting how the rise of anarchy, murder and
terrorist attacks upon innocent men and women in the Western World
have increased, especially in the last 8 years...(”thank you,
POTUS...uhh..you know his name” I still can't stomach even
mentioning this “usurper in chiefs” name and I won't give him the
honor of mentioning it.) He has created a climate that is ushering in
what Henry Kissinger spoke of when this man became the
POTUS...Kissinger said, and I quote
“The
president-elect is coming into office at a moment when there is
upheaval in many parts of the world simultaneously,” Kissinger
responded. “You have India, Pakistan; you have the jihadist
movement. So he can’t really say there is one problem, that it’s
the most important one. But he can give new impetus to American
foreign policy partly because the reception of him is so
extraordinary around the world. His task will be to develop an
overall strategy for America in this period when, really, a new world
order can be created. It’s a great opportunity, it isn’t just a
crisis.”
That
is why this present POTUS was elected to bring about his “hope and
change” to the detriment of our freedom and our Constitutional
Republic. And a marvelous job he has done in their evil eyes. Some
will say, that the man is the Anti-Christ, and he sure is “ANTI-”
on so many of our basic beliefs that of the rule of law, the bible,
marriage, homosexuality, abortion, and every Christian idea that has
created this nation. Many believe the man is a closet Muslim educated
in Indonesia in a midrash or an Islamic school. Is HE the foreseen
Anti-Christ? If not, then he sure is precursor to the evil one and is
making his path easy to follow.
THE
COMING TRIBULATION IS CLOSE AT HAND
Jesus
warned us, that the generation that shall see these changes will see
the coming of the Lord:
“32 Now
learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and
putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
We are living in that
generation of the budding of the fig tree. Israel has been a nation
now almost 70 years ending in 2018. Are we on the cusp of the coming
of the AC? I believe we are...when? Jesus said that “no man knoweth
the day or the hour, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only”
(Matthew 24:36) He speaks of His soon return. It will before this
man is revealed. You can see that we are bumping up right upon the
threshold of the coming Tribulation and soon return of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but getting back to what this message was about.
WHAT MUST WE DO IN
THE MEANTIME?
As we patiently wait for the
coming of our Lord for His Bride, the Church, we must be about our
Father's business. We are to give due respect to those who are in
authority over us, and obey the laws that have been given as God has
used them for our good, but when those laws become in direct conflict
with the laws of God, then as Peter, the Hebrew children did and many
more examples as even the Apostle Paul wrote:
“Render
therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom
to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
v.8, Owe
no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth
another hath fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:7-8)
Unfortunately
for those who do not have a guarantee of their deliverance from the
wrath to come, there is coming a time I've been speaking of, when it
will be impossible to follow the laws that will be given to control
every man and woman on this earth without going against Almighty God.
When I spoke of a man on a white horse in Revelation 6, who carries a
bow with no arrows and destroys be deceit, if you should see this
man, then know that the Tribulation hour has come. We will not see
him, as the Church of the Living God is my firm belief, but we will
have a good idea of who he is. Why do I say that?
7 For the mystery of
iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until
he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that
Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of
his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
10 And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause
God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:”
(2nd Thessalonians 2:7-11).
The Restrainer by much Bible
study, can only be One Person, as the personal pronoun is of One
Person, and that is the Holy Spirit. It can't be Michael the arc-
angel, as he could not do it alone, as the word is singular, not
plural as using other angels. Nor can it be Satan, as the devil would
not work against himself. But when “He” is withdrawn, or should I
say, changes His focus upon this earth to Pre-Pentecostal
manifestations, then the evil man called the Anti-Christ will be
revealed to do what his father, Satan bids him to do without
restraint.
WHAT WILL YOU DO IN
THIS HOUR?
You who see this world
imploding, being an unbeliever in Christ Jesus, you know that
something is terribly wrong. You can feel it. There is a deep down
foreboding that is gripping your mind and your heart. Your fear level
is growing. You try to ignore it and go on with your life, that is
until it slaps you up side the head with disaster that strikes way
too close to home. It could be your family, your friends, or your
neighbors, or even yourself, but your world has just been thrown
into total chaos and you're afraid and angry at such lawlessness that
has invaded your private space. What can you do? Nothing, as it is
prophesied that it will happen, no matter if you're ready for it or
not. Prophecy is warning us to all who will listen, that the time of
this world's end is upon us. Where will you appear on what side of
either God or the god of this world? Will your allegiance be with
God, or with the man who is coming, the man called the “lawless
one” the Anti-Christ? This man will demand allegiance that he
forces all to take a “mark” in their right hand, or their
forehead:
“15 And he had power
to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast
should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the
image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all,
both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark
in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man
might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let
him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is
the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and
six.” (Revelation 13:15-18)
Those who dare take this
mark, are doomed to “outer darkness, where there is weeping and
gnashing of teeth. Where the worm dieth not, nor the fire quenched.”
“And
the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they
have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:8)
If you think the time we
live in right now is bad, wait to see this man, the Anti-Christ when
he comes upon the scene. As the old saying goes, “you ain't seen
nothing yet.”
“For then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time,
no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21)
As I
always do , I beseech you my reader to be taken away from this hour
of the coming Tribulation and submit to our only Hope in this world,
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. This time coming will be
unspeakable death, lawlessness, and tyranny that if not halted by
God, “no flesh would be saved, but for the elect it will be
shortened”. (Matthew 24:22)
How
can you avoid such a unspeakable time of horror that is coming upon
this world?
“For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting
life.
God
sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him, might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
Jesus
said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh to the
Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
This
is just a warm up of what's coming. Man in his nature is evil to the
core. Unrepentant men will continue to do indescribable evil and
murder upon other men. When this time gets wound up and God's wrath
found beginning in Revelation chapter 6 gets firing non-stop, then
all hell will break loose on this earth, from Satan, from mankind
found in the “man of sin” the AC, and from God Himself, as He
pours out His wrath upon a rebellious world in righteous indignation.
BUT UNTIL THEN.....
Until then, we submit in
love, the powers that have authority over us, UNLESS it is in direct
conflict with the Laws of God. Know that God uses the authority of
the government for our good, or for judgment upon a idolatrous
nation. That is where I believe we are. Judgment may have started and
God is using the powers that be to enact coming judgment upon the
whole earth. Only we here in the USA have never seen this type of
lawlessness until recently. We must stand strong in the power of His
might and pray God's protection upon each of us, and be submissive in
love and honor to the law of the land, as long as we can do so with a
clear conscience . For we must submit ourselves to obey God rather
than obey man in those coming abuses leading up to a time called the
Tribulation. We will know the difference, as it will go against what
is taught in your Bible.
This
is pastor Mike Taylor, praying that you stay strong and putting your
faith in Jesus Christ for deliverance. If you have a question, need
counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, email me at
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net,
or visit me online at www.churchofgod-usa.org.
God bless you all,
TILL
WE MEET AT JESUS FEET.
“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.
In this highly charged atmosphere in this country with all the violence of racial intolerance , terrorist attacks and random police shootings, many people are concerned with the direction that this country is taking, especially in light of the present “administration”. I use that term lightly, but they were elected twice by a liberal leaning nation that mourns basically their decision of electing a man whose claim of “HOPE and CHANGE” has shocked the nation of the moral collapse of this country.
Before I continue, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I am a complete proponent of law and order based on our Constitution and being the parents of a son who is a sergeant in the Missouri State Highway Patrol, we are solid supporters of our men in blue that risk their lives everyday. We as parents are concerned with the lawlessness that has enveloped every section of this country from east to west coast with the major unrest in large metropolitan cities. With that admission solidly behind me, let me continue with what I believe Paul was driving at in this passage. Some pastors of modern churches take the opening verses of Romans 13 to say that we obey authority no matter what they say...but is that correct?
“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: (Romans 13:3)
No other country has been an advocate and an enforcer of common sense laws, based on the Ten Commandments as has the USA in times past. But alas, the ship of reason and law has become based on shakey ground and it comes from those at the Federal level that filters down to our state and local authorities by edict.
I have always, and I suspect most who read this message, have been law abiding citizens that respect and appreciate the job well done by your local branch of law enforcement departments. But as we get closer and closer to the end of this age, there are forces that wish to pervert the bedrock foundation that this country was built upon and demands complete submission to their decrees, no matter how onerous they may be.
In this passage, Paul gives us a very clear, categorical commandment at the beginning of our text. The commandment is addressed to all mankind, without exception. Every person is included in this instruction—both believers and unbelievers. Every person is required to be in subjection to the governing authorities. Subjection certainly includes obedience, but it implies even more. Subjection focuses on the spirit or attitude of the individual, which leads to obedience. It recognizes an authority over us to which we are obliged to give not only our obedience but our respect. It implies a spirit which seeks to understand the perspective and purpose of the one who is superior and to seek to enhance that one’s position and purpose. WE must obey, TO A POINT!!
I am reminding of several passages in the Bible where those who were subject to the powers that be, followed the law of the land that was ruled even by pagan authorities and supported those governments in their everyday lives, that is until they overstepped their bounds and opposed the laws of God.
Peter when the disciples were brought before the Sanhedrin and the Jewish authorities for their preaching of the death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, when asked why they preached in this name:
“27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Act 5:27-29)
This they could not do, lest they disobey God. Though they could not and would not stop preaching about their resurrected Lord, they did not challenge the authority of this body. Their answer was evidence of their submissive spirit and intent:
“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).
Submission usually is demonstrated by our obedience, but even when we must disobey, we can and should do so in a submissive spirit and manner.
Thus, Peter and the Apostles could not suspend preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus, because they had been commanded by our Lord to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Even though the Jewish authorities demanded why they continued to do so, Peter was respectful and submissive to the questions, but firm in their belief that God and His commands took precedence over the commands of those in authority.
Another case in point, the Hebrew children in the book of Daniel of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were commanded as all those in the Kingdom of Nebachadnezzer, King of Babylon to bow down to the golden image that he had set up as an idol of worship. Note that these three men were leaders and governors in the king's empire and were highly favored in his court because of their loyalty, their intellect, and their support of the government of the king and as friends and fellow countrymen of the second in command of all the kingdom, the prophet Daniel, in Daniel chapter 3. When brought before the king, who was highly displeased that they had failed to obey his command, the Hebrew children in this passage were humble and submissive to the king, but firm in their conviction of who they must worship. They made it clear that they were in submission to all his decrees, just not this one:
“16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
Notice they were careful in their speech and showed respect and humility to their king, even a king of a pagan government, but stood firm when the command conflicted with the laws of God and who should be worshiped.:
v.3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
v. 4, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. “
v. 5, Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;”
(Exodus 20:3-5)
Jesus is our Supreme example of giving to God what belongs to God:
When Jesus was tempted by the Jewish authorities over taxes paid to Caesar. Jesus answered their trickery:
“21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?
24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.
25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.” (Luke 20:21-25)
From several Scriptures one might come to the conclusion that there are exceptions to the rule or precept Paul has laid down here. There were times when men had to chose to "obey God, rather than men" . I would like to suggest to you that while the Christian may not, in good conscience before God, be able to obey the government in every instance, true submission to the government is never actually set aside. Generally, submission is exhibited by one’s obedience. But when one cannot obey, they can still demonstrate a submissive spirit. This submissive spirit should never be set aside when it comes to those in authority over us.
Civil Government Is Divinely Ordained
From Paul's argument, the civil authorities are set up by God for order and the rule of law. It is based upon a fundamental premise: God is sovereign. He possesses ultimate authority. He is the sole authority of His creation. All human authority is delegated to men by God. No one has authority independent of God. How do we know that a government is ordained by God? Because it exist and that it possesses divinely delegated authority. Paul says, “those which exist are established by God.” God is sovereign. He is in control of all things. He causes all things to “work together for good” . The Bible says:
“20, Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” (Daniel 2:20-22)
And for our benefit:
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Roman 8:28)
We have had good and bad presidents and administrations in the past 26 years and even before that to the beginning of the 20th century But God has raised up each according to His sovereign will for our good and to prevent lawlessness to abound, where the hearts of evil men abound if left unchecked.
BUT, In the last almost 8 years, I have never seen the rule of law perverted as I have seen it done beforehand in any other time. Our Constitution gives us the right, even the duty to remedy such abuse. We have laws that give the people an avenue to address such lawlessness and disregard of the Laws that made this country the greatest in all the earth, like no other in any other time period. In the Declaration of Independence there is a passage that addresses lawlessness in government:
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. “
Such was the intent of our founding fathers, who saw and attempted to prevent the rise of tyranny by a run away government who abdicates it's duty to follow the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights.
But there is a right way and a wrong way to address these abuses, and it's not taking to the streets in anarchy by rioting as have the Black Lives Matter “domestic terrorists” groups that are financed by the likes of George Soros and the liberal left to damage and even to destroy the foundation basis of this Republic. Nor do we take matters into our own hands in lawlessness by shooting innocent men and women, even those who are entrusted with our safety on the streets: your local law enforcement agencies and departments. We have courts and judges to hear such cases and pronounce judgment through jury trial and grand juries that investigate abuses of law, even by governmental agencies. You may not always agree on their verdict, but they are entrusted to enforce and interpret the laws of this land.
To do otherwise, is to play into the desires of the global elite that only wish to destroy the last vestige of the mankind's freedom found in the USA. We, this land we call home, are THE LAST MAN standing to combat evil in this world. And what if this nation falls and there is NO one to stand in the gap, either locally, nationally, or internationally? The likes of the present administration is salivating when the idea of “martial law” and suspending our God given rights are usurped by a lawless government. Must we play into their hands? This coming election will either hasten that implosion of this country or delay it for a time, but understand my brethren, the time is coming, and sooner than anyone would like to think. God uses powers of government to either reward, or to punish a nation who has neglected or even thrown the God of Heaven out of every part of our national institutions from the top down, from the POTUS, even to the local level of your city council.
THE RISE OF THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT AND THE ANTI-CHRIST
The powers of darkness have been working very hard for the last 100+ years to make that very idea of a “utopia” of a One World Government and it's partner in evil, the One World Religion that will demand worship of one man, as a god.
“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
With the rampant evil that we see roaming our streets, or the lack of following the laws of our land by a POTUS that has gone hog wild to abuse his oath of office, the implosion of that “Last man standing” could be on the foreseeable horizon, just over the next political hill, just out of site.
It was stated in times past, in a quote attributed to Henry Speak the former premier of Belgium when he said:
“"What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the alliances of all people and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, and be he god or devil, we will receive him."
That has been the mind-set of politicians since this was quoted in as far back as 1957. The world is even in a bigger mess, than it was then and is growing exponentially a dangerous and unsafe place to live. The world of any sane human being longs for peace and safety, and if this is any indication of the beliefs of an unsaved generation of godless people, then our time, this generation is ripe for the coming of what the Bible calls “the Lawless One”. I believe the man of sin is alive today, noting how the rise of anarchy, murder and terrorist attacks upon innocent men and women in the Western World have increased, especially in the last 8 years...(”thank you, POTUS...uhh..you know his name” I still can't stomach even mentioning this “usurper in chiefs” name and I won't give him the honor of mentioning it.) He has created a climate that is ushering in what Henry Kissinger spoke of when this man became the POTUS...Kissinger said, and I quote
“The president-elect is coming into office at a moment when there is upheaval in many parts of the world simultaneously,” Kissinger responded. “You have India, Pakistan; you have the jihadist movement. So he can’t really say there is one problem, that it’s the most important one. But he can give new impetus to American foreign policy partly because the reception of him is so extraordinary around the world. His task will be to develop an overall strategy for America in this period when, really, a new world order can be created. It’s a great opportunity, it isn’t just a crisis.”
That is why this present POTUS was elected to bring about his “hope and change” to the detriment of our freedom and our Constitutional Republic. And a marvelous job he has done in their evil eyes. Some will say, that the man is the Anti-Christ, and he sure is “ANTI-” on so many of our basic beliefs that of the rule of law, the bible, marriage, homosexuality, abortion, and every Christian idea that has created this nation. Many believe the man is a closet Muslim educated in Indonesia in a midrash or an Islamic school. Is HE the foreseen Anti-Christ? If not, then he sure is precursor to the evil one and is making his path easy to follow.
THE COMING TRIBULATION IS CLOSE AT HAND
Jesus warned us, that the generation that shall see these changes will see the coming of the Lord:
“32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:32-35)
We are living in that generation of the budding of the fig tree. Israel has been a nation now almost 70 years ending in 2018. Are we on the cusp of the coming of the AC? I believe we are...when? Jesus said that “no man knoweth the day or the hour, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36) He speaks of His soon return. It will before this man is revealed. You can see that we are bumping up right upon the threshold of the coming Tribulation and soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ, but getting back to what this message was about.
WHAT MUST WE DO IN THE MEANTIME?
As we patiently wait for the coming of our Lord for His Bride, the Church, we must be about our Father's business. We are to give due respect to those who are in authority over us, and obey the laws that have been given as God has used them for our good, but when those laws become in direct conflict with the laws of God, then as Peter, the Hebrew children did and many more examples as even the Apostle Paul wrote:
“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Unfortunately for those who do not have a guarantee of their deliverance from the wrath to come, there is coming a time I've been speaking of, when it will be impossible to follow the laws that will be given to control every man and woman on this earth without going against Almighty God. When I spoke of a man on a white horse in Revelation 6, who carries a bow with no arrows and destroys be deceit, if you should see this man, then know that the Tribulation hour has come. We will not see him, as the Church of the Living God is my firm belief, but we will have a good idea of who he is. Why do I say that?
“6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” (2nd Thessalonians 2:7-11).
The Restrainer by much Bible study, can only be One Person, as the personal pronoun is of One Person, and that is the Holy Spirit. It can't be Michael the arc- angel, as he could not do it alone, as the word is singular, not plural as using other angels. Nor can it be Satan, as the devil would not work against himself. But when “He” is withdrawn, or should I say, changes His focus upon this earth to Pre-Pentecostal manifestations, then the evil man called the Anti-Christ will be revealed to do what his father, Satan bids him to do without restraint.
WHAT WILL YOU DO IN THIS HOUR?
You who see this world imploding, being an unbeliever in Christ Jesus, you know that something is terribly wrong. You can feel it. There is a deep down foreboding that is gripping your mind and your heart. Your fear level is growing. You try to ignore it and go on with your life, that is until it slaps you up side the head with disaster that strikes way too close to home. It could be your family, your friends, or your neighbors, or even yourself, but your world has just been thrown into total chaos and you're afraid and angry at such lawlessness that has invaded your private space. What can you do? Nothing, as it is prophesied that it will happen, no matter if you're ready for it or not. Prophecy is warning us to all who will listen, that the time of this world's end is upon us. Where will you appear on what side of either God or the god of this world? Will your allegiance be with God, or with the man who is coming, the man called the “lawless one” the Anti-Christ? This man will demand allegiance that he forces all to take a “mark” in their right hand, or their forehead:
“15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:15-18)
Those who dare take this mark, are doomed to “outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Where the worm dieth not, nor the fire quenched.”
“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:8)
If you think the time we live in right now is bad, wait to see this man, the Anti-Christ when he comes upon the scene. As the old saying goes, “you ain't seen nothing yet.”
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21)
As I always do , I beseech you my reader to be taken away from this hour of the coming Tribulation and submit to our only Hope in this world, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. This time coming will be unspeakable death, lawlessness, and tyranny that if not halted by God, “no flesh would be saved, but for the elect it will be shortened”. (Matthew 24:22)
How can you avoid such a unspeakable time of horror that is coming upon this world?
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
This is just a warm up of what's coming. Man in his nature is evil to the core. Unrepentant men will continue to do indescribable evil and murder upon other men. When this time gets wound up and God's wrath found beginning in Revelation chapter 6 gets firing non-stop, then all hell will break loose on this earth, from Satan, from mankind found in the “man of sin” the AC, and from God Himself, as He pours out His wrath upon a rebellious world in righteous indignation.
BUT UNTIL THEN.....
Until then, we submit in love, the powers that have authority over us, UNLESS it is in direct conflict with the Laws of God. Know that God uses the authority of the government for our good, or for judgment upon a idolatrous nation. That is where I believe we are. Judgment may have started and God is using the powers that be to enact coming judgment upon the whole earth. Only we here in the USA have never seen this type of lawlessness until recently. We must stand strong in the power of His might and pray God's protection upon each of us, and be submissive in love and honor to the law of the land, as long as we can do so with a clear conscience . For we must submit ourselves to obey God rather than obey man in those coming abuses leading up to a time called the Tribulation. We will know the difference, as it will go against what is taught in your Bible.
This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying that you stay strong and putting your faith in Jesus Christ for deliverance. If you have a question, need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, God bless you all,
TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET.
Comments
Skip Stevens
07/12/2016 6:15pm
Romans 13 has been misinterpreted for years by so many of our church leaders.
For proof, read the Lord's words in Hosea 8:4 - They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
For proof, read the Lord's words in Hosea 8:4 - They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
Pete
07/16/2016 8:17pm
I agree! Given this philosophy the Revelotionary war would have never happened!
Skip Stevens
07/21/2016 2:16am
Pastor Taylor - After sharing your article with a friend, I wanted to add a few more thoughts following my first comment, if you will allow this addition.
* * * * * * *
The Bible does say that God sets up leaders and He takes them down as well (my words), but this does not mean that God sets up ALL governments. That is a significant distinction between the meaning of the words.
This is why God also says in Hosea 8:4 - They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
That does not mean that God has lost control. It means that He allows other control in this world, in particular - by Satan.
The Bible's various verses do not contradict each other, but our mis-understanding of some of the verses can cause contradictions.
We must not forget that Satan is called the god of this world for a reason.
Satan DOES have power and control over nations.
Satan has power and control over governments.
This power and control that Satan has in this world is allowed by God - yes. But to say that God sets up evil men in power and that we should obey them is a complete misunderstanding of the meaning of God's words in Romans 13.
This unattributed explanation that follows (I copied this writing at some time past into a text document and did not save the URL as I usually do now:
Let's say Apostle Paul was telling the Church, "Be subject to the secular government," which at that time was the Roman Empire. And he was also saying, "Rome is not a terror to good works, but to the evil. The Roman centurion does not swing his sword in vain. Therefore, do good and you shall have praise of the same."
I pose only one question, Why was Apostle Paul beheaded by a Roman Centurion if he was preaching, "Be subject to Rome"? The Roman government would have no cause to behead him.
On the other hand, if Paul was beheaded because he was an "evildoer," why is an "evildoer" writing in our Holy Book? We better purge him out of there. We better clean up the Holy Scriptures. We better remove Romans 13 because it was written by an "evildoer."
No, I don't believe for a minute that Paul was telling the Church to be subject to the Roman Empire. Nor do I believe Paul was an evildoer. Paul was beheaded for promoting a rival government. It has to be. The secular authorities killed him because he was establishing another government, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Paul would be a hypocrite if he were saying to obey the secular authorities in Romans 13. It is inconsistent with his other writings. In Romans 12, Paul tells us, "do not be conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). Obeying the secular authorities certainly means conforming to the world. In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 6:14-17, Paul says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? . . . Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." We cannot cut our ties with the world and still be subject to them. "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
What is the study of the Holy Bible from beginning to end? It is God's people rebelling against Him and seeking to be like the Kingdoms of this world. Again and again, they are brought into harsh slavery because of their disobedience. Chasing after the Kingdoms of this world leads to death. Only the Kingdom of Heaven is an everlasting government.
Christ's government is here right now. It is His government that every soul is to be subject to. Turn away from sin and come out from the governments of the world. "Be subject unto the higher powers within Ecclesia, within Christ's government." (See Hebrews 13:7 and 13:17).
* * * * * * *
The Bible does say that God sets up leaders and He takes them down as well (my words), but this does not mean that God sets up ALL governments. That is a significant distinction between the meaning of the words.
This is why God also says in Hosea 8:4 - They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
That does not mean that God has lost control. It means that He allows other control in this world, in particular - by Satan.
The Bible's various verses do not contradict each other, but our mis-understanding of some of the verses can cause contradictions.
We must not forget that Satan is called the god of this world for a reason.
Satan DOES have power and control over nations.
Satan has power and control over governments.
This power and control that Satan has in this world is allowed by God - yes. But to say that God sets up evil men in power and that we should obey them is a complete misunderstanding of the meaning of God's words in Romans 13.
This unattributed explanation that follows (I copied this writing at some time past into a text document and did not save the URL as I usually do now:
Let's say Apostle Paul was telling the Church, "Be subject to the secular government," which at that time was the Roman Empire. And he was also saying, "Rome is not a terror to good works, but to the evil. The Roman centurion does not swing his sword in vain. Therefore, do good and you shall have praise of the same."
I pose only one question, Why was Apostle Paul beheaded by a Roman Centurion if he was preaching, "Be subject to Rome"? The Roman government would have no cause to behead him.
On the other hand, if Paul was beheaded because he was an "evildoer," why is an "evildoer" writing in our Holy Book? We better purge him out of there. We better clean up the Holy Scriptures. We better remove Romans 13 because it was written by an "evildoer."
No, I don't believe for a minute that Paul was telling the Church to be subject to the Roman Empire. Nor do I believe Paul was an evildoer. Paul was beheaded for promoting a rival government. It has to be. The secular authorities killed him because he was establishing another government, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Paul would be a hypocrite if he were saying to obey the secular authorities in Romans 13. It is inconsistent with his other writings. In Romans 12, Paul tells us, "do not be conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). Obeying the secular authorities certainly means conforming to the world. In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 6:14-17, Paul says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? . . . Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." We cannot cut our ties with the world and still be subject to them. "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
What is the study of the Holy Bible from beginning to end? It is God's people rebelling against Him and seeking to be like the Kingdoms of this world. Again and again, they are brought into harsh slavery because of their disobedience. Chasing after the Kingdoms of this world leads to death. Only the Kingdom of Heaven is an everlasting government.
Christ's government is here right now. It is His government that every soul is to be subject to. Turn away from sin and come out from the governments of the world. "Be subject unto the higher powers within Ecclesia, within Christ's government." (See Hebrews 13:7 and 13:17).
Kim
08/11/2016 8:48pm
Liked the article. Been thinking about this issue already. Thankful I read your article..I see what is meant.
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