We’re Not Chicken Little
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:1-7)
A first grade teacher was telling her students the story of Chicken Little. This was the first time she had read the story to the class. She said, “Once upon a time Chicken Little was pecking away at her food when an acorn fell and hit her on the head. Chicken Little looked up and believed the sky was falling, so she ran to all the animals in the barnyard crying, ‘The sky is falling! The sky is falling!’ Finally, Chicken Little approached the farmer and said to him, ‘The sky is falling! The sky is falling!’” At this point the first grade teacher stopped the story and asked her students, “And what do you think the farmer said to Chicken Little?” None of the kids answered for a moment. You could see by their expressions that they were in deep contemplation over the teacher’s question. Finally one little boy raised his hand and said, “I think the farmer said, ‘Wow, a talking chicken!’” The teacher laughed so hard she couldn’t finish the story.
Turn on your news channel and you will be promptly reminded that times are bad. The Dow is down. Unemployment is up. The recession is speeding up. The economy is slowing down. Resources are shrinking. Bills are increasing. Foreclosures are swelling. Hope is diminishing. For many people it feels as if the sky is falling. No matter your confidence level in the government, and whether or not your candidate got elected, the Bible makes it clear that every Christian has civic responsibilities. How are we to respond when the world seems to be crashing down around us?
Pray For Our Leaders. The most important thing we can do is to pray for our nation’s leaders. The Bible directs us, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2) There is a ministry in Washington, D.C. called Faith and Action led by Pastor Rob Schenck. Rob felt led by the Lord a few weeks ago to go to the door in the U.S. Capitol Building and anoint and pray over the door that then President-elect Obama would walk out for his swearing-in ceremony. When he notified the Capitol Police of his intentions, they informed him in no uncertain terms that if he tried to do that he would be arrested. But he proceeded in faith with his plan, and as he approached the Capitol Building he happened to meet one of his friends, U.S. Representative Paul Broun from Georgia, who is one of the many evangelical Christians in the U.S. House. When Rob told him of his plans Mr. Broun said, “Sure, let’s do it.” They proceeded to the door of the Capitol and had a private prayer service for President Obama and they anointed the doorposts and lentil of the door our president walked through on Inauguration Day. Critics have ridiculed this as a stupid stunt by crazed religious nuts, but they might be surprised to learn that when George Washington laid the cornerstone for the U.S. Capitol Building in 1793, he anointed it with oil, the Bible was read, and a local pastor prayed over it. Don’t underestimate the power of a faithful few who take seeking God’s face seriously. You might not spend anytime sitting in the seat of a legislator on Capitol Hill, but you certainly can spend time sitting at the foot of the Throne of Grace petitioning our Great King and God to bless our nation and guide our leaders.
Play By the Rules. When the apostle Paul wrote the words in the passage above, Christianity had been declared an illegal religion. A madman named Nero was in control of the government. Taxes and fear were at an all time high. Morale and confidence were at an all time low. Yet he still counsels believers to do what is right. It wasn’t easy to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus then. It’s not easy to be a fully devoted follower today. But here is his point: There is always going to be pressure to compromise. But difficult times do not provide anyone with a valid excuse to bend the rules. Probably the greatest test of whether you truly believe this or not will be revealed when you file your tax forms. Because we are followers of Jesus we will want to obey the laws of our land. The Bible says, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” (Titus 3:1-2) If anyone ever had a right not to play by the rules, it was Jesus, yet He obeyed the law. When He was asked about a tax payment to the Romans, He didn’t have any money, so he told Peter to go catch a fish. Peter caught a fish and found a coin in its mouth. We are in such awe of that miracle that we forget Jesus used that coin to pay His taxes. Do what is right. Play by the rules.
Participate in Bringing About Change. Bringing change into the world has never depended upon an election. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” “You are the light of the world.” You have been called to make a difference. Regardless of the political or economic climate Christians have always been called to be world changers. We’re not called to retreat behind stained glass windows and wait for the rapture. Jesus commanded us to be salt and light in a decaying and dark culture. Every time you stay faithful to your commitments, reach out to a needy person, love one another unconditionally, or serve sacrificially you are helping another person understand the nature and heart of our Heavenly Father. When they in turn respond and surrender to His grace – now that’s change you can believe in.
It’s true, times are bad. But Christians are not to be like Chicken Little running around filled with fear and trepidation. Let’s stay focused on our Great King, continue to obey His Word and bring glory to His Name by ministering to others.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
A first grade teacher was telling her students the story of Chicken Little. This was the first time she had read the story to the class. She said, “Once upon a time Chicken Little was pecking away at her food when an acorn fell and hit her on the head. Chicken Little looked up and believed the sky was falling, so she ran to all the animals in the barnyard crying, ‘The sky is falling! The sky is falling!’ Finally, Chicken Little approached the farmer and said to him, ‘The sky is falling! The sky is falling!’” At this point the first grade teacher stopped the story and asked her students, “And what do you think the farmer said to Chicken Little?” None of the kids answered for a moment. You could see by their expressions that they were in deep contemplation over the teacher’s question. Finally one little boy raised his hand and said, “I think the farmer said, ‘Wow, a talking chicken!’” The teacher laughed so hard she couldn’t finish the story.
Turn on your news channel and you will be promptly reminded that times are bad. The Dow is down. Unemployment is up. The recession is speeding up. The economy is slowing down. Resources are shrinking. Bills are increasing. Foreclosures are swelling. Hope is diminishing. For many people it feels as if the sky is falling. No matter your confidence level in the government, and whether or not your candidate got elected, the Bible makes it clear that every Christian has civic responsibilities. How are we to respond when the world seems to be crashing down around us?
Pray For Our Leaders. The most important thing we can do is to pray for our nation’s leaders. The Bible directs us, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2) There is a ministry in Washington, D.C. called Faith and Action led by Pastor Rob Schenck. Rob felt led by the Lord a few weeks ago to go to the door in the U.S. Capitol Building and anoint and pray over the door that then President-elect Obama would walk out for his swearing-in ceremony. When he notified the Capitol Police of his intentions, they informed him in no uncertain terms that if he tried to do that he would be arrested. But he proceeded in faith with his plan, and as he approached the Capitol Building he happened to meet one of his friends, U.S. Representative Paul Broun from Georgia, who is one of the many evangelical Christians in the U.S. House. When Rob told him of his plans Mr. Broun said, “Sure, let’s do it.” They proceeded to the door of the Capitol and had a private prayer service for President Obama and they anointed the doorposts and lentil of the door our president walked through on Inauguration Day. Critics have ridiculed this as a stupid stunt by crazed religious nuts, but they might be surprised to learn that when George Washington laid the cornerstone for the U.S. Capitol Building in 1793, he anointed it with oil, the Bible was read, and a local pastor prayed over it. Don’t underestimate the power of a faithful few who take seeking God’s face seriously. You might not spend anytime sitting in the seat of a legislator on Capitol Hill, but you certainly can spend time sitting at the foot of the Throne of Grace petitioning our Great King and God to bless our nation and guide our leaders.
Play By the Rules. When the apostle Paul wrote the words in the passage above, Christianity had been declared an illegal religion. A madman named Nero was in control of the government. Taxes and fear were at an all time high. Morale and confidence were at an all time low. Yet he still counsels believers to do what is right. It wasn’t easy to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus then. It’s not easy to be a fully devoted follower today. But here is his point: There is always going to be pressure to compromise. But difficult times do not provide anyone with a valid excuse to bend the rules. Probably the greatest test of whether you truly believe this or not will be revealed when you file your tax forms. Because we are followers of Jesus we will want to obey the laws of our land. The Bible says, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” (Titus 3:1-2) If anyone ever had a right not to play by the rules, it was Jesus, yet He obeyed the law. When He was asked about a tax payment to the Romans, He didn’t have any money, so he told Peter to go catch a fish. Peter caught a fish and found a coin in its mouth. We are in such awe of that miracle that we forget Jesus used that coin to pay His taxes. Do what is right. Play by the rules.
Participate in Bringing About Change. Bringing change into the world has never depended upon an election. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” “You are the light of the world.” You have been called to make a difference. Regardless of the political or economic climate Christians have always been called to be world changers. We’re not called to retreat behind stained glass windows and wait for the rapture. Jesus commanded us to be salt and light in a decaying and dark culture. Every time you stay faithful to your commitments, reach out to a needy person, love one another unconditionally, or serve sacrificially you are helping another person understand the nature and heart of our Heavenly Father. When they in turn respond and surrender to His grace – now that’s change you can believe in.
It’s true, times are bad. But Christians are not to be like Chicken Little running around filled with fear and trepidation. Let’s stay focused on our Great King, continue to obey His Word and bring glory to His Name by ministering to others.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 3:55 PM
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