Last week someone seriously blew it in Hawaii – sending out an all-recipients text alert re an incoming nuclear missile when in fact none was coming in.
“THIS IS NOT A DRILL” was the key to mass panic. It was presented, mistakenly (thankfully), as being the real deal.
It reminds us older folks of the 1950’s and 1960’s air raid and defense systems tests, where the Emergency Broadcast System would interrupt our favorite TV programs, albeit with this kind of alert:
For our purposes (including our instruction and admonition), let’s understand that our great God does indeed test His people – our minds, our motives, our hearts, our actions, our reactions. That truth is clearly set forth in both testaments:
1 Thessalonians 2:4
4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
Proverbs 17:3
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the Lord tests the hearts.
1 Thessalonians 2:4
4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
Those verses reveal to us one of the Kingdom policies that are in place during this “school of life” in which we live.
BIBLICAL TRUTH #2 (God testing hearts being #1): God sets kings in place. That hasn’t changed. He sets one up and he removes another. Daniel, who was wiser than us, revealed this truth in this manner:
Daniel 2:20-21
20 Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
Meanwhile Paul, writing during the times when the demonized Roman Emperor Nero was utilizing captured Christians for garden torches, confirmed the eternal truth of God’s sovereignty over all men (including demonized leaders) and admonishes us to do the following:
1 Timothy 2:1-2
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Titus 3:1-2
1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
The bluntly honest scriptures even provide an example in Paul’s own life, where his recognition of a man’s authority required an acknowledgment of honor, and repentance on his part. Standing before a rather pompous and insolent man who had just ordered Paul getting smacked around, the apostle at first told it as he saw it, and then repented when informed of the man’s position.
Acts 23:1-5
1 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
4 And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?”
5 Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”
See what this is leading up to?
Saints reviling our President is a demonstration of our worldliness, our ignorance of scriptural instruction, and our immaturity. It becomes a test that many fail. When we fail a test, God in His mercy (and tenacity) will allow us to take it over again. And again. And again. Until we get it right.
Saints of God cursing those who might curse others, reviling those who revile, pointing out the obvious sins of those in authority, demonstrate to the world (as well to our Lord, and the brethren) that we are not yet fully sanctified in this area of our lives, not yet under the complete influence of the Holy Spirit – whose leading will never ever contradict scripture, and instead we are behaving like the unredeemed in our inability or unwillingness to place a guard over our mouths, or our keyboards, to refrain from speaking evil.
James tell us such action is inappropriate:
James 3:8-12
8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
Someone else’s inappropriate actions or speech do not justify our similar response.
Eventually the government of the world will clearly be upon the shoulders of our Lord:
Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Currently, the government is not yet upon His shoulders, but it will be.
For now, the world is still under the sway of the evil one.
Don’t live that same evil sway. Come out from among them and be holy.
Governmentally, we’re about at the toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream statue (Daniel 2). So do stay tuned (all things will eventually get straightened out by our soon and coming King), and meanwhile do be holy. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord.
We’re called to be light, not to contribute to the raging words of darkness.
When we do fall into cursing and reviling a leader, even for their obvious sin, we are failing our own test, succumbing to our own flesh, demonstrating our lack of self-control, and in fact disappointing the One who called us to something way higher.
From prison, punished for doing what was right and holy, Paul wrote:
Philippians 2:5-11
5 Let (ALLOW THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT TO TRANSFORM YOUR MIND) this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1 Peter 2:21-23
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Please know I am not writing this because I have somehow magically attained to perfection. I deal with my own issues, my own temptations, my own pride, my own sin. But I can’t and won’t dare lower the bar of scriptural holiness to avoid offending anyone, either you nor myself. The scriptures are words of life.
All scripture NKJV
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