Communion

May 27, 2007

Communion

I had the pleasure of delivering communion today at our house church. This is what I covered…

Genesis 6:5-7 (NCV)
The Lord saw that the human beings on the earth were very wicked and that everything they thought about was evil. He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will destroy all human beings that I made on the earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything that crawls on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry I have made them.”

Genesis 6:11-13 (NCV)
People on earth did what God said was evil, and violence was everywhere. When God saw that everyone on the earth did only evil, he said to Noah, “Because people have made the earth full of violence, I will destroy all of them from the earth.”

Genesis 7:4 (NCV)
Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth. It will rain forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe off from the earth every living thing that I have made.

Genesis 7:17-24 (NCV)
Water flooded the earth for forty days, and as it rose it lifted the boat off the ground. The water continued to rise, and the boat floated on it above the earth. The water rose so much that even the highest mountains under the sky were covered by it. It continued to rise until it was more than twenty feet above the mountains. All living things that moved on the earth died. This included all the birds, tame animals, wild animals, and creatures that swarm on the earth, as well as all human beings. So everything on dry land that had the breath of life in it died. God destroyed from the earth every living thing that was on the land -- every man, animal, crawling thing, and bird of the sky. All that was left was Noah and what was with him in the boat. And the waters continued to cover the earth for one hundred fifty days.

In the time of Noah, everyone was evil. Imagine everyone being evil. Imagine your family, friends, public officials, the people you see at the grocery, everyone is evil. Every thought, evil little itty bitty thing that they do, is evil and wicked. This isn’t a compliment of what happened. People talk about being wicked now and it is a compliment. And because these things happened then, God flooded the world. God looked at them and they did not have a bit of good in them, so he whipped them away with a flood. So what happened is this: All Sin – No Repentance – New Start. The flood is like a baptism that “cleans” the earth and gives it a new start.

Matthew 13:47-50 (NCV)
“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was put into the lake and caught many different kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets and threw away the bad fish. It will be this way at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the good people. The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.”

Matthew 25:40 and 45 (NCV)
“Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’” … “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you refused to do for even the least of my people here, you refused to do for me.’”

The angels will come and separate the evil people from the good people. This is comforting simply due to the fact that there are good people to take out of the group. They separate the righteous from the unrighteous. And the scriptures from Matthew 25 show a detail of what the righteous and the unrighteous do. The righteous will even do the smallest of things for the “lowest” or “least” of people. That is an indication of how loving and serving the righteous person is for God. They do the little things that end up making a huge difference. The unrighteous will not do these things. What I believe to be interesting is that the unrighteous will still serve, but it will be “big” things, like in groups or such, and will not necessarily take on an individual effort. The unrighteous will make a show to look righteous, but will be far from it. But the fact still remains; there are righteous people out there in the midst of the unrighteous people.

1st Peter 3:18-22 (NCV)
Christ himself suffered for sins once. He was not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God. His body was killed, but he was made alive in the spirit. And in the spirit he went and preached to the spirits in prison who refused to obey God long ago in the time of Noah. God was waiting patiently for them while Noah was building the boat. Only a few people -- eight in all -- were saved by water. And that water is like baptism that now saves you -- not the washing of dirt from the body, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. And this is because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Now Jesus has gone into heaven and is at God’s right side ruling over angels, authorities, and powers.

The water is like baptism – it cleans you from sin. In fact here it says that baptism saves you. It is a promise from me to God from a good conscience.

Hebrews 5:7-10 (NCV)
While Jesus lived on earth, he prayed to God and asked God for help. He prayed with loud cries and tears to the One who could save him from death, and his prayer was heard because he trusted God. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he learned obedience by what he suffered. And because his obedience was perfect, he was able to give eternal salvation to all who obey him. In this way God made Jesus a high priest, a priest like Melchizedek.

The focus on this scripture right now is this: he (Jesus) was able to give eternal salvation to all who obey him. This is why the criminal on the cross next to Jesus could be saved without baptism. Jesus could give it to him, because he could. I follow Jesus, who gives salvation to the obedient, then I would do what the Bible says and be considered righteous. I do not follow what the Bible says, then I am not following Jesus and would be considered unrighteous. It’s that black and white. Jesus is the High Priest. He is the ultimate example. Communion is about remembering him and my conversion to him. Johnny Out.

The Grades are In and You Scored…

May 24th, 2007

Degauss (verb):
• To neutralize the magnetic field of (a ship, for example).
• To erase information from (a magnetic disk or other storage device).

The Grades are In and You Scored…

“When I arrive will God be waiting and pacing around his throne? Will he feel a little Old Testament? And will he celebrate with fire and brimstone? Yeah, I admit, I am afraid of the reckoning.” And later in the song: “When we were made we were set apart, but life is a test and I get bad marks. Now some saint got the job of writing down my sins. The storm is coming; here is your storm again.” Lyrics by Brand New (the song is titled Degausser). If you really, really want to check out their website, I shall warn you, it is a little dark. But if you do, here is a link: http://www.fightoffyourdemons.com/

I’ve heard this song for a few days now, and I really thought I would be talking about their song “Jesus Christ”, and yet I find myself drawn to this song instead. “When we were made we were set apart, but life is a test and I get bad marks. Now some saint got the job of writing down my sins.”

Life is a test. Life is a test… it really is a test. Think about it… however I choose my actions now will determine my fate with God later. If I make decisions now that are un-wise, I may suffer later. If I make wise decisions now, I may reap later. It all depends on if I repeat those actions over and over and over again.

1st John 3:4-6
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

Simple enough, if you or I keep on sinning, then we won’t have any part of God, because it says “no one who continues to sin is known by him”. It doesn’t sound like a “good job, good and faithful” statement, but more of an “I never knew you” statement to me.

Psalm 69:1-36
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you. May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel. For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons; for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me. When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn; when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me. Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards. But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes. You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever. Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them. May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents. For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt. Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me. I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs. The poor will see and be glad - you who seek God, may your hearts live! The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them, for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.

Now, the phrase “book of life” is only used once in the Old Testament, which is in Psalm 69:28… and the following verse, I felt that is necessary to grasp, at least comforting to read knowing the since we all go through pain, distress, etc., that salvation from God can protect. Now, these are enemies of David, the ones he asks to be knocked out of the book of life. There are seven other scriptures using the phrase “book of life,” six of which are in Revelation and one other in Philippians.

Before I check out Philippians in detail, I want to check this first…

Revelation 20:7-15
When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

So, God has a book with my name on it. And in that book, it tells of the deeds I have done: the good and the bad. Let’s change it from a book to a hard-drive to a computer, or for even a better argument, a computer disk. On the Day of Judgment, God plops the disk into his computer. He starts looking through every thing and then finally looks into the “Book of Life” to see if I get thrown into a lake of fire. Do I stay or do I go… well, if the sins can be degaussed, or whipped away, then it is a sure fire deal (no pun intended, but you can laugh anyway) to get that done. What is a sinner? A sinner is someone who isn’t God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit. And the last time I checked, I’m not them. There are two types of sinners, the ones who practice sinful things with the intent to continue, and the ones who repent. Keep this in mind when you read this passage…

Philippians 4:2-3
I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

This scripture is the most essential of my QT, since Paul is explaining that certain people are written in the book of life. It’s a bold thing to say. But, Paul is a bold man, and he was considered righteous by what he did.

I know that there are several books at play, the Holy Bible, the Book of Life, and other books not mentioned… at least in Revelation. But I would think that the Book of the Law, and some others would be sitting at the Judging bench with God. But when the timed test is over, what marks will I have on the work I have done? How degaussed will my sin be? Will I get it all out, will I be clean enough to sport a white robe in heaven, or will I end up swimming in a fiery lake?

And why am I up so late? I am in pain and distress. I’m asking that God’s salvation protect me. It is time to take another pill and push on to a snoozing goal. Hopefully I can get something in before Mackenzie’s test later this morning. Johnny Out.

Does it feel lukewarm in here?

May 20th, 2007

Does it feel lukewarm in here?

Revelation 3:14-22
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

I was able to have the privilege to see a video at church today that showed (in a funny sort of way) what a “Me Church” is versus the church Christ died for… if you are interested, simply check out this link. It’s convicted and funny at the same time. (Link: Church Commercial)

Lukewarm (adj.):

• Moderately warm; tepid
• Having or showing little ardor, zeal, or enthusiasm; indifferent
• Moderately warm
• Feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm
• Slightly warm

Now for the Greek definitions:

Lukewarm (adj.):
Chliaros (pronounced khlee-ar-os'):

• From chliō (to warm); tepid: - lukewarm.
• Tepid, lukewarm; metaphorically of the condition of the soul wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor and a fervor of love

I believe the English dictionary is a good representation of the Greek meaning. Lukewarm is the opposite of showing emotion, it is a lack of enthusiasm. And as a disciple, I am supposed to be full of zeal for Christ. WHERE IS IT?! Maybe it slowly crept out of me without me even knowing. I don’t know, but I need to find it. And find it quickly, that’s for sure.

Romans 12:9-13
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

It says to never be lacking in zeal. It could also say to never be lukewarm and to keep a spiritual fervor. And what is fervor?

Fervor (noun):

• Great warmth and earnestness of feeling
• Intense heat
• Great warmth and intensity of emotion
• The state of being emotionally aroused and worked up; excitement

This is a great practical. How do I move out of being lukewarm? How do I have a zeal back for God? I need to get excited again. I need to have intensified emotions for the Lord. And that I can most definitely wrap my brain around and understand. I can regain excitement again, because let’s be honest, I haven’t been on the poster for zeal in quite some time. It may coincide with my pain, but I don’t believe that. Pain didn’t stop me anytime before and it shouldn’t be an obstacle now. I am going to change my ways on this – period. And it will hurt until the surgery, but AMEN. Repentance sometimes shouldn’t be easy and pain-free. Johnny Out.

Painful Gratitude

May 19th, 2007

Painful Gratitude

I guess I should simply say that I am in pain. I’ve had this pain for close to three years now. It’s been almost constant since it has started, but it hasn’t stopped for what I would say to be the last two years. And when I have my right hip replaced with an hour and a half surgery, my problems should diminish quite quickly. If I am to be blessed with no pain what-so-ever, then it will be a first in a LONG time. This thing started before I had my last surgery, which was to stop my acid reflux. So, it has been years since I have been pain free. YEARS. What is my response to being pain free? Gratitude – gratitude that should never be forgotten. In the NIV, there are two scriptures that use the very word gratitude. I’ll share one of the two, and also check out some other scriptures…

Gratitude (noun):

• A feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
• The state of being grateful; thankfulness
• The quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful

Grateful (adj.):

• Warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful
• Pleasing to the mind or senses; agreeable or welcome; refreshing
• Appreciative of benefits received; thankful
• Affording pleasure or comfort; agreeable
• Feeling or showing gratitude

Grateful Dead, the San Francisco rock band, took its name, according to Jerry Garcia, from a dictionary entry he saw about the folk tale motif of a wanderer who gives his last penny to pay for a corpse's burial, then is magically aided by the spirit of the dead person. A different version of the concept is found in the Hebrew Kaddish and the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

I was interested in checking out this story of the Grateful Dead and the dictionary from which it came… and then I realized it was taking too much time to find. So I moved on, it’s not really important.

Gratitude is thankfulness. In the story above, the guy pays for the burial or the debts of the man, and then the spirit of the fellow is grateful, or thankful, and helps the guy out in a later situation. The spirit may have even saved his life, although I am not completely sure since I have only read bits and pieces. The thing is, the ghost appreciated the kindness and expressed thankfulness.

Colossians 3:15-17 (NIV)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:15-17 (NCV)
Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful. Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

Colossians 3:15-17 (TMB)
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him.

OK, whatever I do, I have to give thanks to God. When I sing, there should be gratitude and thankfulness and grace in my heart to God. And this is whether I have pain or not. But there is more to the pain of gratitude. Remember that thanks and gratitude are pretty much the same…

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (NIV)
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (NCV)
Always be joyful. Pray continually, and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus. Do not hold back the work of the Holy Spirit. Do not treat prophecy as if it were unimportant. But test everything. Keep what is good, and stay away from everything that is evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (TMB)
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. Test all things; hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

OK, here’s the kick that I’ve had (and really the whole passage given is a struggle at times) is give thanks in all circumstances, in any and all situations. And that goes for kidney stones, nasty acid reflux, a garden hoe through the foot, and a painful joint rubbing up against the hip socket. And praying without ceasing; that would mean to pray when the leg hurts, praying when the leg feels better. It means to pray when times are good and bad, and everything in between. Plus, the end all be all, to be joyful always. I have to rejoice evermore. But it is not rejoicing on how I am feeling, but rejoicing that I simply know that this is temporary and the afterlife in heaven is eternal. And that is what hope is all about. There is always someone who has it a little worse than me. There are places in this world like Cambodia and Africa where there is limited healthcare at best. And I am sure someone may have what I have and simply have to “suck it up” for most likely the rest of their lives. With that thought, it is easy to be grateful for my situation. Johnny Out.

The War Within - Part V

May 18th, 2007

The War Within – Part V

I can make decisions to do wrong:

• If I want to do wrong, I can and sometimes will go out of my way to make it happen.

I can make decisions to do right:

• If I want to do right, I can and sometimes should go out of my way to make it happen.

May 18th, 2007

Mark 7:20-23
He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”

See, the battle to do right or wrong comes within a person, being evil thoughts, deceit, and everything else in the scripture above. We know what a thought is and what evil is (or at least I would hope so…), so I am going to define deceit from the dictionary and Greek to grasp a larger picture.

Deceit (noun):

• The quality of being fraudulent.
• A misleading falsehood.
• Deliberate and misleading concealment, false declaration, or artifice.
• A stratagem; a trick.
• concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating

Deceive (verb):

• To mislead by a false appearance or statement; delude.
• To cause to believe what is not true; mislead.
• To give a false impression.
• Be false to; be dishonest with.
• Cause someone to believe an untruth.
• To cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.

Synonyms: cozen, dupe, fool, gull, hoodwink, trick, defraud, outwit, entrap, ensnare, betray, fraud, misrepresentation, deception, insincere, disingenuous, false, hollow, designing, wily.

Deceit (Noun):

Dolos (pronounced dol'-os):

• Meaning to decoy; a trick (bait), that is, (figuratively) wile: - craft, deceit, guile, subtlety. (Strong’s)
• Craft, deceit, guile. (Thayer)

Leviticus 19:11
“‘Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.’”

It sounds simple enough. And yet it happens. People prance around not wanting to deceive anyone, to not steal or lie, and yet it happens day in and day out. We had a President who slept with a woman, or at the least, committed sexual acts with her, and then he lied about it. That was Clinton. The “best president ever”, as some would say, slept around with a woman, he would even sneak out of the Whitehouse to do so, and the people were deceived about his actions. And both of these men sported themselves as devout Christians. I’m just pointing out that whether I have an important high class status with a good deal of money or a low class status with a little deal of money, the opportunity is always there to deceive and lie.

Proverbs 14:5
A truthful witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.

Proverbs 24:28-29
Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, or use your lips to deceive. Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did."

Obadiah 1:2-7
“See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?' Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.

“If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night, (Oh, what a disaster awaits you) would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged! All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it.”

Genesis 4:1-7
Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

What is right? Not the opposite of left, right, but the right as in doing it God’s way right.

Right (verb):
Yâṭab (pronounced yaw-tab'):

• To be (causatively) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right): - be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, be content, diligent (diligently), dress, earnestly, find favor, give, be glad, do (be, make) good (-ness), be (make) merry, please (please well), show more kindness, skillfully, surely, make sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat, go, have) well said, seen. (Strong’s)

Romans 13:1-7

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.

If I do right, my demeanor will show it - I will not be downcast, I will be commended by God and I will not have any fear exhibited in my nature. If I do wrong, my demeanor may show and I will be downcast, if ever be it so slightly. I will have everything to be afraid of, the sword and captivation by my sinful nature. My heart will have me decieved, so that I will be susceptible to deceptions from others, especially my friends. There are plenty of other consequences to the wrong side of things... but I will address those (maybe) in another edition of the War Within. Johnny Out.