Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.—Galatians 6:7
Question: Why would Paris Olympics organizers decide to mock Jesus during the Last Supper to kick off the 2024 summer games? Answer: They are pagans and gleefully crafted an opening fit for the demonic.
Make no mistake , the purpose of blaspheming Jesus and the Last supper was for one reason alone: offending Christians. What better way to please Satan, their god of worship than to do so on a worldwide stage?
Can we stop with the narrative that drag queens are this symbol of inclusivity, worthy of exaltation? Let’s look at them as tools used by degenerate architects of pop culture to insult, taunt and deride anything sublime, or traditional.
Oh, but don’t worry. You, as a Christian, are to blame for taking offense because you are a narrow-minded bigot, racist , homophobe.
These Olympics will go down as one of the most infamous in history and, I’m betting, the lowest rated. Count me as officially checked out of games as I’m sure millions of other Christians are, worldwide.
Intellectual Froglegs: “War”, Joe Dan Gorman’s latest transmission. Mr. Gorman comments on the Soviet style show trial of President Donald Trump in New York, spiritual warfare and features an interview with scientist, Dr James Tour.
While, Mr Gorman’s humor is still present, this is a serious and weighty episode. He addresses the full-scale attack on President Trump and concludes God is protecting him with Divine Providence.
I believe the evidence strongly supports Mr Gorman’s conclusion. You have to ask, why with all these attacks on President Trump, is he getting stronger?
I’ve written about spiritual warfare in different posts which means our weapons are not of this world. To fight this war, all we can do is stand, pray, study Scripture, and worship and praise God. As Mr Gorman eloquently points out, “the ammo is free.”
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.– Ephesians 6:11-12 (ESV)
This is not just another election about policy. What God has presented to the American people, out of the darkness, and plain to see, is evil. You can see evil in our enemies eyes, their speech, their actions and policies. This, because indwelling in their hearts is not the Spirit of the LORD, but demons.
Of course we vote and speak the truth, but only God and His heavenly forces can fight demons. All we can do is stand, armored in God, through, the transformative power of Jesus, and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. –Ephesians 6:13-18
Maybe this is God’s timing for the fall of America, or God’s plan for America’s revival. His will be done. Practice obedience to God, have faith in Jesus, and pray always.
Let’s just cut to the chase of the why the left is losing their minds over Harrison Butker’s recent commencement speech at Benedictine College. It’s because the Kansas City Chiefs kicker stood for God and spoke the truth.
I was going to use the old adage , “a fact to a liberal is like kryptonite to Superman”. But really, truth to the liberal hive mind is, literally, hate speech.
Hate speech to the left is printing , broadcasting or uttering any fact or idea that casts doubt on their narrative. The left’s ideas are at best, built on fantasy, and at worst, a foundation of lies. Therefore, when someone dares to share alternative viewpoints, leftist true- believers go into overdrive to slander the message.
When the left shouts hate speech, what its minions are calling for is censorship of the truth. And let me clarify that I am talking God’s truth. Funny , how that modern mantra of “your truth ” and ” my truth” goes out the window the moment someone steps up and proclaims scriptural truth.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.– Hebrews 4:12
It’s not hyperbole that God’s word is like a sword cutting through soul and spirit and bone and marrow. Nothing can stop God’s truth from penetrating.
When we hear godly truths, it gets our attention. You know that moment when someone hits you with the truth, and your eyes instinctively look down or away in a split second. That’s when you react in one of two ways: with conviction and humility or denial with anger.
We’re seeing the latter from the left. Why?
Butker’s words were not couched in anger or fiery rhetoric. He did not come off like a hate-filled fanatic that the left could paint as exhibit A for right-wing nut.
Instead, Benedictine College graduates were treated to a commencement speech from a godly young man whose words were full of love , encouragement and truth from a biblical foundation.
In my humble opinion two sections of the speech triggered the left. First he made a distinction about God -centered pride vs the pride celebrated for a month. However, the second and most controversial (to the left) was Butker daring to say there is nothing wrong with women embracing the vocation of homemaker. He used the example of his wife who chose this over a career.
Not surprisingly, leftists smeared Butker as saying women should be barefoot and pregnant and accused him of attacking women who prioritize careers. Witness the outrage from these daily talk show hosts
Here’s how it works, or rather how it used to work. When leftist pundits register outrage, you’re supposed to automatically disregard the message of their target as bigoted or racist.
More people are waking up and no longer participating in this tried and true gaslighting tactic. Butker’s message not only resonated with the graduating class, but also with the public and that’s what scares the left.
If the ideas of the Marxist , liberal, progressives (or whatever else they choose to call themselves) were based in logic and truth, they would defend their ideas with spirited debate. Instead , their knee-jerk response is to slander, mislead, censor and cancel. This tells all you need to know about these people and the folly of their ideology.
NFL kickers are usually an afterthought to the average fan. These are skill players who have a singular job: target the ball precisely.
Their skills give opposition the worst field position and scores points for their team. As a Christian man, Butker’s love and obedience to God, through his faith in Jesus Christ, has done both.
You can also purchase my first book, No Christian Man is an Island: Leading the Spiritual Quest in America’s Culture Wars also on sale at Amazon on Kindle , paperback and hardcover, and Barnes and Noble
With Father’s Day coming up, these books are excellent gifts.
America… under God’s judgement? What does that mean? The country is still standing and life goes on.
On the surface, yes, America is still the major world power, influencing politics and policy globally. Yet spiritually, this is not the same America where the Golden Rule once reigned , marriage was lauded and most families attended church .
I miss that America. God was revered and laws were enforced.
Now we live in a country where madness reigns, the arrogantly ignorant are their own god, and lawlessness prevails. Throughout Scripture are examples of what happens to a nation when it rejects God.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.–Romans 1:28-32
Keep in mind, the Apostle Paul wrote this assessment after writing earlier in the chapter of how God is plainly manifested to the world throughout the creation. Therefore, people have no excuse to deny His existence (Romans 1:19-20.). To deny God and to not fear Him is the sign of debased mind.
Another word for debased is reprobate. It means an unprincipled or depraved person. Basically, this person is morally corrupt.
With that definition in mind, is it off base to believe we live in a reprobate culture celebrating madness and codifying insanity? Pardon my rhetorical question, because the proof is clear as mud.
Everywhere, futile thinking reigns, such as the foolishness of allowing race to dictate what laws to enforce, what crime statistics to manipulate, what school discipline to carry out ,and what grades to give. Have you ever thought why in this period of history there are so many incompetent and immoral leaders in charge?
God gave America great thinkers at the founding of this country Now, the nation appears cursed with supreme dolts at our nadir. If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,(Proverbs 9:10) then not fearing the Lord is the height of folly.
The debased person either ignores entirely, or picks and chooses portions of God’s Word to fit in to their version of reality: a reality where they dictate the terms of good and evil. This has been going on since sin entered the world.
In the ancient world , it was idol worship , carried out in ornate or makeshift tabernacles. In recent history, this distortion of reality took the form of political theory. You know it best as Marxism.
Marxism is the comprehensive theory of history, society and economics, created by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. You can read about it’s development and bloody history here and here.
Marxism is anti-God and therefore, anti-freedom. What makes it both seductive and insidious is its ability to morph into various forms of political theory. We’re seeing it playing out now as wokeness, Critical Race Theory and diversity, inclusion and equity (DIE).
Missing from the core of all these modern theories are the godly traits of love , humility and forgiveness. Instead, you have wrath, division, envy and hatred. These are sinful traits glorified as righteousness in the minds of the unregenerate.
Scripture plainly states the consequences of a nation turning from God. Galatians 6:7 warns nations and people of the danger of mocking God.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that hewill also reap.
America and Western Civilization is sowing mockery of God’s law and blasphemy of God’s Word. In doing so, these nations are reaping God’s judgment. Is it any wonder America’s darkness is more than mere political machinations?
Legislatures, packed with worldly men and women, have passed doctrines of demons as law with no concern of societal impact, only political gain. Congress has neither the will nor moral foundation to stand for God’s righteousness.
Yes, there are godly men and women in the House of Representatives and the Senate, but for now they have little power to reverse the patronage and lobbying practices that have corrupted both branches. That of course presumes they are even trying to change the system. In most cases, so-called “Christian” politicians find it easier to compromise their souls for power, rather than standing for God.
What can you say when the Democrat Party is counting on the people’s anger to abortion laws to propel them back to power? What can you say when political realities means the Republicans must compromise with the issue? The very fact of millions of Americans demanding the right to terminate babies in the womb indicates a culture steeped in selfishness and hedonism.
What can you say when schools and libraries in blue states have no issues exposing children to sexualization in the form of Drag Queen Story Hour.
Years ago, teachers in public schools coming out as gay, lesbian, binary or whatever to young children would have been fired and hounded out of school for attempting to sexualize children, now they are celebrated. Meanwhile, the mainstream press and leftist politicians demonize parents ,who complain, as the bad guys.
America degeneracy is such , the left even calls certain biblical passages hate speech. And do many mainstream denominations continue to preach those uncomfortable verses of Scripture?
No, in most instances those churches stand down. Rare is the church where the pastor preaches from Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Leviticus, 1 and 2 Kings, Chronicles, just to name a few?
And even those churches focusing on the New Testament skip over or rationalize Romans 1 , Corinthians 6:9-10 or the book of Revelation. Are these churches honoring God or reflecting the culture? Obviously, it is the latter and certainly not the former.
We are truly in the last days with such spiritual realities. Is America on its way to becoming another story of a once great nation brought to ruin? It’s whatever God wills.
However, God is still watching over those who truly love Him. So what can we as regenerate believers do?
First, we remember that no matter what happens in the world, God promises never to leave us or forsake His children. We can take this inspiration from Moses’s exhortation to the Israelites as they prepared to take the promised land under the leadership of Joshua
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”– Deuteronomy 31:8
We also place our faith that as sheep, Jesus is our Shepherd and that nothing can snatch us from His hand.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.I and My Father are one.”— John 10:27-30
Finally, believers must stay on mission; no matter what.What is this task? It is the Great Commission.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.– Matthew 28:18-20
America… under God’s judgement? You better believe it. When God judges a nation, it means He’s given it over to its inevitable path of destruction that comes choosing sin over Jesus. Now more than ever, we Christians must dedicate ourselves to spreading the gospel to a lost world.
Many strong Christians still inhabit this country and are praying for this nation and its leaders. If you are not already doing so, start. May we also pray according to God’s will and in the name of Jesus for a nationwide repentance and revival.
Remember: Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
Don’t avert your eyes from the rampant government corruption and societal decay you are witnessing. God’s light is exposing the darkness for even the most obtuse to see.
Wednesday’s Senate dismissal of Articles of Impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkis, reveals a Democrat-led Senate spitting on the Constitution. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx) issued a blistering rebuke on the Senate floor.
While I have my problems with Sen. Cruz, this speech is on point:
The House impeached Mayorkas for lying to Congress that the U.S southern border is secure. It’s not. Thousands of criminal invaders crossing on a weekly basis testifies of a federal government violating its Constitutional oath to protect American citizens.
We’re witnessing intelligence agencies spying on the American people. Before our eyes, the FBI has morphed into the equivalent of a secret police tasked with surveilling and arresting innocent Americans the U.S. Government deems a threat to its ruling interests.
In recent hearings, Rep. Mike Garca (R-Ca) recently told FBI Director Chris Wray what more and more Americans are thinking, “I don’t trust you.”
Shocking revelations in the last four years, show the FBI working within Facebook, Twitter and other social media to control content and manipulate public opinion to support the interest of the corrupt political class, mostly Democrats. The brilliant Sundance of the Conservative Treehouse, lays out the betrayal of the FBI and the Department of Justice here.
We’re seeing the show trials against President Donald Trump brought about by biased DEI puppets appointed as prosecutors (or is it persecutors?). We watch and understand the reality of sinister interests determined to deprive Americans of their choice for President.
Fani Willis, Alvin Bragg and Letitia James
We hear the silence of Republican leadership as the Democrats carry out blatant election interference under Lawfare. Where are the Republican leaders going to microphones daily, condemning the injustice against President Trump?
Yeah, it’s mostly crickets since establishment Republicans want Trump gone just as bad as the Dems and the globalists. Is it any wonder we’ve concluded leadership in both parties are bought and paid for?
Do you know that Congress doesn’t even author its own bills?Representatives and Senators instead, introduce legislation written by lobbyists working for multinational corporations and other special interests.
We’ve come to the realization of government pushing mental illness and sexual perversion as mainstream, worthy of civil rights protection. On the flip side, we see a government antagonistic toward family, Christianity and masculinity.
Why these three areas? It’s not difficult to figure out. Destroy the family and you destroy the bedrock of any society. Counterfeit Chritsiantity, and truth is lost. Demonize masculinity, and the protectors of family and country are cucked.
Put these three areas together and what does this all it add up to? The answer is a weakened country primed for conquest from within.
The evil we face bombards us daily and from all sides. Don’t avert your eyes. Steel your gaze so you will know what to pray for.
Prayer and fasting is needed right now. The evil staring back at us from the abyss is Satanic. This indicates spiritual warfare which means we ask God to intervene and use us on His behalf.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.–Ephesians 6:12 (ESV).
Christian men it is time to fight like real men, by getting our knees and praying fervently for revival in America. We must do so with love in our hearts, not with the hatred of our enemies.
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ …– 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV)
Our weapons are heavenly , forged and milled with the absolute truth of God. And in these times we are living , it is crucial to put on our spiritual armor daily.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…–Ephesians 6:13-18(ESV)
The rampant corruption we face is daunting, demoralizing and wearying on our own strength. The evil seems so encompassing because of the passivity and fecklessness of those tasked to protect and uphold the Constitution.
No longer put your faith in these weak men and women. Place your faith squarely on God through His Son , Jesus. Ask God to deliver America from demonic rule according to His will.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”–Luke 24:1-7
He is risen! He is risen, indeed!
The empty tomb is a sublime reminder of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, conquering sin and death for us because of His perfect love.
The world tries to snatch our joy, but cannot. Christians are no longer of the world because of the Christ. Our home is where He sits, heaven.
Let’s get out of that mode of just saying Jesus Christ as if Christ is His last name. Christ is a title . Christ in the greek comes from the word Christos, which means anointed. The title is the equivalent of the word mashiach , or messiah in Hebrew. Christ literally means Messiah, the “Anointed One” of God.
Anoint means covered with sacred oil. When God anoints someone, He chooses that person for a special mission or task. God sent Jesus to save the world from sin and death.
For only the Son of God, unblemished and without sin, could be the final and ultimate sacrifice to satisfy God’s wrath against mankind due to our sin. Jesus ransomed us from Satan and death on the cross.
Jesus arose three days later, defeating Satan and death. Blessedly, we are no longer enemies of God when we accept Jesus, the Christ, as our Lord and Savior. Jesus marks us spiritually with His blood, so God sees us not as sinners but as sons and daughters in Christ.
The empty tomb also serves as a reminder that Jesus will return. It’s not a question of if, but when. We should endeavor to live from this moment forward with that promise foremost in our minds.
Yes, we live in this world and our flesh is susceptible to worry and anxious thoughts. Fear only occurs when we take our eyes and thoughts from Jesus .
Let us keep the image of empty tomb as a symbol that we will conquer death, as Jesus did, and spend eternity with our Heavenly Father and His Son, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
God is in control. Nothing is happening in this world outside of His knowledge. One crucial aspect to God’s plan was, and is that empty tomb.
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”
So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?”
And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ 10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Seek Jesus with all of your heart, mind, body and strength. If you know Him, make your relationship more intimate with daily prayer and study of your Bible. And when I mention prayer and study, I mean fervently doing both.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.–1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Seek Jesus the first thing you do upon waking. Set aside at least fifteen minutes in the morning where you go into a designated area of your house and spend time reading and meditating the Word of God.
At work, devote the first five to ten minutes of your lunch break with prayers of thanks and praise.Seek Jesus with your family before your evening meal. Before retiring to sleep, go to your designated area or gather the family to offer prayers of gratitude to the LORD.
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!–1 Chronicles 16:11(English Standard Version)
Even if you awake during the night, pray for protection of your family from the powers of darkness as you seek Jesus. Pray for God to destroy Satan’s plans against you, family, friends and even your enemies.
God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him! As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God! But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy!–Psalm 68:1-3(ESV)
Night is when evil celebrates. The disciples of Satan gather for their pagan rituals, offering up demonic prayers for our destruction.
Courtesy Kevin Carden Photography
Never forget that we are in spiritual warfare and the devil hates you because of your faith in Jesus. The devil is the enemy and he only comes to steal, kill and destroy( John 10:10).
Therefore, the world hates you. Why does the world hate Christians? It hates us because it is of their father , the evil one. So it should not surprise you regarding the level of evil reigning not only in America , but globally.
Prayer takes us out of the world and into the presence of the Father , the Son and the Holy Spirit. In our communication with God, we become more familiar to His voice and direction.
If you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, I would encourage you to stop reading and ask Him to lead your life. Confess and repent of your sins in thought, word and deed. It really is as simple as that.
The truth is, if you are not spiritually marked with the blood of Jesus, then you are a child of the evil one. That should frighten you because you are God’s enemy and your continuation on this path will lead you straight to hell.
For we were created to worship. If you are not seeking God and His will, then , by default, you are worshipping the devil.
Perhaps you are saying, there are many good people in the world, who do charitable deeds and represent virtuous causes. The truth is there is no one good in the world. Their displays of benevolence are only filthy rags to God.
Without God, virtue lifts up the giver, not the receiver. That’s pride, and isn’t that all you hear about in the world?
God hates pride. He despises haughty eyes and a proud spirit. We are never more like Satan than when we think too highly of our selves, and react with hatred to any perceived slight or offense.
Consider also, the world devotes all of its energy into keeping you from surrendering your life to Jesus.The world will distract you , tempt you , shame you , guilt you , scare you, hate you and even kill you to keep you in bondage.
However, the truth sets you free. Most importantly, the Holy Spirit reveals how powerless you are and how desperately you need Christ.
This level of humility , is when you no longer the darkness of the world. You become a light in a world of darkness and begin to understand why those in darkness hate the light. For light exposes their evil deeds, revealing their actions to their minds and conscience.
Are we to submit to wicked leaders ? To this day, Christians continue to debate Romans 13:1-7 . In it, the Apostle Paul speaks of the Christian’s responsibility to submit to government authorities.
Here’s the passage:
Let everyone be subject 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, whoever 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 you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents 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 as amatter of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Some Christians interpret this passage as meaning believers are literally to submit to all government authority, even if it is corrupt. Other Christians believe government corruption severs that requirement of submitting to compromised authority: especially when such governments exalt evil and denigrate good.
Which side is correct? To determine this we need to look at the context of when Paul wrote Romans 13.
Yes, it was during the reign of Nero, one the cruelest persecutors of Christians in history. How evil was Nero? Until the fifth century, many early Christians believed he was the antichrist.
This sadist had Christians crucified and had Christians dipped in tar and set on fire to light his gardens. Nero also ordered Christians to fight in gladiator matches or had them torn apart by lions or hungry dogs in the arena.
Many Christians , including myself, thought Nero’s emperorship was the context in which Romans 13:1-7 was written. We were partly right.
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ruled the Roman Empire from 54-68 AD . Surprisingly during his early reign, Nero was a just ruler who allowed the Christian faith to flourish. Many theologians believe this was the context Romans was written.
“…(T)he historical context of Rome prior to AD 62 shows that when Paul wrote Romans, Nero was an exceptionally good ruler who allowed Christianity to flourish, thus while Paul’s guidance in Romans applies when the government is just, the text does not address what to do when tyrannical governments persecute believers or others unjustly.”
Historians believe it was around 62 AD his reign became darkened. Paul wrote Romans around 57 AD before Nero’s reign of terror against the church. Therefore, it is highly likely Nero’s government held no terror for those who did right , but for those who did wrong.
However, the opposite would come about in Rome: terror for those who did right. Paul is believed to have been beheaded in Rome somewhere around 65 and 67 after Nero blamed Christians for the great Rome fire in 64 AD. Was the fire an accident or willful arson by Nero? You can read about that in more detail here.
Paul never wrote directly of Christian responsibility when government protects sin and becomes a terror for good. However, the Bible does cite examples of civil disobedience.
Two of the earliest examples (of civil disobedience) were a pair of Hebrew midwives by the name of Shiprah and Puah. These two refused to obey Pharaoh’s order to kill all male Hebrew babies during their duties.
But the midwifes feared God , and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.(Exodus 1:17)
Consider also Rahab, who ignored a command from the king of Jericho to turn in the Israelite spies …Rahab, a prostitute disobeyed the command and later lied to authorities about the spies whereabouts as she was hiding them under stalks of flax on her roof…
I also mentioned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who refused to bow before an idol of King Nebuchadnezzar . They were thrown into a fiery furnace where not one hair was singed thanks to the intervention of a being widely believed to be the pre-incarnate Christ. (Daniel 3:10-25)
There are also examples of biblical disobedience in the New Testament .Here’s an excerpt from Acts 4:18-20, but I recommend you start from the beginning of this chapter:
Then they ( the rulers, elders, scribes) called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Based on these examples, I don’t believe Romans 13:1-7 tells us to blindly submit to wicked government. Does this mean we should commit violence or torment revolution? No. However we are to speak boldly about Jesus and call out evil.
Oh, and one more thing. What makes America different from other governments in history is our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States .
The Declaration of Independence declares our rights are unalienable , in that they come from God. The Constitution lays out our form of limited government. But these are subjects for a future column.
140 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men, 2 Who plan evil things in their hearts; They continually gather together for war. 3 They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah
4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to make my steps stumble. 5 The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set traps for me. Selah
6 I said to the Lord: “You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. 7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have [a]covered my head in the day of battle. 8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; Do not further his wicked scheme, Lest they be exalted. Selah
9 “As for the head of those who surround me, Let the evil of their lips cover them; 10 Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again. 11 Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”
12 I know that the Lord will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.
