United Church of God

Personal from the President: January 14, 2020

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Personal from the President

January 14, 2020

Being About Our Father’s Business Continues . . .

What a week and beginning of a new secular year! Just when many were breathing a sigh of relief from the most tumultuous year in recent history, the events of Jan. 6 rushed the United States headlong into an all-new maelstrom. What Paul described as a hallmark of the last days—“perilous times,” times of “great stress” or “very difficult times,” depending on which English translation you prefer (2 Timothy 3:1-13)—seemed to materialize before our very eyes.

Intolerable mob violence—which we as a called-out assembly of God firmly condemn—exploded, wreaking godless havoc, betraying trust and even taking lives. Make no mistake: as I have written in various ways across this past year, nothing will be solved by violence and rioting. The Bible is plain: “The LORD examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence” (Psalm 11:5, New Living Translation, emphasis added throughout).

I ended my last column with the positive focus of being about our Father’s business. I wrote that the Bible—particularly the words of Jesus, Paul and Peter—teaches us that God Himself is responsible for setting up leaders or allowing them to rise to power in this world, Republican or Democrat, Tory or Labor, or whatever form of government.

We are to pray that God’s will be done, and that we be able to preach the gospel and do God’s work—as Paul wrote: “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority.”

Why? “So that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2, NLT).

That means that if we are truly and humbly committed to being about our Father’s business, we will be praying for soon-to-be President Joseph Biden, that God’s will be done for him and all human leaders.

But, let’s also remember that “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). When we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is indeed Lord, we openly declare our everlasting commitment to Him as King of Kings. We acknowledge that in the coming Kingdom of God, “the government will be upon His shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6).

Why is this so important? As Paul proclaims: “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, ESV). Our eternal life is tied to this loyalty.

What can we expect when we become citizens of the Kingdom of God? Allow me to relate a biblical story. When Paul wrote to the Romans, it was only a few years after the Jews had been allowed to return to the capital city of Rome. By the direct order of the Roman Emperor Claudius, the Jews had been forcibly banned a decade earlier.

Paul learned firsthand of that banishment in the Greek port city of Corinth, where he met and became friends with the married Jewish couple Priscilla and Aquila, who had been part of that forced exodus (Acts 18:2, ESV).

After sailing 350 miles across the Mediterranean Sea to Ephesus with Paul (Acts 18:18), the married couple eventually returned to Rome, where Paul asks the Roman believers to “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well” (Romans 16:3-4, ESV).

Why is this relevant to the “perilous times” we now live in? Because when Paul wrote to them, this assembly of disciples—from the previously banished Jews to Priscilla and Aquila—had led tumultuous lives, courtesy of the Roman government. Knowing that, what did Paul write to them?

“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). So, disciples can be forcibly threatened and kicked out, travel 617 miles from Rome to Corinth, meet an apostle, sail across another stretch of sea, then move again another 830-some miles back to Rome, and then—with those Roman disciples who had returned from being forcibly banished—cheerfully accept the words “all things work together for good.”

No wonder Paul can write about the Christian response, then and now: “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, ESV).

When it comes to human government, we must consider this: our assembly takes as our stated mission that we are to be “Preaching the Gospel—Preparing a People.” When we came up from the water of baptism, we effectively declared our allegiance to a coming Kingdom. By birth or naturalization, we may be temporary physical citizens of any given country on earth, but our declared fidelity is with the coming King of Kings, whom we recognize as Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We should look above human politics. We condemn all violence, particularly mob violence. As loyal citizens, we faithfully pray for and support the work to which we have been called, the marvelous work of announcing that a new Kingdom is coming, led by a King who loves us and who will truly set us free.

Don’t Touch—Sermon by Steve Myers

I urge you to listen to a sermon given by Steve Myers in Cincinnati last Sabbath titled “Don’t Touch.” He explains well the Church’s stance on involvement in politics and the points I emphasize in this column. You can access it here at https://youtu.be/_Vxye392phI.

We practice the principles taught by our King, so that our minds—the way we think—may be transformed by the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1-2), thus enabling us to openly put those principles into action, becoming true lights to this chaotic world and its human governments (Matthew 5:14-16). As we grow in love, we find peace (1 John 4:18).

We earnestly pray that God will free us from temptation, from the siren lure of human personalities, and that He will protect us from the god of this world and the evil that erupts. And we know that our faithful God responds!

Prayer and Fasting

Many express concerns about more violence at the U.S. Capitol and in state capitals in the United States this coming weekend. So, in the days ahead and in the spirit of 2 Chronicles 7:14, let’s come before God in earnest prayer, even fasting, and ask for His favor, His protection and His direction. I suggest choosing either this Sabbath (Jan. 16) or Sunday (Jan. 17) to commit yourself to extra time in prayer, and also to fast if possible on either one of those days (or before or during Inauguration Day on Wednesday, Jan. 20).

In particular, let’s pray for our leaders, whether in the United States or abroad. Pray for the Church and pray for one another, that we may be strengthened and receive more of God’s Holy Spirit—that we may truly love and encourage one another (Romans 5:5). Pray that God will lift up our weary hands that have been weighed down from the onslaught of continual woes upon America and the world. Pray for protection from those who ridicule and persecute those who follow goodness and decency. We need this extra strength right now. So, let’s take the time to do this properly (Isaiah 58).

The work of God has never been easy. We live in a world controlled by an evil power whose days are numbered. We have much to do—let us be about our Father’s business!