In 1999 the pattern of each year becoming more extraordinary than the last will continue. This year the church will go to a new level of both fruitfulness and power. Nine is the number of the Holy Spirit (there are 9 gifts and 9 fruits of the Spirit). Often those who know the power of the Spirit do not display much of the fruit of the Spirit, and those who have the fruit of the Spirit do not know the power of the Spirit. That will change in a great way this year. Those with the fruit of the Spirit will start walking in power, and those with the power will start having the fruit of the Spirit. God is the Almighty, but He is also love, and for the church to be a true reflection of Him, we must manifest both His power and His love. As these two are joined, great advances for the gospel will be ignited.
A Year of Decisions
This will be a year of important decisions that will set our course for the future in dramatic, unchanging ways. This will be on all levels, including individuals, churches, even nations and cultures. We must be very careful about the decisions we make, being diligent to seek the wisdom and council of the Lord. Those who seek Him will receive the wisdom they need to enter the times ahead with great boldness and resolution. However, for those who are careless, the consequences of not seeking the wisdom of the Lord will become increasingly costly.
We especially need the wisdom for timing. We see in I Chronicles 12:32: "the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do." God is raising up those of the spiritual tribe of Issachar who will know and understand the times. This is their special gift to the body, and we should recognize those who have it. However, we must all seek to be more sensitive in this area. Many are missing God's purpose for their lives while trying to do what He has in fact called them to, but they have tried to do it prematurely, not seeking Him about the timing. This is presently one of the most costly problems for believers. The Lord will give us wisdom if we will seek Him, but He will require us to be at peace and abiding in His rest to receive it. We must quiet the clamor of our flesh to hear Him.
Strengthen the Foundations
Possibly the four most important words in the Bible are the first four--"In the beginning God..." Everything that we begin, we must begin with God. Origins are crucial. We have come to the time when He will no longer extend blessings and grace to the things that we do in His name, but that did not originate with Him. This year we will begin to see the fulfillment of Matthew 15:13: "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up." It is also the time when every plant that He did plant will become obvious because it will begin to bear fruit. In a general sense, Leviticus 19:23-25 applies here.
And when you enter the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it shall not be eaten.
But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD.
And in the fifth year you are to eat of its fruit, that its yield may increase for you; I am the LORD your God.
That which is planted in our Promised Land requires a time during which we must wait until it bears fruit. The things that we do that bear instant fruit are usually those which we have planted by our own initiative. Even in the Promised Land (the place where we are walking in fulfillment of the promises that we have been given), patience is still required.
One of the biggest decisions that will have to be made by many Christians this year will be whether to remain loyal to the things that had their origin with man or those which have their origin with God. The two are going to become more distinct and separate this year. As we see in Genesis 21, when Isaac was weaned, Ishmael began to mock him. When that which is born of the Spirit starts to mature, mockery will be one of the primary ways in which things born of the flesh will persecute it. The mocking, sarcastic spirit that intends to belittle and humiliate comes from the accuser of the brethren. This will be a major way that the enemy will try to attack God's purposes this year. It is intended to discourage, so we must resolve that when the mocking comes, we will become even more resolute and bold. This is, in fact, evidence of the maturing of those who are called as heirs.
Grow Up
We also see in Genesis 21 that when Isaac was weaned, Abraham made a great feast to celebrate. All of heaven does rejoice when one sinner repents, but the Father also rejoices in the maturing of His people. As Jesus warned, "Woe to those...who nurse babes in those days," (Matthew 24:19). Or we might interpret this as "Woe to those who have kept their people in immaturity."
Churches and ministries that were built on entertainment rather than solid spiritual food resulting in the maturity of God's people will begin to crumble this year. Tain comes from the word detain, and the word "entertainment" is actually derived from the phrase "to keep from entering." Like parents who use television to babysit their children, there are many things done in the church now that are meant to occupy the people and keep them happy, but do not edify or help to mature them. We must move from milk to solid food, and a lot of what is now being given to the church as milk does not even have any real nutritional value spiritually. The Lord's children deserve better, and they will now be given leaders who will help prepare them for their destiny.
Knowing His Voice
As John 10:4 states, "When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice." We are entering times when it will become increasingly critical that we know the Lord's voice and are obedient to Him. We pay a dear price every time we do not obey the Lord, but often do not realize it for a long time. We are about to start reaping the consequences of our disobedience much more quickly.
Quick judgment for the sin of going our own way may seem harsh at first, but it is grace from the Lord. As Ecclesiastes 8:11 explains: "Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil." It is easier if we judge ourselves so that the Lord does not have to judge us. However, few are now taking advantage of His patience to discipline themselves. Many are now falling to such dangerous levels of sin and disobedience that His swift judgments are necessary before they are utterly lost to the sin and lawlessness now sweeping the earth. Just as the Apostle Paul turned the sinful brother over to Satan "for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (I Corinthians 5:5), there will be severe discipline coming upon the willfully sinful so that they can be saved.
Deliverance From Our Enemies
This year we will see the judgment of the Lord also come upon the persecutors of His faithful ones. Their vindication will come in power, and many will begin to fear the Lord because of this. The Scripture that He gave for this was Psalm 54:
Save me, O God, by Thy name, and vindicate me by Thy power.
Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers have risen against me, and violent men have sought my life; they have not set God before them. Selah.
Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
He will recompense the evil to my foes; destroy them in Thy faithfulness.
Willingly I will sacrifice to Thee; (emphasis mine) I will give thanks to Thy name, O LORD, for it is good.
For He has delivered me from all trouble; and my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.
In verse 6 we see that it is when we give our "free-will offering" with thanksgiving that the Lord delivers us from trouble and defeats our enemies. This freewill offering is the offering of our "free will." Romans 12:1-2 makes clear exactly what this sacrifice is:
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
We can no longer go on living according to the spirit of the world and expect the tolerance of the Lord. Judgment is coming, and it will begin with His own people:
For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17). This leads us to a very serious issue that must now be addressed by the body of Christ.
Our Constitutional Crisis
For our meeting on New Year's 1997, I was given a word that "a constitutional crisis" would begin that year. I did not know in what form it would come, and when the year passed, it seemed that nothing had happened. Then, just a few weeks into 1998, the Monica Lewinsky issue began to surface. This relationship began in 1997, and by the end of 1998 was being called "a constitutional crisis" on CNN and other networks.
One of the definitions given for a crisis is "the point in a disease in which it is determined if a patient is going to live or die." By the time you get this Prophetic Bulletin, the Senate trial should be over, but regardless of their decision, the crisis will not be over. It may be hard to believe that someone's "private sex life," even if it is the president's, could jeopardize our very system of law, but it has. However, there is something even greater at stake than the
piece of paper we call our constitution. Our constitution is also what we are composed of. The very fabric of our nation is in crisis and will be long after the Senate trial is over.
Biblical prophesies made by both Jesus and Paul repeatedly state that lawlessness will be one of the ultimate problems at the end of the age. Even the anti-Christ is called "the man of lawlessness" (II Thessalonians 2:3). The basic nature of the anti-Christ spirit that is even now permeating the world is lawlessness. The apostle Paul gives us a significant insight into the nature of lawlessness in Romans 6:19:
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, (emphasis mine) resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
Here we see that "impurity" and "lawlessness" are linked together. Was it not sexual impurity that led to the constitutional crisis which threatens to weaken our whole system of law? Maybe the president did not commit the actual act of adultery, but sexual "impurity" is sin and leads to lawlessness, one of the ultimate evils that we will face in the last days. Many Christians are under this same delusion. They think that because they are not actually committing adultery, looking at pornography is not that bad. What does the Lord Jesus say about this?
"You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery';
but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
"And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
"And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell" (Matthew 5:27-30).
The Lord is emphasizing here in the strongest of terms just how serious this problem of lust and impurity is. It would be better for us to lose members of our body than to have them drag us down into depravity. This passage goes on to show us a better way to deal with this than cutting off our hands or plucking out our eyes. Quoting Romans 6:19 again and continuing with verses 20-23, the following scripture elaborates on this crucial issue:
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, (emphasis mine) resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification."
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The way that we overcome impurity is to become a slave of God. A slave belongs to another and lives only to do the will of his master. We have been bought with a price and cannot go on allowing sin to be our master or we will pay a terrible price.
Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells In you?
If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are (I Corinthians 3:16-17).
"The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). We are living in the times when sin will fill up its full measure on the earth. Sexual temptations and impurity are pouring out like a flood. This is the primary reason why many devout Moslems call the United States "the great Satan." We put "In God We Trust" on our money while filling the earth with moral and spiritual pollution through our movies and television programs that are exported around the world. This is helping to set the stage for "the man of lawlessness" even more than all of the political alliances and secret human strategies combined. We must not be deceived. If we are partaking of the spirit of lawlessness and succumbing to "impurity and to lawlessness," we are helping to prepare the way more for the anti-Christ than for Christ. That is why Jesus said,
And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.
But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved (Matthew 24:12-13).
Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy In Your name, and In Your name cast out demons, and In Your name perform many miracles?'
And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness' (emphasis mine) (Matthew 7:22-23).
When we start to compromise with lust and impurity, our spiritual lives begin to erode. Sin separates us from God. God's grace and patience is great, and if we repent, He will forgive us our sins. However, just saying that we're sorry is not repentance. Repentance means to turn from the sin and to turn to the Lord. If we have truly repented, we will bring forth fruit in keeping with our repentance, which is explained in I John 3:3-4:
And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
As this scripture implies, if we are not purifying ourselves, it is because we do not have a genuine hope in the Lord. If we practice impurity, we will lose our hope in the Lord, which is why He said that the love of many would grow cold (Matthew 24:12).
Let us also understand that God's counter to lawlessness is not legalism. We are not under the law, but neither are we above the law. We are to have the law written in our hearts. Those who have the law written in their hearts remain faithful, regardless of what they could get away with.
The primary motivation for legalism is guilt, but the motivation for is love. We do not purify ourselves just because we are afraid of the Lord smiting us, but because "the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25) we are like the bride who is so in love with her bridegroom that she is consumed with being perfect for Him, not wanting a single spot or a wrinkle on her gown. Jesus is worthy of that kind of love. How could we, who have been freely given such a great salvation, do less?
Even so, as the Scripture is clear concerning these times, the greatest enemy of godliness and the greatest power of destruction that is coming will be released through lawlessness. We must guard our hearts, not just our behavior, against the spirit of lawlessness. When we start to compromise, our love will grow cold. If that happens to us, we should fear, because we are certainly in jeopardy as the Lord warned in Matthew 13:41-42:
The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,
and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Lord also warned that He knows those who clean up the outside, being righteous in their appearance before men, but are full of corruption on the inside, as we read in Matthew 23:27-28:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (emphasis mine).
It is not enough that we appear righteous before men. We must be righteous before God and remain the same even when no one can see us because we love righteousness. We must also refrain from being joined to those who do not serve the Lord, as we are told in II Corinthians 6:14: "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?" We must not continue to form partnerships with unbelievers, regardless of how good the business potential might be. There is a difference between trading with unbelievers and a binding legal partnership. If we continue to bind ourselves with unbelievers, we may make money, but will be in jeopardy of losing much more.
Discerning the Spirit of Lawlessness
The Apostle Paul elaborated on this in II Thessalonians 2:1-17, which I will quote a few verses at a time and then follow the passage with a comment.
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him,
that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
We are getting closer to the coming of the Lord, but we must discern messages about the times that just disturb us and do not help to prepare us as the rest of Paul's exhortation does. The messages that the Lord is sending to prepare us for the times will sometimes shock us if we have departed from the course, but they will also bring the peace that comes with the truth which sets us free to do His will.
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
It is interesting here that the man of lawlessness exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship. These are obviously false gods and idols that need to be exposed, but the man of lawlessness only exposes the false gods to exalt himself, not the Lord. We must begin to recognize the self-exalting spirit and reject those who come in it.
We should also note that the man of lawlessness takes his seat in the temple of God to display himself as being God. Many believe that this will happen in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, but the temple of the Lord is no longer one made with hands--it is the church. It is in the church that the man of lawlessness will seek to take his seat. It has been in the church, or through the church, that almost every diabolical ruler who turned out to be anti- Christ in the West for the last 1700 years has gained his power.
Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
This mystery of lawlessness was already at work in the times of the apostles and has continued to work throughout history. It is therefore not hard to discern both its nature and progression to our own time. Righteous ones in every generation have been a restraint, but when the church fails to discern evil, as when much of the German church failed to discern the basic evil of the Nazis, the church is often duped into complicity with the evil. We must
discern this evil and restrain it for as long as we can until God intervenes.
And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
We can restrain, but the Lord will be the one who ultimately destroys the man of lawlessness. It should be noted here that the word translated "coming" here is the Greek parousia, which is also often translated "presence." It will also be the presence of the Lord in our midst that destroys the lawlessness in our own hearts. He is the King of Kings, and when we see Him as the King above all rule and authority and power, the lawlessness in our hearts will die. That is why the primary way in which we restrain the spirit of lawlessness is by preaching the kingdom, which is preaching Jesus as the King.
that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
It will not simply be those who have truth who are not deceived by this lawlessness, but those who have a love of the truth. We can seek truth for evil purposes, such as manipulating others. We must love truth because it is right and worthy of our devotion.
And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false,
in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
If it is in our heart to take pleasure in wickedness and things for which the Lord will judge the world, we are in jeopardy of being judged ourselves, regardless of how often we went to church, paid our tithes, read our Bibles or prayed. If we are drawn to the things that the Lord is judging, we must repent now, seeking the grace of the Lord to see them with His eyes.
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
In this text, we see that sanctification is God's antidote for lawlessness. We have been chosen for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. The Holy Spirit was sent to convict the world of sin. If we want the Holy Spirit, we must embrace the conviction that He brings, knowing that He came to lead us to sanctification. In Hebrews 12:14 we read the following exhortation, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." We will not see Him without
being sanctified. We must get to know the Holy Spirit's first name, Holy. Sanctification speaks of being separate, different and walking in purity before the Lord. We cannot go on living according to the spirit of the world and expect the blessings of God. This is an affront to the cross through which we were purchased by Jesus Christ. As Paul continued in II Thessalonians after his warning about the man of lawlessness:
And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, (emphasis mine) whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.
Another counter to the spirit of lawlessness is to honor the traditions that we have been taught. Many who want to be on the cutting edge of what God is doing stumble over this one. There are many dead traditions in the church that have become a substitute for true life and power, but that is not an excuse to reject the honorable traditions that have been handed down by our spiritual fathers and mothers. As it was written of Jesus:
But of the Son He says "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.
"Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy companions" (Hebrews 1:8-9).
If we are abiding in Him we, too, will love righteousness and hate lawlessness. A good reason why we should do this was powerfully articulated by Susan Page in her cover story of the Senate impeachment trial of President Clinton in the USA Today newspaper January 15, 1999, quoted below:
For those closest to President Clinton, the humiliating Senate impeachment trial and the prospect of ouster or censure seem almost beside the point when the consequences of the Monica Lewinsky scandal are tallied.... His marriage has become noticeably frosty at times, his ability to enact legislation undercut, his reputation as a rake cemented.
And the Lewinsky affair has been damaging and even disastrous for others as well, dominating the public lives and tarnishing the reputations of nearly everyone who has been involved.
"The presidency is not the only institution that has been weakened in Washington," says Thomas Mann, director of governmental studies at the Brookings Institution. "This whole sorry scandal and its prosecution have also weakened the Congress, the Republican Party, the independent-counsel statute, the national media--indeed, all of us who make up the Washington community. Washington has lost legitimacy with the public, and we have lost respect for one another."
Those are the consequences of what may seem to some to be just a small indiscretion. With a few brief moments of carnal gratification, our whole system of government was weakened. Compromising the standards of righteousness and morality that the Lord has made clear to us in His Word will always cost much more than we ever think. That is why the Lord hates lawlessness--it hurts everyone. Remember that impurity is lawlessness, and when we compromise purity, we are destroying the very fabric or constitution of who we are. It will also wound, and sometimes destroy, those whom we love the most.
Respect for Authority
We must see any defilement of flesh or spirit as impurity. It is lawlessness, and lawlessness is not only one of the ultimate evils that the world will face at the end, it is the very basis of the power of the anti-Christ. This one thing can bring about a crisis that will determine whether we live or die as a people. This is the year to turn from our wicked ways, seeking the grace and mercy of the Lord to love righteousness and hate lawlessness.
As stated, God's answer to lawlessness is not legalism, and His authority is not authoritarian. Because of the rise of many authoritarian movements and cults that have hurt so many people in the past, there has been an overreaction to authority in much of the church that has pushed many to the extreme of lawlessness. There is a ditch on either side of the path of life. We must learn to exercise authority without control and manipulation, and we must teach a respect for authority without being naive. Romans 13:1-7 is very clear about the relationship that Christians should have toward authorities:
Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same;
for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.
Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
We should note that nowhere does Paul say that we should have this attitude only toward good, noble or godly authorities. In fact, when Paul wrote this, Nero was one of the most demented rulers of the Roman Emperors who would eventually take Paul's own life.
The Saul Test
Scripture reveals that some of the greatest demonstrations of the power and glory of God are being reserved for the last days. This is stated repeatedly in both the Old and New Testaments and will require extraordinary authority to be given to His people. For us to handle that authority, we must be prepared or we will misuse it and bring shame instead of glory to His name.
Speaking of the events recorded in the Old Testament, Paul wrote in I Corinthians 10:11: "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." The experiences recorded in the Old Testament are written for our admonition so that we can learn without having to repeat the same mistakes. One of the greatest lessons about authority in the Old Testament is revealed through the life of King David.
Like all of the Old and New Testament saints, David had flaws. However, he was given an unprecedented authority, the throne upon which Jesus is seated. Jesus even referred to Himself as the Son of David. Before David was established on this throne, he had to endure some of the most difficult tests recorded in Scripture. If we are going to be trusted with great authority, we, too, will have to prove ourselves mature enough to handle it through similar tests. Some of the tests which are relevant to us now are:
1) When David received the prophecy from Samuel that he was to be the next king, he went back to the sheep. He remained faithful in the little things until his time came.
2) He never lifted his hand to take the authority to which he was called, but patiently waited for God to establish him.
3) He was willing to serve King Saul, the man he was called to replace.
4) Even when Saul fell to spiritual insanity and depravity, killing the priests of the Lord and seeking his life, David would not lift his hands against him because God had anointed Saul as king, and therefore God would have to remove him.
5) It was prophesied that the Lord would deliver David's enemy into his hands, and he could do with him as he pleased. When this happened, David could have killed Saul, but his heart
smote him for just cutting off the edge of Saul's robe. David respected authority and the anointing so much that he would not touch the Lord's anointed. Because of that respect, God could trust David with an even greater authority and anointing.
David knew that if he had lifted his hand to take even the authority which he had been promised, it would eventually be taken from him in the same way. As Galatians 6:7 declares, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." If we conquer with carnal weapons, we will be conquered by them, but if we conquer with the power of God's truth and faith in Him, there is no stronger foundation. We can walk in the authority that we have been given without fear. David knew that if he waited for God to establish him, then God would watch over him.
We also are being tested with how we will react to authority to see if we can be trusted with authority. It would not be a test if it were good, benevolent authority. As Romans 13 makes clear, all authority is established by God, and even evil authorities are allowed by Him for judgment, allowing us to reap what we sow.
The Clinton Test
If we believe the Bible and that Romans 13 is a part of it, we are required to respect and show honor to our president, regardless of who he is and what he does. We must also respect the Congress' authority to remove him, as that is a part of the government that has been given to this land. As a democracy where the ultimate authority is the people, we do have the right as citizens to disagree with, and even speak out against, things that the president, Congress, or Supreme Court does. However, we should always do so while showing the utmost respect for them and their office.
Let us not forget that as bad as President Clinton's sins may have been, King David did worse. David not only covered up his sins with lies, but he had one of the finest men in his kingdom killed to cover up his evil behavior. Yet, God did not remove him from office. The Lord rebuked him and chastised him, and David did reap what he sowed as tragedy struck his own family for many years. However, he remained "a man after God's own heart" and one of the most honored kings of Israel. David was spared because he knew how to repent. However, God does not expect perfect repentance. Which one of us has ever repented perfectly for anything? God will expose the sin, but if we are wise, when He is exposing sin in others we will pray for mercy and grace for them.
Clinton is the only president who has ever publicly acknowledged that he "sinned." When he sinned, he did the same thing that Adam did in the Garden, and which we all tend to do when we sin. First he hid, then he tried to cover himself. Then he started blame shifting. However, he did come to a time when he publicly acknowledged that his first confession was not sincere and that he had sinned in a way which had hurt everyone around him (this was done at a prayer breakfast televised live on CNN).
God forbid that any of us would ever get what we deserve! We need all of the grace and mercy we can get. If we want to receive grace, we need to sow grace. If we want to receive mercy, we need to sow mercy. How would you like to have a prosecutor with unlimited
resources investigate everything that you had said or done right back to your highschool days, interviewing old girlfriends, checking library records to see what books you checked out, making every friend or business associate you ever had a suspect, investigating and prosecuting them for anything that can be found? I have moved in business circles, and I do not think that there are more than a handful of people in the country who could not be prosecuted for something, a lot of which they may have done in ignorance, simply because the laws are so complicated. Think of the continuing stress that Clinton must bear, knowing that many of his friends are going to jail simply because they were his friends. (Sexual deviations are also one of the primary ways that men tend to deal with stress. It is not right, but it is a fact.) In addition to this, consider the stress you have with the most difficult job in the world, and the whole globe looks to you for leadership for all its problems? I thank the Lord continually that Clinton did not go insane and just start pushing buttons!
This is not an attempt to justify what the president did. However, as we have judged, it will be measured back to us. Many of those in church who have judged and criticized the president have only opened themselves to a similar scrutiny by government investigators, and many in the church are guilty of the same things. The Lord Jesus Himself warned us that we can only expect mercy if we show mercy to others. We must pray for our governments and be grateful to pay taxes, thanking God for the bureaucrats who serve in our government.
Every time you eat out and do not get sick, thank God for health inspectors. Every time you fly in a plane and do not run into another plane, thank the government for doing its job. Every time you go out of your house and do not get robbed or killed, thank God for the police. None of these is doing a perfect job, but each is a servant who is seeking to protect us and make our lives easier. Without taxes, we could not live as we do in a modern society. By nature, a government is going to be wasteful, and democracies are the most wasteful of all, but the only alternative to a wasteful democracy is an efficient dictatorship. Which is better?
Authority is basically influence. To have influence that can affect a single human being is a very solemn burden to be carried and must be treated with the utmost care. When I look at how far short I fall from being the husband, father, pastor or leader I should be, I know that I do not deserve the influence I now have. Without the grace and mercy of God, I will make a big mess of it. I have a staff who is constantly seeing and covering my mistakes, and still some things go out that are wrong and embarrassing. If it were not for those who stand behind us and watch out for us, it would be much worse. If we expect to receive grace and mercy, we need to sow these every opportunity that we get. If we want to receive respect, we need to show respect for others, especially for those whom God has put in authority over us.
Many potentially great Christian leaders have disqualified themselves from receiving more spiritual authority by the way in which they have shown disrespect for others who are in authority. Repentance and humility can reverse this. Respect for authority is eroding around the world in preparation for the "man of lawlessness." We must not continue to help build his platform by sowing disrespect for authority. We must show the utmost respect for all in authority and teach our children to do the same.
