A friend emailed me, "Once the war in Iraq took place, it seems, most churches began praying for 'the world's leaders' and the troops. I've always wondered how many churches were praying for Bill Clinton when he was a President."
I really doubt that most churches actually started praying for the world's leaders. They probably just prayed for the leader's of the world that share our stance in the world. I have yet to hear a prayer for Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden in church.
I do remember my youth group praying for Bill Clinton during his presidency. I do not know if that was the case everywhere. I do think we have a tendency to pray for those we like and not pray for those who disagree with us. If we do pray for those we dislike, it is usually to heap condemnation on them.
I believe we need to take seriously the calling to be a people of God without national borders. It is probably easier for immigrants to realize that our nation is not God's nation. God's nation is the church. We are aliens in this world no matter what nation we are in.
Acts 7:6-7 states: "But God spoke to this effect, that his OFFSPRING WOULD BE ALIENS IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. 'AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY SHALL BE IN BONDAGE I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,' said God, 'AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.'"
Ephesians 2:18-22 states: "For through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."
We are aliens in this world. We have no borders to defend. Our citizenship is in heaven.
Romans 13:1-2 states: "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."
The key word is "subjection". We would not have to be in subjection if we were in agreement. Subjection implies we do not like what is going on. Here is a good essay I read on the subject.
I want to leave with a story. When I was a youth pastor in Alma, there was an American flag that stood on the stage in the front of the church. I was disgusted by it. Not because of a hatred of America but because America - the land of abortions, annihilation of the Indians, and many other acts that are disgrace to associate with the will of God - doesn't deserve a place in the church. The minister agreed with me. One Saturday night we moved the flag from the sanctuary up to the storage closet. It stayed there for around six months. During that time, the minister that helped me in the secret mission left and we hired a new minister who was an armed forces veteran. It became a semi-big stir after another veteran brought up that he missed the flag. I was asked if I knew where it was. I told them the story of the secret mission in the dark of night and its top-secret location. (I wish I had infra-red goggles. All I have is a gasmask.) The flag was returned to the sanctuary where it stands proudly to this day.
The moral of the story is that when you want the flag to be out of the sanctuary, burn it. (That's also sarcastic.)
I believe in the seperation of state and church. The church can influence the state as much as it wants, but the state should never influence the church. I think it is a slight different view than the seperation of church and state. We can't have a healthy government without godly men and women passing godly laws.
Disclaimer - I like America. I like that I can go to a house of worship without the risk of getting arrested. True, some psychotic lunatic could walk in with a toothpick, pocket knife, machete, or an automatic weapon and do us in, but we do not have the government to worry about. I like some of the overplayed patriotic country songs. I've liked some of the Presidents we have had in my lifetime. I like apple pie, but I can't have wheat because I'm sensitive to it. I like baseball, but I threw my arm out somewhere along the road and can no longer play. I like fields of grain except during allergy season. I like sunny skies except when I get too much sun and have a sun burn that itches like the poison ivy I have right now. Poison Ivy, I tell you, that grew out of American dirt. I could keep going, but I really do have to quit. Today's post was supposed to be brief.
On a serious note, there are many changes that need to be done if this nation wants to be pleasing to God. Maybe someday, I will make a list. I love blogging.
Disclaimer #2 - God could've been punishing the Indians through America for all of their years of paganism. That is always a possibility with God. I do not presume to know.
Watch out for the potholes.
