BIBLE TEACHES CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE: The Apostles and Prophets of old displayed civil disobedience on numerous occasions! Did not Peter disobey a direct command by the Council to stop preaching in public? What was Peters reply? Should we obey men, rather than God? - (Acts 5:18-29). What about Paul? And Silas? They were publicly and hastily accused, condemned and scourged, then put into prison. When it was time for them to leave Prison, Paul and Silas refused and demanded that the Governor himself come down to the prison to release them! (Acts 16:35-39) Another time, Paul confronted the Jailer who was about to scourge Paul without a trial. Paul resisted punishment by exercising his Roman Citizen Right to first have a Trial and rebuked the jailer, then demanded that his Rights as a Roman citizen be honored and the frightened magistrates hastily complied with the law! - (Acts 22:24-29) In many of the nations that the Apostles went to preach the gospel, it was unlawful for them to do so, but they obeyed the commands of the Lord Jesus, rather than men and committed acts of civil disobedience, in the process! The time for the Church, Pastors, Elders, Deacons and laymen alike, has come upon us to act in civil disobedience, if need be! For the Holy Righteousness of God commands that we disobey, contend with and expose the evil men of our generation, accordingly! What about the Prophets of old? The stories are too numerous to list here, hence, we shall relay only (3) of those stories and as for the rest of those acts of civil disobedience by the Prophets, we shall list the verses below. MIDWIVES DISOBEY PHARAOHS LAW TO MURDER: In Exodus 1, the Egyptian Pharaoh gave the clear command to two Hebrew midwives that they were to kill all male Jewish babies. An extreme patriot would have carried out the government’s order, yet the Bible says the midwives disobeyed Pharaoh and “feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live” (Exodus 1:17). The Bible goes on to say the midwives lied to Pharaoh about why they were letting the children live; yet even though they lied and disobeyed their government, “God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them” (Exodus 1:20–21). *Notice! Lying to evil men who desire to do wickedness against the will of the Lord and/or His servants, is not a sin. The commandment is not: Thou shall not lie , but the commandment is: Thou shall not bear false witness, as in, LYING UNDER OATH IN A COURT OF LAW against your neighbor, to cause him harm, when you know that he is innocent. Not all lying is sin. RAHAB LIED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS: In Joshua 2: 1-6, Rahab directly disobeyed a command from the king of Jericho to produce the Israelite spies who had entered the city to gain intelligence for battle. Instead, Rahab lied to the Kings guards, telling them, I know not where they are!. Rahab had hid the 2-spies and later, she let them down via a rope so they could escape. Even though Rahab had received a clear order from the top government official, she resisted the command and was redeemed from the city’s destruction when Joshua and Israeli army destroyed it. DANIEL DEFIES NO-PRAYER DECREE: Daniel records a number of civil disobedience examples. The first is found in chapter 3 where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the golden idol in disobedience to King Nebuchadnezzar’s command. The second is in chapter 6 where Daniel defies King Darius’ decree to not pray to anyone other than the king. In both cases, God rescued His people from the death penalty that was imposed, signaling His approval of their actions. It is now high-time for the Church to take right biblical ground and rise to the occasion, for such a time as this, to stand upon the Word of God for our fellow-man, to uphold His laws, and resist, contend and expose wicked rulers of this day and age! OTHER BIBLICAL ACTS OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE: a) 1Kings 18:3-4 - Obadiah hides Gods Prophets from wicked Queen! b) 2Ki 12:18-21 - Fatal revolt (like Revolutionary War) against the King! c) Acts 4:19-20 - Peter and John disobey the authorities commands! d) Rev 13:15 - Anti-Christ enforces Mark on all, but we disobey! Finally, the colonists saw Hebrews 11 (Hall of Faith) as justification for resisting tyrants, ungodly and wicked men. Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah are all listed as “heroes of faith,” and they were all involved in overthrowing oppressive governments and wicked rulers combined. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE — CONCLUSION: • Christians should resist government that commands or compels evil and should work nonviolently within laws of the land to change government that permits evil. • Civil disobedience is permitted when the government’s laws or commands are in direct violation of God’s laws and commands. • If a Christian disobeys evil government, he can flee from government or resist and appeal to that government’s punishment for his actions, as Apostles/Prophets did. • Christians are certainly permitted to work to install new government leaders within the laws that are established, by voting godly men as rulers! Lastly, Christians are commanded to pray for their leaders and for God to intervene in His time to change any ungodly path that they are pursuing: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Pray that our next President, Congress and Senate will be godly men and women who will lead our nation in Prayer, Fasting and repentance of our National and Personal sins! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - REV. CHARLES FINNEY - (1830s): The Church must take right ground in regard to politics. . . . The time has come that Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics. . . Christians have been exceedingly guilty in this matter. But the time has come when they must act differently. . . God cannot sustain this free and blessed country which we love and pray for unless the Church will take right ground. . .It seems sometimes as if the foundations of the nation are becoming rotten, and Christians seem to act as if they think God does not see what they do in politics. But I tell you He does see it, and He will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PROVERBS 28:4-5 ~ They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PROVERBS 31:8-9 ~ Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - by James Paul Revere
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 16:49:11 +0000
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