Household Prayer: Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God

”But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them, but let the boys live… So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very mighty. Now it happened that because the midwives feared God, He made households for them.“ Exodus 1:17, 20-21 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/exo.1.17-21.LSB 

Brothers, meditating on the midwives in Ex. 1:17-21. Also thinking about Valentinus’ defiance of the Roman Emperor Claudius II.  I pray we have such love and affection for God that we would always choose Him over the authorities of this world. I pray we know God’s word and choose obedience to Him above all others. I pray we protect our families from the lies and falsehoods of this world and fill them with the truth of God!  

Disciple the Nations

”And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.“ Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬ ‭LSB‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/3345/mrk.16.15.LSB

We have a duty to teach the nations God’s gospel, commands, laws, and principles (Grace and Truth). This would include informing the nations ( neighbors, civil authorities, etc…) when they are out of line with God’s will.

How do we know when we or the nations are outside of God’s will? When we disobey God’s commands, laws, and principles. 

Share the truth in love, but share. They may respond to correction or opportunities may open for gospel conversations. Duty is ours, results are God’s. ”And do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead even expose them.“ Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭LSB‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/3345/eph.5.11.LSB

“Soft days for [true] Christians are past,  and only a strong view of Scripture is sufficient to withstand the pressure of an all-pervasive culture built upon relativism and relativistic thinking. We must remember that it is a strong view of the absolutes [absolute truths of scripture] which the infinite-personal God gave to the … church… which enabled the early church to withstand the pressure of the Roman Empire.” Francis A. Schaeffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster

---

More about Saint Valentine:  https://ministry.family.blog/2023/02/11/saint-valentine/

---

Important resources

Really good conversation about A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants. We need to pray for our church leaders to re-learn these old and very costly won theologies. https://youtu.be/0cxGEjKbJn0?si=GDDORCCMkN6a7Yq_ 

---

A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/ 

The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates: A Proper Resistance to Tyranny and a Repudiation of Unlimited Obedience to Civil Government by Matthew J. Trewhella https://a.co/aVQzfiR

Slaying Leviathan: Limited Government and Resistance in the Christian Tradition https://canonpress.com/products/slaying-leviathan

By What Standard? God’s World…God’s Rules https://press.founders.org/shop/by-what-standard-gods-world-gods-rules/

The Essential Church https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.aa4a63f3-44a5-499c-8846-06d00c6d0c56&territory=US&ref_=share_ios_movie&r=web
more here: https://essentialchurchmovie.com/ 

---

THE GOOD NEWS

There is a God that created the heavens and the earth. We humans are created in His image.

We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, our Creator. Our rebellion has brought “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice… envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” to the world. Romans 1:29-31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.29-31.ESV

Therefore we justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10-12.ESV

But good news! God is merciful and loving. Jesus is God the only begotten Son and He took our punishment upon Himself in our place. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and securing the hope of our salvation. 

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.3-8.ESV

““Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:36-38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.36-38.ESV

We need only repent and believe it. Repent: turn away from our sins, proclaim Jesus is lord and savior, and we will be forgiven our sins and have life ever after! “because, 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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” Romans 10:9-11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.9-11.ESV

There is hope. Believe in Jesus! ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV 

It doesn’t matter who you’ve been or what you’ve done, God stands with arms wide open, ready to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9.ESV