Divine order (II)

 

For better clarity and understanding, I would advise you to read last week’s posting (again) before proceeding with this week’s.

The local church

I deliberately differentiated between God’s commandments and those of the local church because many people get the two mixed up. Your church’ specific programs are not the absolute or universal will of God; if not, all churches would have exactly the same programs and charts and there would be one or several chapters on this subject in the Bible. Therefore, it is not the end of the world if a non-Christian husband does not want his wife to spend all her time in church. She can be at peace that she is not committing a crime by staying at home. However, she will be sinning if she rebels, refuses to submit and goes to church; or if she wastes her time grumbling at home instead of using that opportunity to pray, read her Bible or watch a Christian show on TV if her church’s meetings are not broadcasted live. God should remain the Master and number 1, and her husband the number 2. By the way, let me say –so as not to frustrate anyone and reveal the whole counsel of God- that if a husband is a believer and his wife who is not one is not comfortable with him spending too much time in church, even though he is the head, he must also listen to her; because, the Bible exhorts us to leave peaceably with all –and even more our spouse- as far as it depends on us (Rom 12:18). Indeed, before telling the wives to submit to their husbands (Eph 5:22, 24), Paul starts by asking that we should ALL submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (vs. 21). Let us also remember how God told Abraham to do what Sarah was demanding from him; which was to send Hagar and Ishmael away…

Society

The society has its own codes, values, requirements, in short, its own religion with its own god(s), teachers and prophets. Divine order requires that no leisure, no job, no fashion, no activity, in short nothing, should ever become more important than family and God. It also demands that we respect the authorities, as God’s representatives (Rom 13:1), as long as they are not asking us to trespass God’s commands (Ac 4:19-20; Daniel and his friends). By rebelling against them, we are resisting God Himself. Romans 13:1 helps us understand that no authority is established by Satan, but by God. Even when the elections were rigged and the cheater is declared the winner, we must accept that ultimately, God has decided. This is why we pray before for God to guide the process, and once the dice is cast, we also need to accept God’s decision and live with it for the best. If we do not like the one who is elected, we still have a few years ahead of us to pray for God to give us someone else. Let us render unto Caesar what belongs to him.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. (Gen 1.1-3). In this month where God is giving us the grace to (re) discover divine order and its benefits, let us pray that the Holy Spirit may breathe afresh on our lives, families, relationships, studies, jobs, businesses etc. to give them the shape that God wants and to fill them with the presence and the power of the LORD.

I will conclude with this: what we see was not made ​​out of things visible, but invisible (Heb 11:3). Therefore, when we pray, we receive what we ask because we first got hold of it in the spirit realm. However, after we have prayed, if we truly believed that we already possess what we’ve asked like Jesus says in Mark 11, then, our attitude should reflect that belief. This is why, before they even conceive, after praying for a child, some women start behaving as if pregnant or like mothers. Likewise, while we pray for the God of order to manifest Himself, let us also start by physically putting things in order around us. Let us tidy and de-clutter our rooms, houses, offices etc., throwing away everything which is not necessary, so as to offer the LORD a beautiful landing ground.

May God bless and assist you as you put your life back in order.