A Look at the Book #478

A Look at the Book #478

by Jesse Abel

Daily Devotional – A Look at the Book #478

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

One little boy was peddling his bicycle as fast as he could go. After the third time around the block a neighbor stopped him. “Son, why are you going so fast?” “I am running away from home;” said the boy! The neighbor said; “son you’re just going around the block?” “Well yes, but mama won’t let me cross the street alone” Proverbs 22:6 Training is important; even for most grownups! Hebrews 12:11

A DAY IN THE PAST, THE PRESENT OR THE FUTURE

What we are proficient in will sometimes be the very thing that takes us down. In early April of 1861 Major Robert Anderson who was in charge of defending Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC was reading a letter from Marcus Morton the former governor of Massachusetts. There were no reinforcements or supplies coming. As pressure mounted for him to give up his position, other letters encouraged him and his men to keep on defending the fort; so he and his sixty-eight men stood fast. Just after 0300 hours on April 12 Major Anderson received another letter; this one was unwelcomed as it was from two Confederate officers who were directed by Brig General Beauregard Commander of the Provisional Forces of the Confederate States to warn their enemy. The two officers wrote: “We have the honor sir to notify you that we will open fire on your batteries at Fort Sumter in one hour. We Very Respectfully request your full surrender”. Major Anderson did not surrender; he and his men were bombarded for a day and a half, it is estimated that 4,000 shells fell on that post during those hours. In the end American Flag was struck down and the Confederacy Flag was raised. Perry G.T. Beauregard, who directed the attack, had learned his military artillery skills twenty years before while a cadet at West Point. His instructor at that time was Lieutenant Robert Anderson.

1 Peter

1 Peter 2: 18-21 – Submission to authority runs a long way in our life, it seems that there is always someone who is in a position to lead, guide and direct. This truly would be okay; except it seems that most of the people who are in this position do not know how to accomplish the task with a respect for authority. The apostle Peter does not let up with the thought of total submission to every ordinance of man; even to maintain a sense of awe (fear) toward the good and gentle leader and also to the harsh.

In the world we know we will have tribulation, but Jesus Himself explains that we can have peace and endure just as He did. Since He has victory over worldly authority and in Him we to have the same victory, John 16:25-33. We are not tasked by God at any time to endure a test or trial that is suffering from outside the protection of God. Yet and if we do wrong against worldly authority, we expect to suffer for what we have done and of course there is no reward for this even if we endure the chastening with a calm countenance.

Suffering then is a very important aspect of the saints’ life, in fact; verse 21 says that this is why we were called; Christ suffered, so why should we expect to be exempt from suffering! However, and to my thinking it does not make sense when people of authority preach and teach a prosperity gospel of… just love Jesus and all will be wonderful! Bah Humbug! There is no joy in this sort of thing, but there is tremendous joy in submissiveness to all authority; the good and the bad. Truly there would be no reward or reason for Romans 8:18-30 and so then; there is an appearance of spiritual authority that is worldly and the saint is too reject this false focus.