TUESDAY, JUNE 28
Scripture: Romans 13:3,4

In Romans 13:3,4 we are told, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” The subject of Romans 13 is governing authorities. The judicial government of God has the divine purpose of terrorizing evil. The purpose of rulers is to terrorize evildoers or bring judgment on evil. The church today does not terrorize evil, in fact we do just the opposite. We enable and encourage it. The reason for that is tradition has blinded our eyes from the Kingly side of who we are in Christ. What it means to obey God and follow Him has been diluted into a Priestly Gospel so that when we think of our enemies, we always think of praying for them. We never think of asking for a judicial proclamation against them. David had no problem with that – he knew what it meant to be a King. He knew the job of a King was to restrain evil. To restrain evil as a King before the King of Kings means you first judge something evil and then you declare God’s hand of justice on it. By declaring and decreeing you give God something to back up. You give Him, in Covenant, the option of backing you up and performing what you speak. Godly government judges evil. It brings the hand of God on the scene and executes wrath and release the wrath of God on those who practice evil. The Priestly church enables evil doers by praying them into blessing. What a deceptive mess exists in the church when those who are responsible for arresting evil are in fact thinking they are doing God’s service by encouraging it! Demonic deception is working. Where is the Sword of the Lord?