Church and state don’t really go great together. There are many things that do go great together. Husbands and wives, chocolate and peanut butter, a burger and fries are a few examples. The problem with mixing church and state is that normally one group gets in the way of the other.
Certain things go great together. Church and state aren’t on that list. This Sunday we’ll see how God loves the idea of church and state being separate. There are some dangers that go along with the mixing of the two. In some ways this can’t be avoided – roads, police, fire, etc. However there are very real risks for others. If I take money from the government, will there be strings attached? Join us as we explore this very important topic.
All Hallow’s Eve has morphed into Halloween! How did we get from hijacking a Celtic New Year Holiday to what we see annually as Halloween in America? We take a trip down memory lane and look at some of the traditions. We’ll also see what our God has to say about these topics.
The prophet Daniel was thrown to certain death in a lion’s den. The next morning, after our God protected him from the lions, what do you think his attitude would’ve been towards the king? Defiance? Maybe a little taunting. The point is that Daniel is a great example of showing respect to our leaders. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a leader whom we voted for or one that we don’t agree with. God calls us to give them respect and honor.
Our Lord controls all things for the good of his children, but that doesn’t mean the state is always a friend of Christianity. We’ll look at few examples in Scripture of the state in action. At times to is a little difficult to tell if an action is truly evil because God has a way of working everything out for the good of his children.
The kingdoms of this world are ruled by our God. It might not look that way. We’ll spend some time comparing the two kingdoms and then apply what we’ve covered. Jesus’ rule is over all.
Are you looking forward to the election? Do you dread having to watch or listen to another political add on your favorite source of media? Maybe you’ve sworn off Facebook until November 4th? This week we started a new Bible study on politics. In this first lesson we looked at the two kingdoms that the Christian lives in. The first is the church. It’s a great place to be!
“Git er done!” That was the cry from Haggai to God’s people as they lagged behind. Their reason wasn’t a good one. Putting their homes before God’s home isn’t following God’s plan. He asks to be number one in our lives. Listen as we see where the glory can be found in the temple of God.
The prophet Jonah is my least favorite. Sound a little harsh for someone God used to pen a book of the Bible? I think after a quick study you’ll agree, Jonah is not a good guy.
Obadiah was a prophet who lived to see the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. What is interesting about the book is that the focus is the little nation of Edom. This was a neighboring nation to Israel. Edom was more than that! You see, the feud between Edom and Israel went all the way back to Jacob and Esau.
Does God want us to complain? The prophet Habakkuk wrote in grievance down in his prophecy. We hear God’s answer, the prophet’s follow-up, and then God’s reply. Check out this dialogue between a troubled Old Testament Christian and the God who loves him. God’s promises are for you too! The righteous will live by faith.
Micah might be the most well known of the Minor Prophets because of his contribution to the Epiphany accounts, pointing out that Bethlehem would be the birth place of Jesus. His words offer very pointed comparisons to modern politics and immorality. He was quoted by Jesus and reminds us that we have a God like no other! Ours is a God who forgives.
