From the book of pastor Demiter
The Church has, speaks and interprets the prophetic Word.
Apart from the spiritual authority and the reign in the spiritual world the church should have, the task of the church is to SPEAK THE PROPHETIC WORD to the authorities. To give them directions, to speak the will of God and to spiritually lead them. The church and the authorities have two different assignments.
The authorities are given by God to lead the people in the political sphere, which was never intended for the Church. The authorities, the people who rule, are responsible for their words, statements because the people are listening to them and following them. Of course, it is never said that the church leaders cannot be good and influential rulers who are included in the leadership of the country. It would be better to have more sincere and honest Christians who would take their place in the parliament and the government. To have more honest politicians who would be sincere Christians would be a great thing for this country!
However the task of the Church in a country is not to deal within the political but with the spiritual sphere. This task also implies PROPHECYING to the authorities! When the Church misses its purpose in this, to preach the Word of God powerfully and faithfully to the people and the nation, the country loses its DIRECTION, it is not lead well and the nation starts to wander!
If the AUTHORITIES are not listening to the advice of the WORD OF GOD, justice starts to fade in the country and they are not in condition to rule rightfully, and the first who suffer because of this are the people, because they will start to lose their freedom. The whole country then suffers the consequences of a government that is misleading the people. If the Church does not react against this way of leading it will be condemned itself.
HOSEA 4:1-3 Hear the word of the Lord, ye Children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. (KJV)
In this case, the land was missing three components:
a. JUSTICE - (there was lying, manipulating and deception)
b. LOVE – (there was no forgiveness and respect between people)
c. Knowing God – (the word of the Lord was not taken as a standard, a way of life, but they were doing it wrong) THE CONSEQUENCE was violence and immorality, verse 2, the consequence was a curse upon the economy and the people, sickness and misfortune of all kind.
Whose MISTAKE was this? Hosea goes on to speak about the consequences in 4:5. What was said to the priest? By day he shall fall and is rejected from God. Hosea 4:6 says: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge!
Only because there is not a prophetic Word in the Church which says: "Thus says the Lord…" people are confused. The overall condition of the society in a country is a consequence of the state of the Church. In a Church where there is clarity on the will of God, the mission, the belief and what needs to be done there is order and progress. In a country where there is no clear vision, light and knowledge, fear, uncertainty and confusions rule. This results in failure, discontent and disorder in every way.
5. THE TASK OF THE AUTHORITIES. By Romans 13
The government as an institution has an assignment to do several tasks:
1. keep the law (order) - verse 3
2. to protect citizens who respect the law – verse 3
3. to punish felons (criminals) – verse 2 and 4
4. to preserve internal and external security of the country – verse ?? (the army and the police in service of the people, not just a certain group)
5. to collect taxes – verse 6
If the government should be stopped in doing the task that it was given, for just one of these things, the whole country would be in chaos, disorder and anarchy. Individuals would do what they please. And we know that men a egocentric. We can only imagine what would happen if this came to pass. The view of the Bible on a man is: without God, man is selfish, egocentric and rebellious (disobedient).
This is why we have police and prisons in the society, to punish the unrestrained and evil.
a. Our relation to the law and the authorities
2.Timothy 1:8-10 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers. For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if tere be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.
Many people do not understand this part of the scripture. Crhristians are not free from the law in means that they can do what they please. No, they have the Holy Spirit in them that leads them to follow the word and the commandments. The Spirit of God is teaching and leading people to become willing not to steal and desire, but to give and earn for their needs by the work of their hands and wait for the blessing of the Lord. Where the Spirit of God resides, the law is automatically RESPECTED…
I already mentioned what happened in Backa Palanka.
To be exact, in 2001 a big conference was held in Backa Palanka by the name "Follow the Fire" (it was the 100 yer anniversary of Pentecost)
Around 700-1000 had gathered in these three days. In the same time demonstrations were held outside, the demonstrators represented themselves as fighters against cults and sects (consisted of believers And extreme activists of certain political groups)
On the third night of the conference, already under the influence of alcohol, they broke into the lobby, smashed the glass and burned all the literature and audio cassettes. They were very aggressive and violent.
In the end a fistful of people threw rocks at the buses, they broke windows, injured some of the passengers and pulled some foreign guests out of the bus. They made an incident of large proportion.
Unlike this small manipulated and unfortunate group hundreds and hundreds strong and healthy people peacefully passed through and by these aggressive fanatics.
What would have happened if this large group of people were to react on this provocation of this fistful of people?
What is the point of respecting the law?
Who can respect it?
Yes, only those who are born again and saved. Those who have the fear of God for the law. The others who have not made peace with God, who are sinners and Godless people will always create problems for the authorities and will have much doings with them because they don't have the fear of God towards the law. This is why the authorities must protect the law and create it based on divine basis. Without authority, evil people would create chaos, anarchy and absolute disorder would be everywhere.