What think ye on this matter of scripture?

Romans 13:1-7 (NASB) Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

These are some hard words to abide by in our current situation as a nation. The following commentary (though lengthy) helps to establish what our role and the role of our leaders should be. I urge you to read it and to form your own thoughts and commentary on the issue.
WW

Adam Clarke's Commentary on Romans 13:1

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers—This is a very strong saying, and most solemnly introduced; and we must consider the apostle as speaking, not from his own private judgment, or teaching a doctrine of present expediency, but declaring the mind of God on a subject of the utmost importance to the peace of the world; a doctrine which does not exclusively belong to any class of people, order of the community, or official situations, but to every soul; and, on the principles which the apostle lays down, to every soul in all possible varieties of situation, and on all occasions. And what is this solemn doctrine? It is this: Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. Let every man be obedient to the civil government under which the providence of God has cast his lot.

For there is no power but of God—As God is the origin of power, and the supreme Governor of the universe, he delegates authority to whomsoever he will; and though in many cases the governor himself may not be of God, yet civil government is of him; for without this there could be no society, no security, no private property; all would be confusion and anarchy, and the habitable world would soon be depopulated. In ancient times, God, in an especial manner, on many occasions appointed the individual who was to govern; and he accordingly governed by a Divine right, as in the case of Moses, Joshua, the Hebrew judges, and several of the Israelitish kings. In after times, and to the present day, he does that by a general superintending providence which he did before by especial designation. In all nations of the earth there is what may be called a constitution—a plan by which a particular country or state is governed; and this constitution is less or more calculated to promote the interests of the community. The civil governor, whether he be elective or hereditary, agrees to govern according to that constitution. Thus we may consider that there is a compact and consent between the governor and the governed, and in such a case, the potentate may be considered as coming to the supreme authority in the direct way of God's providence; and as civil government is of God, who is the fountain of law, order, and regularity, the civil governor, who administers the laws of a state according to its constitution, is the minister of God. But it has been asked: If the ruler be an immoral or profligate man, does he not prove himself thereby to be unworthy of his high office, and should he not be deposed? I answer, No: if he rule according to the constitution, nothing can justify rebellion against his authority. He may be irregular in his own private life; he may be an immoral man, and disgrace himself by an improper conduct: but if he rule according to the law; if he make no attempt to change the constitution, nor break the compact between him and the people; there is, therefore, no legal ground of opposition to his civil authority, and every act against him is not only rebellion in the worst sense of the word, but is unlawful and absolutely sinful.

Nothing can justify the opposition of the subjects to the ruler but [except] overt attempts on his part to change the constitution, or to rule contrary to law. When the ruler acts thus he dissolves the compact between him and his people; his authority is no longer binding, because illegal; and it is illegal because he is acting contrary to the laws of that constitution, according to which, on being raised to the supreme power, he promised to govern. This conduct justifies opposition to his government; but I contend that no personal misconduct in the ruler, no immorality in his own life, while he governs according to law, can justify either rebellion against him or contempt of his authority. For his political conduct he is accountable to his people; for his moral conduct he is accountable to God, his conscience, and the ministers of religion. A king may be a good moral man, and yet a weak, and indeed a bad and dangerous prince. He may be a bad man, and stained with vice in his private life, and yet be a good prince. SAUL was a good moral man, but a bad prince, because he endeavored to act contrary to the Israelitish constitution: he changed some essential parts of that constitution, as I have elsewhere shown; (see the note on Acts 13:22); he was therefore lawfully deposed. James the Second was a good moral man, as far as I can learn, but he was a bad and dangerous prince; he endeavored to alter, and essentially change the British constitution, both in Church and state, therefore he was lawfully deposed. It would be easy, in running over the list of our own kings, to point out several who were deservedly reputed good kings, who in their private life were very immoral. Bad as they might be in private life, the constitution was in their hands ever considered a sacred deposit, and they faithfully preserved it, and transmitted it unimpaired to their successors; and took care while they held the reins of government to have it impartially and effectually administered.

It must be allowed, notwithstanding, that when a prince, howsoever heedful to the laws, is unrighteous in private life, his example is contagious; morality, banished from the throne, is discountenanced by the community; and happiness is diminished in proportion to the increase of vice. On the other hand, when a king governs according to the constitution of his realms and has his heart and life governed by the laws of his God, he is then a double blessing to his people; while he is ruling carefully according to the laws, his pious example is a great means of extending and confirming the reign of pure morality among his subjects. Vice is discredited from the throne, and the profligate dare not hope for a place of trust and confidence, (however in other respects he may be qualified for it), because he is a vicious man.

As I have already mentioned some potentates by name, as apt examples of the doctrines I have been laying down, my readers will naturally expect that, on so fair an opportunity, I should introduce another; one in whom the double blessing meets; one who, through an unusually protracted reign, during every year of which he most conscientiously watched over the sacred constitution committed to his care, not only did not impair this constitution, but took care that its wholesome laws should be properly administered, and who in every respect acted as the father of his people, and added to all this the most exemplary moral conduct perhaps ever exhibited by a prince, whether in ancient or modern times; not only tacitly discountenancing vice by his truly religious conduct, but by his frequent proclamations most solemnly forbidding Sabbath-breaking, profane swearing, and immorality in general. More might be justly said, but when I have mentioned all these things, (and I mention them with exultation; and with gratitude to God), I need scarcely add the venerable name of GEORGE the Third, king of Great Britain; as every reader will at once perceive that the description suits no potentate besides. I may just observe, that notwithstanding his long reign has been a reign of unparalleled troubles and commotions in the world, in which his empire has always been involved, yet, never did useful arts, ennobling sciences, and pure religion gain a more decided and general ascendancy: and much of this, under God, is owing to the manner in which this king has lived, and the encouragement he invariably gave to whatever had a tendency to promote the best interests of his people. Indeed it has been well observed, that, under the ruling providence of God, it was chiefly owing to the private and personal virtues of the sovereign that the house of Brunswick remained firmly seated on the throne amidst the storms arising from democratical agitations and revolutionary convulsions in Europe during the years 1792-1794. The stability of his throne amidst these dangers and distresses may prove a useful lesson to his successors, and show them the strength of a virtuous character, and that morality and religion form the best bulwark against those great evils to which all human governments are exposed. This small tribute of praise to the character and conduct of the British king, and gratitude to God for such a governor, will not be suspected of sinister motive; as the object of it is, by an inscrutable providence, placed in a situation to which neither envy, flattery, nor even just praise can approach, and where the majesty of the man is placed in the most awful yet respectable ruins. I have only one abatement to make: had this potentate been as adverse from WAR as he was from public and private vices, he would have been the most immaculate sovereign that ever held a scepter or wore a crown.

But to resume the subject, and conclude the argument: I wish particularly to show the utter unlawfulness of rebellion against a ruler, who, though he may be incorrect in his moral conduct, yet rules according to the laws; and the additional blessing of having a prince, who, while his political conduct is regulated by the principles of the constitution, has his heart and life regulated by the dictates of eternal truth, as contained in that revelation which came from God.

—Adam Clarke's Commentary

Woody Wood's Commentary:
If this were the case, there would be no reason for or need of rebellion. Our job is to be accountable and to hold the leader(s) accountable to the law. It is up to God to depose those who rule in an illegal fashion. It will be very interesting to see how God handles the current situation in America.
Daniel 4:17 (NASB) "This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men."

Even so,,, COME LORD JESUS!!!

Gods Come Cheap These Days

As usual Chuck is right on target with his observations. I offer his article for your reading and edification.
The real question is "What are we going to do about it?"
WW

By Chuck Baldwin
June 12, 2009

When President George W. Bush was first elected back in 2000, I well remember the way Christian conservatives went gaga over him. They would deny it, of course, but it was more than hero worship: they acted as if he were a god. Life-size posters filled Christian bookstores. Religious broadcasters and televangelists swooned over him like 16-year-old girls used to swoon over Elvis Presley. Pastors invoked his name almost as a prayer. The Religious Right acted like they had died and gone to Heaven. In the minds of Christian conservatives, G.W. Bush could do no wrong. The result of all this sophomoric silliness was that the Religious Right became blind, impotent lackeys to a Big-Government, big-spending, Orwellian, and inept administration--maybe one of the worst in U.S. history.

And all of this was not lost to the political left. They called Christian conservatives "dupes," "buffoons," "gullible," and a whole lot more. But now it is the liberals' turn to take a voyage in the vehicle of villainous vulnerability.

First, there was the major media's "anointing" of President Barack Obama.
Yes, I use the word "anointing" on purpose. Make no mistake about it: in the minds of the major media, Obama was not inaugurated; he was canonized. No pope, king, or potentate of history received the coronation that Barack Obama received. To the liberals who dominate the news media and entertainment industry in this country, Obama is not a President: he is a god.

For example, did readers see the way NBC newsman, Brian Williams, bowed to his majesty, Barack Obama? (If you missed it, see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLYtHHxTTmc )

Where are Keith Olbermann's eloquent rebukes of the Military Commissions Act (MCA), the suspension of Habeas Corpus, and many other Big-Government intrusions into the private lives of the American people that were first instituted under George W. Bush and that now continue under Barack Obama?
When he wants to, Olbermann can be a very convincing, articulate defender of constitutional liberties. However, it seems that Olbermann is only interested in constitutional government when it is a Republican trampling it. Since Obama became President, Olbermann has not only muted his criticism against unconstitutional policies emanating from the White House, he has joined the chorus of mindless worship of the new President.

(Here are Olbermann's trenchant comments on President Bush's support for the Military Commissions Act and denying Habeas Corpus--something we will not see from Olbermann regarding the same policies emanating from the Obama White House:

http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=sAjVHtSO_As

The list of ways that media and entertainment lemmings fawn over Barack Obama is almost endless. And just when one thinks he has heard it all, out comes the blathering balderdash from Newsweek editor-at-large Evan Thomas.

Appearing on last weekend's Inside Washington, Thomas lauded President Obama as a "brave," "great teacher" who "stands above everybody." But Thomas saved his most outrageous oratory for last Friday's Hardball program. On Hardball, Thomas gushed, "I mean in a way Obama's standing above the country, above--above the world, he's sort of God."

There you have it: according to Newsweek's Evan Thomas, Barack Obama is "sort of God."

Well, now that God is in the White House, I suppose we don't need the Constitution; we don't need the Bill of Rights; we don't need Congress; we don't need the Supreme Court; we don't need individual sovereign states; we don't need the media; and we certainly don't need Evan Thomas, do we?

There it is, my friends: because Barack Obama is the President, the major media now worships toward 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Goodbye resistance; goodbye objectivity (if they ever had it); goodbye fairness; goodbye investigative reporting; goodbye accountability (at least for Obama); goodbye professional journalism; and goodbye free and independent press.
Hello propaganda; hello favoritism; hello yellow journalism; hello socialism; hello "monarchalism"; hello globalism; hello elitism; and hello Pravda.

What in the world has happened to us? How is it that otherwise intelligent and educated people can so quickly forget virtually everything their principles and values taught them, and become little more than clumsy chumps for a Presidential administration--any Presidential administration? Are we that slavish? That childish? That foolish? Apparently so.

As bad as it was under Bush, it will be twice as bad under Obama. Only because, at least with Bush, the major media's natural liberal bias tended to want to keep Bush somewhat honest, which meant that Bush would often face criticism from the media for some of his unconstitutional policies (such as Olbermann's eloquent repudiation of Bush's policies regarding the MCA and Habeas Corpus referenced above).

Forget it with Obama. The liberal bias of the major media will tend to cause them to support anything this guy says or does, and to always look the other way whenever unconstitutional or illegal activity surfaces.

For eight years, Christian conservatives had "Lord Bush." Now, liberals have "Lord Obama." Seems to me that gods come pretty cheap these days.

This column is archived at
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FALL OF BABYLON - a VISION

RT Andrew Storm & Darren Smith

NOTE[from Andrew Storm]: Darren Smith is one of the soundest preachers that I know in America - which is why I think we should give close attention to this word. He runs a ministry to the homeless in Texas. The only question I have is the "timing" for some of it - because I know the "urgency" and sense of 'imminence' that often comes with these kinds of prophecies. Darren says he feels that some things begin "this summer". Either way, it is a very important word from a very credible source. -One to be noted and heeded concerning what lies ahead-

FALL OF BABYLON - a VISION
-by Darren Smith. (1 Jun 09).

The Lord kept me up most of the night bringing a word for me to share and to share now. Many times I wait until I have prayed over what I hear in my spirit, but I can't wait to send this word out.

Last night while praying before I went to bed, The Lord gave me a vision that really rattled me. In the vision I saw this land split into four parts with each one under its own flag. Each region had terrible destruction and many people were dead. As I looked over the destruction I was crying and the Lord asked me, "Why are you crying over the fall of Babylon? As a matter of fact, why have you been praying for the healing of Babylon?"

In this vision I didn't have an answer and the Lord opened a scroll and started reading off the indictments against our country, but before each one he clearly called the USA Babylon.

The list was long and to the point, with such points as the killing of several generations of unborn children. Beside this charge He added that these babies had been sacrificed to the god of self. The list also included greed, idolatry, pride, fornication, and many others, so many I could not even read them all.

As I looked at the list of charges I was overwhelmed and broken by the fact that we live every day in a nation that is so far removed from God and in total opposition to the Kingdom of God, yet we are comfortable here. We have become just like Lot living in Sodom, the prosperity that the nation offers us has blinded us from the evil that rules this land. We complain about how bad it is but still stay attached to it with every ounce of strength we have.

The Lord told me to look at the nation as He sees it, not through my eyes but through His. I could not look too long before I had to agree and repent of loving Babylon. Once I repented the Lord told me to prepare for the fall as time is running out. I must preach the Gospel of The Kingdom not the Gospel of America. America is already judged, the time of shaking is now and will increase rapidly this summer. Water shortages and food shortages will become common this summer, as well as fuel shortages. Civil unrest will become common place in large cities first but will spill over into the rural areas as well.

Natural disasters will stretch the resources of the nation to the breaking point and the government will use this to take freedom away. Brothers up north take note, you will see this start to happen quickly. Please seek the Lord for direction as you are out of time. The west coast will see this soon as well, please prepare.

In this vision there was a great wasteland that appeared to be in the center of the nation where everything was wiped out and I saw masses of people wandering without direction. They were dirty and ragged, almost dead and there was no relief in sight. Most of you reading this think I'm crazy I'm sure, but I must be faithful to share what I'm given to share.

The Lord told me to cry from the mountain tops to repent and seek the Lord now!! We don't have any more time to seek after the things of this world. He has also given me teaching to prepare people to pass through this time of shaking into the Kingdom and I must be faithful to preach this word anywhere I have an open door.

If you want to hear this word please contact me to set up times and places, but again I must warn you, we are running out of time. We must stop living like we have all the time in the world. We must stop crying over the fall of Babylon and press into the Kingdom.

-Darren Smith - EMAIL -
streetscapeministries@yahoo.com

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