Submission To Governing Authorities

Romans 13

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Lead Me In The Way Everlasting

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139

I hope you gain from my short testimony about The Lord working in my life. I closed my business at the start of this year, it was very tough decision to make and it is a difficult time to experience.

Although our company started trading over 12 years ago in 2011 we were struggling to make sales and my accountants and I haven’t sorted out the tax issues to get the needed clearance certificate for 2024

I could have “winged it” and lived in the flesh and tried to “make a plan” on my own but thankfully…

On Saturday 6th January while following my daily reading plan, My wife and I read from Romans 13 (Submission to Governing Authorities) and The Lord spoke to me through the following verses:

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.”

Romans 13

Further to this, still during my time with the Lord that evening, while continuing with my daily reading plan (my wife and I read one chapter from the Old and New Testament every day), I also read from Ezekiel 33 (Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman)

“Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offences and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

Ezekiel 33

Praise God our Loving Father! That night and the following day (Sunday) while at church, I felt in my spirit that I was being chastened by The Lord and thankfully I submitted to Him. I decided not to open for business (the following day) on Monday 8th January.

Please understand that I didn’t and do not want to be a hypocrite by praising the Lord but not obeying Him. Nor do I want to tarnish the name of The Lord or the church by not following His instruction. It was clear to me that I had little option but to close the business and sort out the issues with Caesar.

So I had made my decision and my wife and I had prayed for wisdom and His leadership but I have to admit that I still lacked full conviction, I was going to upset a number of people and this upset me. I had a very busy mind that night and I found sleep (the night of the 7th) hard to come by. All I could think about was that the following morning, I had to let the others who were coming back to work from their Christmas holidays that I had decided to close the business… This news was going to shock them to say the very least!

In an effort to get some sleep that night and to distract myself, I started listening to podcasts; mostly the news… but it didn’t work and I kept feeling in my spirit that I should open a sermon which I had downloaded. Thankfully I took notice and played it… Tim Keller was preaching about gaining wisdom and he was preaching from Proverbs 4. The Lord spoke to me so clearly through this scripture:

Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.

Proverbs 4

Wow!! These verses from Proverbs gave me all the wisdom I needed! Our Father is so amazing – I thank You Lord for Your continued love, grace and mercy on my life. This word from The Lord gave me all the conviction I needed to close the business and sort out the tax affairs… which I am now in the process of doing 🙂

I praise God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The Author of our eternal salvation. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord Jesus!


An Anchor for the Soul

The Certainty of God’s Promise

When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:13-20

To me it has become the greatest blessing ever received, and in my mind, that anyone could ever receive; and that is to have been fastened to the Lord as one’s immovable anchor. Hallelujah!! 

While in prayer I had a vision of a huge cable fixing my heart to God, my Anchor, the thick cable was securely bound to the Anchor by golden steel twine and, in my vision I watched it, in brilliance being laced up around the thick cable that I was attached to, fusing my being to God the Father, the Immovable Anchor. There was a huge storm around me and I was being swept / pulled / torn off my feet by its power. The storm was tugging on me, relentlessly trying to rip me from my Anchor… I just prayed and continue to pray that my bond to my Lord and God, my Anchor remains secure.

Following continued prayers and contemplating the Lord’s greatest gift, praise God, I received from the Lord that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God and have come to realise that such hope, joy and security can be found in fully understanding this truth.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5 NKJV

Amazing Grace

Death through Adam, life through Christ

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:17-21
Was blind but now I see