Presidents’ Day: The Government and the Church

6. Do you enjoy the same things? The more you have in common, the better off you are if you are contemplating marriage. The closer your interests parallel, the closer your lives will parallel. 7. Are you really physically attracted to this person? Do they genuinely turn you on in the proper and fullest sense of the word? Do they hold spiritual, emotional, and physical attraction for you? 8. Lastly, there is the test of time and circumstances. People don’t “fall in love,” they grow in love. Those of us who have been married for years continue to marvel at how we are still learning more about our mates. Also, you need to see any potential mate under every conceivable circumstance and how they relate to others.

Love, sex, and marriage were God’s ideas. That means God is for love and sex, but only within the framework of marriage, which He created for it so that it would be secure and totally fulfilling for all involved. A successful marriage is the result of careful planning and a lot of hard work. Both marriage and singleness are gifts of God. Whether we are married or single, our goal is to learn the sufficiency of Christ.

You must trust God with complete control of your love life. Proverbs 3:6 has always been one of my favorite verses: “In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Psalm 84:11 says, “No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” If you trust Him, nothing will be withheld from you that is truly necessary for your fulfillment in life. Another of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:4: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” If you desire a marriage that will be totally fulfilling, then trust Him. The more you truly delight yourself in Him, the more your will becomes one with His will and your desires one with His desires!

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Presidents’ Day—Third Monday in February

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. Romans 13:1

When you think of the word government, what is your reaction— positive or negative? Do you see government as friend or enemy? The defender of freedom or the tyrant of slavery? The instrument of God or the tool of the devil? Your response is crucial because it reveals whether you see government through the light of Scripture or as unrelated to God’s activity in the world.

Man was originally created to live under the direct government of God in a relationship of loving, trusting submission. This is known as a theocracy, or a “rule by God,” and is the only perfect form of government. It was through such willing submission to God that man would be fully free and enabled to achieve his highest potential. Because man chose not to live directly under Him, God ordained secular governments to rule over mankind (Romans 13:1–3). The Bible teaches that God created government for several important purposes in a rebellious, sinful world: to do good and maintain order and to uphold justice and punish wrongdoing.

Generally speaking, there have been three reactions by governments toward the Church through the ages. There has been hostility and persecution. The State has embraced and sometimes married the Church. But the most tragic time for the Church is when she is largely ignored. She is no longer seen as a force to be reckoned with, but as a powerless entity to be ignored.

As the Church has faced many forms of government with their various attitudes, responses, and persecutions, there have been many opinions, theologies, and philosophies set forth about how

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