What is God’s Purpose for Government? In other words, according to the Bible, what does God expect from the leaders He establishes? Number 1 – Restrain and punish evil. Consider Romans 13:4. “For [the civil leader] 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.” Or 1 Peter 2:13-14. Kings and governors in authority are “sent by [God] for the punishment of evildoers.” Leaders are responsible to bring lawbreakers to justice and exert punishment. At the deepest level, they are responsible to wage justified war if necessary. Number 2 – Protect life and property. God puts the highest premium on human life. I know we love our pets and want to save the environment, but nothing is more valuable to God than you. Why? Because only human begins are created in the image of God. That was the very reason God gave Israel permission to terminate life when the Sixth Commandment declares “You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13). “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man” (Gen. 9:6). Moreover, the highest responsibility of government is to protect our weakest members, especially the ones that can’t protect themselves. And number 3 – Recognize and encourage good. Good, law-abiding citizens should be recognized by their leaders. Romans 13:3, “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” (cf. 1 Pet. 2:14).

Randy Smith

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Meats, Dairy		Spices, Soups/stews	6	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1	tb	Butter
1	c	Finely Chopped Onion
1/4	c	Finely Chopped Celery
1/4	c	Chopped Celery Leaves
3	c	Peeled Beets Cut Into Julienne
2	c	Chicken Broth
1/2	ts	Tabasco Pepper Sauce
1/4	ts	Salt
		Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste
1 1/2	ts	Sugar
1 1/2	c	Buttermilk
2	ts	Chopped Fresh Dill

INSTRUCTIONS

Cousin Walter and those who dined with him looked
forward to this well-chilled light beet soup on warm
days.  Milk, plain yogurt, or a combination of the two
can be used instead of buttermilk.
~------------------------------------------------------
~----------------- Melt the butter in a medium
saucepan.  Add the onions and celery, and saute over
medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the celery is
soft and golden. Add the celery leaves and cook for 2
minutes longer.  Add the remaining ingredients except
the buttermilk and dill.  Bring to a boil, lower the
heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the beets are
tender. Cool. Stir in the buttermilk and dill.  Chill
thoroughly.  From: The Tabasco Cookbook. Typed by Syd
Bigger.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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