Quote from Forum Archives on May 8, 2009, 1:03 pm

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more
than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is
made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at
www.theburningbush.net.

I'm now on twitter and you can find me by searching for my name or my email
address wrather@dobsonteleco.com.

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 498 new subscribers since January 1, 2009!!

05.08.09

Imperfect Governments

My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of
glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man
with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man
in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man,
"You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," have you not shown
partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? - James
2:1-4.

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall
love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; but if you show partiality,
you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. - James
2:8-9.

About a year ago the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Elk City, Oklahoma,
which I live about 30 miles from, built a new restaurant. A preacher friend
of mine pointed out to me at the time, a sign that is right next to the KFC
building. The sign proudly announces that Elk City is a "bird sanctuary."
Apparently some birds are more protected than other birds! Surprisingly, the
sign has never been moved to a less conspicuous place.

In the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America signed
July 4, 1776 we find these words, "WE hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights.." Of course, we know that some people were not
actually considered to be a part of "all men" even though obviously they
were.

On July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
was ratified which states in part, "no state shall . deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws" Since that time
"hate crime" legislation has been enacted on a federal level to attempt to
further protect persecuted minorities. However, in the attempt to protect
certain groups of people with "hate crime" legislation it appears that other
groups of people will become less protected and less privileged.

Governments, as with people are imperfect. We, of course, desire for a
government of free people to be perfect in the governance of those people.
However, such a perfect government has never been seen on the face of this
Earth, and it never will be until our Lord's return. In some ways, a
government is a mirror of the people that are governed especially in a free
society. As we see an increasingly corrupt government it mirrors the
corruptness of the people who vote to elect those that govern.

What is the best way, the quickest way to change a corrupt, inept
government? By a change in the hearts of the people. In the Book of Judges
this occurred repeatedly. When the hearts of the people changed, God raised
up a leader that led them to freedom from the oppression that had been
placed upon them. The problem for the people began when in Judges 2:11 we
read, "Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD.." The
result of their sin was that, "Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD
was against them for calamity, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had
sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed (Judges 2:15)." In Judges
3:9 we read, "When the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD
raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them.."

Let us as Christians live as Christians treating all people as equals. Let
us as Christians cry out to God seeking His will to be done in our lives and
in the country in which we live. 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us what we must do,
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and
seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Copyright © 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi, Cody, and Mica who are young boys
with cancer. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the
Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they
will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always
in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The
devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can
leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks
designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach
those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me
reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on GodTube at:
www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist
Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

It is possible to support this devotional ministry through giving through
paypal and using my wrather@dobsonteleco.com address. Gifts given in this
way are not tax deductible since I am not registered as a non-profit
ministry. However, this devotional ministry does have an 11 year history and
primarily has been supported by me personally and by my church. Please only
give if God leads you to do so.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.