Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Romans 13:1-2
If you grow up hearing the same things from your parents and other adults, you just assume those things are facts. I grew up hearing my mom quote Walter, who I just assumed was quoting scripture, saying, “Obey the laws of the land.” But I can’t find that Bible verse. If someone else can, please leave me a message.
I always say that I never had any medical care at all, not one pill, no vaccinations, nobody took my blood pressure. Nothing at all until I was twenty-one and had left church. I remember the first Advil I took – believe it or not, it was one of those life-changing moments. I spent my late teenage years in excruciating pain every twenty-eight days. I mean this pain was akin to labor pains – I would crawl around on the floor of my bedroom trying to find a position that would offer some relief. I begged God to take me out of my misery. I later learned that these severe cramps were due to my tilted cervix. The first cycle I went through after I ran off with that stranger, Randy, he offered me an Advil. Just one. I thought, yeah, like this is gonna help. And let me tell you: the angels came down from heaven and lifted that pain right out of me. It was a miracle if there ever was one. I love Advil. It’s my drug of choice.
But I have recently realized that Advil was not my first medical intervention. I had others. I even had surgery. But I never realized it was medical care. Let me explain. People who are from Oregon City often comment that the Kissers have great teeth – most had braces. Yep, I was in that brace-faced pack in junior high. I got shots of Novocain from the dentist. And my parents were informed that I would need to have my wisdom teeth removed before they started to come in or my perfect smile would be ruined. So I had oral surgery. Shots were given to numb me. And get this, I had a prescription for Vicadin! I was eighteen when I got my wisdom teeth out and I got a bottle of thirty pills. Man I loved those pills.
So why do Followers get dental care, but not life-saving medical care? It’s the law. Well, I don’t know if that’s true, but if I’m wrong and you know it, kindly post a reply to that effect. So, this is one of those times that I took my mother’s word and accepted it as fact, and as far as I know it is. I asked my mom why we went to the dentist and she said it was because back when Walter was alive (some time before 1969) someone had died due to an oral infection and a law was passed in Oregon that kids should have dental preventive care. Alright, I realize this doesn’t sound plausible.
New laws have been passed in Oregon in the past decade or so, removing the religious exemption for parents who allow their children to die by refusing medical care. Why don’t the Followers obey these new laws? It’s because they have no leader to tell them to. They are trying to stick with the only truth they know. They’re doing a terrible job of it, but they are a big group of lost sheep who do not even want a shepherd to lead them and wouldn’t accept one if it was dropped by the divine hand of God into their midst. Plenty of preachers and evangelists have tried to infiltrate and help lead this group back to the Straight and Narrow. It’s a hopeless cause. They won’t allow an outsider in, and they won’t accept leadership from within – a prophet is without honor in his own home. What will become of them?
Here are some links to the Followers in the recent news:
And here is a Wikipedia article about the Followers (note: this is about 75% accurate, but it’s interesting fodder)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Followers_of_Christ
Romans 13:1-7 states, “Everyone must submit himself 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, he who 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 he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent 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 because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
ReplyDeleteAnother excellent and compelling verse. Thank you for posting it here.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't people who proclaim to be a "follower of Christ" know these passages by heart? "Agree with your adversary quickly" is another one that comes to mind. When a law is written for YOU specifically, that is the time to agree with him. If you wait to agree until after you've committed the crime, your defying your adversary, and God. It's sad to see young people going to jail, it should be the parents, and the ones who would tempt them to go against their rulers.
ReplyDeleteLegion .. where to start? The Bible teaching at this church ended in 1986. I was told not to bother reading the old testament, in fact the Bibles we used didn't come with old testaments. Further, I was told not to read Revelation because it was too confusing. These are things I was told, but not necessarily every Follower had the same instruction. There is no Bible teaching. Many Followers do not read their Bibles at all. I don't know who does/doesn't. It wasn't emphasized much as far as I know. The church rules? Those are important.
ReplyDeletehow do you follow Christ without reading the written word of God. This is all reallly confusing, are the traditions of the Church more important than the traditions given to us all in the Bible? When we're told to "hold fast to traditions in rememberance of him",Jesus specifically says to do these things. How do the Followers do any of these things without a pastor, or some kind of ministry. You dont see anyone speaking out on the side of the church, at all, that is the most confusing part for me. Once in a while you hear talk of a church leader? But from what you've said there isn't one?
ReplyDeleteThe church leader is a man at church who is elected by the other men at church. He does NOT teach or preach, he hold the title "president," has a civil license to perform weddings (as do 4 other men) and makes some management decisions in regards to the "church" ... no ministry. Obviously no outreach or evangelism, since outsiders cannot join.
ReplyDeleteHow do you as a "church" turn anyone away, didnt Jesus die to save everyone. How are they any different than a person off of the street. If they are not Baptized, what difference does it make. If someone wants to try to "follow" the Bible in the same fasion, how are they not allowed. Is that even legal? Seeing that a church is tax exempt, therefore needs to benefit the whole community?
ReplyDeleteThis group supposedly lost their tax exempt status some time ago. I wouldn't classify it as a "church"......
ReplyDelete