No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand:
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here, in the power of Christ, I’ll stand.
Those are the words of the final stanza of the beautiful praise song, “In Christ Alone.” Disciples of Jesus Christ affirm that He alone commands our destiny. No earthly ruler or government has the right to set the course for our future. “No scheme of man” can ever pluck us from His hand. “Schemes” are precisely what human power is all about.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not an anarchist. But we live in a time when we expect the President and/or the government to be godlike in their power over us. Some even describe the President as “chosen by God.” In Hebrew, that phrase is “Messiah.” Is any worldly ruler our Messiah? God forbid! The Apostle Paul makes it clear that we’re obligated to obey our human rulers, but only if they don’t command us to do something contradictory to God’s revealed will.
Jesus is our King, Christians. So, do his followers have a divine right to be worldly rulers over others and impose our vision of life on them? No, and scripture is clear about this. Unfortunately, far too many of us believe we have a mandate to lord our authority over others.
What does it mean to call Jesus “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”? Come find out this coming Christ the King Sunday. See you then!
Retirement of Sound District Superintendent Jon Strother
Our DS Jon Strother is retiring effective December 31. Centenary is hosting a celebration in honor of Jon this coming Sunday. There will be a worship service in the Sanctuary at 230 pm, followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall. Drop in and wish Jon well!
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