The Bible has something to say about all of life, including government and economics. God is our provider and boss. All authority and power resides with God. We ignore God's authority at our own peril.

"Then Jesus came to them and said,"All authority in Heaven and on earth belongs to me," (Matthew 28:18 NIV (c)1984).

God also owns everything in world and all who live in it.

"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it; the world and all who live in it," (Psalm 24:1 NIV (c)1984).

Stewardship

God then delegates authority, responsibility, and wealth to people and institutions. What? Well, let me explain. God is the owner of everything and we are His stewards. We take care of His property for Him. The best biblical illustration of this is the parable that Jesus told in Matthew 24:45-51 where the master of the household puts a servant in charge of his household, possessions, and other servants while he goes away on a trip. When the master comes home, he will reward or penalize the servant based on the servant's care of others and behavior.

God places us in charge of his people and possessions. We are his stewards, accountable to him for the job we do in caring for what is entrusted to us.

Economic Stewardship

"You are a great leader and you love being in charge. I think the problem is that you always want to be in control. It  seems to be difficult for you to have others in charge."

Derek nodded his head, so I continued. 

"Here's the problem, Derek. You are contending with Jesus. He wants control of your life, but I don't think you trust Him enough to let Him be charge, call the shots." I stopped talking. There was silence. After awhile, I continued, "If you resist His authority in your life, He will keep fighting you. If you keep resisting Him and He lets you run your own life, you will make a mess of things. Either way you lose."

"I don't think I trust God enough to give Him control."

The Problem

This conversation shocked me. Derek was the perfect Christian on the outside. He even did all kinds of things that no one ever saw. He had his Quiet Time every day, worked hard at his job earning the respect of other employees, and was a faithful man.

Why did he have such a hard time trusting God? ​

Orthodox Christianity is a list of beliefs that Christians adhere to. We may disagree on the non-essentials, but on this set of beliefs, Christians agree. This is the non-negotiable part of our doctrine, or core of beliefs about Who God is and How God does Things.

Do not compromise on these truths:
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• There is one God eternally existent in the Triune Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
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Jesus Christ is God, the only begotten Son of the Father, eternally co-existing with Him from and beyond eternity. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again of Third Day. He ascended in bodily form into Heaven where He awaits us, is seated at the right hand of the Father and is interceding for us.

That God created the world and all that is in it. He has ownership rights over all people

I read The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman when I was a sophomore in college. This book changed my life! I have my children read it in high school for one of their Bible classes. It is a book that I would like to see more Christians read, especially homeschooling parents. Robert, born in 1928, grew up in Texas, attending a Methodist church. He pastored for six years and moved into teaching. He has a Masters in Theology from Princeton, a PhD from the University of Iowa, and a Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity International University. His writing style is academic, but don't let them keep you from reading this book.

Along the way, Dr. Coleman became convinced that schools were not the answer to raising up mighty men of God. He carefully studied the life of Jesus, coming to the conclusion that Jesus knew exactly what He was doing in laying a foundation for the Church. Dr. Coleman values Jesus' pattern of ministry and embraces it in his own life.

Jesus spent His life calling people to repent and believe while healing the sick and injured, performing all kinds of miracles, and teaching His beloved people. However, He invested in a small group of men, His disciples. These He gave focused time and attention to for three years. He imparted to them truth and modeled a lifestyle that they could imitate. What a blessing to take a closer look at the life of Jesus!

The Body of Christ is called to fulfill the Great Commission by spreading the good news, leading people to Christ, and making disciples. We are called to evangelism. But, Dr. Coleman wants to make it clear that Jesus' definition of evangelism is broader than our own and involves mentoring people to a place of maturity.

There are so many benefits of reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on the Word of God.

Benefits of God's Word

When we meditate on God's Word, the result is bearing fruit, prospering, and health (Psalm 1).

When we meditate on God's Word day and night, obeying God's Word, we will experience success (Joshua 1).

The Bible has the power to change our lives! When we memorize verse and passages, we are able to avoid sin (Psalm 119:9-11).

We need to "wash with water" through the Word. Scripture washes away the crud in our lives (Ephesians 5:25-27).

​We were watching my son, Jimmy play football against the biggest 13 year-olds I have ever seen. They were giants.

I wanted to go rescue my son, take him off the field.

​But these mighty Lake Mary Dolphins held their own

But there was one upsetting moment for me. One of the opposing team's players grabbed the boy running with the ball, lifted him in the air, twirled him around and around, and dropped him on the ground.

I was furious! I wanted justice.

"Horse Collar. 15 yard penalty," The ref yelled.

"Yeah!" I felt better. That rotten boy had humiliated my son's teammate, but he had been put in his place by the penalty.

Sometimes, I feel like that boy who was twirled around and dropped with a thud. Satan toys with me, tricks me, or fills my mind with lies. I feel like I am lying on the ground battered and bruised.

But, then the Lord steps up and says, "15 yard penalty, devil. Go back to where you came from. Leave my daughter alone!"

​Just a reminder, spiritual warfare is not a battle of equals. Jesus won the battle 2,000 years ago on a dirty cross. He paid the price, the game is already won. We are on the winning side! Jesus has all authority in Heaven and on earth!

Next time, you feel beaten up by the devil, just remind God to give him a 15 yard penalty!

Winning the Battle with you!
Merey 
(Meredith Ludwig Curtis)