Morning Moments

Recently one of my dear sisters gave me a copy of The Founders' Bible.  I would simply like to share a paragraph from that Bible with you this morning:

"Four spheres of jurisdiction are established in the Bible - four areas in which God establishes levels of governance and to which He gives specific instructions.  The are (1) the individual, (2) the family, (3) civil government, and (4) the church.

1) God created Adam as an individual and dealt directly with him (Gen 1-2)

2) God placed Adam into a lifetime heterosexual relationship with Eve, and they had children, thus establishing the family (Gen 1-4)

3) As families grew and increased and began to form cities, God delivered specific instructions on how individuals were not only to conduct their horizontal relationships (the laws and standards to use in treating one another), but also on how they were to choose leaders to enforce those laws and standards - i.e., civil government (Gen 9:6; Ex 18:21; Deut 1:13-16; 16:18).

4) As families and societies increased, God also gave specific instructions to the growing group called by His name on how to conduct their vertical relationships with Him - i.e., the temple, or the CHURCH, or what we would understand as the community of God's people (Exo 25-31; Lev 1-27; Eph 4)..."

Unless we understand how God has establish each entity to build upon and relate to one another - unless we understand that this entire world is under HIS authority, who has established the authority and responsibility in and for each level, we can never comprehend, as we should, the distinction and duties described and distributed to each for the sake of the whole.