"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and my people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it? Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal over Bethhaccerrem; for evil looks down from the north and great destruction."
      This passage is part of a prophecy that would have been fulfilled long ago, at or before the first century AD. It illustrates so well what man's nature is as regards the authority some seek. Nothing has changed since that time. We see that people still try to grab all the authority they can get, when they can get it.
    There are several different kinds of authority. The world has its brand of authority in the work place, on the street or in government. In the work place there may be a foreman over a group of workers barking orders as he makes his rounds, assuring that everyone is working to their fullest potential. The foreman's boss may be a plant manager with an office full of secretaries and assistants working for him. Each company has different rules and different ways of operating. We could become confused if we go from company to company. This type of authority may be overbearing and a frustrating way of life.
    The street has it's own set of rules and guidelines dictating who is in authority, usually unwritten and possibly even unspoken. Street rules may not be like jungle rules; survival of the fittest, but they are close to it. This type of rule (authority) is often gang related. What a hard and sad way of life for those caught up in street authority.
    Governments have more rules for authority than anything else. Here in the USA each state has it's own way (though similar) of establishing and administering authority. The United States has established a way of administering authority. Each of the other countries, around the world, have their own way of establishing authority. These types of authority from governments could be very impersonal, heavy handed and even cold and cruel. What a hard way of life this would be, if we let it.
    There are other types of authority such as military rule but I don't want to start listing them all because I'll miss some and miss conveying the point I am trying to make in this article. Each of these authorities and rules has a potential for users and their abused victims. How can we find an authority that is "user friendly?" How can we find an authority that does not have victims?
    God is seen, unjustly, in the Old Testament as having heavy-handed authority. His righteousness prevailed upon His people and those coming in contact with His people. People do not take into account that these things happened and are recorded for our instruction. God loves His creation, mankind; John 3:16, but He loves righteousness and order more. In this New Testament time, the Church has its way of establishing authority. God has placed Jesus Christ in authority over the church calling it His Bride. Christ established it and died for it. He conquered the foes that would threaten it by conquering sin as He died on the cross and conquered death as He rose again. The church is built on the authority of Jesus Christ; Mat. 28:18 "And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth…" That means I cannot claim any authority for myself. All authority is from the word of God, through His Son, Heb. 1:1-2. Remember, Jesus told