Secession in America . . . What Issues Truly Hinder Unity? by Greg Smith, elder at Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro
Recently, there has been a buzz about states seceding from the Union. Jesus said a house divided against itself cannot stand. Some may wonder what the division really is. It seems to me that the nation is divided at so many levels. A level that is particularly interesting to me is moral compromise at the very heart of our supposed reason for existence as a nation. Certainly, many will see the biggest issue as the economy, the environment, gun rights or foreign policy. Though these are important, I believe one of the greatest issues is hypocrisy to our foundational principles. Whatever people's motives, the situation is similar to the Civil War. The seed of the Civil War was sown by compromising that all men (people) had an inalienable right to liberty. Now we compromise that all people have an inalienable right to life. The former slave, Fredrick Douglas, said, "No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck." Likewise, one cannot devalue the life of an unborn baby without at last finding that one's own life has lost its value. We teach kids that life is an accident and then are surprised when they put no value on it. Or we teach kids there is a God, but set the example that we don't need to seek Him with all our hearts or be all that concerned to believe and obey Him in every way. But, Jesus knows how inconsistent I have been in so many ways. I thank God that He has and does change me from what I would be without Him. But someone may argue that there are always divisions and the acceptance of different opinions makes America great. Certainly there are always divisions in this world, but there are times when divisions are so deep that they will cause some kind of break down. Ignorance is always a charge that can be leveled against anyone, because we are all "guilty" to some degree (otherwise, we'd have to claim to know everything). But, we all have some knowledge. I'm trying to use such knowledge as I have, while depending on God's perfect knowledge, to see what the most important issues and divisions are. I don't think we are seeing just minor divisions, but major ones that are threatening the very foundation of the nation. One example of this would be the way we are becoming increasingly secular (atheistic) in our official government positions. This will ultimately undermine our Declaration of Independence and the inalienable rights that come from the Creator. It was a basically Christian view of God that led to the words in our Declaration of Independence. A fundamentally different view of God (including atheism) challenges everything we stand for including rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. During the Democratic National Conventioin this became a major issue. As I understand it the Democratic party recently voted as to whether they would continue to officially recognize God in their party platform. Accroding to the moderator the vote passed to put God back into their platform. But the reality of that moment was that the voice vote seemed just as loud to remove God from it. Unless something changes, I believe the time is coming where they won't and maybe no political party will. Once again, this strikes at the very heart of everything our national existence is based on. Divisions and differences will always exist. But there is a fundamental difference betweeen my wife and I not agreeing over where we eat supper - and the two of us disagreeing as to whether our marriage was ever legal and is valid. We can eventually agree to disagree about where we eat - but there can be no such agreement on the second issue. It is fundamental to the core of our relationship. Likewise, some political divisions are relatively small, but issues of God or the nature of basic human rights are not small. They are things that will eventually create secessionist sentiments in our country. Division is hopeless without assuming there is a right unity that could be achieved. Why discuss anything without the idea that there is one truth to arrive at? The freedom to have an opinion and voice it is a different thing from considering all opinions as equal or truth. Atheists are welcome in America as persons. But, their personal opinion contradicts everything America is built on just as much as someone who uses freedom of speech to try to abolish the Constitution. Their right to speak is protected, but the idea they express contradicts their own right to speak. They saw on the limb that holds them up and if they succeed both will fall together. Atheists are protected in America as endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights whether they believe that statement or not. They are protected by a principle that they fight against. But, if atheism becomes our official position (as seems to be gradually happening), then America does not need to define itself by the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights or any such thing. America is deeply divided over even how to define itself and whether God is important or not in that self-definition. America is being interpreted as a place where all views are to be accepted as just as valid as the ideas on which the nation was built. If America stands for everything (all opinions) in theory, then it will stand for nothing in practice. Long ago God asked, "Can two walk together unless they are agreed?" It seems to me that we are now divided by definition because we don't see the need for unity on some very deep issues. We can all walk in different directions with different goals, but we can't call that unity or expect that to produce much more than selfishness. People either accept God's definition of Himself, life, & marriage or they follow human redefinitions of those things. To make something clear, my solution is not to force everyone to be a Christian. But as a Christian, I'm just pointing out that the effects of not following Christ will be division. The further away people get from Him, they will either become more divided or will suffer some forced plan of unity (as in Communism, Fascism, Islam and even false expressions of Christianity) where people are forced to comply with the dominant party’s ideas.
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Where Do We Go From Here? Day 3 - Considering Our Marching Orders . . . and the State of the Church11/14/2012 Where Do We Go From Here? Day 3 – Considering Our Marching Orders . . . and the State of the Church After taking a week to digest some of my early thoughts, I want to come back today to address the Evangelical Christian Community on where we are to go after this election. Today, what I am going to offer is going to seem simple – yet it is something that the Christian community has yet to do. We need to return to our marching orders from Jesus Christ – and have them become of utmost importance to us. We find our marching orders in a couple of places in Scripture. The first I will turn to is found in Matthew 28:18-20. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20, NASB) This is what Jesus told His disciples at the close of Matthew’s gospel. Let’s take a close look at this very familiar passage. First – This order comes from someone who has “all authority in heaven and on earth.” Therefore we can be assured that this command of Christ matters to us – or at least it should. The greater the authority – the more it should matter. Therefore since this statement comes from ALL AUTHORITY – it should matter MORE than anything else we hear. Second – He says to make disciples of all the nations. That involves leading them to Christ first – and then leading them to a worldview that is embraced in Scripture. We are to be teaching men and women to be “learners” of Christ. We also might want to get a better grasp on the breadth of our orders. “All the nations” are our target. We are not be become so focused on the United States that we forget we are to take the gospel everywhere to everyone! Third – We are to do this focusing on several things. We begin by baptizing them – which is a rite of identification. They are to fully identify with the Trinity – God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then we are to teach them to actually obey all that Jesus commanded them. Finally, we are to make sure they know Jesus will be with them all the way to the end – even the end of the age! This means that these orders – remain in effect until it is all over – until Christ returns. At this point I will try to be brief – but considering all that God has been saying to me – something needs to be said. If we approached our call to disciple others with the passion many approached this past election – things would get awesome in the church in a hurry. There would also be a change in the world around us – because when true revival – true evangelism – and true discipleship are practiced – people change radically. When that happens with larger numbers of people – the whole society begins to change as well. The reason I say this is because of something I read recently in a book entitled, “Vertical Church” by James MacDonald. Let me fire away and list the things I read. The State of the Evangelical Church in 2012 • Six thousand churches close their doors every year. • Thirty-five hundred Americans leave the church every day. • Only one pastor in ten retires while still in ministry. • Less than 20 percent of Americans attend church regularly. • Only 15 percent of churches in the United States are growing numerically. • Only 2 percent of growing churches are effectively winning converts to Christ. [From MacDonald, James. Vertical Church: What Every Heart Longs for. What Every Church Can Be. David C Cook.] This is, as MacDonald puts it, epic failure. He goes on to say that in order to keep up with our current population – we would need 10,000 churches a year to be planted in the United States. Last year only about 900 were attempted. Here is the fact of our current situation. We are being overwhelmed by a lost world that could care less about our political opinions. And . . . to be brutally honest . . . we should care far less about their political opinions than we do about the state of their souls! Can we honestly say that the church is making a difference in our nation? Could it be that this past election IS an honest reflection of where our nation is? I’ve always held that we get the government that we deserve – because we get the one we choose. Let me ask some very hard questions to the church. 1. Is it a reflection of our effectiveness that a member of what theologically is defined as a cult (Mormon) was selected for the so-called conservative candidate? 2. Is it possible that the weak moral stances on abortion and homosexuality actually reflect how well we are speaking of and advancing Biblical morality? 3. Is it possible that our relevance to society is greatly diminished because we are reaching so few people with the gospel? 4. Could it be that this past election reflects on our lack of true life-on-life discipleship in the church? 5. Could it be that a focus on political change has blinded us to the fact that politics has NEVER changed a single human heart and made it possible for anyone to stand before God with their sins forgiven? 6. Are we called to establish a “Christian nation” through political means – or could it be that we’ve forgotten that Christ’s kingdom is “not of this world?” Now, having asked these questions – I want to offer some positive things for us to DO as we seriously consider where we go from here. I’ll list them below. 1. Commit to praying every day for revival in the church - and spiritual awakening in our nation. I’ve been doing this since January of this year. It is NOT easy – and God will work us over as we do it (revival always starts with our own heart first – and works out from there). 2. Commit to sharing the gospel with one person at least once a week. This may be difficult since many Christians don’t know how to share their faith. Then your first step may be to go to your pastor/church leaders and beg for them to offer not just teaching, but training for this. Once you have the training, make it a point to share Jesus with someone every week – and eventually get to where you do it just about every day – as a lifestyle! 3. Commit to either being discipled . . . or discipling someone else. I work with college students and youth in this area. It is often disturbing to hear where they were prior to this election. BUT – I had to ask myself a serious question. Was I doing anything to instruct them biblically – and to help them see why choosing leaders who take biblical stands on things like abortion and homosexual marriage is important? If I’m not willing to spend an hour or two a week with them – is anyone else going to either? If we want a younger generation who embrace godly conservatism – how are we going to get there? Political activism is not what they need – they need someone to sit down with them and consistently teach them the Bible – and how to walk with God! 4. Commit to glorifying God in all you do. Carry that attitude into how you view God’s kingdom. Is it expanding by churches being planted and Bible studies being started – or – are we just content with our own personal church being a nice place to go. If we want to see our world changed – we will once again have to embrace a radical, God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, evangelically-militant church that truly believes Jesus Christ is Lord – and that He is the only way of salvation from the wrath of God due to sinners. I cannot guarantee you that this will yield a different result politically in four years. It probably will land you in hot water with some who have become accustomed to your non-confrontational Christianity that is relatively quiet about the Gospel and about their destination if they remain in their sins. Actually, if we embrace these things – we will probably be persecuted – both inside and outside the church. Interesting though, when I read the Gospels and the book of Acts – they were persecuted for these things too? Maybe I ought to think about that as well? This is not supposed to be a recipe for a return to political power. It is meant to be a call for us to return to spiritual relevance and power. It is a call to matter in our lives – regardless of what happens in future elections. Neither the early church nor our forefathers glorified God for the purpose of winning elections and changing the course of a nation. They did these things because God is worthy of glory, honor, praise, and honestly – every single moment of our lives being lived for His will and purposes. It was just a blessing they received that as they did this – a godly nation was born as well. Maybe we should do more than just read the document they left us. Maybe we should emulate their lives and their purpose as well? Where Do We Go From Here? (An 5 day Open Letter to Christians After the Election) Day 2 – God’s Sovereignty It is now November 8, 2012. It is my hope that you have come to terms with the fact that the election is over. One thing that comforts my heart is the knowledge that God is sovereign over the rulers of mankind. Therefore I can turn to Romans 13 and take comfort in what it says. Let’s take a closer look at what this passage says and find out a little more the answer to the question, “Where do we go from here?” Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Romans 13:1-4, NASB Let’s start at verse one and walk through this passage. The first things we see here is that we are to be in subjection to the governing authorities. That means that an overthrow of this current government is out of the question. God allows for governments to be overthrown, but I won’t be participating in that activity. The reason for this is found later in this passage. There is no authority except from God – and those which exist are established by God. There is the comfort of God’s sovereignty over the affairs of mankind. Therefore I can know that our current government under the leadership of President Barak Obama is what God has established for the United States for the next four years. Since we live under a constitutional republic, that means that his power is limited by the Constitution of the United States – and that he, as well as the Congress and the Judiciary, are to adhere to the governing principles of that document. Ours is not a system of absolute power – but of shared power between three branches of government. Where we go from here – is to support our government and to pray for our leaders. That is what God instructs us to do in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 when Paul writes the following under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4. NASB) Note that we embrace a “peaceable life” so that the Gospel may go forth. That is the gist of verse 4. When we look at the remainder of Romans 13:1-4, we need to recognize some things. First of all, we do not need to assume that because God allowed the establishment of President Obama for a second term in office, that God agrees with his policies or his beliefs. God allowed many rulers to come into power for His purposes. But those purposes were never for them to do evil and act contrary to His Word. We need to note that three times God says that government is established “for good,” in Romans 13. - Rulers should make us fear evil behavior – and embrace “the good” - Rulers are to praise those who “do good.” - Rulers are a minister of God for good. Often when people say God is sovereign over our government – they don’t include the context of the Scriptures. God allows governments – but holds them accountable for the good – and this good is defined by the morals put forth in Scripture. That means God allowed this government – but will hold President Obama accountable for every baby aborted by his policies. God will also hold our president (and any other one from either party) accountable for “the good” of the people. Unfortunately for him that means God will hold him accountable for advancing homosexuality, which God calls an abomination. God held the presidents of our nation who oppressed the Indians and treated them unjustly by stealing their land. He holds the presidents who allowed and advanced slavery in our nation accountable for their actions. He holds the presidents in the 50-60’s accountable for the racism they upheld and for how they oppressed the black population of our nation. The men who allowed dogs to attack black protesters in Birmingham, Alabama – and who drove them away with powerful water cannons – they were accountable to God. It might do us well to review Psalm 2 at this point. Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!" He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain." "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 'You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.' "Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! Psalm 2:1-12 A very brief review of this Psalm is as follows. The kings and rulers, whom God allowed and established, decided to call God’s laws fetters and cords that bound them. All their raging just elicited derisive laughter from God. He reminds all the kings and rulers that God has installed His Son on the throne of the universe. Jesus is given all power to shatter the kingdoms and nations like a rod of iron would shatter earthenware plates. The end of the Psalm involves God telling the kings and judges to be discerning. They need to humble themselves and honor God’s Son – or else they will perish in the way and experience His wrath. The blessed king, ruler, and judge – is the one who takes refuge in God’s Son – Who is the ultimate ruler! Wow, what a difference a Psalm makes! Yes, God has established President Obama over our nation – but He has NOT done so for the purpose of negating the morality that is clearly presented in the Scriptures. If anything, a government is to punish those who do evil. And please remember that evil is defined by the Bible – not by what our culture calls it in the current calendar year. Now let me do my best to sum up what this means for us who wonder where do we go from here. If you remember, the first thing we are to do is to pray for our leaders. My guess is that most of us who are conservative evangelicals did not do that very much over the past 4 years. I will confess that I did it haphazardly – not with any great consistency. That will change over the next four years. My president seriously needs my prayers for wisdom. Any president does. He also needs me to pray for him to repent from his current positions on abortion and homosexuality. They are both very wrong – and will be harmful to him. He will stand before God and give an account for advancing abortion more than any president in history. He will do the same for how he has advanced the homosexual agenda. Not only will these things harm him – they will also harm our nation. My prayers MUST be motivated out of genuine concern and love for him – and genuine concern and love for our nation. THEY SHOULD NOT BE MOTIVATED BY ANGER AND BITTERNESS! If we are not praying – or our prayers are motivated by something so perverse as wanting the Republicans to win – we need to repent. God uses godly, praying people to change people – not governments. If we are not praying – there will be no change in the people of our nation – and if there is no change in the hearts of people via the Gospel – there will be no change in our nation. God has sovereignly allowed this government. He will also sovereignly hold it accountable for the power He has given them. That is something that honestly should terrify us for ANYONE who rises to power over ANY state or nation. Our place is to choose to love our leaders by praying for them. Our prayers for them should not include a political agenda of any party. They should be motivated by love – and should manifest themselves in a cry for the Gospel and a godly life to prosper no matter who is in power. Where do we go from here? We go to our knees to pray for our duly elected leaders. We go to our knees out of love for them and love for our country. We go knowing that God, who allowed them to come to power under His sovereignty – will also sovereignly hold them accountable to punish evil and advance “the good.” We do not seek to bring judgment on them – or allow bitterness to grow in our hearts against them. Listen to Paul! He ministered and lived under one of the most wicked despots of all time, Nero. We don’t hear him say anything about the government – except to give them honor where honor is due (which he always did in every illegal trial he underwent) – and to pray for them – so that the Gospel could advance no matter who is sitting on the throne. Good counsel – good biblical counsel – for those who lived in the first century – as well as the 21st as well. It is a week before our elections, and as a Christian, I’d like to address an issue that many conservative Christians face in voting in this particular cycle. That issue is whether we as Christians can in good conscience vote for someone who is a Mormon. I know that this is a serious “hot-button” issue for us. Therefore to the best of my abilities I want to try to speak to it. If I were helping to choose a pastor or staff member for a church, there is no way in the world that I would ever choose a person who embraces Mormonism for that post. To be honest, neither of the main stream candidates would meet the Biblical requirements to be an equipper in a church. Governor Romney embraces the error of Mormon theology, and President Obama embraces the error of Liberation theology. The fact though, is that I am not choosing a man to lead me spiritually. I am making a choice as to who will give political leadership to our nation for the next four years. I find it unfortunate that those of us who are conservative, Bible-believing Christians do not have a choice of a candidate whose life manifests the fruit of someone who has come to faith in Jesus Christ. But if I were honest, I would have to admit it has been a very long time since either candidate of either party would measure up to such a test. So, let’s be honest and admit that we’ve not had an evangelical, Bible-believing president (or a presidential candidate from a either party) for several decades. That may offend some people – but I don’t think I’m going too far out on a limb to assert such a thing. So if we are truthful with each other, we will have to admit that we’ve been making a choice to elect men who are not evangelical Christians for quite a while. It is only because this is the first time we’ve had to choose someone who doesn’t even assent to being a Christian, in the classic sense, that we are struggling with these issues now. I’ll go ahead and say it so that we don’t have to tip-toe around the issue. I believe Mormonism to be a cult according to their beliefs about Biblical authority, the person of Christ, and the issue of the nature of salvation. Therefore Governor Romney, the Republican candidate for President, is a cult member if he believes basic Mormon theology. Does that mean that we cannot vote for him for this office? I wish I could give a straight up or down statement to that question. The reason I cannot is because of what I believe to be serious issues of righteousness that have to be answered by “both” candidates. What I refer to is two primary issues that MUST be answered by Governor Romney and President Obama. These issues are abortion and how we view homosexuality in our governing laws. Let me address both issues according to what both candidates have said. President Obama supports abortion on demand for the entire 9 months of pregnancy. He has supported the view that there should be absolutely no restrictions on receiving this procedure. While serving the government in Illinois he also refused three times to support the “Born Alive” amendment which allowed medical staff to care for a baby born alive after a failed abortion. Thus if a live baby was born after a failed abortion, his choice was to let it die. This is no longer abortion – it is infanticide. The President’s signature legislation, nicknamed “Obamacare” supports government funding of abortion – and has even demanded that religious organizations cover this option in their healthcare insurance. Governor Romney’s position is what I call, kinda pro-life. I say this because he has not always had a pro-life public stance on this issue. While running for governor in 2002 Romney said he supported abortion rights. He said the following, "I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose," Romney said during a debate against his Democratic opponent Shannon O'Brien. "I am not going to change our pro-choice laws in Massachusetts in any way. I am not going to make any changes which would make it more difficult for a woman to make that choice herself." During his term as governor Romney, vetoed a bill in 2005 that would expand access to emergency contraception. In an op-ed explaining his veto he wrote that he was "pro-life." "While I do not favor abortion, I will not change the state's abortion laws," Romney wrote. Six years later, amid is second presidential bid, Romney clarified his current anti-abortion stance, writing in a National Journal op-ed that he supports overturning Roe v. Wade and defunding Planned Parenthood. "If I have the opportunity to serve as our nation's next president, I commit to doing everything in my power to cultivate, promote, and support a culture of life in America," Romney wrote. With this as the backdrop for our choice, we know the following things. President Obama is and has always been pro-abortion or pro-choice, however you choose to phrase that view. Governor Romney, although pro-abortion/pro-choice in 2002, has changed his view to be pro-life after 2005. The troubling aspect to Romney’s position is that he has never acted in a way that would restrict abortion or change abortion laws while he was in a position of power to do so. But, when comparing the two, we are left with only one candidate who at least will entertain a pro-life stance. That is Governor Romney. What I believe to be the second major issue concerning “biblical righteousness” is homosexuality. What concerns me is that the current trend in the United States is for both candidates to court the homosexual vote by their statements. Both support having homosexuals openly serve in the United States military. Romney has back-tracked on this somewhat during the campaign, but has not stood firm enough for one to think he will act on the issue. President Obama stands solidly in favor not only of homosexuals serving openly in the military – but has also repeatedly supported redefining marriage to include homosexual couples. Governor Romney has consistently opposed redefining marriage in this way. With these views as the backdrop once again for our choice, we know that President Obama will support homosexual marriage. Governor Romney has consistently opposed homosexual marriage. So, in answer to the question, “Can a Christian vote for a Mormon for President.” My answer is, “Yes.” One can do so if the opposing candidate’s views on important views are wrong – and the Mormon candidate’s views are better. In that case it is my view that the Christian should support whoever has a better stand on issues. Let me engage in a gut-level honesty with you at this point. Ever since I first voted for Ronald Reagan in the 80’s I’ve not enjoyed voting as a believer. Those first two presidential elections were ones in which I boldly cast my vote for a candidate whose views were very much in agreement with my Christian beliefs. Since that time, beginning in 1988, I’ve had to hold my nose as I voted. I’ve wished for years that there was a choice of “None of the Above” which would send both parties back to the drawing board to give us a better candidate. Politics is too often about compromise – and I cannot compromise on either abortion or homosexual marriage. They are both wrong. God has grace for those who repent – just as He gave me grace for my sins. But the truth is I cannot embrace either position in a candidate. Over the years I’ve watched both parties try as hard as they can to vehemently embrace the middle. That has made voting even more complicated – and difficult. Yet, in desiring to be a good and godly citizen I’ve had to choose the candidate who is closer to what I believe to be godly views on these matters. It is my hope that God’s views of righteousness, as given by His unchanging Word, will help you as well to make an informed choice in a few days. I do not envy you in this task – but I pray that God will guide you. NOTE: I will do a follow-up article later this week entitled, “Where Are You Looking for Salvation?” Just recently I've finished reading through the prophets in the Old Testament. I do this at least once a year as I read through the Bible. This year, however, their voice is reverberating in my mind and heart as I look at our nation and what God is currently doing. Let me share with you what I saw this year - and how it relates to our nation, our coming election, and the difficulties and disasters which I believe are in our future. Please also let me share why God, in His sovereign providence, is allowing them.
First, I need to comment on the state of the church leading up to this coming election. As the saints of God we are to get our marching orders from heaven. Those directives come to us through the Scriptures. I fear that too many in the conservative wing of the evangelical think that their marching orders are coming from the RNC or the Tea Party. There is an errant notion that by electing Governor Romney as president and a Republican majority in the House and Senate - our problems will be on the way to being solved in this nation. Even though I believe in voting in elections and seeking for political action toward things like abortion, homosexual marriage, racism, and matters of justice and righteousness - I do not see the United States government (even if it is the hands of conservatives) doing a whole lot to advance righteousness in America. They may use such things as election issues - but I've been burned to many times over 32 years of voting by their actual ruling looking little like their stump speeches. Also, I seem to notice in Matthew 28:18-19 that Jesus did not call us to go and make Republicans of all the nations. We are called to God's will in conduct, purpose, principle, and action. That won't fly in any political arena in present day politics. And I am not willing to cede the work of the gospel to those who are offended that the Bible presents truths that show that Muslims, Mormans, Hindus, Buddhists, and anyone else who does not repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are lost and destined for God's judgment. Such things are not up for a vote. As I've read the prophets this year I've been somewhat overwhelmed with the reality that God commands us to repent and return to Him. If we do not repent - if we continue to serve other gods - gods acceptable to our culture and acceptable to our flesh - God will begin bringing difficulties upon His people. The prophets thunder with God's unrelenting call to Himself. They do not apologize that God is sovereign. They do not apologize for His moral standards. They do not apologize that God authoritatively calls men to worship and serve Him only. And they certainly do not want to make adjustments so that the Baal worshippers, the Asherah-adherants, and the worshppers of other false gods can feel more comfortable and be a part of a "big-tent." The prophets say things very offensive to a multi-cultural world - not so much to the culture - but to anything driven by a culture's embrace of false deities. But God is not focused on the "lost" in the prophets. He is focused on His people - those who should know better. He is focused on calling His people to much needed repentance. What happens in a society when its Christians refuse to return and to repent? According to the prophets, God begins to remove first His blessing and later His protection from them and from their nation. If you've ever read the prophets you know that over time this can get very rough. God will allow earthquakes, disasters, and military conquest to overtake His people. Israel and Judah experienced horrific consequences for their love of foreign gods and the lifestyles that came with them. Baal and Asherah embraced a lifestyle of sexual immorality. Marriage was denigrated as first men committed heterosexual immoralities - and eventually moved on to homosexuality as well. Those who think the 1960's ushered in free love, know little about how far Israel and Judah fell in their pursuit of these false deities. The worship of Molech led many to sacrifice their babies in a firey death. Those who see such a thing as disgusting should remember the modern day Molech - Planned Parenthood - who promote the sacrifice of babies for the sake of supposed greater sexual freedom. Actually what they are getting is greater sexual bondage in the guise of immorality without consequences. Then there is the immorality that disguises itself as free trade, or socialism, or communism, or any other "ism" that takes precedent over Scriptural principles of business or government. You see, our culture is not all that different from the days of the prophets. We have just named things with a more sophisticated name - hiding the hideousness of what they truly are. We've also got better at lying about the true nature of things while ignoring Scripture - and occasionally insulting God and the way that He needs to improve His own image by becoming far more "hip" and "culturally-sensitive." The truth is, WE are Israel and Judah in the times of the prophets! WE have our modern day worship of Baal, Asherah, and Molech - along with calls for accepting the gods of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and a host of cults embraced even by political candidates of our day (oops, did I say that out loud - nope, just wrote it). But the church is different, some may assert! But my question to you is to take a long look at her and answer the question, "Is it?" Do you see a movement of repentance and return in the church today? Do you see scores of people in broken repentance and prayer meetings where they are crying out for revival? Do you see the church expanding its evangelsitic outreach the point of being persecuted by groups whose numbers are being decimated by the number of people being saved? Do you see complaints by wicked businesses Who sell porn and other ungodly products that the church and her efforts in evangelism is hurting their bottom line? God calls us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 to "humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. Read of the revivals that took place in the 1700-1800's. Read of what took place on a far wider scale in our country. Imagine what they would look like in our day - a revival driven by repentance, brokenness, and prayer. A revival with the aisles filled with repentant church members - and others being radically saved from sin. What then am I trying to say through all this? After reading the prophets . . . honestly - I'm concerned - no - I'm scared. We are about to be ushered into MORE discipline as a nation - and that discipline is meant to wake-up God's people to repentance, prayer, and brokenness. I don't want to say this - but sense the need to do so for the sake of the saints who read this. We are about to experience events that will make 9-11 look like a picnic in the park. God tried to wake us up by allowing that disaster to come upon us. We didn't wake up though. Therefore - more is coming. Far worse is coming. Do I know what that will be? No, because I am not a prophet. But I can tell you that things like a devastating earthquake come to mind. Military disasters that involve the destruction of entire armies have happened to God's people. Drought and famine are also options for God. He has soereignly allowed the destruction of entire cities - whch is terrifying in our day of bombs that can do that in a matter of moments. With our current arrogance toward money - a complete financial collapse unlike anything we've ever seen is very possible. All these things and a dozen others are possible - even probable considering our currrent lack of response to God's call to pray and seek His face. I read recently where the Mississippi river is at historic lows. If the drought we are in continues, it is possible to see the Mississippi so low that no boat traffic is allowed. That will cut off over 300 million dollars of commerce a day. That is a monthly total of 9 billion dollars of our economy stifled. The prognosticators said that would throw our natin into depression within 2 months. Kind of sobering isn't it? I can hear the comment, "Why are you writing stuff like this, pastor John?" Do you get some kind of sick thrill scaring people to death? NO! A thousand times NO! That is not my intent. My intent is to help wake up Christians to what is looming in our future. Do you really think God is going to continue to bless our nation as it is currently going? Do you really think that the church is not going to be affected by what happens in our nation? Do you really think that by maintaining a positive confession in the midst of such spiritual squallor that we will be delivered? God is going to continue allowing greater and greater disasters and troubles to come upon us until we repent, drop to our knees, and begin to cry out in desperate prayer for revival in the church and spiritual awakening in our land! This is not going to magically get better - neither is it going to be averted by electing a Morman as president and a group of Tea Party conservatives to the Congress - who have NO INTENT on addressing the moral and spiritual rot of the church and our country. We are currently as blind as Israel and Judah during the times of the prophets. The same situations and the same false prophets of health, wealth, prosperity, and "nothing bad is going to happen to us" exist today. The political leaders (kings in those days) who made a difference made it by leading the nation to repentance and a whole-hearted return to God. Such a leader who would start doing this in our day - would most likely be impeached for such actions. This past Wednesday everyone held their breath awaiting the Supreme Court decision on the Health Care bill that has been dubbed, "Obamacare." There was a thought among conservatives that the court would strike down part or all of this law. The part most egregious to many was the so-called "mandate" for all Americans to buy health insurance. When the ruling came out there was a sigh of relief for some - and a sense of wide-eyed horror for others. I was among those horrified by the outcome because it forever fundamentally changes the relationship between the government and the citizens of the United States. It was only later, after I had turned to the Lord and sought Him in the midst of my anger and disgust that God showed me something in myself that I found even more disgusting.
Early in the week I was asked by some of the precious people I pastor what my reaction was to this ruling. Again, as stated above, my early reaction was anger and disgust. I was angry and disgusted that the Supreme Court basically allowed the existing administration to lie to the American people to get something passed - and then let the truth of the law come out only when interpreted by the courts. We were told repeatedly during the debate, however limited it was, that this was NOT A TAX! Over and over again this was asserted because, this bill would have gone down in flaming defeat if it was offered as the massive, regressive tax that it was later upheld as being. So we were told this was a "commerce" issue. As a commerce issue this was declared unconstitutional - but as a tax, it was upheld. Therefore one of the things that happened last Wednesday was that one branch of government could pass a law based on their version of the truth - while another could uphold it denying the first truth - and then making up another. Now, the fact that our government lies to us is not shocking. The fact that they have lied on this scale for the creation of a first time right to tax us for all we are worth - a little more shocking. One can only imagine the founders spinning in their graves at the way in which we are being taxed once again without representation - or at least truthful representation. After I worked my way through my initial anger and disgust, I was leveled one day while praying with a couple of brothers for revival in our churches and awakening in our land. What floored me was a verse that I believe the Holy Spirit brought to my mind. Here is the verse: "You are the salt of the earth ; but if the salt has become tasteless , how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything , except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men . (Matthew 5:13 , NASB) As I meditated on this verse, God reminded me that throughout the entire health-care debate we continued to kill 4,000 babies a day through abortion. Nothing was mentioned, even by Christian conservatives, about this issue. Nothing was mentioned about heterosexual immorality in our nation which is rampant. No one made an issue of the flood of pornography that continues unabated on our airwaves and through the internet. (Actually the legal system did make a move in this area. It removed the fines imposed for the intentional wardrobe malfunction that happened during a Superbowl broadcast. Oh, and by the way, our highest court also made it easier to use foul language during prime time television - as if God recognizes times when it is OK to use perverse language - only prohibiting it from 6-9 weeknights!) Nothing was being said about gay marriage - which we were promised would NEVER happen only years ago by our elected liars - oh, sorry - that's supposed to be elected officials (same difference in most cases). We once again bought the lie that it is, "the economy stupid" that is the issue. Let me say in the strongest way I can, "It is not the economy - it is our lack of morals" that is the problem. Let me say even stronger, "It is a tasteless, unsalty church that is the worst of our problems in America." The church has been losing its saltiness since the 1950's - when it became vogue to have an affair outside of marriage - the church did not respond by falling on her knees and crying for revival and repentance. In the 1960's we were introduced to "free love" - which is nothing more than fornication dressed up in groovy clothes - the church did not respond by falling on her knees and begging for restoration and revival. The 1970's and 80's were the me-generations - with live being lived for self and self alone. The immorality increased - and pornography began to explode with the advent of videotape - the church mulled over church growth strategies and spoke of dealing with the un-churched, rather than the ungodly. The 90's gave rise to a growing homosexual movement that became more and more radical. This was inevitable to anyone who has read Romans chapter 1. The rejection of God through heterosexual immorality inevitably leads to rampant homosexuality. Because the church was not cleaning her own house, rocked by one sexual scandal after another, she had little voice in society. One might call that a serious loss of saltiness. In the 2000's and now in the 2010's all these problems are converging as atheists are rising, God is openly mocked, and more and more oppressive laws are being passed limiting the freedom of the church. I don't know if you see it yet - but the Supreme Court ruling should not have been such a shock to us. Neither should further rulings that allow us to be trodden under foot by men. The church has not been what she should be for generations now. The result of this is that freedom has been - and will continue to go away in our land. God is not pleased over the rampant innocent blood that is being shed - the rampant sexual immorality that is being advanced - and the rampant blasphemy and mocking of His name. He is also not pleased that the church is just kind of "treading water" in the midst of this. The church is more concerned with their creature comforts and comfortable living being taken away than they are with any moral decline that is happening in our land. How do I know this? I know it because we have yet to hit our knees in pray that inconveniences us on a daily basis. My prediction is that November 5th, 2012 will make little if any difference in the moral trajectory of our nation. In all that is being argued leading up to this election - almost none of it even concerns the moral failings of our nation evidenced by heterosexual immorality, homosexuality, and abortion. They will barely even be blips on the political radar. The only difference that will happen in the Fall is that we will determine how fast we go down the toilet as a nation. Since none of the real causes are being addressed - I have little hope that they will be after the heat of the election is over. What should we do in light of the Supreme Court decision on Obamacare? Honestly . . . if we do not come to the point where we fall to our knees in repentance and brokenness over sin - nothing we do politically will really matter in the end. The church should repent - over this decision - as well as any other that comes after it. Our problems do not ultimately rest on the greatly undermined Republic in which we live. They rest on the character and godliness of the people voting those who represent it into office. Our hope lies in the mercy of God moving in our hearts to drop us to our knees. Saints of God - we have only one chance - and that is that we see a coast to coast movement of broken-hearted, sin-confessing, God-honoring prayer. Our one chance is that the church will turn from sin and turn to God - then turn to intercessory prayer. Our one hope is that there will be a heaven-sent, world-shaking revival that will so stop sin in its tracks that we will once again see the church making inroads to sin - not the other way around. Oh to see hundreds of thousands - even millions coming to Christ, throwing off their sin and embracing Jesus with all their hearts. Oh to see churches overflowing their parking lots for prayer meetings - and for meetings where seekers hear the gospel of Jesus Christ preached without apology. This is our hope - this and this alone. Bottom line - this ruling by the Supreme Court only shows me that the church continues in her faltering slouch toward saltlessness. It comes as no surprise that God is removing all protection so that the oppression of an ever-expanding government will continue to tread her underfoot. I am not shocked that a president who is acting more and more like a dictator is rising. It would not shock me if we even saw a takeover and martial law declared so that the November elections don't even happen. We are being stepped on, saints of God, and it is actually a biblical thing we are experiencing. The only way to stop the trampling is to repent, return, and fall to our knees in prayer. We have never needed the admonition of 2 Chronicles 7:14 more than we do in the shadows of this most recent decision. "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways , then I will hear from heaven , will forgive their sin and will heal their land ." (2 Chronicles 7:14 ) God speaks of the blessing of those who live godly lives. In a contrast He also speaks of the lawless - and never does so in any kind of glowing terms. Therefore we should realize that there is a blessing to a land that abides by its laws - and a potential disaster looming for those who ignore the rule of law. What we are facing more and more is a president who refuses and even flaunts the fact that he is not going to abide by the law of the land. In the last 3 years President Obama has trampled the Constitution again and again. He has a blatant disregard for our founding document - acting as if he is a law unto himself. This does not bode well for our nation - and if he is not confronted soon - for our future freedom.
Whether we are referencing the federal government forcing people to buy health insurance or the most recent appointment of government officials without the consent of the Senate, this president thinks he can do whatever he wants. So far, because we have a Congress without the backbone to oppose him and bring him to court for his offences - he can. Our recourse in these matters is to call the president's bluff and force a Constitutional crisis. That crisis would involve the courts determining if the president has acted outside the laws of our land. What is sad is that even the most casual perusal of the Constitution should lead to the conclusion that our president is out of control. But no one has the guts to call his bluff. They probably fear being called a partisan or even worse a racist - as that is often the way that this administration deals those who oppose it. But I care little what race a man is or what party he is from - either we have a governing document by which we determine law, or our president can make up whatever laws he chooses. Consider that our president began his term in office by appointing a host of so-called czars that were never received the advice and consent of Congress. Consider that they still rule on matters without any congressional oversight. Consider that recently the Congress itself violated the Constitution by making it legal for American citizens to be arrested and held without charges indefinitely. Consider that our government can now use the Armed Forces against its own people. Consider that there is an FCC law working its way through the system that will allow an unelected official to remove any website from the internet he or she wants. The attacks against our free speech are staggering - and too often the one recourse we have, the Supreme Court, will either not hear the cases brought up or will completely ignore our Constitution in its rulings. We are sliding down a slippery slope at a speed that very soon will not be able to be stopped. You might ask why this matters to someone who is writing a "prophecy/news update." It is because I believe we are watching Scripture fulfilled with this situation. My concern is both patriotic as well as spiritual. As a patriot I find it glaringly arrogant that the Constitution, our governing document is being treated like little more than toilet paper by a man who put his hand on a Bible and swore to uphold and defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic. If he fulfilled this oath, he would need to resign the presidency immediately - because he, more than any other elected official is denigrating it horrifically each day he continues this unconstitutional path upon which he is currently governing. I use the word "governing" lightly - because he acts more and more like a dictator than a president every day. My concern spiritually has been that God is using this president as a form of discipline and judgement upon our nation. Jesus said that if the salt has lost its savor - it is good for nothing any longer except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. The church has departed from God in the United States. For decades we have been watching the spiritual fervor and evangelistic zeal of God's people and God's shepherds subside. We have watched as the moral underpinnings of the church have come loose. We are now a nation that has the unfortunate responsibility of over 40,000,000 deaths by abortion upon us. The blood of these children, as well as the 4000 plus additional ones put to death each and every day cries out for God's judgment. We seem to no longer address the issue of heterosexual immorality and drunkenness that run rampant in our land. Our college campuses turn into drunken orgies on the weekends - and many are so addicted to alcohol that by the time they finish college they are drinking almost every day to cope. Homosexuality is arguably no longer considered a vice, but is trumpeted as a viable, acceptable alternative lifestyle. All this continues to grow in our land - while the lethargy of the churches is palpable. What do we expect God to do in a situation like ours? Do we expect Him to bless America? President Barak Obama is an instrument in the hand of God to judge our land - and he is doing his job by ignoring our Constitution and doing whatever he wants. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ . . . I do not write these words out of anger and recrimination against our president, but I write them as a warning to us all. I could as easily bring charges against 8 years of the presidency of George W. Bush - because he did little or nothing to stand against the tsunami of immorality that has crashed against our shores with ever-increasing ferocity. We've listened to the lie that this is about the economy - but the truth is that unless we repent and return to the Lord - our economy is the least of our problems. Let me finish by answering my own question, "Dude, where's my Constitution?" Our governing document has gone the way of God's Law in our land. We have decided that we cannot tolerate the 10 commandments any longer in America. Long before that decision was codified, our nation was trampling on it by their moral decay. Yet we would be amiss if we did not lay a certain amount of responsibility at the foot of the church in America. We've lost our moral fortitude. We've lost our boldness to speak. We've tolerated prophetic charlatans in our pulpits who preach, "Peace, Peace!" when there is no peace. One of our most prolific preachers refuses to speak of sin - and focuses mostly on how we can be rich and healthy and have our best life now. In a word - we've lost our savor. We are not salty with the gospel or the truth - and now we are being systematically being thrown out and trampled under the foot of a growing dictatorship. That is how it has always happened historically - and that is how it is happening today. Oh, that we would awake out of our slumber and realize that November 3, 2012 is not the day of our potential deliverance. It will matter little who is elected in November if we do not do much before then to repent, fall to our knees, and cry for God's mercy on our MORAL FAILURE. The trampling of the Law of God is always followed by the historic trampling of the rule of law in a nation. That, dear saints, is usually followed by the systematic destruction of the visibility of the true church . . . and then . . . the complete discarding of any governing document and the rise of a dictator who rules by his own tyranny. [AFTERTHOUGHT . . . May God restore us and make His face to shine upon us! May God grant us broken repentance and return to Him and to the joy of seeking His face and walking in His ways! May our greatest concern in the days ahead be His glory rather than our comfort within a decaying political system. May we act with the same kind of passion in our prayers for revival in the church that we do with the positioning of ourselves to attain political victory this coming Fall.] First off I would like to say that I love watching Tim Tebow play football. The reason for this is because of how he plays with all his heart. I love watching a competitor give his all in what he does. There is a blessing that will come to anyone who plays a sport like this – with passion and sportsmanship. I also enjoy watching Tebow represent Jesus Christ as well. I have not seen every interview he has done recently, but in those I have seen I appreciate a quarterback who is humble about his own accomplishments, and who takes the time to give credit to the rest of his team for their hard work and dedicated play. And believe me, I appreciate a young man who gives glory to God for the abilities and opportunities God has given him.
The reason why I am writing about Tebow and the Bronco’s winning streak is because there are too many Christians who think God is behind all this. Some even think God is making the Denver Broncos win games because they have a Christian quarterback who openly voices his faith. I do not know whether God has involved Himself with who wins or loses in the NFL. There is no Scripture passage that tells us whether He does this or not. I just find it a little disconcerting that many are putting so much emphasis on the outcome of a game – and equating it to God’s favor on what appears to be a very godly young man who is the quarterback of that team. Give me a few moments, if you will to voice my thoughts on this. God is sovereign over all things. This is biblical truth. Therefore God is sovereign, even over NFL football games. Some say God is too busy to concern Himself with such things. The God of the Bible is NEVER too busy. He is infinite and eternal – knowing every thought, intent, and action of every human being on the planet. He does this without needing a break – or a vacation so that He can unwind. Having said this, I do want to say as well that God has given His primary attention in Scripture to the praise of His glory as the gospel changes and transforms those whom He saves. Much of what we “make much of” is considered trivial and secondary to God. We place our focus on the final score of the game – while I believe our God places his focus on the character of those who play it. In this regard I LOVE to watch Tim Tebow because he glorifies God by the character he shows while playing football for the Denver Broncos. Does this mean that God therefore owes Tim Tebow victories due to his faithfulness and desire to honor God? That is something we should probably examine further. When we honor God with our obedience to Him – we are blessed. When we choose to rely on Him and turn to His Word for how we live and the character we choose in every situation – we are blessed. When we walk in our chosen field of endeavor in a way that glorifies God – we are blessed. But to say that such conduct and such choices require God to make us successful and winners in all we do – is inaccurate – and spiritually dangerous. The blessing we receive as we live for God and His glory is . . . that God is glorified. More than anything else this should be our focus. There are times when God is glorified in giving us overt blessings that are plain for all to see. The Lord blessed David with great victories in battle. He blessed Moses by splitting the Red Sea and crushing Pharaoh’s army underneath tons of water as it returned to its natural state. But there were also times when God was glorified by things that didn’t look so good on the outside. Job endured tremendous difficulties both physical and emotional as he endured a time of intense testing and trial for God’s glory. David may have seen great victories – but he was also the recipient of almost 10 years of running for his life while Saul tried to hunt him down and kill him. It is a dangerous thing to think that if we obey and walk in God’s way, we deserve the best – and only the best to happen to us. That thinking is what led Job’s three friends to think that because he was facing physical illness and emotional and spiritual upheavals that it was due to sin in his life. There are times when God is most glorified when we are obedient and blessed – but others when we are obedient and . . . not so blessed. The key is knowing that God deserves our obedience and the glory from it – no matter what our physical, emotional, or spiritual condition. No matter what happens in our lives – God is still good – and still worthy of praise, glory, and honor. What happens WHEN Tim Tebow loses a game? Does that mean he is sinful and no longer worthy of blessing? He must have been a sinner his senior year at Florida because he didn’t win a national championship that year – and on top of that wasn’t awarded the Heisman Trophy. This is where the “blessed if you do” and “sinful if you’re not blessed” kind of theology takes us. And let’s step away from Mr. Tebow and consider others – brothers and sisters in persecuted lands like China, East Timor, and a host of Islamic nations. Is their lack of outward blessing a sign of sin in their midst. Be careful how you answer – for these are some of God’s most choice saints. They endure hardship and persecution with the godliest character that brings much glory to their Father in heaven. Are we in financially blessed America the godliest saints on earth because of our physical blessings? Oh, be careful how you answer again – for many times a nation that has everything it wants – is far more judged than blessed. They may be blessed in physical and financial things – but too often they are full of themselves and filled with the sins that excess brings. They will find that their fall will be hard when God matches their physical state with what they truly are spiritually. We can only judge and examine things by wise, discerning, Scriptural judgment. God is far more interested in what character we manifest in the game – than in the outcome of the final score of the game. God is far more interested in the quality of our devotion and dedication to Him than He is in our prowess in some sport or other field of endeavor. God is far more interested in Tim Tebow’s heart before, during, and well after the game – than He is in his stats during it. And we would do much better to hope that Tim’s witness and walk is worthy of the gospel than whether the Broncos win their division and the Super Bowl. From what I can see and hear (which is very little in the scope of things) Tim Tebow is doing a wonderful job representing Jesus Christ on and off the football field. That is very difficult considering the manner in which this young man is being scrutinized by those cheering for his demise. My concern for him is that God continues to give him both strength and grace as he seeks to glorify God, not only as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos – but much more importantly as a brother in Christ who desires to please God long after he hangs up his cleats. Sitting here in my office a couple of days after the most recent election, please forgive me if I do not share the same sense of uphoria about our current situation. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad that conservatives have been elected to Washington - and that the voice of our nation has resounded in the halls of power. But if I could, I'd like to comment on a few things that were not on the ballot on November 2nd.
#1 - Jesus is Lord . . . Please do not mistake the vote Tuesday as a vote for the gospel of Jesus Christ and a statement that we've once again embraced the faith of our fathers. I fear that much of the vote was due to the economic distress people are experiencing or due to the out of control spending that is happening in Washington for the past 50 years. There are some who are concerned about constitutional liberties being infringed as well. But . . . even though these are good things in the temporal world of today, the truth is that for the most part the gospel of Jesus Christ is rejected in our nation currently. I'm not saying this to rain upon anyone's parade. I am saying it because we need to keep the main thing the main thing. We've been called to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of our nation. The first century church did not see its role being to bring political freedom to the Roman empire. The took their marching orders from Matthew 28:18-19. They knew they were to make disciples of all the nations, identifying them with Jesus through baptism and teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded them. My concern today is that too many Christians will see our struggle as a political one - and not enough of them will realize that whether we have an abundance of freedom or none at all - our duty will not change. We are to share Jesus Christ with the lost - and work with those who come to repentance so that they become disciples who live out that same duty as well. 2. Godliness . . . In some ways this might have been a part of decision making among the electorate. There were some candidates who ran on a strong pro-life, pro-marriage stance. They opposed abortion and were not for legalizing homosexual marriage. I am grateful for those who are going to Washington to defend life and biblical marriage. But, I am under no delusion that godliness received a resounding "yes" vote in this or any of our recent election cycles. We've allowed ourselves to be gradually moved from biblical ground on moral issues. At present we are trying to stop homosexual marriage from being declared legal. The problem though is not gay marriage - but a moral decay that has been going on since the late 1950's. Homosexuality is a "death-throes" issue. Biblically, we should be grieving over heterosexual immmorality. Sexuality is clearly defined in the Bible as relations between one woman and one man - for life. That almost isn't an issue any longer - not just in the world, but even in the church. We are steadily being incrementally moved away from biblically based morality. If the result of this election is that we set the moral bar afresh at gay marriage - deciding to make that our stand - we've lost far worse than we can ever win. Our stand has to be on biblical morality - whether that is popular or not. We cannot allow the world of politics to frame that debate. 3. The Kingdom of God . . . Jesus made it very clear that His kingdom is not of this world. Although I strongly believe that I should speak out in the political context on moral issues and the wisdom of what we are doing financially as a nation, my hope is not in these things. When the mid-term elections came about the way they did, I was glad. But in no way do I think that my future rests on the policies that are going to be set in Washington. They will do what they do - which too often involves compromises with which I'm very uncomfortable - but my direction comes from another kingdom. That kingdom is not of this world. History will continue to move toward the return of Christ. The world will continue to grow more and more ungodly in the run up to the coming of the antichrist. Israel will be more and more isolated - with even the United States turning against her in the end. The church is to stand in the midst of all this and faithfully proclaim that there is a kingdom to come - the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. The decisions of that kingdom will stand forever - and are not, nor have they ever been subject to the political activities of men and women here on earth. That kingdom was not put into power in this last election - it has always been in power - and will always be in power. May God give us wisdom and grace to know these things - and to base our choices and lifestyles upon them. May we see and realize that this was truth before these elections - and will be truth long after all earthly elections cease. Am I glad at the results of the mid-term elections in 2010? Yes, for the most part I am - but regardless of whether I won or lost in my votes - this election mattered very little in my choices previous to it - or subsequently after it. Those choices were set in motion a long time ago when God graciously drew me to Himself and granted me repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. From that moment forward, I've been saved - and from that point a path has been laid out for me - to walk with and glorify Jesus Christ regardless of what administration or regime is in power. |
What is the Prophecy/News Update?At Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro, we believe that history is moving toward fulfilling God's plans and purposes. In an effort to help us be prepared for His appearing - and also to chronicle news items you just won't see in the national media - this page is devoted to sharing those items and their possible significance to Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend.
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