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Perspective for those Fearful and Freaked out by the Upcoming Election

10/22/2020

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God grant you joy in knowing that as a believer in Jesus Christ you dwell in a glorious Lordship, no matter what earthly political system you live under.

Hooray for the Lordship of Jesus Christ! Today as I remembered the fact that Jesus is Lord (not we make Him Lord – that is unbiblical) I was honestly filled with joy! If you are like me you’ve been living in a world that has been dominated lately with talk of who will be our leader and president after November 3rd. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I have no idea who is going to win that contest. But regardless of who does win that election, it will not alter for one millisecond Who is Lord.

Christians have lived under every kind of political system under the sun. The early church lived under a Roman system that eventually was ruled by a dictatorship (or Caesar – it honestly was the same thing). There were some real doozies who ruled the Roman Empire. There was Claudius and Nero, Domitian and Trajan, Marcus Aurelius and Septimus Severus, Decius and Valerian, and then Diocletian and finally Constantine I, who supposedly converted to Christianity. Some of these leaders persecuted Christians with great passion, while others considered them more of a nuisance. The early church did not ever know any kind of “rights-based” democracy or republic. But, then again, they already knew the One Who is Lord. Jesus Christ ruled their lives in the midst of life in the Roman empire.

How did these brothers and sisters fare with such a horrible political situation? Oh, they did well as they saw the Gospel of Jesus Christ represented all over the empire. They lived with the command of God to honor their leaders (yep, even Nero and Caligula), pray for them, and submit to the governing authorities unless doing so meant denying Christ. Then they chose to honor and obey God rather than man. They did not try to start a revolution – unless you mean the one that overtook those who came to Christ. In them a revolution took place in their heart as their heart of stone was removed and they received a heart of flesh. They experienced a revolution where their hearts and loyalties were turned to Christ Jesus, their new Lord. They loved Him, lived for Him, and spread the good news about Him all over the empire. When faced with the choice of bowing their knee and saying Caesar is Lord, the chose imprisonment and death rather than deny their only Lord, Jesus Christ. The majority did not endure that fate. They simply lived out their lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Ultimately He was the one they looked to and obeyed as they lived out the days appointed for them. They endured the kings and kingdoms of men, knowing that the day would come when the kingdoms of this world would become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

This revolution has had its adherents in every nation, tribe, and tongue. Each has known the replacement of self on the throne of their lives by the Lord Jesus Christ taking His rightful place. The result of that wonderful change has been salvation from sin and the specter of the wrath of God at the end of the age. The result has also been a radical change in how one views and lives in this present evil age. Elections continue in the earthly realm – with rulers taking their place for a brief breath of time. Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall in the current age – and within those kingdoms, nations, and empires the true church continues to obey her Lord as she awaits the day He returns.

No matter who wins this election, on November 4th every true believer in Jesus Christ will not know any change in who they ultimately obey. They system under which they live and labor for Christ may change, but their Lord will remain the same. Throughout today this fact has comforted my heart in ways that cannot be understood except by fellow Christians. I do not live in fear of what the future ultimately holds. I do not live with a sense of dread any more if who I vote for does not win the election. Because all I’m doing is voting for one who will be an earthly leader who will live, die, and face the same judgment all other men and women will face. My Lord will not be altered – nor can He be.

On November 4th I will awaken much like I’ve awakened to other days in this life God has given me. I will turn to the same God who has created all things – and thank Him for the day He has made – and make the conscious choice to rejoice in it. I will turn to His Word and fellowship with Him through it, relying on His Holy Spirit to teach and lead me through whatever day comes. I will hopefully submit to Him in all that I do and say that day so as to honor and glorify Him by living in a manner worth of the Gospel I’ve received – and worthy of the Lord Who has saved me. The world will most likely be in some sort of upheaval. The world is like that because it continues in ungodliness and unrighteousness – and disobedience to the One Who IS Lord. My goal on that day will be to love God with all my heart, love my neighbor as myself, share the Gospel with those who do not know Christ, and make disciples of Jesus Christ.

The reason we can know such peace . . . is because we know the Prince of Peace. The reason we can walk in stability regardless of how unstable everything is around us . . . is because we know the Lord, who gives us a kingdom that cannot be shaken. This will not change no matter who is elected president of the United States.

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Overwhelmed and Exhausted, part 3 - Who are you trying to please?

12/11/2010

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   This is part three of a study on what to do if you are overwhelmed and exhausted.  If you thought from last week’s article that God’s Word was going to let you quit for good, you are unfortunately mistaken.  This week we will look at what God did next to help alleviate Elijah’s sense of being overwhelmed and exhausted.

              Something that often is overlooked in this passage is the fact that God pretty much encouraged Elijah to lay down and rest—sleep if you will.  He did this twice—taking time to feed Elijah each time when he awakened.  Now there is a view out there that says when we are serving the Lord, we should work to the point of utter exhaustion.  Unfortunately, there are many who have taken that advice—and have worked themselves to that point of being exhausted.  Such a view is contrary to God’s Word.  Let’s take a look at what might have caused Elijah’s exhaustion (and possibly yours too).

            Elijah said in his first statement to God, “I am no better than my fathers.”  This statement revealed a little of    Elijah’s mistaken reasoning that led to his exhaustion.  It had to do with the expectations that Elijah was carrying.  He was to be “better” than his fathers.  Now granted, his fathers were the people of that generation whose actions and choices had led to a gutter-level low point in Israel’s spiritual history.  But whether our fathers are awesome or awful spiritually the same Biblical principle holds on this issue.  We are not to examine ourselves with ourselves.  The standard to which Elijah was to adhere was God’s—not one that was compared to the failings or the excelling of his   fathers.  This can be a burden that is unbearably heavy.  For Elijah this burden was most likely one where he could not make even one mistake.  He had to be absolutely faultless and perfect to best his fathers.  What is amazing is that until Jezebel threatened him—he was doing awesome.  But HAVING to do awesome every moment of your life, winds up not being so awesome.  Mess up once—and your house of cards comes tumbling down.  You tried so hard to keep them up, and now they’ve fallen.  You might say, Elijah?  Building a house of cards?  Look at where he wound up after all his efforts.  He is under a tree wanting to die.  The problem with doing “better than your fathers” is that when you do—you become proud.  But that pride goes before a fall, because one slip—and suddenly you are “no better than your fathers.”

            Here is a little secret for you.  God expects you to do what He says, in the strength He provides, and according to the Word He uses to instruct you.  There is no hidden agenda of you being better than anybody else.  There are no charts where you are trying to be number one by out-doing, out-serving, out-sharing, out-witnessing, out-loving—or for that matter out-anything-elseing any other person who knows the Lord.  God simply wants you to know Him, love Him, and serve Him as He directs you.  He knows your frame—and He knows that you are human (which means you are prone to goofing up in life).  You might find that once you’ve taken the ‘got-to-out-do’ everyone else monkey off your back that you begin to learn to serve God in peace—rather than serve Him in one-upping your fathers constantly.  Who knows, you might find that loving God this way becomes much less overwhelming and exhausting?

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Articles

Perspective for those Fearful and Freaked out by the Upcoming Election

Overwhelmed and Exhausted, part 3 - Who are you trying to please?

Biblical Articles

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​Articles

Perspective for those Fearful and Freaked out by the Upcoming Election

Overwhelmed and Exhausted, part 3 - Who are you trying to please?

Biblical Articles

Categories

Articles