Tomorrow is another story...it's the election. While I know many have voted already, I still have some words for us all as Christ followers.
"You should leave your Bible and your faith outside the voting booth." Whoever came up with that or subscribes to anything similar is in one of three camps:
1) They are ignorant of what "faith" is.
2) They are trying to manipulate your vote and are afraid of what you will vote if you vote as your faith instructs
3) They are blind zombies being led around by the nose by someone they respect that is either in the camp of #1 or #2...that's all there is.
Doesn't mean they are deceitful per se...doesn't mean they don't legitimately think they are right...just means they are honestly wrong...either way you slice it. Here's a few verses to consider:
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
31 So
whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
1 Follow God's example in everything
you do, because you are his dear children.
2 Live a life filled with love for
others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a
sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice
was like sweet perfume to him.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (NLT)**I added the bold and underline...to God, all of it is meant to be bolded and underlined. :)
God doesn't really leave any activity on the planet for a Christ follower to "take a vacation" from being a Christ follower or to "put that aside".
Even further...Romans 14:23 goes so far to tell us that "everything not done in faith is sin." What that means is ANYTHING that you do that is not based in your faith in Christ is sin and puts you at odds against the Father...so let's put all that "leave your faith in your other pants" mess to bed. If you could do that, it wouldn't be faith.
Don't get mad at non-Christians who try to throw that out there because they heard someone say it and it was cute...they don't understand. Don't treat them as enemies, treat them as ignorant (and not in the insulting nasty ignorant, but just uninformed). If they want to stay uninformed, that's their choice, respect that.
God not only is interested in you worshipping Him through your vote, He commands it. Romans 13 tells us to be subject to the authorities that are over us, governmentally, and follow them as much as we can without sacrificing our commitment to God. Under this authority, our responsibility is to vote and to vote our convictions. To sacrifice that is not what God has said...
So who do you vote for if you are a Christian?
Well, that's up to you and God, but here are some things to consider. Proverbs 29:2 says
"2 When the righteous are
in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people
mourn." So it's pretty obvious, you look for someone who's following Jesus.
What happens when no one is a Christian?
What happens when no one is a Christian?
Because sin is in the world, we are left with impossible choices (that's why Christ's message and his overcoming sin is so important). Because sin is in the world, it means someone isn't following Christ and you just might be forced to choose between people that aren't...so what do you do then? I'm reminded of the words of the writer of Proverbs 3...
3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
As a Christian, there's no way around believing that God's Word is the supreme wisdom for us...so that tells me personally, to look at the wisdom of God and who is the closest to what God says is correct on the issues.
What does God say about life (at the beginning of it and the end)?
What does God say about the poor?
What does God say about labor?
What does God say about marriage?
What does God say about war?
What does God say about finances and debt?
What does God say about justice?
What does God say about foreign relations?
God speaks about ALL of those issues in His Word and gives clear direction to what He thinks is admirable. If you are reading your word, it's easy to know.
A final word on leaders and the election:
1) Save Christ and Himself, God gave no list of approved people to lead you governmentally by name. God didn't leave an approved political party in the Bible. God is not a Republican...God is not a Democrat...God is not a Libertarian...God is God. You either jive with His platform or you don't, God does not ask for you opinion on what He should do, you ask Him what His command is about what you are going to do...and you do it.
2) God does leave, in His Word, lists of qualities for leaders that He feels are important.
3) God does leave, in His Word, how he feels about many things.
#2 and #3 should be very important to everyone who follows Christ.
Wednesday morning...regardless of how this thing ends, there's one message that should ring true for Christians...God is just as in control as He was yesterday and today. No government can knock Him off the throne....when Jesus came, people seem to forget that He saw no need to take political power to change the world. For Jesus, President would be a demotion. This reality shouldn't be a surprise, and therefore should help us understand that God is true...no matter who wins. Consider these verses.
5 I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
Psalm 135:5-6 (NIV)
8 “Remember this, keep it in mind,take it to heart, you rebels.
9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’
Isaiah 46:8-10 (NIV)
God's purposes have existed and advanced under horrible Kings of Biblical times, such as Ahab, Manasseh, Amon and Jeroboam... In the Romans 13 passage i mentioned above, it was written when Nero was feeding Christians to lions and God was saying "submit to the authority"...in spite of people like Stalin, Hitler...systems like Apartheid...none of those things have stopped God's message or God.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
Psalm 24:1-4 (NIV) Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
If you are not careful, politics and the election can become the idol you trust in to fix the world...it won't. It's just another way that you can follow God and how you follow God is just as important as being able to parrot truth verbally from God's Word. If your delivery system violates Scripture, then you are sending two counter messages.
More than your vote, your response on Wednesday will speak more to what you believe. If you freak out if your candidate doesn't win and start posting on Facebook about how you are moving to France and the world's gonna end, you just told the world you never believed God was in charge to begin with. If you have a fit when your candidate wins and start talking about how we "dodged a bullet there"...not so much...God is in charge, or was He?
Just my two cents. ...for 4 or 10 dollars...boy this was long.
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