Tag Archives: Voting

Strong Delusion – Part 2

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As I  quoted from Paul yesterday, “They did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie”  (2Th 2:10-11) This will actually be fulfilled during the Tribulation, but because of the falling away of Christians in the last times, we will see this even during our days.

We revealed in the election that we are rejecting God as a country.  We are rejecting a personal relationship with God, God’s design for marriage, who is sovereign in our lives and the gift of life from God.  Our moral compass is slowly spinning around and does not know how to orient to Truth.

Decisions made Tuesday reveal several things about our attitude toward God.  First, we do not want God in our lives.  The Democratic Platform almost left God off the platform, until the committee heard enough backlash from constituents to force a voice vote to reinstate God into their platform.  I still believe the voice vote went in favor of leaving God off the platform, but the chair knew the right answer was to keep God at least written into the platform.  We want what we want rather than submitting to God’s Word.  Many are warning America is heading for a fiscal cliff when the real problem is we have reached the tipping point of the spiritual cliff.  The fiscal cliff is only a tangible sign of the spiritual and moral cliff we are falling off.  We don’t trust in God; we as a nation trust in government. 

You might think that we Christians already know this.  Most know this, I realize.  Yet, I am ashamed of fellow conservatives and Christians who did not vote.  Complacency and lack of understanding biblical responsibility caused many to think their one vote would not count.  That foolish thinking could have changed every race.  Some who did not vote are thinking, “But I prayed for the election.”  That is foolish.  Get off your seat and get on your feet and vote for biblical principles.  A Christian who did not vote, but could have, does not have God ruling in his life.

Secondly, we think we know about love and marriage better than God.  Same-sex proponents are no longer quiet about their lifestyle.  They are open, brash and hardened about it and not desiring the freedom that can be acquired in Jesus Christ. Scripture warns repeatedly that marriage is between one man and one woman from the beginning to the end.  The issue is not whether love exists between two people, but whether God exists between two people.  For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.(Rom 1:26-27)  I don’t hate those who choose a lifestyle contrary to God’s design.  I want to help them see how they can experience the joy of God’s design. 

We are merely living out what Paul wrote in the last days, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good…” (2Ti 3:1-3)  I’m no better than anyone else, I just know I need to pursue God’s design for the best way to honor Him and experience the blessing of what He designed.

Thirdly, we think government will best be able to care for us.  Government is put in place by God to insure external and internal peace so that we can worship Him, live in peace and extend His reach in peace to other nations of people. (Rom. 13:1-7)  The local church was intended to care for people.  We have failed over the last twenty centuries to do that.  It’s no wonder why people look to and are dependent on the government.  That is indicative of our failure to disciple people to Jesus Christ’s mandate of making disciples of all the nations.

In 1900, the church was the center of people’s lives.  Today, church is a drive-thru place where I can get my spiritual fix and move on to more important events in my schedule.  When the church gets back to true discipleship and an orientation where each person understands his/her role in discipleship, the church can be restored to her rightful place of being the Bride of Jesus Christ. In the meantime we’ll likely continue following “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judg 21:25)  The solution is always to seek what is “pleasing to the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:9)

Fourthly, we think we can control life.  Whether we think we can end a baby’s life in the womb and call it a choice, or we can spend our way to prosperity with fake money, God will have the final say.  One day, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Phi 2:10-11)  As you and I look and depend on Him, only then will we experience His life and the life He intended for us (John 10:10).

Yesterday, I said I was disappointed.  Yes, I didn’t know how much the outcome would affect me.  I’m actually excited to see how God is going to work through the details of these events.  I’m excited to see how people will respond.  I’m excited to see how His power will inspire us to press to the objective of the upward call in Christ Jesus.  I know in whom I believe.

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I trust you will join me in that endeavor to press on!
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Strong Delusion – Part 1

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          Paul says it well, “they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie”  (2Th 2:10-11)  I rejoiced that Mike Pence will become Governor Mike Pence for Indiana, but regarding many of the other elections, I admit that I’m disappointed.  I’m thankful that history never depends on man and I will never trust in man.  Jeremiah warned Israel, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.  (Jer 17:5-8)  When Jeremiah prophesied, Israel was in a downward spiral to her fait accompli.

I’m not disappointed in those who achieved personal victory, even if I didn’t vote for some of them. I’m disappointed in where my country is spiritually.  I realize today how deluded we are in our thinking.  We Christians have not fared well in living out the gospel message and discipling people to a saving faith in Jesus Christ and to holiness in spiritual discipleship.
 
The vote tells me several things about my country.  First, we are more concerned about self than principle.  We would rather get what we can get for free than live principles of hard work and doing what is best for our community.
 
It has been alleged that Benjamin Franklin wrote, “When the people find they can votethemselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.”  Whether he said it or not, it’s a true statement.  As the political pundits discussed why some won and why others lost, the bottom line is a spiritual issue.  People are selfish and would put aside principle and vote for freebies they can get.  Fifty percent of American people pay a total of 3.4 percent of the federal income tax receipts.  Forty-seven percent are receiving food stamps.  I am troubled by much of the greed of the wealthy, but I’m also troubled by the entitlement mentality of my less well off brethren.
 
Ron Paul lives on principle and many of his ideas should have been adopted by both of the parties.  He said,
“People do not want anything cut…They want all the bailouts to come. They want the Fed to keep printing the money. And they don’t believe that we’ve gone off the cliff or are close to going off the cliff. They think we can patch it over, that we can somehow come up with some magic solution. But you can’t have a budgetary solution if you don’t change what the role of government should be. As long as you think we have to police the world and run this welfare state, all we are going to argue about is who will get the loot.”
 
 
 
 
Secondly, we care about present personal rights than biblical ethics.  A majority of youth, women, those in labor unions and non-whites in America voted for President Obama and only white males voted in majority for Mitt Romney.  I’m not anti-any-group.  Jesus died for every person.  There are clear biblical principles that are more important than my “rights” or desires.
 
I can learn from anyone and I need others to complement what God has given me to do on earth. Yet, as a country, we’re more concerned as a nation about personal rights like women’s rights than the right of the unborn baby.  We’re more concerned about who will pay for my education of reconstructed history than someone who wants students to learn true constitutional history.  We’re more concerned about creature comforts, vacation, high pay for mediocre work than a system that allows people to be rewarded for excellent hard work.  We’re more concerned about getting the golden eggs from the government for free because we came from a country of oppression than following the guidelines everyone else has to follow.
 
Thirdly, we get sucked into hype and misinterpretation rather than truth.  The two senator hopefuls from Missouri and Indiana made comments that were distorted and likely caused their losses. Todd Akin from Missouri, made the comment about “legitimate rape” which was extremely an unfortunate choice of words, much like Richard Murdock’s comment, “even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that is something that God intended to happen.”  Murdock’s statement is easily misunderstood if people don’t listen to understand. Akin did not speak well and did not handle things well.  Murdock was blasted by the viral threat of digital gossip.  The situation was indicative of where our country is spiritually.  But I don’t put my hope in people or my country.
 
My hope is in nothing less that Jesus Christ.  This vote merely means there are many more opportunities to penetrate the world with the gospel and I need to use every day for clear thinking and effective discipleship. The following words are my hope:
 
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
 
            Let me address specifically tomorrow, how my country has revealed that its eyes are divided and away from Jesus Christ.