Tag Archives: citizens

What you can give our nation (Luke 20:23-25) December 27, 2016

Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Esther 1-5

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 20:23-25
Jesus: Why are you trying to trick Me? Show Me a coin. Whose image and name are on this coin?
Chief Priests, Religious Scholars, and Elders: Caesar’s.
Jesus: Well then, you should give to Caesar whatever is Caesar’s, and you should give to God whatever is God’s.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I’ve been thinking a lot the last year about how distorted our views are about what Jesus thought about governments. We’ve just been through one of the most tumultuous election cycles in our 240 year history with both sides screaming about the unfair system. Both winners and losers claim problems at the polls with voter identification fraud, or the need for voter identification in the first place. Claims that dead people vote, some stealing votes by using someone else’s identity, non-citizens voting, broken or hacked machines, boxes of ballots not counted. There has been an incredible scandal about he whole system.

Then people decry the electoral college and how fair or unfair it might be. Of course the sparsely populated areas of the country think the electoral college is extremely fair, otherwise they would have no voice in the country. The overly populated areas of the country think the electoral college is extremely unfair, because as we’ve seen the majority doesn’t always rule. And then some think we should have a completely democratic system while some think we should be socialist.

Well, one of the great things I like about reading God’s word over and over and particularly concentrating on Jesus’ words these last several months, He never supports or condemns any particular form of government. Have you ever noticed that? Jesus had a few things to say about unjust rulers, but not about their form of government. He called King Herod, “that old fox”, but didn’t say the Roman Empire or the regents and kings, as Herod liked to be called, were necessarily good or bad forms of government.

In fact, God’s words tells us that governments exist at His pleasure to assist human society to live in community. Since we have proven we cannot rule ourselves with decency because of our selfishness, He puts kings and authorities over us to rule us and keep some order in our communities instead of leaving us to the chaos that would erupt if left to our own devices. I don’t think God cares much whether that government is a democracy or dictatorship. I think what He would prefer is a theocracy with Him in charge.

Our problem is, we won’t give Him that place in our communities. Whether we’re talking about cities, states, or nations, I don’t know of a single place on earth right now that gives God sovereignty. We take it from Him. Or at least we try to, thinking we can do a better job of managing our affairs that God. We’ve done a pretty lousy job, though. Just look around at the mess we’ve made. We can’t get along with anyone. We can’t even get along in our own families if you look at the divorce rates, the incidents of spouse and child abuse, the domestic violence, and even the murders within families.

So what should we do about the mess we’ve made with the governments we live under? We are about to start a new year in a few days and an opportunity to start a new season, with a new president in this country, whether you voted for him or against him. We will have a new congress with new senators and new representatives, whether you voted for them or against them. But the interesting thing is that you just happened to be born into this particular country at this particular time with these particular leaders and we can do one of two things.

We can pray for them and ask God to help them make godly decisions and guide our country toward revival using each of us who claim to be followers of Christ as the instruments of revival fire. Or we can belly-ache about the conditions and how unfair the system is and how the side we’re not on politically just doesn’t understand and how gullible they are to the untruths the media spews our way. (By the way, that works whether you are Democrat or Republican or Independent.)

As for me, I feel privileged to live in this particular country and have prayed for my presidents whether they have been the party of my choice or not. Whether I have agreed with them or not. Whether I voted for them or desired for them to take that seat of power or not. Because it really isn’t up to me or you or the 120 million people who voted as to who will sit in what some think of as the seat of power. It’s not for us to give to them. It’s not for them to take or earn or buy. God puts into those positions the people He wants into those positions. Sometimes He even lets us have what we deserve. Ouch! Scary thought, huh!

Make it a point, whatever your political persuasion the rest of this year and the next to pray for our leaders. They need it. We need them to know as Christians we lift them each day in prayer in a positive way. That, more than anything else you do this year, will make a difference in our political system and our nation.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Are there any Christians out there? (Luke 12:31-34) November 17, 2016

Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ecclesiastes 7-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 12:31-34
Jesus: Since you don’t need to worry—about security and safety, about food and clothing—then pursue God’s kingdom first and foremost, and these other things will come to you as well.
My little flock, don’t be afraid. God is your Father, and your Father’s great joy is to give you His kingdom.
That means you can sell your possessions and give generously to the poor. You can have a different kind of savings plan: one that never depreciates, one that never defaults, one that can’t be plundered by crooks or destroyed by natural calamities. Your treasure will be stored in the heavens, and since your treasure is there, your heart will be lodged there as well.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Where is your heart? We want to immediately say, “My heart is in heaven. My treasure is there. I’m completely devoted to God. There is no question about it.” But I’d like you to stop and think hard today about that question. Where is your heart, really?

This election cycle has given me an opportunity to watch the behavior of a lot of people who proclaimed heaven as their home. Yet as I’ve read some of their Facebook dialogue and listened to their speech when it comes to one party or another in this crazy campaign, I’ve got to tell you, I’m not sure they are on their way there. I’m not sure the Father would be very happy with the words they say about their neighbors or the actions they take against those they have proclaimed as enemies in this political battle.

Quite frankly, neither candidate has character worth emulating. President-elect Trump has several lawsuits still active against him because of some fairly shady business deals in his past. His treatment of women earlier in his life leave much to be desired. He is pretty flamboyant and certainly isn’t Christlike in his actions in dealing with others from what we see on the surface.

Secretary Clinton is no better. She clearly lied to Congress in her testimony about her emails and her private server as evidenced by the deluge of information that has come out through both conservative and liberal press and her own staff. Her staff releases information about her abusive tongue and as with Mr. Trump, she is far from displaying any kind of Christian behavior unless it is for a photo op.

Is that judgmental? Okay. It is. Evidenced by public behavior on both their parts. Wake up America! Neither candidate would be convicted in court of being a Christian according to God’s word. They just don’t stack up to the changed life Jesus talks about when He talks about the transformation He make in a person’s life when we give ourselves fully to Him. So there it is. We did not have Christians to choose from and we did not elect a Christian leader. We are not a Christian nation and have not been for decades.

But that’s okay. Jesus didn’t live in a Christian nation either. He lived in Judea under the rule of Rome. I’m not sure there has ever really been a Christian nation because as Jesus told Pilot, His kingdom was not of this world. We don’t belong here. When we give ourselves to Him, we gain citizenship to a different world, His kingdom. We become foreigners to this place. So why do we let the affairs of this world distract us so much when we don’t belong here?

Should we vote? Yes. Should we support a candidate? Yes. Should we pray and get involved in things that will make a difference in the welfare of others as we continue on this earthly journey? Yes. We are to be good citizens as long as we are here. But we should not get so bent out of shape when things don’t go the way we think they should. God gives promotion, not men Proverbs tells us. God allows elections to go the way they go. But we are citizens of heaven. We know the final outcome and need not worry about the things of this world.
God is still on the throne and none of the actions and activities that happened in the last week caused even a tremble in His throne room.

As Christians, we have an opportunity to bring unity to our world. We can show the world that all the craziness that is happening around our nation and our world is just that – craziness. This rampant fear and mourning and protest and pandering and maneuvering going on is just insane. God is still in charge despite what anyone else might think. As Christians we have an opportunity to get that message out and bring peace to those who are wallowing in this insanity. God is still in charge. Not Trump, Not Clinton, Not Obama, Not Congress. No one but God.

The question is whether we put our trust and treasure in Him so we have something that will last or will we be like the crazies in the street and just let everything go up in smoke. It’s time we show what it means to have our hearts in heaven and let the rest of the nation see what peace looks and feels like. So, are there still any Christians out there that can show the rest of the nation God’s way of peace and joy at the end of the day?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.