Tag Archives: election

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

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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.

What should we fear? (Luke 12:4-7) November 13, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Peter 4-5

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 12:4-7
Jesus: Listen, My friends, if people are trying to kill you, why be afraid? After you’re dead, what more can they do? Here’s whose opinion you should be concerned about: the One who can take your life and then throw you into hell! He’s the only One you should fear! But don’t misunderstand: you don’t really need to be afraid of God, because God cares for every little sparrow. How much is a sparrow worth—don’t five of them sell for a few cents? Since you are so much more precious to God than a thousand flocks of sparrows, and since God knows you in every detail—down to the number of hairs on your head at this moment—you can be secure and unafraid of any person, and you have nothing to fear from God either.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There is so much unwarranted fear in our country right now. I’ve been amazed at what’s been coming across the media since the elections showing the fear in so many segments of our society. But what about? What are we so afraid of? Do we think that the sky will fall because we have a Republican president? Will the world stop spinning because the elections didn’t go the way CNN said they would last week? Will cows stop giving milk and chickens quit laying eggs?

The fear that runs across the country is really ridiculous if you ask my opinion. And the fear would be equally ridiculous if Hillary Clinton had won the election and Republicans claimed the world had come to an end. Neither of these two individuals or their staffs have that much influence. Some might think they do, but trust me, they don’t. God is still in charge of this world. He allows things to happen, but He is still in charge. His plans will come to fruition whoever sits in what we think is the seat of power in this country.

So, why are so many people afraid? I doubt if next week or next month or next year there will be any squads sweeping through the streets dragging people out of their homes and taking them to the gas chambers. We don’t live in that kind of country. Neither candidate, neither party, none of the leaders we elected in the last few days would condone or put up with any such behavior. Both love our country too much to allow any such nonsense to take place here.

But there is something we should fear. We should fear the lies that Satan keeps planting in our brain. We should fear the division that keeps creeping in between us. We should fear the hatred that spews from the mouths of those that call themselves Christians in this time. We should fear the One who set the rules in place as to how we should behave in any culture, not just a republic or a democracy or a dictatorship or a theocracy. We need to read God’s rule book and obey the things He laid out for us.

The thing to fear are those who would tell us that God’s word doesn’t need to be followed. The thing to fear are those who lead us to certain destruction by lulling us into thinking God doesn’t care about what we believe or that a God of love would not let anyone be doomed to an eternity without Him. The problem with that thinking is that God isn’t the one doing the dooming. He isn’t the one sending us there. God isn’t the one who make the choice about our eternal destiny.

God takes His hands off of that decision. He lifts His omnipotence in that one area and gives that choice to each of us. We decide if we will spend eternity in heaven or hell. We decide if we will follow Him or not. We decide if we will face eternal reward or eternal punishment. God is love. That’s why He made a way for us to be with Him forever. But He also expects us to choose His way. If we choose not to follow Him, He has told us the consequences. There is no doubt about the outcome. We are empowered to choose the path.

So now what do we do? Should we fear the paltry issues the media seems to throw in our faces to raise their ratings and get us to watch their newscasts? Should we shed crocodile tears over the meaningless headline that won’t last another week before something else hits the news and takes its place? Should we fear these false Armageddons that society tells are happening all around us that might disrupt our personal comfort and pleasures?

I think it’s time we pull out the rule book of the One who will be our final judge, the One who checks our actions against our stated beliefs and looks into our hearts to see how it all matches up. I think it’s time we figure out He’s the One we need to start paying attention to and live up to His expectations. If we choose not to, then it’s time to really be in fear. Then it’s time to check the sky and see if this is the day He comes to take out His vengeance on those who fail to follow Him.

What should we fear in these days? Only God.

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.

The election is over (Luke 11:46-52) November 11, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Zechariah 1-7

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:46-52
Jesus: Well, now that you mention it, watch out, all you religious scholars! Judgment will come on you too! You load other people down with unbearable burdens of rules and regulations, but you don’t lift a finger to help others. Woe to you; you don’t fool anybody! You seem very religious—honoring the prophets by building them elaborate memorial tombs. Come to think of it, that’s very fitting, since you’re so much like the people who killed the prophets! They killed the prophets; you build their tombs—you’re all in the same family business!
This is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send these people My prophets and emissaries, and these people will kill and persecute many of them.” As a result, this generation will be held accountable for the blood of all the prophets shed from the very beginning of time, from Abel’s blood to Zechariah’s blood, who was killed in the temple itself between the altar and the holy place. I’m serious: this generation will be held accountable.
So, religious scholars, judgment will come on you! You’re supposed to be teachers, unlocking the door of knowledge and guiding people through it. But the fact is, you’ve never even passed through the doorway yourselves. You’ve taken the key, left the door locked tight, and stood in the way of everyone who sought entry.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We are three days past the election in the United States and we’ve never needed to hear words like these more than today. Yes, Mr. Trump has won the Electoral College and will be the next President. And yes, it appears Mrs. Clinton will win the popular vote and lose the election. Those whose candidate won have rubbed it in the face of the losers, called names, demanded immediate change when no one has taken office yet. Those whose candidate lost have taken to the streets in protest and said Mr. Trump isn’t their President. I’ve been pretty amazed at the way people who say they are Christians have reacted on both sides of the fence.

What ever happened to grace? The election is over and whatever your personal opinion, the presidency has been decided. The framers of our Constitution were really brilliant men when they wrote the rules for electing the national leadership of the country. Even in the nation’s infancy, they knew a representative democracy allowed the smallest voices to be heard. So those who decry the outcome of the popular versus the Electoral College should look back in history at the other four times this has happened. Look at the election results by country and discover that the small and mid-sized towns went one direction and the metropolitan areas went another.

The country is divided urban against suburban and rural. Which life is better? Neither. They are different. Which one do you like? It’s your preference. Half the country lives and works in one, half the country lives and works in the other. Half the country voted for one candidate. Half the country voted for the other. This time, it just so happens those that feed the nation, the places considered the rural areas won the right to choose the next president. Is that bad? Not according to them. Is it good? Not according to the urbanites.

So what should we do? If the nation is so divided along the country lines described by this election? Should the rural areas just stop sending food to the cities since their political views are so different? Should the cities stop sending electricity and other metropolitan services to rural areas since they can’t seem to see eye to eye? Who wins in such a nation?

I mentioned Jesus earlier words, “A kingdom divided against itself will collapse.” So what will we do in the coming days? As Christians we can teach our brothers and sisters to act like Christ rather than the scribes He speaks to in the words we heard today. We can stand in the way and build those barriers. We can continue to criticize the other side and talk about how terrible the other party is and how corrupt the opposition has become. We can complain about how poorly run the government will be because of the divide and how nothing will get done.

Or we can do something remarkable as Christians. We can lift every newly elected official in prayer. We can send them messages of encouragement and stand behind them as our leaders regardless of their party affiliation. We can determine that together we can bring unity to our land, not a party member, but as an American. We can forget about color and gender and race and socioeconomic standing. We can begin to show the love of God to all the people who live in our neighborhood and show them what really matters is belonging to the Kingdom of God and nothing more.

Did your candidate win? It doesn’t matter because God allowed Mr. Trump to win the Electoral College vote. Never forget that! God allowed the 45th President of the United States to have never held a public office, never served in the Armed Forces, never been a government employee. God allowed the election to turn the way it did. This has not surprised Him. So what do we do now?

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” See, we have not elected the right candidate in a long time. It’s time we get down to business, quit complaining, quit acting like the scribes and Pharisees, humble ourselves, turn from our wicked ways, and pray folks. Our nation needs it, our leaders need it, we need it, I need it. It’s time.

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.

A house divided (Luke 11:17-20) November 4, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Haggai

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:17-20
Jesus: People, be logical. If a kingdom is divided against itself, it will collapse. If a ruling family is divided against itself, it will fall apart.
So if Satan’s kingdom is divided against itself, won’t his whole enterprise collapse? Does it make any sense to say I’m casting out demons by Beelzebul? Besides, if you’re saying it takes satanic power to cast out Satan, by whose power do your own exorcists work? If you condemn Me for an exorcism, you’ll have to condemn them. But if I by the power of God cast out demonic spirits, then face this fact: the kingdom of God is here, just as I’ve been saying.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We are less than a week from election day in this country. I’m sure everyone knows this is an important election for us, but many think it is more important than it really is. In fact, what this election shows is exactly what Jesus’ words tell us in these verses. Never has our nation been more divided than it is today. I’m not suer, even during the years of the Civil War when we raised arms against each other were we as bitter about the issues as we are today. None of the candidates or parties talk about how they will fix anything, they just talk about how bad the other candidate is. And it’s not just the presidential candidates. The vitriol ripples down through every election all the way to mayors and council members and school superintendents.

The division in our country has become pretty disgusting as a whole and as Jesus said, “A kingdom divided against itself will collapse.” We are on the brink of collapse – economically, politically, morally, spiritually, you name it, we’re on the brink. Just read the statistics and you’ll see it in front of you. Don’t listen to the rhetoric of the candidates, they want to be elected. Go to the statistics in the courthouses and Congressional records and look for yourself. We are on the brink of collapse. Why? Because we are more divided than we have ever been in our 240 year history.

So what do we do about it? How can we fix the divide that threatens us? Is there a solution that can pull us together instead of the party wedges that keep pulling us apart?

I can assure you the answer is yes and it’s a simple answer. Unfortunately, the answer will probably not happen in my lifetime or in yours as we look at the path we take as a nation and as a race called humans. You see, the answer is total commitment to God’s will instead of ours. Giving up what we want and acknowledging God as the Master of all things including us collectively and individually. But we won’t give up our selfish control because we think we know best. Just like the Democrats and Republicans each declare they know how best to run the country. Neither know how as both parties have each adequately demonstrated through their failures in their tours in the White House and in Congress.

It doesn’t matter if the Squid party runs the country as long as God is really in control. And if He is not, again, it doesn’t matter who is in control, nothing will be fixed. Everyone will look out for themselves instead of lifting God and letting Him fix what needs fixed, our sinful hearts. Are there Christian candidates? I’m sure there are a few. But watching the behavior and character of the candidates, there are a lot more who say they are Christian but are not than there are real Christians with Jesus as Lord of their life.

Maybe you want to say that’s judging people and we are not supposed to judge others. You can call it what you want, but Jesus also told us to be wise and watchful and avoid false prophets. He understood the tricks and schemes of those who would try to lead God’s children down the wrong path. When He talked about judging, His words said to remember we would be judged by the same yardstick. I can’t talk about the thief if I’m cheating on my taxes, for instance, because I’m stealing from the government when I do. I can’t talk about adultery if I’m lusting after other women. Because Jesus says that’s where adultery starts.

So can we judge the behavior of others? Yes and we should these days. Satan is trying his best to use that “don’t judge” phrase to trap us into all sorts of tolerance for evil. Stop! Judge others for their evil behavior. But also let God shine His light on your own and become Lord of your life by being obedient to Him. Only then do we have any chance of finding unity of any kind in this world.

Remember what Jesus called us to as His disciples? If your answer was unity, you got it right. That doesn’t mean we’ll all be Democrats or Republicans or Green Party or any party. It means we’ll be children of God and get along even in this crazy mixed up ridiculous election year.

All that said, don’t forget to pray for all of the candidates because someone will win each seat up for election and lead us for the next several years. Each of them need God as their God whether they know it or not. According to His word, many will use their own wisdom instead of His, unfortunately. He’s coming to take us home where we will be unified. But if we call ourselves Christians here, we better be getting along. It’s one of those qualities He expects in us.

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.

Politics doesn’t run God’s kingdom (Psalm 146), October 11, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Psalms 146

Set – Psalms 146; Luke 24

Go! – Nehemiah 5-6; Psalms 146; Luke 24

Psalms 146
1 Praise the Eternal!
Praise the Eternal, O my soul;
2 I will praise the Eternal for as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God as long as breath fills my lungs and blood flows through my veins.
3 Do not put your trust in the rulers of this world—kings and princes.
Do not expect any rescue from mortal men.
4 As soon as their breath leaves them, they return to the earth;
on that day, all of them perish—their dreams, their plans, and their memories.
5 Blessed are those whose help comes from the God of Jacob,
whose hope is centered in the Eternal their God—
6 Who created the heavens, the earth,
the seas, and all that lives within them;
Who stays true and remains faithful forever;
7 Who works justice for those who are pressed down by the world,
providing food for those who are hungry.
The Eternal frees those who are imprisoned;
8 He makes the blind see.
He lifts up those whose backs are bent in labor;
He cherishes those who do what is right.
9 The Eternal looks after those who journey in a land not their own;
He takes care of the orphan and the widow,
but He frustrates the wicked along their way.
10 The Eternal will reign today, tomorrow, and forever.
People of Zion, your God will rule forever over all generations.
Praise the Eternal!

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Across the United States, politicians begin to jockey for position. They try to tell you how they will change things because of their leadership, their intellect, their ability to see things the way they really are and make things better for you. As I’m sure you’ve learned over the last several decades, their actions fall very far short of their promises. Campaigns changed recently, though, now politicians make fewer promises because they know they can’t keep them. Instead, they just tear each other down. They let their crews find half-truths about their opponents and blow them out of proportion to enhance their own likelihood for election. I suppose they think it’s best to elect the better of two evils.

Perhaps that strategy works in the world, except that the world belongs to Me. And I don’t particularly want evil of any kind to reign here. The better of two evils still sounds like evil to Me. The psalmist understood that. He recognized the falacy of putting trust in the hope of kings and princes, or in your case, presidents and congressmen. Too often individuals just want power or fame or some kind of legacy. They talk about public service or benefactor of the people, but who among them comes out of office with a smaller bank account than when they entered? How does that benefit or serve others? What have they really done?

On the other hand, My kingdom lasts throughout eternity. It always operates for My glory and your good. No human leader can create the earth or skies or living creatures, but I spoke them all into place. No human can change the course of the stars, but I set each one in motion and at My command can just as easily change their direction, cause them to cease giving their light, or make them explode to engulf their planets. I can cause it to rain or inflict draught across a region. Who among you can do that?

The rhetoric you will hear in the political campaigns over the next several months will encourage you, frustrate you, maybe even make you think you’re going insane because of the pointless arguments the candidates and their cronies shout across your radio and television networks. The elections are important to the operation of your earthly government. Governments remain in place at My pleasure. But they will never solve the real problems of the world, your nation, your state, or city.

Only bowing to the ruler of My kingdom, the triune Godhead, can the problems of the world be solved. I can rid the world of sin and evil and guilt if all people will give their lives to Me. Will it happen? Only each of you can determine that. Because each of you have the choice as to whether you will give Lordship of your life to Me. As you look across the world at the devastation you create each day, the answer is probably no. With more mass murders this year than days this year, it seems you will continue to follow your selfish paths. But the evil can stop. Just turn to Me.

Even in just one country or one state or one city, if you will listen to My words and do My will, I will make such a difference in your community that the world will be astounded by you. My will on earth is not just a few words I taught you to pray. It can be the beginning of a revival that turns the rest of the world around if you will just obey Me and let Me work in your lives. Try Me.

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.