Tag Archives: voting

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

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

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.

Should we vote at all? (Mark 2:14) July 10, 2016

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Colossians 1-2

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 2:14
Jesus (calling out to him): Follow Me.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We heard these words in Matthew, and most of the time, I won’t repeat the same words we’ve talked about in another gospel, but every once in a while I will. This is one of those times because I think these words are so important to us, especially at this particular time in our history.

As I write these words, the past week has been filled with suicide bombings, mass shootings, parents killing their kids, both accidentally and intentionally, one of the largest drug busts recorded happened, the Britains voted themselves out of the European Union, but protests and riots might force Parliament to reverse the decision of the people. The world has gone absolutely crazy.

In the middle of all this turmoil, we stand in the middle of one of the ugliest, vilest, most juvinile presidential campaigns I’ve witnessed in my 62 years of life. The two candidates we are asked to follow both act like junior high schoolers with their smear campaigns and neither can came clean about themselves or their opponent. Both will cheat, lie, steal, twist the facts, degrade their opponent, do anything necessary to win the position of power as president. And both ask us to follow them into the future of our country.

I’m sorry, but neither have shown character worthy to be followed. No, this is not a political post, so don’t turn off the podcast yet. It’s to make a point. As Christians, we should be following the life of One person – Jesus. He is the One will the character to emulate. He is the One with the right agenda. He is the One with the platform that makes sense. He is the One that can lift our nation out of the terrible predicament in which we find ourselves. No one else can.

The question is will we follow Him? The answer is, some individuals will. Unfortunately, the nation will not. I was reminded, as I celebrated our 240th birthday as a nation, why those first shipload of passengers braved the treacherous journey across the ocean to settle this land 450 years ago and why we fought that war 200 years later to gain our independence from England. Those brave men and women wanted freedom to worship in the way they saw fit. They didn’t want to be bound by the King’s religious practices, so they fled persecution and came to this country. Two-hundred years later, our forefathers fought to maintain that freedom and start an experiment in democracy, a representative government in which the people determined their own fate by electing statesmen who would represent their opinions in the affairs of the nation.

Many no longer feel free given the burdensome regulations we face, the heavy taxation many carry, the stranglehold the government has on our people today in almost every area of life. Healthcare, education, transportation, housing, food, hiring and firing practices in business, monetary systems and banking, the government looks over our shoulder into almost everything. Not long ago, one mayor demanded to see every preacher’s sermon before delivery to see if it presented any negative connotations about homosexuals. If so, the sermon would be banned. Fortunately, the first amendment stopped the practice before it started, but for how long?

You see, we, the people, are electing individuals across our land who do not follow Jesus. Many say they do, because it’s still the right thing to say to draw votes and get elected in the United States. But I predict it won’t be long with the direction we’re headed that naming yourself as a Christian will no longer help a candidate, but will the death-nail in a candidate’s election coffin.

So how should we view elections? Who should we vote for in these important races? What should we do as Christians as the din of the rhetoric rises around us?

I’m not sure the answer is easy, but it is simple. We need to get on our knees and pray. Ask God for His guidance. Be good citizens and explore the character of the candidates long before going to the poll. Don’t listen to the media. Depending on whether you listen to CNN or Fox, you get a different slant that bends toward the candidate their executives want in office. News networks sell advertisements and entertainment. They are businesses, just like the grocery store down the street. If they can’t sell advertisements, they go out of business. If they can’t lure listeners with the best entertainment, juicy gossip, or twist of the news to what you want to hear, the way you want to hear it, you’ll turn to another station. So research candidates on your own. Search every source you can find to figure out what kind of character they have.

Pray a lot and vote for the person who follows Jesus. But most importantly, you follow Jesus. He tells us to. And when we follow Him, we can’t go wrong. This world is coming to an end. His book tells us it’s coming. Whoever sits in the office next, God allows it to happen. When he or she is God-fearing or God-serving or not, doesn’t matter. It’s still God who allows that person to serve for His purposes. Perhaps our next president will be part of the events that usher in the end of the world. It’s pretty exciting to think we’re voting for that person, isn’t it? So who do you think that might be? 

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.