THE
ELECTION IS OVER
The
longest presidential election campaign in history
is finally over and we will soon have a new President
taking office.
Over
the centuries God's people have lived under about
every type of government imaginable. Some were good,
but most were, or became, morally bad. In many cases
the wickedness was almost beyond description. Even
the chosen people of God became guilty of joining
with the people of nations around them, and thus
incurred God's wrath and punishment. Just one of
many instances of what God thought of their disobedience
is found in the following Leviticus verses.
"And
if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but
walk contrary unto me; then I will walk contrary
unto you in wrath; and I also will chastise you
seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the
flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters
shall ye eat. And I will destroy your high places,
and cut down your sun-images, and cast your dead
bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul
shall abhor you. And I will make your cities a waste,
and will bring your sanctuaries unto desolation,
and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors.
And I will bring the land into desolation; and your
enemies that dwell therein shall be astonished at
it. And you will I scatter among the nations, and
I will draw out the sword after you: and your land
shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be
a waste". (Lev. 26:27- 33)
During
the times of the Old Testament God had chosen one
nation of people, Israel. With the coming of Christ,
after his death and resurrection, a new kingdom
was established which would be made of of people
of all nations. The old Law was superceded by the
law of Christ, and all nations were subject to it.
(Gal. 3:8, I Pet. 2:9) Christians today are told
to pray for their leaders (I Tim 2:1) and be subject
to their government (Rom. 13:1-7).
The
president elect claims to be a christian, although
his exposed knowledge of the bible, and his political
positions would cast some doubt on that. He may
view being a christian as most of the world does,
but most of the world follow writings of men (Mt.
15:9), not those of Jesus and his chosen apostles.
One is not a christian unless he follows Christ
"If
anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.
If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability
which God supplies, that in all things God may be
glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the
glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
(I Pet. 4:11) Christians
do not think beyond what is written (I Cor. 4:6).
They know "Whoever transgresses and does not
abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God.
He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both
the Father and the Son (II John 9).
Be
it known that the president elect is one of the
most liberal men in the Senate, supports abortion,
stem cell research, says he is not sure about life
beyond earth, has spent most of his religious efforts
in very liberal denominations, or Muslim associations.
His position on marriage, gay rights etc., show
agreement with such, as well as a rejection of scriptural
teaching, and a misunderstanding of proper interpretation
of the bible. The Sermon on the Mount, and Romans
do not contradict one another. "For
many practicing Christians, the inability to compromise
may apply to gay marriage. I find such a position
troublesome, particularly in a society in which
Christian men and women have been known to engage
in adultery or other violations of their faith without
civil penalty. I believe that American society can
choose to carve out a special place for the union
of a man and a woman as the unit of child rearing
most common to every culture. I am not willing to
have the state deny American citizens a civil union
that confers equivalent rights on such basic matters
as hospital visitation or health insurance coverage
simply because the people they love are of the same
sex--nor am I willing to accept a reading of the
Bible that considers an obscure line in Romans to
be more defining of Christianity than the Sermon
on the Mount.
The heightened focus on marriage is a distraction
from other, attainable measures to prevent discrimination
and gays and lesbians. Source:
The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.222-3 Oct
1, 2006
Another
quote gives us an idea of his understanding of what
religion is. Apparently the will of God has little
to do with his thinking. "I
was not raised in a religious household. For my
mother, organized religion too often dressed up
closed-mindedness in the garb of piety, cruelty
and oppression in the cloak of righteousness. However,
in her mind, a working knowledge of the world's
great religions was a necessary part of any well-rounded
education. In our household the Bible, the Koran,
and the Bhagavad Gita sat on the shelf alongside
books of Greek and Norse and African mythology.
On Easter or Christmas Day my mother might drag
me to church, just as she dragged me to the Buddhist
temple, the Chinese New Year celebration, the Shinto
shrine, and ancient Hawaiian burial sites. In sum,
my mother viewed religion through the eyes of the
anthropologist; it was a phenomenon to be treated
with a suitable respect, but with a suitable detachment
as well.
This spirit of hers guided me on the path I would
ultimately take. It was in search of confirmation
of her values that I studied political philosophy.
Source: The Audacity
of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.202-4 Oct 1, 2006
I
am certain this type of philosophy is not just that
of the president elect. Few people want to accept
the bible as written. Things are not much different
in our nation than were true of the nations of Jesus
time. He classified them as "
hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,
and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart
is far from me. But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
(Mt. 15:9) In
spite of lip service it is evident by their actions
most in the House and Senate hold the same position.
Our nation is moving more and more away from God,
and His unchangeable truths, to their own ways.
A position that will inevitably lead to our destruction,
as has been true of all powerful nations that reject
Him. Man does not have the authority to tamper with
or change the laws God has made. (Rev. 22:18-19)
Our leaders need to understand “
My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways
My ways,” says the Lord.“For as the
heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways
higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your
thoughts. (Isa.
55:8,9)
The
recent election may pose some problems for those
who are concerned about sinfulness, and the increase
of it, in our nation. Many will be like Lot, who
was vexed by the filthy conversation of the wicked.
In spite of what appears to be rejection of God's
law, under the guise of fairness and equality, christians
have obligations to government (Rom. 13:1), even
if they support evil. We must respect and honor
our leaders even when we don't agree with all their
decisions. Peter says, "Therefore submit yourselves
to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake,
whether to the king as supreme, or to governors,
as to those who are sent by him for the punishment
of evildoers and for the praise of those who do
good. For this is the will of God, that by doing
good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish
men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak
for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all
people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the
king" .From the beginning of the church our
brethren have, from time to time, lived under evil
governments. They obeyed the laws, but never stopped
preaching against it, or submitted to those who
supported it. The truth will only be supported by
those who know it, and love it. We
cannot expect those who are making every effort
to change our nations morality, to support truth.
It is up to us, and we must
not fail.
Jack
