Stand Up Christian!!

In just a few days America will elect a new president.  We’ve heard all the rhetoric.  We’ve watched the mudslinging.  We’ve identified many lies and we have seen great flaws in both major party candidates.  We’ve heard apologies, and we’ve seen cover-ups.  We’ve considered options, and by now most of us have made our final decision on our part in this election.  Hopefully, as Christians we’ve weighed each option with prayer, as it relates to God’s values revealed in His word and not just by our hopes, aspirations, prejudices or party affiliations.  It’s sad that we have no better option, yet we have to make a choice and we still need to let our voices be heard.

As US citizens we have the great honor of participating in the election of our leaders.  We live in a Republic, a system of government which allows the people to elect representatives to exercise power for them. We choose, as a nation, persons who best represent our ideology of what moving onward looks like.  We choose a president according to the majority’s values.  That president in turn chooses Supreme Court Justices according to his or her values, who will then each serve for perhaps a whole generation.  We watch, we listen, we learn and then make our decisions as best possible, based on what we perceive is the best course for our country.  Every American citizen has that right and it’s a heavy responsibility, but again it’s a great honor.

Is it an obligation for a Christian to vote though? No, it isn’t an obligation but it’s your right as well as anyone’s. Please understand though that the Christian MUST NOT be silent right now.  I urge you to vote.  Too much is at stake.  If you are quiet, you allow people with lower values to choose our national direction. Our nation needs your voice, your wisdom, your godly values, perhaps more now than ever before in its history.  We are salt and light in our society!  Sure, the ungodly desire that we be quiet, that we keep our voices contained within the four walls of the churches.  Just as the disciples were instructed in Acts 5 not to speak anymore in the name of Jesus, so we are challenged to keep separate ‘church and state’.  Just as the disciples of that day rose up and spoke boldly anyway, so must we!

The truth is, that for the Christian there is no separation of anything from our relationship with Christ, including politics or policy.  He is at the center of all we are… He defines who we are!  We cannot separate our Christian faith from our vote, that would be hypocritical.  Neither do they which cry out for us to be silent, separate their ‘religion’ of secular humanism from their voice! 

So we must stand up in defiance of the ungodliness that tries to take our nation toward the wrong ideologies!  Stand up church!  Stand against the spirit of division in this nation, standing up for our brothers or sisters in Christ whoever they are!  Rise up as people of God!  As Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”  Stand AGAINST the ungodliness of abortion!  Stand FOR the sanctity of marriage as God ordained it!  Stand AGANIST the stripping of our rights as Christians to free speech and the freedom of religion which we have inherited from our forefathers.  Stand for our right to preaching THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD unrestrained. Stand for God’s values!  Stand for truth!  Reject the pressure of the world to cave, and keep quiet!  Stand now, or else we’ll soon be standing illegally to preach truth.

The law might hinder me as a pastor from giving you a candidate’s name to vote for, I don’t desire to do that anyway, but it cannot keep me from pointing to the Word of God as our ultimate voter’s guide.  Stand up and be counted Child of God!  Be the salt and light you are called to be!  Vote!  Vote for those who have promised to uphold the principles of God.  Vote according to the Word of God! Let your voice be heard in the Earth and in our nation.  

P.s.  Is there something more important than my vote as an American Christian at this time in history? As important as your vote is in this election, yes!  I believe the prayer of God’s people is even more important.  Again, don’t be silent here either!  Let your voice not only be heard in the Earth, but also in heaven and before the throne of God.  Now is no time to be cowardly and quiet… Ask God for great things and put actions to your faith!  

Your Vote Really Matters Christian, But Pray First!

We’re still several months away from the national election here in the US, yet things are getting very heated on the political arena.  As I write this, the Democratic National Convention is well under way in Philadelphia, and the Republican National Convention just finished last week in Cleveland. By the time you read this, who knows what craziness will have happened in what so many people are calling a political “circus.”

There are a few things I’d like to go on record as having said now, that way no one has any questions of where I stand.  I don’t believe either political party has the answers.  I think they both offer very few answers actually. I don’t agree with either candidate fully.  I actually fully disagree with both candidates on a number of things.  I don’t like certain things that have been said, even by the candidate that I intend to vote for.  (Yes, I do have a personal choice for the presidency… and as a pastor I cannot endorse a candidate, but as an individual I can tell you who I am voting for if you ask.)  I believe both parties have adopted slogans that are somewhat deceptive.  No one can ‘make America great again’ but God, and the nation will certainly NOT be ‘stronger together’ going in an ungodly direction. Until we first realize that we are ‘one nation under God’, and submit ourselves to His Lordship, we are in great trouble.

However, I also want to state that I’m not looking for a savior.  I already have one.  I don’t expect either candidate to save me, or save America.  I am just looking for the candidate that best represents my Christian values.  I don’t expect either of them to have a perfect biblical platform.  Men and women are flawed.  If Jesus were on the ballot, I’d vote for Him.  But He’s not.  His is a Heavenly Kingdom, yet I feel that I must do my part to stop the moral decay of society and my vote will be based in that.    

As far as the current political issues, that are ‘specifically affecting Christians’, I would say the following issues that are most important to me in this election include:

The Sanctity Of Human Life (Including but not limited to the unborn.)  You might not realize it, but we are winning ground in the area of the value of human life, but that can lapse overnight with the appointment of Supreme Court Justices who do not fear God.  Considering the ages of current justices serving, the next president will possibly appoint as many as six!  They serve for life.  This may be our most important issue to consider!  

Freedom of Religion/Freedom of Speech (Which believe it or not, are ‘very seriously at stake’ because the current LGBT agenda is stripping away the rights of Christians as it gains momentum – both agendas cannot fully have their liberties when they are so diametrically opposed.)  While I do not hate homosexuals, transgenders, or others, I believe the agenda they are promoting will finally strip Christianity of its voice in America if left unchecked.  We may soon not be allowed to speak against sin, or the need for a savior because our views seem offensive to this group.  So, maybe this issue is most important.

Other issues that may not be directly connected to my faith in Christ, but are still very important to me are:  Immigration/Refugees (We are a sovereign nation, we need borders along with strict rules on refugees who might intentionally seek bring danger into our country.)  Health Care (I, not my government, should choose what doctor I can see.)  Finally, Gun Control/Gun Rights, (According to the US Constitution it’s my right to own a gun to protect my family.  I don’t want to lose this freedom.  I love my family enough to protect them with my own life.  If this is stipped from us, the old adage is true that “Only criminals will have guns.”  But perhaps that means many Christians would become the criminals, because I’m uncertain we’d all give them up.  

A few other issues very important to me are: Racism (I hate HATE!!), funding of Planned Parenthood, Same-Sex Marriage, Electoral Issues (Showing ID to vote)…  The list goes on.

Consider your choice very carefully.  A vote for the wrong person - the wrong agenda, or even not casting your vote for a person who can make a difference on these important issues… might relegate the America we all love, into the pages of history.  Please pray for our nation (2 Chron. 7:14).  Also pray for wisdom before you choose a candidate.  And if you are a Christian (Own up to your obligation!) vote for a candidate that is the strongest on Biblical Principals and that also has a chance at winning. Don’t look to these people as saviors, but certainly look at them as a means to an end.  Don’t waste your vote.  We need to get this right.  We are likely at the point that we will have no second chance in America.

What's Next?

Yesterday was Sunday. I preached a message called, "What's next?".  In that message I shared a truth. What's next for the church, is for us to continue in what we have always been called to do by God. I won't preach it again here, but as soon as it's uploaded, you can listen online by going to www.abundantlifetabernacle.com.  Notes are also available at Sermon Notes.  However, what this blog is about today is a bit different, yet carries the same title. According to scriptures things in this world will get continually worse.  I want to share just a few things you should expect. I'll start with a scripture...

2 Timothy 3:1-5, 12-14 (NLT) 1You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! ... 12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.


What's next in the world, in relation to this recent US Supreme Court ruling? 

(Here are five things that I expect to happen very soon.)

1. The government will soon remove tax exempt status that has historically been available to the church.
2. There will be a further separation of the true church who stands for Biblical truth, and the counterfeit church who have accepted the lies of culture and compromised the truth.  
3. Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech will be quelled at the expense of so called civil rights. Preaching the full Gospel will soon, legally, be considered hate speech, while certain scriptures will likely be banned. 
4. Persecution of Bible-believing Christians will become far more common in the US and harassment of those attached to biblical Christianity will be the 'in thing' to do.  
5. This so called victory for the LGBT community will not be enough, and there will be a push for more depravity. Sin never satisfies for long, only for a season, so they will want to go further. (See below before you think I'm being hateful.)

Tax Exempt Ministries - There is already a cry from many to see this benefit to the church removed as some feel it is a violation of the current thought on 'separation of church and state.' We have seen this coming for some time, yet the current events have hastened the day. Already, in light of the SCOTUS ruling last Friday, Time Magazine has released an article saying, "Now is the Time to End Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions."  This comes two days, after the courts ruling.  The writer of the article, Mark Oppenheimer, who is a supporter of Friday's ruling, hopes to ride this wave of 'progress', or from my perspective this wave of religious repression. His is just a voice among many who wish to do whatever possible to silence the biblical church, and remove any advantages we might have once enjoyed.

Separation of Sheep and the Goats - Certainly the true separation of the sheep and the goats will happen on the Judgment Day, but I use that analogy for lack of a better description. The true church which stands for biblical Christianity and the counterfeit church which stands for very little, are moving further apart daily. There is, and will always be, a church built on the firm foundation of the words of Jesus Christ, who have taken up their crosses to follow Him. These, who live godly lives, will stand out among the rest who have chosen compromise. God will bless His true church which believe in His power to change them, and He will condemn those who deny His power. You need not condemn them, God will. But I urge you to come out from among those in compromise and walk in holiness, so you may be received by God.

Freedoms - Freedom of Religion and freedom of Speech have been under attack for some time, but there is quickly coming an increase. In the days, weeks and months ahead opinions of Christian faith based on the Bible will likely plummet. The scripture will be considered archaic and many will seek to silence the truth from pulpits, air waves, and even Christian Schools. It may take a period of time to silence us, but it will likely be the next big push.

Persecution - Persecution has always been a part of Christianity. We were told by Jesus that it would be, and that we should not fear it. We here in the US have seen very little persecution in the past, but it may now be our turn. Persecution has historically come quite often through those who are merely religious but have no real relationship with God.  So it's likely that the counterfeit church will play a part in the persecution of the true church. For our belief and adherence to biblical truth, we will be harassed at first. Harassment by the counterfeit church, toward the biblical church, will become fashionable as they consistently slide further from truth. This will prove their faithfulness to culture. Also, bold advocates of the 'new norm' will come into our biblical churches demanding membership and wanting to be married by our pastors. Rejection of the advancement will set many pastors and church leaders up for arrests and jail sentences. In jail pastors will perhaps be abused and mocked for Christ and our adherence to truth.  You may say, "this couldn't happen in America!"  I say, "why not?" We have said the same about the very thing that happened Friday.  

Never Enough - The bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season. What happens in a pleasure-crazy society, when a pleasure grows old? You find a new one. Today LGBT's are celebrating what they call a victory. In a while the celebrations of June 26th will grow quieter and those involved will settle in to their new normal.  Someone though will not be happy. This isn't the end, it's just the beginning. Human depravity can never be satisfied, so there will be a new group who will arise to take our nation further down the road toward hell. One sin is never enough. The lust for more, will resurface.  (I don't say this filled with hate. I love those in the grips of sin. I was there too but have been washed and I'm in the process of being made into Christ's image. Sinners just sin, that's what we do until a work of grace regenerates us, and still we all fail from time to time. However, there is an agenda here toward unholiness, and the freedom in American allows for this push toward what is biblically considered depravity, unless the majority stands against it.)
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There is a possible different course we could take though... God said, "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." (2 Chron. 7:14)  Pray for America!  Repent Church! Turn to God, perhaps He will forgive us and restore us. If not though, "the nation that forgets God will be turned into hell." (Psa. 9:17) 

I do want to tell you not to fear though. If you are in Christ, none of this will harm you. Keep loving one another. Love those who hate us and who are against us. Yet keep speaking the truth. Stay focused and endure to the end. Jesus is coming. 

What's Next? We'll see.