Hijacked

This is indeed a rather spooky time for our country. We have this horrid economic situation. The stock market crash is big time surprising to me - I watch it in amazement. The housing market and defaults are just beyond imagination. Then there’s the price of fuel, the job market and the cost of most everything else. And, of course, the election. Where are we going to turn?

Could it be a Christian asking this? No! We know where we are going to turn, the only place to turn. It seems we forget that we are people of faith. We get comfortable with our mutual funds, our 401’s and our standard of living. And we start to put our faith in those things instead of the living God. And He warned us: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

I have long tried to say that I am first a Christian then an American and that our country will not last forever but the Kingdom of the Lord will.  Sometimes I think David Lipscomb may have been right. He thought Christians should not even vote for we are not citizens of this world but of another Kingdom. The danger is we begin to think that a president or congress will save us. They can’t. Surely history should have taught us that. Folks just watch the firestorm if someone suggest that a Christian can’t vote democratic, or that Obama is a better selection. Let me suggest something - if Christians would show as much passion for the Lord as they do their politics it would really shake things up.

And as far as the current election - I don't have a clue - frankly I don't like either of the candidates. I think Barrack scares me the most - but that’s just me. I learned long ago not to play politics or sell the church to some group who are trying to hijack it for their own political agendas. To know what I mean, watch the number of churches and non-profits who will spend so much of their energies the next few weeks promoting their candidate. Watch out for “double-talk” from those who will try to convince you by sly words that if you don’t support their cause you’ll be lost. They want to hijack the church.

I’ve heard every four years for 29 years now how “this is the most important election in our history”. Sorry, it has worn thin. I can’t imagine voting for someone who will not fight for life - sorry whether we help the homeless (something I have done in tangible ways, personally for years, so I believe in it) doesn’t trump the lives of innocents. That said Roe -v- Wade seems as strong as when I was told that if Reagan was elected it would be overturned by the judges he appointed. See politics will not save us!

A few lessons:

I am called by the Word to be faithful: I will be a Christian regardless of who is in office or what the stock market does today. History has shown that Christianity will flourish in any political climate.

2. Perhaps some of what is happening is designed to wake America up: I am not a pessimist, I don’t think the US will die real soon but the scriptures do say: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34)

Evangelistically - people are looking for hope: Looking for something to hang on to. What an open door.

I could go on and on and on this one and I’m sure I’ve left out a lot of what I should say but folks my point is, “this world is not our home”.

PS: I think my next blog I’ll just post some pictures :) a whole lot less stressful!