The election fray has a great capacity to deaden our souls. Yesterday I took deliberate time to pray for America and the American church because I believe we – the church – need to take responsibility for the alarming drift of our nation.
First off we need to repent of the silly idea that politics and elections can cure the cancer of our culture. America’s disease is a spiritual malignancy, and not a political one. And to go on believing the disease can be cured by politics is not only foolish and idolatrous, but it is diametrically opposed to the Kingdom of God.
If we honestly want to make an apologetic towards the Marxist / Socialist agenda knocking at our door, then its time we believers repented of our own love affair with comfort and ease and began living a truly Christian lifestyle of moderation, justice and compassionate involvement.
- It’s time we stopped seeing the enemy’s face in our Liberals friends, and began looking in the mirror at our own failings. America’s rot began when we abandoned the gospel of the Kingdom for the gospel of Heaven; when we turned away from good news for the poor, recovery of sight for the blind, and freedom for the oppressed to the the Trojan horse of the Rapture. (Yes… I do believe Jesus is coming back. And I look forward to it with great anticipation. I just believe He clearly intended us to focus on the Kingdom until his return just happens in His own good time).
- It’s time we said “Enough of the American dream! Enough comfort and ease and three-car garages and TVs in every room. Enough extravagant church-buildings and self-entertainment.”
- It’s time we repented of consumerism and extricated ourselves from an ungodly economy rooted in greed, covetousness, eternal growth, and the love of money. The system that told us on 9-12 that “we must keep shopping” is deadly to the human soul, and we simply can’t live that way anymore lest God fulfills his own oath to us: (“Woe to you rich…” Luke 6:24)
- It’s time we learned to practice Biblical self-government with its generous, sacrificial love, and stopped pushing our civil servants to solve problems of poverty and immorality. These problems are owned by the church.
- It’s time we – the church – surrendered our self-appointed role of judging the masses and began walking in our God-given prophetic role of pointing to a glorious Kingdom of compassion, justice, mercy and grace.
- It’s time we willingly shared our food with the hungry, our homes with the homeless, and a generous half of our wardrobes with the the world’s naked. To continue in our ease while one billion of our worldwide neighbors have no clean water to drink is to forfeit our right to complain about the Marxists who at least have a plan to help.
I’ll be voting Republican on Tuesday primarily as a vote against the Marxist ideology of Barack Obama. (I don’t say that lightly. I’ve done the research). But I don’t condemn Barack Obama. He’s the product of a society and a church that is stump-dumb when it comes to understanding the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately I don’t believe there’s any real hope in John McCain either. The answers simply are not found in the political arena. They’re found in the stunning good news of the Kingdom of God as revealed in the scriptures.
My friends, WE are the problem with America. I am the problem with America. Until we become the light of the world and the kingdom emerges in the practical ways of justice, simplicity and compassionate living, the questions of Marxism and Socialism will NEVER go away.
Dispatches from the Shadowlands 
Amen. Nothing else to say.
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RIGHT ON, DON! Preach it, live it, share it, sow it in the world, and thank God by faith for all He wants to do IN us as imperfect vessels, THROUGH us when we’re willing to get off our duffs,out of our comfort zones, and into a world that’s dying for the TRUTH we keep bottled up in our dusty Bibles instead of our overflowing hearts and minds and lives. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS ALL AROUND US! It’s the single mom with three kids next to us at the grocery store who’s wondering how she’s going to pay the bills or fix her beat up car that’s barely getting her to her minimum wage job; it’s the elderly lady who lives next door and wonders how she’s going to pay the heating bill this winter; or the teenager contemplating suicide because he’s so lonely.
You’re right, Don. WE are the problem. I am the problem. We need to open more than our mouths against what’s wrong with America. We need to open our hearts and our homes and our wallets and give til it HURTS and there’s nothing left to give. That’s what JESUS would do, and that’s what he wants US to do. WE are His body. WE are His church. WE CAN DO NO LESS THAN HE TELLS US…IF WE’LL JUST MAKE TIME TO LISTEN…
–Jane–
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Don- How true !! My struggle is w/where do I start ? When the latest physical problem hits all I seem able to do is pray for so many, like you, who are thick in the battle of teaching, and preaching. Have felt that what God wants of me is my worship of what He is about and thanks for letting me know. But I yearn to be able to do more ! I am trying to listen. Do I hear all I should ?
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DON!! You rock on, boy! I just got back from a church service this sunday before the election… guess what we heard? Actually, I was pleased. The word was PRAY for WHOEVER is elected. Our job is not to
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Hmmm…oops…I got cut off…. I was saying… Our job is not to condemn, but bless. Oh, and as for the Marxists, they just need to move to Bosnia for a while and see the results of a failed attempt to “redistribute the wealth”! Oh man, don’t get me started. Anyway,I miss you a LOT. Wish I could be with you guys in the Springs.
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Well said Don. It’s time that Christians quit looking for any other Messiah than Jesus and quit looking who to blame for the mess that we all have helped to create. Obama needs our prayers more than ever and in the meanwhile. It was great to catch up with you again in Colorado Springs. Still having great weather, but, it’s about to start chilling down soon.
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Election Quiz
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, will God still be in control.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, Jesus will still be King.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my primary citizenship will still be in this order (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) America, not vice-versa.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, “Jesus Is Lord” will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.
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Well stated, Dave. If you wrote that, you need to post it. You’ve always been gifted in thinking and writing.
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I did not. I did edited it from an e-mail in which I could not identify the writer.
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