“He’s been married and divorced at least four times…He’s got a big mouth and doesn’t know how to control his tongue…He’s a nut…He’s a liar…He’s a flip-flopper…He doesn’t know what he’s talking about and won’t tell us what his solutions are…He’s so vague…He can’t be a Christian, he didn’t even know how to say the name of a book of the Bible…His life bears no fruit…He is not presidential…He said he doesn’t need to ask anyone for forgiveness…”
“And such were some of you!” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NAS)
I’d hate to see the headlines in the Heavenly Herald if a bio of my life was front-page featured today. How about you? You see, we all suffer from the same malady—we are human beings, and as such the fatal disease of sin has defiled and clogged our gene pools. If it weren’t for Jesus willingness to take on the miracle of transforming my life and yours, we’d all be without hope.
But that meant He had to die.
He suffered. Bled. And died.
For you. For me. For me!
Every one of us has lied. And if you say you haven’t, oops, there’s one for your record book. We’ve all lost our temper and said things we regret. But we were blessed a microphone wasn’t shoved in our face at the time. As for judging the spiritual condition of anyone—I’ve lived long enough to understand there are gonna be folks in heaven I never dreamed would make it; and many will be absent that I’d put money on would be seated next to the Throne. But God alone knows my heart, your heart, and Donald Trump’s heart.
And God alone knows the purpose and plan He is bringing to pass in each of our lives—including Donald Trump’s life.
If you and I had been on one of those fishing boats with Peter, Andrew, James, and John I doubt we’d have voted to have their words recorded and read and studied for over 2,000 years. But that was after Jesus transformed their lives, and it took Him over three years to get them battle ready. And look how they behaved and what they said during those first hours after the skirmish in the Garden and outside the Court where Jesus endured that vicious scourging.
And such are some of us.
Shameful cowards.
Spouting angry words.
On Social Media.
Wouldn’t we be better off spending time in prayer asking God to give light and wings of the wind to the one He has ordained to lead America during such a time as this—for either revival or judgment?
But it makes us feel better, for the moment, to vent our frustrations, attempting to persuade folks to agree with us so we can feel good about our lack of faith in God. That’s right, I said lack of faith in God.
If God is in control, and the Word says He is, then I believe He has ordained this moment in time, and chosen the candidates…giving us two very opposite choices. Then wouldn’t I be well served to stand in lock step with Him?
When contemplating the future, it’s always good to temper those thoughts with facts from the past. The first election I was old enough to participate in was John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon in 1960. During those days Democrats had a firm grip on the South. I remember the big hoopla in the Bible Belt was the fact Kennedy was a Catholic! Why a Catholic could not possibly serve as President of America—or so the protestant populous proclaimed. Now my folks were died-in-the wool Democrats. Cut them and they would bleed blue.
But they were faced with what they considered an untenable choice—a Catholic or a Republican. So they sat home and refused to vote. And many, many God fearing evangelicals did the same thing. Rather than vote for the evil (they presumed) Catholic or Republican—they sat on the sidelines and fumed.
Please tell me, what good they accomplished? Did they behave as responsible citizens? Did they have a part in Kennedy’s election or defeat? Probably, but the fact is they were non-players. Irresponsible citizens. Zeros.
Not me! I listened and liked what this young Kennedy said. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what can you do for your country.” And I saw nowhere in God’s Word where it said thou shalt not vote for a Catholic.
Fast forward to Mitt Romney’s bid for the presidency. Same song, second verse. You remember, protestants went nuts over the fact Romney was a Mormon. And many, too numerous to name, repeated the actions of my irresponsible parents—they sat home and pantomimed Zeros. Only this time Evangelicals lack of action again completed the long awaited birth and access of the Trojan Horse of Obama’s fundamental changes to America to take firm roots and flourish.
Now at this point you’re either cheering or downright irked at me, either of which deters you from looking squarely into your own heart and into God’s Word. This is not a time for cheering or anger or casting stones at one another. It is a time for fervent prayer, searching the scripture, and listening quietly for God’s direction. Right this moment you are still free to make choices.
About 3,000 years ago God elected Jeremiah to carry the condemning news of His impending judgment about to fall on His people. They were out of choices.
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns; broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13 NAS).
Is America guilty of forsaking God?
“Your own wickedness will correct you, and your apostasies will reprove you; know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God, and the dread of Me is not in you,’ declares the Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 2:9 NAS).
When we dread and fear the here and now rather than fearing and dreading the judgment of God, folks we’re in deep trouble.
Yet God still gave Israel hope.
“Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord. I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,’ declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God and have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 3:12-13 NAS).
But they refused to hear and return.
“Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts lodge within you?” (Jeremiah 4:14 NAS).
“Your ways and your deeds have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart!” (Jeremiah 4:14 NAS).
“For My people are foolish, they know Me not; they are stupid children, and they have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, but to do good they do not know” (Jeremiah 4:22 NAS).
And dear friends, Americans stand in that same place today, dangling along the precipice of stupidity, waiting for the other shoe to drop—just like it did for Judah. Perhaps God will show us His mercy if we develop fear and faith of and in the Sovereign God of the Universe and His Son, Christ Jesus.
And God said to Jeremiah, just like He did to Abraham concerning Sodom and Gomorrah:
“Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and look now, and take note. And seek in her open squares, if you can find a man, if there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her” (Jeremiah 5:1 NAS).
Jeremiah makes a search and finds not one. And in the ensuing years God in fact sent His army from the north—Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar—to destroy Jerusalem and take the people captive. For seventy years, just like He promised. Many died during their trek to this foreign land. Many died in Babylon. And many never returned to their promised land.
But God brought back His remnant. He always does.
Fast forward to August, 2016, it’s less than three months ‘til that moment in the voting booth—should we be allowed the opportunity and privilege to vote—so let’s do a quick assessment, keeping in mind, we have brought this on ourselves by forsaking our sovereign God and His Son Jesus Christ and by not teaching and requiring our children to obey Him.
Many of us asked God to provide strong Christian candidates—godly men and women who would stand for the truths of His Word—and God gave us at least four. And what did the American people do? Rejected all four Republicans who qualified as a Christian candidates. Which left us with a green Washington outsider and an up-to-her-eyeballs-and-beyond old school Democrat dredged in the new-world-order-candidate.
We now have an inner-circle of old school Republicans who refuse to support and vote for the party’s nominee. Out of this group, most all are globalist, falling right in line with their Democratic conspirators. Do I need to explain that term? In short, one world government. Big names, money names within party politics. Names who stand to lose financial power if the combined establishment parties forfeit control. I’m bettin’ a hunch they already have tickets on private jets outta here just in case the American people develop brains and backbone.
Then we have a Democratic candidate who has a recorded history of years of public employment (notice I did not say service) tainted by verified scandals, an unexplained and under-investigated trail of murderous crimes, a candidate caught-on-tape chanting perpetual lies.
A party with a candidate who promotes murdering babies—in and out of the womb—and selling their body parts for profit. A party and a candidate who support homosexual behavior, having set aside God’s law of one-man-one-woman marriage upheld since the beginning of time and railroading through the courts same-sex marriage. A party and a candidate who have voted and supported the surrender of our nation’s sovereignty, abuse of our money to special interests, supported enemy governments with large, unaccounted for monetary support, security breaches, dictating those who are not held to the same level of accountability within the Law of the Land. And a party and a candidate who refuse to stand with Israel.
And your tax dollars pay their salaries. The common thievery of their candidate extended to stealing property belonging to the American people when they left the White House after the husband’s term in the presidency.
Now many Americans are deceived and determined to re-elect this candidate. This avowed socialist who was fired from her first job in government for lying. She has used her life and her office to sell loyalty to the highest bidder, regardless of country of origin because this candidate and this Democratic party are also globalists. This party has a history of destroying our military. This candidate expressed within the past few weeks that Christians were just going to have to have a change of mind about their Christian principles and beliefs. Would you call it a change of mind? Really? Is that what you call your faith in the principles and precepts of our God?
So it boils down to this folks—your choice. Vote for an avowed enemy of God and America, or vote for a man we know is NOT a globalist. A man with a proven record in business. A man who is already showing wisdom by the choices of those he will put in places of authority, like a pastoral council, a conservative Vice President, wise financial advisors, conservative Supreme Court Justices, and the assurance of a continued conservative voice in the House and Senate. A man who pledges to stand with Israel. A man who God may be using to test the faith and fiber of the American people.
Is Donald Trump green in the presidential aspect? Yes, but so was Abraham Lincoln, and many others who followed in his steps. And Donald Trump may be God’s ordained man for such a time as this. Ask God with an attitude of “God, I don’t have a clue. But I want to do what You want me to do.” Then be sure God is speaking to your spirit—not the enemy of your soul.
Voting is a privilege paid for by the blood of the patriots and forefathers. Ask the people in Iraq who stood in spite of threats to their lives and voted. For any American to choose to sit home and not exercise their privilege and responsibility is irresponsible. Your choice in this election will control the future of America for at least a century, should Jesus tarry. But this election could also end American democracy forever.
Or like my parents back in the ‘60’s, will you stiffen your neck and get angry at my words, choosing in this pivotal hour in the history of our nation to be a Zero?
An irresponsible, sit-at-home and do nothing, ZERO.
You and I have chatted about this, and I would offer a different perspective. The two arguments I hear from Christians why it’s okay to vote for Trump are:
1. Trust G-d. Have faith, G-d will work all things out for good.
2. Hillary is the devil, and as such, Trump is the only acceptable alternative.
I love that you wrote this article, and that you spent so much care and time organizing your thoughts about this. People don’t talk enough about politics, and I believe as Christians we should make our voices heard in the public realm.
With that said, in your writing you too are making these two points and supporting them with various scripture and opinions. Let me offer a rebuttal.
1. Trust G-d. Have faith, G-d will work all things out for good.
To this I say, can’t we have faith that G-d will work it out and not vote for Trump or Hillary? There are other options out there (I would argue they are just as distasteful as the two primary candidates).
I agree not voting is not an option, but there are 4 people running, and endless options for write-ins.
So, we should vote and can vote, but if faith is the argument, we can still have faith and not vote for a lying, divisive, and corrupt candidate like Hillary. We can also have faith and not vote for a lying, flip-flopper, play boy, who claims he doesn’t need G-d and has bragged about bribing politicians, while suggesting in the past (when he was a democrat, just a few years ago) that he could run as a republican and win because he knows what to say.
The point is, faith is not regulated to one singular political party, and I would argue given the choice of voting between an evil corrupt liar, and an evil corrupt playboy G-d would choose neither, because G-d doesn’t excuse supporting evil in hopes of a good outcome. He abhors evil and requires that we stay away from it no matter the cost, as Jeremiah spent so many years trying to tell Israel.
Remember Israel would not have been published at all, had they not accepted evil in small doses until they no longer recognized the all powerful G-d that saved them from Egypt.
I would suggest it takes far more faith to vote for someone other than the top two than for Trump or Hillary, because that choice leaves the most questions about our future. Just as Jeremiah and others had enough faith to walk alone in Israel standing against the slow fade that separated G-d from H-s people.
Again, I’m not condoning staying home, but to suggest a believer not voting for Trump somehow exposes a lack of faith is just wrong.
2. Hillary is the devil, and as such, Trump is the only acceptable alternative.
You asked if this is G-d testing Christians’ metal, and I would say, “it could be,” but maybe he’s testing our metal not to follow the crowd and vote for either candidate. Maybe He’s testing our metal to expose those of us who can so easily be led astray and vote for evil no matter what appearance it takes.
To choose a red devil instead of a blue devil just because the red is less a devil than the blue is still choosing the devil. Evil is evil in the sight of G-d. There is no where in the Bible where we are compelled to side with the less of the evil options. In fact the Bible calls us to stand against all evil no matter what form it takes.
G-d doesn’t make an exemption for siding with evil just because we believed there was no other choice. Evil is evil and G-d holds his people accountable for joining with it no matter what excuse we come up with to support it.
Given the choice between the evil of stabbing someone to death or the evil drowning them to death, I would hope a believer would say no to both. When we stand before G-d and we answer for our decisions, wouldn’t you prefer to say, “I stood on the Word, and chose to not side with evil no matter what the cost.”
Would you be able to stand before G-d and convince H-m that in this specific case the choice for evil was acceptable because __________ (fill in the blank). Tell me what explanation G-d would accept for joining with an evil cause, person or action. In what situation is it acceptable?
I know we are not choosing between methods of murder, but we are choosing between two people, that in their own rights, who have displayed decades of evil behavior. Can you stand before G-d and offer H-m a credible reason why you chose to align yourself with one version of evil over another?
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I’m so glad you responded and would have had it approved earlier had I not been unexpectedly out-of-town. I’ve read through your comment and want to reply (but you knew that 🙂 ) It will be tonight before I have an opportunity to give you my complete answer. In the meantime, Yes, Hillary is a tool of Satan. Most definitely. But do you really think Donald Trump rises to her level of evil? I don’t.
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Jeromy, this is what I call evil. And this and much more raises her to the rank of evil beyond compare. But you really miss the whole point of the blog…”And such were some of you.” from 1 Corinthians. God says our hearts (all our hearts are evil and wicked). So really, let’s get off the name calling and talk about the real issues here. Do you want to cast your vote, your only vote for someone who can lead this country? Or do you want to cast your vote for someone who will wreck this country? Or do you want to waste your vote in the trash can of impossible. Or do you want to sit home and be a zero? And yes, I have no compunction about standing before God and giving account why I choose to vote for Donald Trump. And this video says it all.
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Like and like! Very well put.
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You say “faith,” but fail to recognize that faith can be acted out in other ways than what you’re suggesting.
I didn’t say people should stay home, and not vote, I said several times I don’t agree with that.
I also didn’t call anyone names, so I’m not sure what that’s all about. I will respectfully address that once I know what you’re referring to.
You asked in your reply, ” Do you want to cast your vote, your only vote for someone who can lead this country?” The answer is emphatically “YES!” I just don’t agree that the person you’re referring to is the same person I am.
Also, justifying actively supporting one form of evil because it’s not as bad as another form of evil, is, I believe, a complete white washing of what faith really is. I agree, we are all evil, but in our path to pursuing righteousness we leave that evil behavior and persona behind.
Now we can quote bits and pieces from certain verses if we want, but I believe there are and posted several other verses that support the truth of no evil, no matter what.
As far as this Hillary video. I know the story. She is a terrible person, she doesn’t understand or care about the average American. Yet you are choosing to support a man that not only helped put her in office, but CALLS HER A FRIEND! If you believe, as I do, that Hillary is evil, how can you justify supporting a man who for generations has supported her and others like her?
Consider Proverbs 12:26
“The righteous guides his friend’s way rightly,
but the way of the wicked will lead them astray.”
Real faith doesn’t have to use fear to compel people to follow. Real faith walks in faith, without fear, and people then choose to follow. The argument that we could potentially get Hillary is the fear play, played by people who are truly afraid.
Fear is the opposite of faith, and prevents us from being able to walk our faith out in boldness even if we are alone. The honest and Biblical truth is you serve what you fear. If you fear a Hillary presidency, it literally becomes the means by which the enemy controls you and others to leave your faith in G-d aside to justify a less then G-dly approach to solve the problem. The Jewish people did this countless times, and they were punished every time, a great example is the Golden Calf in Exodus 32.
Consider 1 Samuel 12:24
As for me, far be it from me to sin against Adonai by ceasing to pray for you! Rather, I will continue instructing you in the good and right way. 24 Only fear Adonai, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for think what great things he has done for you! 25 However, if you insist on doing wicked things, you will be swept away — both you and your king!”
2 Chronicles 19:8-10 makes the same point
“8 Moreover in Jerusalem, for the judgment of the Lord and for controversies, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the chief fathers of Israel, when they returned to Jerusalem.[a] 9 And he commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall act in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a loyal heart: 10 Whatever case comes to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, whether of bloodshed or offenses against law or commandment, against statutes or ordinances, you shall warn them, lest they trespass against the Lord and wrath come upon you and your brethren. Do this, and you will not be guilty.”
In other words, “choose good leaders, righteous leaders, G-dly leaders, and they will encourage the same among you, but if you don’t, then you are responsible and guilty of that evil as well.”
This verse directly deals with an evil leader the Jewish people were following, why? Samuel says because they no longer feared G-d. So they gave into, excused and participated in supporting an evil leader and followed his evil ways. When given the choice between evils, we must choose G-d and leave evil behind. Otherwise, lesser or greater, when we choose evil it is still, in fact, EVIL, and we will suffer the consequences of those decisions as a nation.
I know Trump saying all the right things. After decades of being a liberal, supporting liberals, bribing liberals, and colluding with liberals, the sudden change and his own skeletons are just as damning as it is for Hillary. You want to drudge up ugly stuff from Hillary from 40 years ago, so let’s do the same for Trump, and hold him to the same standard.
G-d ultimately will judge us for our decisions. I would respectfully ask that you not question the faith of those who choose to believe in G-d and choose not to support neither Trump nor Hillary.
G-d makes no excuses for evil, no matter how much lipstick we try to apply. I believe many believers are trying to do the same with Trump. If we truly believe in the Bible, in Righteousness, and in G-d when are we going to stop settling for this and start standing together to impact actual, and real change in our country? Until then we continue to abandon our G-d and follow our fears, and that is no way to go.
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