“Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, who hate a bribe; and place such men over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.” Exodus 18:21
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” I Timothy 2:1-4
Today is Election Day and I am SURE many of you are very glad for a variety of reasons, not to mention the fact that all those nasty political ads will finally cease, praise the LORD! I get so tired of the double sided jargon, empty promises, and “candidates” (who are actually IN the office they are running for) making promises for areas they want to make change in-(so why didn’t they do what they are saying NOW while they were IN office???) Some people have decided to NOT vote because the choices are both corrupt and unacceptable in their estimation and if they don’t vote, they can’t be held responsible for the failings of another elected official… But not voting is not an option—it's both our civic and sacred duty. Voting is required of us as good citizens and as God's agents for appointing leaders. So how do we go about choosing the best candidates? Not by blindly sticking to your party’s list of candidates—that's knee-jerk ideology. The best place to go for wisdom is not the candidates' websites, or the Democratic or Republican conventions… but the Bible.
In our first passage today from Exodus, Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, advised him to appoint as rulers "able men" who "fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe." The standard is competence and integrity. We should use the same measuring stick when considering a candidate who will steer the ship of America for the next four years. A lot can happen in that time, let us all pray for who GOD would want in office leading our next generation.
Our second passage from I Timothy reminds us that we need to be in prayer and intercession for all who are in authority over our nation from the very top (kings/presidents) to the local level, and for those who may become leaders over our nation. God desires that we live peaceful quiet lives (doesn’t that sound great!), so let us prayerfully consider our ballots before us today, and the proposals and candidates before us. Do they honor God in word and deed? Do they line up with God’s Word? Do they contribute to peaceful quiet living in our land?
I recently read a wonderful summary of the reasons that Christians SHOULD vote by author Jeffrey L. Myers, Ph.D. / from his book Vital Truth: Christian Citizenship (February 2003). Here they are for you to consider TODAY, ELECTION DAY,
1. God has granted us authority. All authority belongs to God, but He has put human beings on the earth as caretakers. What is our task? According to Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, we are to go out and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey God in every area of life. This includes politics. We must disciple people to make godly decisions about government, and promote the efforts of those who are already doing so.
2. We need to stand against evil. St. Augustine said those who are citizens of God's kingdom are best equipped to be citizens of the kingdom of man. The alternative is unthinkable. In the 20th Century, atheistic and secular humanistic leaders gained control of nations all across Europe, Asia and Africa. What was the result? According to historian R. J. Rummel, almost 170 million men, women and children have been brutally murdered by these governments, all in the name of human progress. These facts led historian John Hallowell to note, “Only through a return to faith in God, as God revealed Himself to man in Jesus Christ, can modern man and his society find redemption from the tyranny of evil.”
3. Christian values contribute positively to society. The Bible’s solutions make sense. It is Christian involvement in government through the ages that gave us hospitals, civil liberties, abolition of slavery, modern science, the elevation of women, regard for human life, great works of art and literature, a workable system of justice, education for common people, the free-enterprise system, and much, much more. When we see the good that results from applying God's principles, and the horror that results from rejecting them, doesn't it seem cruel and irresponsible to keep Jesus teachings about truth, love and compassion to ourselves? At very least, we should vote to keep OUT of office those who attempt to oppose God's authority.
4. Obedience to authority demands good citizenship. Paul in Romans Chapter 13 clearly states that we must obey governmental leaders because all authority comes from God. Here's the catch: in America, the people are the leaders! Here, at least, we express our obedience to God by exercising our rights and privileges as citizens. That means voting.
5. Good citizenship sets an example for generations to come. Those who apply God's principles to government pave the way for generations of blessing. In 1768 a Christian minister named John Witherspoon became president of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton. While there he taught biblical principles of government to his students. Of the 478 young men who were graduated during his tenure, writes author John Eidsmoe, “114 became ministers; 13 were state governors; 3 were U. S. Supreme Court judges; 20 were U.S. Senators; 33 were U. S. Congressmen; Aaron Burr, Jr. became Vice-President; and James Madison became President.”
Beloved brothers and sisters, we need to stand for God’s Truth and God’s Word in our nation, and what better way than to speak with our vote! I encourage ALL OF YOU to get out and vote today. It is a privilege to vote, many men and women have given their lives to protect your right to speak your voice freely without retribution, so do not discard or diminish their sacrifice by ignoring this day of deciding the political direction of this beautiful country we live in. You may only be one vote, but together, we can stand for God’s Will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
America, America, God shed His Grace on Thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.
Shalom, sister Lahoma
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