Oct 30 2008
Is there really a “God chosen” candidate?
As the Presidential election nears I here rhetoric on both sides about who has the “evangelical” or “Christian” vote. I’m old enough to remember when the Moral Majority was a major influence in politics. Later it was the Christian Coalition. But even though candidates who were endorsed by Christian organizations we have yet to see Abortion abolished. Our society has become more violent and sex craved than ever. People from both major political parties are being indicted for all kinds of crimes. We can’t even trust ministers to obey the law or keep their clothes on.
The point is this: is there really a candidate that God would endorse? God used Pharaoh to give Himself glory when Moses asked him to let the Israelites go and worship. Jesus didn’t come to earth as a political messiah. He came to offer us eternal life. Next Tuesday no matter who wins…God is in control. He knows who is going to win. It may not be the candidate that matches my morals or standards but I’m not believing the sky is falling.
I’m not suggesting that either major candidate is evil. But even if one of them happened to be the Anti-Christ we can’t change that. (I don’t think either of them are) We can’t take God’s will in our own hands. Our duty as believers is to glorify God, tell the world about Him and be good neighbors. That includes being good citizens. So I will vote next week. I’m not thrilled about either Presidential candidate but I will vote. But if my choice loses I won’t worry. I will pray for the new leader of our nation because he will need it.
What do you think?
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12 responses so far
While I am totally unimpressed with both major party candidates, I have no fear and I refuse to live in fear. God will still be God next Wednesday morning, no matter who wins…or who loses. Elections are important and we need to vote our convictions…But, from the creation of time God already knew who would be president…I believe He can handle the results…now, the question is, can we?
I don’t think they had popular elections a couple thousand years ago, so God seems to have cast His majority vote for whomever He picked. And one case (ask Ezekiel about this one…), He arranged for the Babylonians to drop in for some corrective actions.
He may be about to repeat the favor, so to speak, with the USA.
Bob Cleveland’s last blog post..Amazing Grace / Amazing Bass
Kev-
I think your outlook is one that age and maturity provides. The Sunday after the election, every preacher should preach a sermon entitled “God Reigns” irrespective of which party occupies the White House.
Taran’s last blog post..How Would Jesus Vote?: A Review
Kevin, Thank you for your intelligent post this morning. Quite refreshing after “the sky is falling if Obama is elected” rhetoric I heard last night at small group. Fact of the matter is, God is sovereign and there are 4.5 BILLION people on a road to hell because they don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and over 1 BILLION people have never heard the name of Christ. In my opinion, we as Christians should be more worried about doing something worthwhile about those numbers as opposed to fretting over an election.
Here’s the way I see it Kevin…
The United States is a nation that from the very beginning was a nation “of the people, by the people and for the people”.
God knows this. And He is taking us at our word.
He is not involved in our political process at all because of this.
Every two and four years I hear some Christians say that we must “pray for the election”. Which is more than foolish and ridiculous. To pray for an election is to imply that there is NO free will and choice, just as we must choose to follow God of our own accord. These people are saying that they want God to move the minds of men and women to choose one candidate over all others… when for the most part they don’t even bother to pray that others might choose to follow after Christ.
It is rank hypocrisy and worse.
And God wouldn’t be interested in our temporal politics anyway. He doesn’t give a flying rat’s patootie whether a candidate is a “Democrat” or “Republican”. It’s only our limited human perspective that demands that He does care as such.
I’m not voting for either of the two major party candidates for President. Neither one of them deserves my vote. But I will close with this: whatever happens come this Tuesday, it cannot be said that America will not have deserved it.
Chris Knight’s last blog post..David Tennant quits DOCTOR WHO!
Fortunately, Chris, God doesn’t give people what they deserve, but He acts and gives according to His eternal purposes and grace!
Great post, Kevin. There is no fear in love, because perfect love casts out all fear. We have a God who loves us perfectly, and who I believe desires us to trust in Him and Him alone, and not in the political, economic or social system that we happen to be living in while in these bodies. All around the world, all throughout the ages, people have lived in all kinds of political systems, with all kinds of leaders, and through it all, God has always remained God and has never strayed one iota from His own purposes for the earth and humanity.
Our life is Christ, and Christ alone.
We’ve gotten used to living by one system or another (capitalism, socialism, etc). We’ve become complacent, and we fight when some other system threatens to take over.
But all the while, all we need to do is rest in Christ.
I don’t see Jesus fighting the governmental system of His day, or fighting for a certain form of government. When it comes to Father, Son and Spirit, God is the only ‘government.’ I don’t see Jesus fighting Herod or Pilate, but simply saying, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.”
Our life and trust is not in whatever worldly system we’re living in, but in God and God alone. He reigns!
Joel B’s last blog post.."Recklessly Extravagant"
Great Post! I totally agree with you!
I guess the answer to your question would have to be, “Yes!” because God’s always involved. Whether it’s causing or permitting, He always has His hands in the mixture.
And we are commanded by scripture to pray for our leaders. I wonder if our prayers would be different for either presidental candidate?
JeraldD’s last blog post..A Deluding Influence –
JeraldD,
They are not our “leaders”. The Founding Fathers never intended for the American people to have “leaders” over them.
They are *supposed* to be our SERVANTS. With it understood that We The People are the *true* leaders and governors of our own country.
One of the reasons why this nation is in such turmoil is because we have forgotten that, and let government become target of opportunity for those professing to be somehow “wiser” than us, as if they are “anointed” of God.
I remember the past two presidential elections, a lot of my fellow Christians were telling me that God had so anointed George W. Bush. It was such sick idolatry that I left one church because of it.
God hasn’t anointed anyone to be our leaders in this country. He never has. But He *has* given the people of America the responsibility of being stewards over the land He did entrust us with.
So the question becomes: What exactly HAVE we done with that divinely-appointed responsibility?
I say again: we are getting exactly what we deserve, no matter which candidate or what party “wins” next week.
God gave the children of Israel what they wanted, what they demanded. Who among us can say that He is not doing the same to us?
You wanna know what to pray for? Pray for earnest and sincere and abject REPENTANCE on the part of all of us in this land. And NOT for sake of one candidate or one party coming into power. That’s what people like Pat Robertson and James Dobson have been teaching for years… and they have been utterly WRONG to do so!
We need to realize how far we have gone astray, and repent, and ask God for wisdom for ALL Americans, and that we might use that wisdom, just as the Founders expected of us.
Chris Knight’s last blog post..Quoth the Raven… "EXCELSIOR!"
Well…Chris, I plan to pray for those we have and will elect to serve as president…I will pray no matter the party…no matter the man or woman who is elected…I will pray before the election, on election day, and into the future…
Prayer will change our nation, our president, our people, and even you and me…
M. Steve Heartsill’s last blog post..A Different View of Things
Great post. Though I do not fret over who wins (the rapture may take place before they take office) I too will vote.
I heard a speaker the other day say that as a citizen, whomever you are voting for you are giving your official ‘ok’ to do things on your behalf. If they are doing something on my behalf, then I must clearly be informed as to whose views of the world are closest to mine.
I agree in the end we as a nation (and individually) will not get what we deserve, which as most of you know is nothing but death and hell. While living IN the world he has promised us something OUT OF THIS world for not being OF the world through his grace!
Chris Knight: You said perfectly the words I have been searching for. Thank YOU.