Lord, we beg you to save us from election time. If I see another stupid political ad, promoting one candidate or trashing the opponent, I might just lose my mind.
I, along with the vast majority of American people, am completely and utterly disgusted with our political leaders right now. I was always taught to respect my elders and respect those in authority over me, but I cannot bring myself to muster even a smidgeon of respect for the people running this country right now- Republican, Democrat, or Independent.
So, we will have another election, with all candidates telling us what they are going to do, how so-and-so must be stopped, how the other party is systematically working to undo everything that you hold dear, how the economy will collapse if their opponent is elected, how society will implode if the other party gets power, yada yada yada. I'm as sick of it as you are.
Now, don't get me wrong- who has authority matters. We see that in Houston right now- the mayor of Houston, a militant openly-gay woman, has committed more First Amendment violations in one day than I've seen in my entire forty years on this planet. She was elected with a 13% voter turnout. By the apathy of the voters of Houston, many of whom sit in churches whose pastors are being threatened and intimidated, they allowed this to happen. So, elections do matter. Activists are one thing; activists with the full power of the state behind them are another thing entirely.
However, don't look to this election to solve America's problems.
Why?
Because there are no political solutions to spiritual problems. America's problems right now are spiritual, not political.
The top four problems in America right now are:
1) Destruction of the Family. America resembles an ebola-stricken victim. A tiny virus, too small to be seen by the eye, can destroy a full-grown human being. How? By destroying one cell at a time. America is made up of cells, called families. When the families are healthy, the society is healthy. When the family is dysfunctional, society will follow.
Right now, 41% of children are born outside of wedlock. This increases their chances of growing up in poverty, being incarcerated, not finishing high school, etc. This is a spiritual problem that will not be solved by any election or law. The family is God's design, God's idea, and was set up by Him to include one man and one woman committed for life, and from that union to produce children.
If I were Satan, trying to destroy a society, I would attack the family. I would do whatever it took to change the definition of the family, to move it as far away from God's design as I could, to belittle and trash God's design, to marginalize it, to move sex outside of marriage, and to tell the people, "Society is better without it. You don't need one man, one woman committed for life. You can be happy other ways. Children don't need two biological parents in the home. Sex is fun- don't save it for marriage!" We see the results of the spiritual problem of the destruction of the family, and neither Mitch McConnell nor Alison Lundergan Grimes being elected will solve that.
2) Marginalization of faith. John Adams said, "Our Constitution was only made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of another." When a society rots morally and spiritually, freedom is the first victim. When people have no agreed-on set of morals, no common religion, they will begin to abuse freedom. When freedom begins to be abused, we have to pass more laws. When people cannot police themselves- when they cannot be trusted to live honestly, to tell the truth, to make decisions based on character and not convenience- the only option left is a police state with no freedom.
It is time for America to get serious about church again. It is time for America to get serious about religious freedom. It is time for America to realize that the marginalization of faith- their apathy towards church, their negligence in passing on faith to their children, their routine neglect of God's word, their self-centered (if at all) prayers, and their disobedience to the Great Commission- has cost us and cost us big time. Our country will not last without the church- it will not last without the Christian faith. Oh, we might have a country, but it will be a country that resembles the Soviet Union or North Korea, not the America I grew up in.
Faith must become a potent force in America right now if America is to survive. There is no other option. This, again, is a problem no election can solve.
3) Materialism and Selfishness. Our desire for entertainment and possessions has led us to the terrible position of being indebted. Most people know that our government is more than $17 trillion in debt. However, the average American household is more than $15,000 in credit card debt. I would imagine that most of that $15,000 isn't because of rice and beans and water. American households don't go $15,000 in debt trying to survive. No, most of that debt is because of non-essential items- more phone than you need, more vacation than you need, more house than you need, more clothes than you need, eating out more than you can afford, etc.
Not to mention that the average Christian gives around 2.5% of his or her income to the church and/or Kingdom work. That qualifies us more as good Muslims than it does followers of the Bible. The desire for material things- for things of this earth, more than we need- is in direct contradiction to God's word. Jesus tells us to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. He said that true treasure is loving our neighbors, giving to the needy, blessing others with our resources, caring for the orphan, caring for the widow, etc. That is the kind of treasure that is valuable in God's eyes.
However, Americans don't think that way very often. The debt that we have as a nation and as individuals is a spiritual problem that won't be solved by politicians. We have a growing sense of entitlement, craving more and more and more, shouting about our "right" to certain things that everyone else has. This is a spiritual problem that cannot be solved by an election.
4) Lack of fear of God. The Bible tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. We are to live as people who will be held accountable by God for every word we speak and every action we do. People who know they will be held accountable act very differently than people who think "no one will know."
How different would your decisions on money be if you knew you would be hauled into God's office for an accounting of how you spend His resources? (Yes, I said HIS resources- all you have is His. You are simply a manager of His resources and will be held accountable for it). How different would your words be to your family if you knew all of them would be posted in Times Square for all the world to see? How different would your decisions sexually, morally, financially, etc be if you acted as a person under accountability?
Sadly, the fear of God is disappearing from American society. We increasingly act as people who are not under authority or accountability. As a result of this, we live less and less wisely. We do not live our lives as people who have a fear of God. Wisdom is disappearing from our society, and no election or politician will solve this. This is a spiritual problem. America must once again regain its fear of God, or we will face increasing judgment on our communities, families, and nation. We are already seeing it.
All of America's problems boil down to spiritual issues. The only thing politicians can do is pass laws. There are no laws that can solve America's spiritual problems. Only repentance and commitment to God's ways can solve the problems facing America right now. Don't count on this election to solve anything. You are the solution to America's problems. Question is- are you part of the problem or are you part of the solution?
2 Chronicles 7:14- "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land."
I, along with the vast majority of American people, am completely and utterly disgusted with our political leaders right now. I was always taught to respect my elders and respect those in authority over me, but I cannot bring myself to muster even a smidgeon of respect for the people running this country right now- Republican, Democrat, or Independent.
So, we will have another election, with all candidates telling us what they are going to do, how so-and-so must be stopped, how the other party is systematically working to undo everything that you hold dear, how the economy will collapse if their opponent is elected, how society will implode if the other party gets power, yada yada yada. I'm as sick of it as you are.
Now, don't get me wrong- who has authority matters. We see that in Houston right now- the mayor of Houston, a militant openly-gay woman, has committed more First Amendment violations in one day than I've seen in my entire forty years on this planet. She was elected with a 13% voter turnout. By the apathy of the voters of Houston, many of whom sit in churches whose pastors are being threatened and intimidated, they allowed this to happen. So, elections do matter. Activists are one thing; activists with the full power of the state behind them are another thing entirely.
However, don't look to this election to solve America's problems.
Why?
Because there are no political solutions to spiritual problems. America's problems right now are spiritual, not political.
The top four problems in America right now are:
1) Destruction of the Family. America resembles an ebola-stricken victim. A tiny virus, too small to be seen by the eye, can destroy a full-grown human being. How? By destroying one cell at a time. America is made up of cells, called families. When the families are healthy, the society is healthy. When the family is dysfunctional, society will follow.
Right now, 41% of children are born outside of wedlock. This increases their chances of growing up in poverty, being incarcerated, not finishing high school, etc. This is a spiritual problem that will not be solved by any election or law. The family is God's design, God's idea, and was set up by Him to include one man and one woman committed for life, and from that union to produce children.
If I were Satan, trying to destroy a society, I would attack the family. I would do whatever it took to change the definition of the family, to move it as far away from God's design as I could, to belittle and trash God's design, to marginalize it, to move sex outside of marriage, and to tell the people, "Society is better without it. You don't need one man, one woman committed for life. You can be happy other ways. Children don't need two biological parents in the home. Sex is fun- don't save it for marriage!" We see the results of the spiritual problem of the destruction of the family, and neither Mitch McConnell nor Alison Lundergan Grimes being elected will solve that.
2) Marginalization of faith. John Adams said, "Our Constitution was only made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of another." When a society rots morally and spiritually, freedom is the first victim. When people have no agreed-on set of morals, no common religion, they will begin to abuse freedom. When freedom begins to be abused, we have to pass more laws. When people cannot police themselves- when they cannot be trusted to live honestly, to tell the truth, to make decisions based on character and not convenience- the only option left is a police state with no freedom.
It is time for America to get serious about church again. It is time for America to get serious about religious freedom. It is time for America to realize that the marginalization of faith- their apathy towards church, their negligence in passing on faith to their children, their routine neglect of God's word, their self-centered (if at all) prayers, and their disobedience to the Great Commission- has cost us and cost us big time. Our country will not last without the church- it will not last without the Christian faith. Oh, we might have a country, but it will be a country that resembles the Soviet Union or North Korea, not the America I grew up in.
Faith must become a potent force in America right now if America is to survive. There is no other option. This, again, is a problem no election can solve.
3) Materialism and Selfishness. Our desire for entertainment and possessions has led us to the terrible position of being indebted. Most people know that our government is more than $17 trillion in debt. However, the average American household is more than $15,000 in credit card debt. I would imagine that most of that $15,000 isn't because of rice and beans and water. American households don't go $15,000 in debt trying to survive. No, most of that debt is because of non-essential items- more phone than you need, more vacation than you need, more house than you need, more clothes than you need, eating out more than you can afford, etc.
Not to mention that the average Christian gives around 2.5% of his or her income to the church and/or Kingdom work. That qualifies us more as good Muslims than it does followers of the Bible. The desire for material things- for things of this earth, more than we need- is in direct contradiction to God's word. Jesus tells us to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. He said that true treasure is loving our neighbors, giving to the needy, blessing others with our resources, caring for the orphan, caring for the widow, etc. That is the kind of treasure that is valuable in God's eyes.
However, Americans don't think that way very often. The debt that we have as a nation and as individuals is a spiritual problem that won't be solved by politicians. We have a growing sense of entitlement, craving more and more and more, shouting about our "right" to certain things that everyone else has. This is a spiritual problem that cannot be solved by an election.
4) Lack of fear of God. The Bible tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. We are to live as people who will be held accountable by God for every word we speak and every action we do. People who know they will be held accountable act very differently than people who think "no one will know."
How different would your decisions on money be if you knew you would be hauled into God's office for an accounting of how you spend His resources? (Yes, I said HIS resources- all you have is His. You are simply a manager of His resources and will be held accountable for it). How different would your words be to your family if you knew all of them would be posted in Times Square for all the world to see? How different would your decisions sexually, morally, financially, etc be if you acted as a person under accountability?
Sadly, the fear of God is disappearing from American society. We increasingly act as people who are not under authority or accountability. As a result of this, we live less and less wisely. We do not live our lives as people who have a fear of God. Wisdom is disappearing from our society, and no election or politician will solve this. This is a spiritual problem. America must once again regain its fear of God, or we will face increasing judgment on our communities, families, and nation. We are already seeing it.
All of America's problems boil down to spiritual issues. The only thing politicians can do is pass laws. There are no laws that can solve America's spiritual problems. Only repentance and commitment to God's ways can solve the problems facing America right now. Don't count on this election to solve anything. You are the solution to America's problems. Question is- are you part of the problem or are you part of the solution?
2 Chronicles 7:14- "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land."
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