Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- November 3, 2012
“But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” Acts 16:37
Citizenship in a free country is a gift from God, and not to be taken for granted. It is a stewardship with privileges and responsibilities. Millions of men and women gave their lives so that generations to come could live as citizens of a republic, united around principles founded in the Word of God. Citizenship gives you freedom for good or evil, so remind the culture of wise thinking and value-based living. This is the purpose of the regular election of government officials, for your vote is their performance review. Voting is a responsibility of citizens to provide feedback to the God-ordained institution of government. This authority is used by God to carry out His purposes. The Bible says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. God has established the authorities that exist. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2). Therefore, elect men and woman of principal who, as statesmen, will risk losing their House or Senate seat because they govern by unwavering values founded in the Scriptures. They value life, especially in those who are unable to defend themselves.
The unborn and the elderly are on the top of their list of whom to protect. They value marriage, one man and one woman engaged in holy matrimony. They reject a redefinition of marriage from those driven by money and immorality. They value national security because freedom is not free. It requires sophisticated vigilance from terrorism and nuclear threat. Most importantly, they value God and His Word. There is a humble submission and respect to the authority of Almighty God. So your vote matters because your citizenship matters. Newly initiated citizens are fresh to freedom, so their determination, participation, and appreciation makes them grateful citizens. See yourself as one of the world’s privileged few. Stay abreast of the issues and the position of the politician who represents you. Do they reflect your values? Are they consistent? Do they follow through with their commitments? If not, be a good steward and remove them from office. Replace them with someone hungry to do what’s right, in the right way.
Public service is a public trust. Pray for trustworthy men and women motivated by principal. Daniel was a government official of integrity. “At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.” (Daniel 6:4). Hold accountable those cowards who hide behind compromise or enrich themselves with personal profit. God is in control, but He expects participation from people of the state. Look for leaders who will return prayer and the fear of God back into the public arena. Expect the language of the Lord to pepper their speeches.
We are citizens of a greater kingdom who have a temporary assignment to engage in our earthly kingdom. Therefore, steward well your citizenship while you can. God expects engaged citizens.
Taken from the May 28th reading in the 365-day devotional book, “Seeking Daily the Heart of God”… http://bit.ly/InvUdR
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I don’t mind being told to vote but I don’t want to be subtley told who to vote for. There are many ills that plague this nation. Marriage has been under attack way before gay rights started. There are politicians who lie, cheat, steal & act dishonorably. There are many social ills that are more chronic than abortion like homelessnes, hunger, child abuse. Nobody talks about that. Politicians flip flop on issues every day just to get avote, so thebest thing to do is pray for the human that will LEAD the best, because God is supreme!
I don’t mind being told to vote but I don’t want to be subtley told who to vote for. There are many ills that plague this nation. Marriage has been under attack way before gay rights started. There are politicians who lie, cheat, steal & act dishonorably. There are many social ills that are more chronic than abortion like homelessnes, hunger, child abuse. Nobody talks about that. Cand. flip flop on issues every day just to get avote, so thebest thing to do is pray for the human that will LEAD the best, because God is supreme!
I have enjoyed reading Wisdom Hunters and I appreciate you trying to encourage each person to vote in this critical election. It’s a right that we all should exercise; especially women and african-americans, as we did not always have this right. I am however, very sensitive to the undertones about abortion and homosexuality noted in your devotion. It’s really hard for me to believe that you must vote Republican if you are a good bible believing Christian. Homosexuality is not the only sin in the bible. Remember ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; Remember Jesus’ example of feeding the poor, clothing the homeless, visiting those in prisons (Matthew 25) – loving your neighbor as yourself. Are these not values that we want our government to possess also? So vote your values – abortion and homosexuality are morally wrong; and social programs that help the weakest in our community are also wrong, because it’s welfare nd socialism; but definitely support the NRA. I love Jesus and will vote my values.
God, only you know the hearts/minds of these women and men running for offices. We trust only in You. Lead this Land on the local, state, and federal levels. Thank You, God. We ask this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen .
Interesting that the values in this email were attributed to Republicans. . . when a political party isn’t even mentioned. What is mentioned are values that are biblical, not political. Consequently, I’m looking for men and women who uphold biblical values, regardless of party affiliation. And I agree that homosexuality and abortion are not the only sins mentioned in the bible. However, in our present culture, these are the issues that are at the forefront of the political and cultural debate; not slavery or women’s rights. When these issues were at the forefront of the political debate, brave men and women who stood for biblical values helped to change the culture by standing for what was clear in the bible. In addition, social programs do not have the ability to change the culture like the redefinition of marriage will. So yes, as a Christian, social programs are important, and I strongly advocate for this. However, I wonder what the heart of God is for his people who would side with the culture in the name of compassion and ignore His word?
Your criteria for voting leaves us with no one to vote for.
Be not deceived, my brother.
You covered every issue perfectly. We can not rewrite God’s values to suit ourselves. We have become numb & slowly beginning to embrace the things of this world which Jesus strongly warned us about. How far have we fallen? Thankfully He is there to catch us when our foot has slipped & when we call out to Him. Re-read this thru Jesus eyes & see if you can feel His heartache that Satin has so blinded us. If killing innocent babies isn’t sin then nothing else is either.
Obviously the issues that are important will be relative to each person. I beg to differ that women’s rights is not an issue in the forefront of this election. True, the devotion did not mention a political party, but let’s be honest, the undertones were there. Homosexuality, compassion, honesty, integrity, taking care of others, respecting others, treating others fairly, living at peace with your neighbor, humility, love are all biblical virtues.
This presidential election is very challenging for Christians of all denominations. The candidate who CALLS HIMSELF pro-life, is not even a Christian, and we are called by God not to place a non-Christian in power. And the one who CALLS HIMSELF Christian is pro-choice, which is against God’s law. Moreover, God calls us to exercise our right, as citizens, to vote. MAY HE HELP US ALL!!!
I wish everyone would read this before voting. God is our Destiny and he surely shows us the right path each time. GO GOD!
I have to agree that your post was clearly biased by YOUR political choice. The office of the ministry is NOT the place for political influence. Each Christian has to weigh matters of the heart before God and choose who to vote for. My choice is not to vote for Romney, not because I believe in abortion or homosexual marriage are moral. Rather, because I believe that you can not legislate morality. Just as God gave Adam and Eve a choice in the garden, He continues to give us choices. In fact the Bible indicates that “the law was given so that sin would abound”.
However, my greatest concern regarding Romney which everyone has been afraid to talk about this election is the fact that he is a Morman. The Church of the Latter Day Saints is a cult. They do not believe that Jesus Christ is the ONLY begotten Son of God. Their belief is that there are 5 Son of God, Lucifer being one of them. As a member of their church you can choose to follow any one of the five brothers in a life of “obedience” to God. Considering his lack of concern for “the least of these” and his continually being rebuffed by Republicans, Democrats, and large corporations for flat out lying, coupled by his own words that he would not allow “facts to dictate his campaign”, I think it’s obvious which of the brother’s paths Romney has chosen to follow. Christ is the Prince of Peace. Lucifer is the father of lies!
As I said each Christian (Christ Follower) has to be prayerful and choose who he believes is the best candidate. For the reasons above, I will NOT vote for Romney. However, I think the larger issue here is your abuse of office in telling others how to vote.
If you need a resource on Mormons or cults, Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin is an excellent and educated read, written from the Christian perspective.
I have enjoyed the Wisdom Hunters for quite a while now. I am a little disappointed in this particular one. It’s bad enough that I get hundreds of phone calls, thousands of pieces of mail and all the political ads on TV and now I get this from Wisdom Hunters and on the day before election. I don’t appreciate being told that if I vote for a particular candidate that I am disappointing God.
Boyd, I believe they respectfully said everything I came to say. God is big enough to love all of those who love. As you have obviously not felt “afflicted” with “abnormal” sexual desires, lets believe that above all of these, Love.