In an article by Rapture Ready writer Jack Kelley, the
question is raised, how would Jesus vote? The
undertones of the article subtly suggests that
Jesus would proudly be a “conservative” Republican.
There is a political and religious bias that somehow
believes that to vote Democratic is both ungodly
and unChristian. Wonder how an independent’s
faith is classified?
The Rapture Ready scribe argues that America
was founded as a Christian nation. Well at least
we can say it “professed” to be.
Were these the same “born again” Christians who
claimed land belonging to American Indians as their
own? What Biblical principle did this uphold? Thou
shalt steal? Thou shalt covet?
So, if you want your neighbors land, just shoot him
and move his family on a vacant lot and call it a
reservation! Reserved until when and for whom?
The Rapture? How is that righteousness?
If an alien from Mars landed on earth today and planted
a flag on the White house lawn claiming they discovered
a new nation while Africans who had arrived in American
before them navigated the space ship, by what logic or
Christian principle would America belong to the Martians?
So, the native Americans were discovered by aliens
and that makes it right in the sight of God! Does
America Need Change, Obama or the Rapture?
Would conservative Republicans have viewed Jesus’
decision to pay taxes to Tiberius Caesar’s government
treason or blind support for an ungodly nation? We
know how the Jews felt about it.
While Jesus paid taxes readily, and the Jews did so
reluctantly, it was the latter who later accused him of
treason and insurrection. Yet they actually rebelled
against Rome because of their opposition to paying
taxes in the name of patriotism and conservative
Judaism! Was the Lord unpatriotic?
In fact, the conservative Jewish tradition of resistance
to change was the direct cause of the destruction of
of the Jerusalem and the end of Biblical Judaism in
A.D. 70. (Acts 6:13, 14). These Jews made the same
claim as Kelley, that their holy place and laws were
being polluted by liberal Christians.
Will Republicans refuse to pay taxes when Obama
assumes the office of the presidency? Will their support
of the government mean they support all of Obama’s
personal beliefs? Then why must it be so for Democrats
or even other Republicans who voted for him?
Did Jesus support all the views of Caesar? Did the
believing Jews who obeyed and followed Christ’s example
and commandments to “render unto Caesar that which
is Caesar’s” commit sin? (Matt 22:17–21)
Why do Republicans feel they are the “godly” party
and everyone who does not vote as they do are
condemned to hell? Do others not have the freedom
to choose the candidate of their choice? Apparently
so.
The apostles Paul and Peter wrote to Christians
as a direct command to be subject to governing
authorities. (Romans 13:1–7, 1 Peter 2:13, 14).
How many racists stood in defiance of human rights
moral laws and biblical principles to deny other
humans their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness, “in the name of Jeeezus!”
When Paul wrote Romans 13, Nero was the
commander in Chief of Rome! The governing
authorities of the Jewish people were murdering
and imprisoning innocent Christians!
Do conservatives advocate that we withhold our
prayers for “kings and all who are in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and reverence?” (2 Tim. 2:1–3)
Somehow the early Christians were able to make
sophisticated distinctions between submitting to
government and endorsing every ideology of the
government. Isn’t that what we do with all people,
husbands, wives, children, etc.
In contrast, the bible makes it clear that “civil
disobedience” is valid when a government requires
submission to principles which conflict with those
of God, (Daniel 6, Acts 5:29), which is an individual
choice even upheld by the constitution.
Citizens can object by vote or by protest. How else
could America have justified its existence? Remember
the Boston Tea Party started the Revolution over a
protest mantra of “No taxation without representation!”
The U.S. Constitution recognizes that people
may have differences with their elected officials who
govern is one of the protections of a civil society.
How else could their be a democracy?
Why then is it considered unpatriotic for a person to
exercise their vote for a candidate that may have
personal opinions that differ from their own, but a
consensus agenda that unites people toward common
goals and objectives?
Or is it only conservative Republicans who are not
impacted by the current financial Armageddon? If not
what were the bailouts all about? When did sharing
wealth become unChristian? (1 Tim. 6:18)
Further, throughout the Bible, we see godly statesmen
such as Daniel and Nehemiah in the courts of Persia,
accepting responsibility, praying to God and asking for
the forgiveness of the sins and crimes of their fathers,
Nehemiah 1, Daniel 9).
Will conservative Republicans offer an apology for the
governments role in institutionalized slavery? Will they
accept the responsibility of the crimes of their
fathers in robbing the material and human wealth of
African nations through over 200 years of institutionalized
slavery to build the wealth on Wall street?
So far no, but many with blood on their patriotic hands
salute the flag and pledge their allegiance to the
government as though they have no king but Caesar
and all who will not bow to them are not Caesar’s friend.
As I recall, the conservative and patriotic Jews didn’t
worry much about their own blood stained hands or
those of their children, (Matthew 27:25).
This is not an indictment against all Republicans. Nor
does it exonerate Democrats, Independents or any
other political party.
It does however seek to expose the utter hypocrisy
of those whether conservative Republican or Democrat
who claim they are the only righteous torch bearers
of the nation.
Mr. Kelly reveals his true concerns in saying that this
election could bring about fundamental change in America.
That certainly would be a welcome breath of fresh air
if change means what it should mean, “repentance”
for the sins enumerated above.
He also speaks of peace, financial security, tolerance
and choice as “campaign code words” for rebellion
against God, when desired by Obama supporters.
Hopefully there is at least one Republican in the land
who would find such words shocking especially in view
of the financial crisis and turmoil of the nation and the
growing global community.
There is a good chance that many in America
and the larger global community are outgrowing the
narrow-minded immaturity of the Republican party as
it stands.
Yes, change is not only desirable for an Obama campaign,
it seems those who resisted it the most need it the most.
According to the news media, they have lost their way.
Some in this nation are so holily grieved that they
are looking past president elect Obama to the next
election as though they will bear with him as the ‘boils
on the body of Job’ until his term ends, —all in the name
of restoring righteous conservatism in the government.
How godly is it for a nation to take care of its rich
while neglecting and abusing its poor? This is not
about individual industry and self-determination.
The American people have had their tax dollars
stolen with huge billion dollar bailouts at tax payers
expense. A trillion dollar deficit hocks the future while
oil companies and banks profited at their expense.
What’s at stake Mr. Kelly asks? He laments that
the foundations of our society are being uprooted
by modern and ungodly philosophies. We do see
this happening in many ways, without the need to
adopt conservative Republican agenda. However,
his solution is why worry, the Rapture will come
soon and end it all.
If the Republicans believe that strongly in the Rapture
why have a Republican party at all? Let them eat,
drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Such are the
sentiments of Mr. Kelley and his recommendation for
retreat now that he sees the country going to hell
in a hen basket because Republicans are not controlling
the White house.
One thing is evident. The Rapture doctrine of retreat
from responsibility and accountability has not changed
since its “founding fathers” advocated it a century and
a half ago. Yes, we need philosophic eschatological change,
to renounce the defeatist retreatism Rapture doctrine.
We also need political change to address and improve on
achieving the ideals of one nation under God, with liberty
and justice for all. That would in fact be a “Christian
government.”
Wow
You’re the first Christian I’ve read who has published an article that is actually Scriptural about the state of our nation, that also contains God’s heart for America. I wrote an editorial some time ago, before the election which echos your words:
I wrote this some months ago, back around the time of the 2008 Primaries:
– A Time for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah
I may not be alone in saying that the United States President is not our Messiah. The state of our nation does not necessarily rise and fall based upon who happens to be our Chief of State. The Scriptures say that, “the Lord directs the heart of the king, like a river.” So God can do anything He wants – He takes down leaders and sets up others, irregardless of the vote.
I may be alone is saying this: I’m tired of the Christian attitude which says, “We’ll vote for the most moral leader we can, and if we don’t swing the vote in our side, all hope is lost, our nation is plummeting into the darkness of hell, lead by the Antichrist. We might as well wait another 4 years, hoping to groom the next man who’ll ‘get the job done’.” Somehow we have mistaken the President’s job for ours. We are the “Church of the living God and the pillar and foundation of the Truth.” We are ‘more than conquerors’ through Christ. We are a holy nation; we are the called; the righteous; the torch-bearers. We are partakers of the Divine nature. I’m still looking for pro-righteousness, pro-Jesus, pro-grace leaders, which may not necessarily be in government.
Daniel and his three amigos lived in captivity to an empire which was 1000 times worse than America – Neo-Babylon or Chaldea, located in modern day Iraq. The Chaldeans were masters of reading and writing, and especially versed in all forms of incantation, in sorcery, witchcraft, and the magical arts. In addition, Babylon was the center of all kinds of demon-worship. No doubt some of these ‘gods’ required the sacrifice of infants or at bare-minimum others required young children to read ‘fiction’ books on witchcraft or be schooled in the decadent sexual behavior of their culture and learn the elaborate stories of how demons created the universe. Leaders in the kingdom were quick to erect idols after themselves and/or have the populace bow down to them or suffer capital punishment. Forget religious freedom. They were sure to change the identity of young Jewish captives by renaming them after demons. But like Joseph in the days of the anti-Christ pharaoh, Yahweh raised up these young men to defy the wicked behavior of their time and gain favor among the rulers, even to the point where their God (and ours) was proclaimed the ONLY God to be worshiped in the land. That’s political influence that flies in the face of weak Christians who still believe that a separation of God and state is what He wants for America. These brave Jews didn’t sit around waiting for the next political ‘election’ or twiddle their tumbles and wring their hands in desperate panic or fear about the condition of their people. They got to business – fasting, praying, standing together, and defying godless authority by walking under the banner of His Kingdom. I wrote this some months ago, back around the time of the 2008 Primaries:
– A Time for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah
I may not be alone in saying that the United States President is not our Messiah. The state of our nation does not necessarily rise and fall based upon who happens to be our Chief of State. The Scriptures say that, “the Lord directs the heart of the king, like a river.” So God can do anything He wants – He takes down leaders and sets up others, irregardless of the vote.
I may be alone is saying this: I’m tired of the Christian attitude which says, “We’ll vote for the most moral leader we can, and if we don’t swing the vote in our side, all hope is lost, our nation is plummeting into the darkness of hell, lead by the Antichrist. We might as well wait another 4 years, hoping to groom the next man who’ll ‘get the job done’.” Somehow we have mistaken the President’s job for ours. We are the “Church of the living God and the pillar and foundation of the Truth.” We are ‘more than conquerors’ through Christ. We are a holy nation; we are the called; the righteous; the torch-bearers. We are partakers of the Divine nature. I’m still looking for pro-righteousness, pro-Jesus, pro-grace leaders, which may not necessarily be in government.
Daniel and his three amigos lived in captivity to an empire which was 1000 times worse than America – Neo-Babylon or Chaldea, located in modern day Iraq. The Chaldeans were masters of reading and writing, and especially versed in all forms of incantation, in sorcery, witchcraft, and the magical arts. In addition, Babylon was the center of all kinds of demon-worship. No doubt some of these ‘gods’ required the sacrifice of infants or at bare-minimum others required young children to read ‘fiction’ books on witchcraft or be schooled in the decadent sexual behavior of their culture and learn the elaborate stories of how demons created the universe. Leaders in the kingdom were quick to erect idols after themselves and/or have the populace bow down to them or suffer capital punishment. Forget religious freedom. They were sure to change the identity of young Jewish captives by renaming them after demons. But like Joseph in the days of the anti-Christ pharaoh, Yahweh raised up these young men to defy the wicked behavior of their time and gain favor among the rulers, even to the point where their God (and ours) was proclaimed the ONLY God to be worshiped in the land. That’s political influence that flies in the face of weak Christians who still believe that a separation of God and state is what He wants for America. These brave Jews didn’t sit around waiting for the next political ‘election’ or twiddle their tumbles and wring their hands in desperate panic or fear about the condition of their people. They got to business – fasting, praying, standing together, and defying godless authority by walking under the banner of His Kingdom.
This is the time where God is raising up the ‘Daniels’ the ‘Hannaniahs’ the ‘Mishaels’ and ‘Azariahs’. – where God turns the hearts of rulers and bows them down under His mighty hand.
THE FOUNDATIONS ARE BROKEN
The foundations are broken down, and the words of our monuments are despised. “In God we trust.” “…one nation, under God.” If this nation, conceived in liberty has turned its back on its Creator, and has defiled itself in the pleasures of this world, in violence, in humanism, in injustice, and mercilessness, in corruption and moral filth, in lies and deceit, in pride and every form of wickedness, then God does not want to restore this nation to its roots that are looked upon with contempt. The ax is at the root of the tree, ready to cut it down and begin again. His delight is in His people, and those that glorify Him as God, and He is building a nation of holy people who will be a Bride presented pure and holy, without blemish in His sight at His coming – He wants to make all things new.
Those who rely upon the roots of this nation to sustain them from the holy eyes of God and His all-consuming wrath have misjudged the Almighty – His wrath will not be appeased and His fire will not be quenched except by the blood of the Lamb. No one will stand in His sight holy apart from Christ. He is not so concerned about saving this nation – with its mixture of light and darkness, the godly and the ungodly, the righteous and the wicked, those who fear God and those who deny He exists – as He is in saving His Nation, His Body – the Church – and those who choose to trust Him.
Will America survive? Will they stand firm in freedom and righteousness? The answer comes, “Will America repent and receive Christ?” – to turn to relationship with the Father through the sacrifice of His Son, or will they offer up vain sacrifices and lip service and keep pleading, ‘look at what our nation was founded upon’ – just and moral principles, yes, good and righteous ideas – but did not even the Pharisees have these, did not even the most religious, the most pious Jews have these – and strove to obey them. “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of heaven.”
Should America be restored to their foundations? I say America should be restored to the Foundation – the Rock which is Christ Jesus. In Him is true freedom, real righteousness, and everlasting love – to join and be a part of a Nation that spans all nations, and is eternal – a Kingdom that is not of this world.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
(Rom 1:16)
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, …how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures
I Corinthians 15:1-4
The Gospel of Christ – the Goodnews of the Kingdom – is the power of God unto salvation – it is the power that raised Christ from the dead and that makes our dying bodies alive forever. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is foundational to everything we believe.
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
(Gal 1:6)
As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:9)
Any ‘saving message’ or ‘bailout plan’ that strays away from the cross of Christ is, in fact, a false gospel. Often we consider such things as “works salvation” and cult-messages as being false gospels, but the reality is, that false gospels pervade an antichrist society, where the cross of Christ is just merely ignored or thought of as unimportant. Sure there are the occultic, satanists and open-blasphemers of Jesus, but what happens when He is conveniently overlooked, not respected, or placed along-side other programs or ideas that ‘might work just as well.”? Wolves preaching a false Gospel.
For instance: “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” (-Bill of Rights, 3rd Amend.)
Okay, great, so Congress won’t keep us from worshipping God, but when America, as a whole, stands before God some day and He judges the nations, God’s not going to care if they allowed Him to be worshipped or not. He’s going to care if they knew Him through the cross of Christ and worshipped Him alone as God. The problem is this: Congress, the Executive Branch, the courts, and the foundational documents of this nation do not acknowledge Christ anymore than they acknowledge Muhammed, Vishnu, or worshipping sticks and stones…creating such controversies as prayer in public schools, 10 commandments in court rooms, etc. If an individual stands before the throne as says, “Well Jesus, in my heart I didn’t respect you as being the Truth, but then again, I didn’t prohibit the possibility of you being a way to God.” He’s not going to let them slide through the pearly gates based upon tolerance or American-idealism.
False Gospels don’t stop there…any ‘righteous behavior’ that occurs apart from the cross of Christ, is, in reality, a false gospel…subtly, it teaches ‘if we put enough carrots for good behavior and enough sticks for bad behavior people will be taught to be good people…If we put enough deterent to crime, they won’t murder, rape, steal, hi-jack planes and fly them into buildings. If we intimidate through fear and power, wage war, and stimilate through mammon, then the world will be okay, and we’ll be safe.’ LIES! I rebuke and renounce these false Gospels in the name of Jesus Christ, and the Christians who want to play games by siding some of the time with the world, and some of the time with the God they profess. Any legal system, religious system, or governing body that ignores the cross of Christ will be judged in the last day – because these systems either:
1. Leave guilty people in condemnation and judgment with no hope of forgiveness
2. Pervert justice and let guilty people go free, pardoning them based upon something less than the blood of Jesus
3. Some combination of the above.
The ‘ignoring of Jesus’ pervades many other arenas of life – finance and business, medicine and health, family, teaching, friendships, sports. Jesus isn’t satisfied with 2nd place (or even tying for 1st) and will not stop until He is the Head in all things. The Goodnews of the Government of God is that He does pardon, based upon faith in the blood of Jesus and His resurrection. The Gospel is that He can create peace and make new creatures out of terrorists and power-mongers. He does heal. The cross of Christ is the wisdom of God and the power of God.