The Christian Vote: Peace to Live Godly vs a Reign of Wickedness.

Oh, foolish American Christians (I struggle with capitalizing that word); our principles have taken the place of solid scriptural teaching of how we are to live and conduct our lives in a world whose god is the Devil. We have amazingly forgotten that WE were THE "..fornicators... idolaters, ...effeminate... abusers of selves ...thieves...covetous... drunkards... revilers... extortioners.." of the world and without hope. Now, we we are the " ... washed... sanctified... justified..." by our Savior - our Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not have to look very far from ourselves as to the cause of the self-righteous title the lost has given the American Christian, the growing hatred of churches and the seemingly powerless Gospel coming out of our pulpits today. The social media does not tell the whole story but so much foolish self-serving tripe full of worldliness and perverted political savvy being foisted under the guise of indignation at the wicked being wicked. Sinners do best what sinners do - they sin! Much to our dismay, we all still have our running problems with our own sins; anyone who says different is a liar (1 John 1:8).

We think we are a Christian nation, but nothing could be further from the Truth. An American's definition of a Christian is by default: someone who is not Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, Atheist, Satanic or whatever. Our money, music, many civil oaths, monuments seem to acknowledge 'In God We Trust'. The Bible is very clear that few take the Narrow Path and here in Washington state, only 4% of the population attends any service a regular basis. That includes evangelicals, Catholics, LDS, Jewish, Muslim, etc., of that how many are professed born-again believers is probably a very small percentage. We have been blessed here in the USA because we have based so many laws and practices upon biblical principles; our works of charity and sacrifice around the world in large part do reflect a thankful and giving nation. Sadly, as the world speeds towards judgment, we are witnessing the fulfillment of 2nd Thessalonians, that in the latter days '...men will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.'; the halls of ours churches are not immune. We are being culled by God, to come out from among them and separate ourselves to the task at hand: thus we need to look at the current political situation not from our perspective but from God's perspective.

How shall a Christian look at the looming election?

Caligula or Claudius?

Caligula: murdered his uncle Tiberius and invoked his right to the seat of Rome by birth in 37 A.D. During his reign of terror, he ordered the execution of his own mother and sister, along with anyone who defied his wishes. As the attached quote states, he considered himself to be a god and therefore everything he said must be obeyed without question. He was the most hated and feared of any of his predecessors and when he ordered that all the wives of the senators shall 'man' the royal brothel as expensive prostitutes to keep the coffers of the royal treasury filled, he was assassinated by some very angry senators and hired thugs in 41 A.D. A very short tenure, but one that has spawned movies and books because of his incredible wickedness.

Claudius: great-nephew of Augustus Caesar, nephew of Tiberius, uncle to Caligula and great-uncle to Nero whom he later adopted. He was born with a club foot, hard of hearing and with a speech impediment and was never considered as a political threat for his public personae suffered. When Caligula was assassinated, there was a purge of all the remnants of the family of Augustus and that included Claudius. But God had a better idea; the Praetorian Guard, the Roman body guard of the emperor protected Claudius and placed him as successor to Caligula thereby securing their job as well as Claudius. He would be the last of line of Julius Caesar and would reign from 41 to 54 A.D. All those years out of the limelight and intrigue of the Caesars, he became a very educated in many subjects including law. During his reign, Rome's territory grew, roads and aqueducts built and Roman citizenship (those who desired citizenship) increased by over a million. This was very important as it increased the peace within the empire, improved travel convenience and safety as well as opening new opportunities for the Gospel at a time when Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles.

As a Christian we probably wouldn't have liked either choice had there been a opportunity to cast our vote but a most significant biblical principle was established: Paul was able to lead a quiet and peaceable life for the most part. He wanted to know nothing from the new converts but Jesus, and Him crucified and this message was carried from Asia Minor to modern Spain thanks to safer travel and improved infra-structure. Another contribution from the reign of Claudius was the eventual conquest of Britain. How important was this conquest? The majority of Western Christianity and its culture is a direct result of Rome's incursion into the British Isles. That is a tale for another day.

Hence, we also should have only ONE criteria as Christians on how we should vote.

1 Timothy 2:1-3 - "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications,prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior."

One criteria: which candidate, and there are only two viable candidates as any vote for another or a non-vote is turning over your future to someone else's decision. God by His sovereign will has placed us in this country and it is not to sit on our hands and do nothing. We are not being asked to participate directly in the politics of the age, but have been given a gift whereby we have an impact on the quality of our lives as concerning the Gospel. If you are worried about pensions, the quality of healthcare, taxes, and whatever will improve your personal lifestyle, you are not fit for the Kingdom for '..No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.' We must be about looking ahead for the return of the King; time is short and we must be about His business. We must choose the candidate that will give the true Church, the opportunity to live and preach in all godliness and honesty in these difficult last days.

You will never see Jesus in the White House, for His place is at the right hand of the Father. What we need to see is Christ and Him crucified being preached from our pulpits, in our homes and in our day-to-day lives. Stop trying rely on America being a Christian nation but that we are living in a pagan country and as born-again Christians ready to give a reason for the Hope that lives within us.

I am not telling anyone for whom to vote, but I personally believe that one of the candidates will give me a short period of time to continue my teaching and preaching free from state mandates. We know one the most wicked persecutors of the Church followed Claudius, Nero. Still, Paul had almost 15 years of relative freedom to spread the Gospel and you and I are the beneficiaries of a pagan ruler's short reign and his unwitting assistance to cause of the Gospel.

Caveat: God is sovereign, whoever will win this election will be of His choosing whether we like it or not ... but let your vote be for peace.