Dear Brother,
Psalms 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently
Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
I hope I am not being offensive to you as you read this. It has been done with prayer and self analysis on my life. I am very much a sinner that has no right to dictate my life upon others. I am full of hypocrisy and am not worthy of note nor to stand up for the Lord's word. I have done things that I am ashamed of and am in continual grief and heartbreak over. I am not a man to be followed but am a man to be reviled. I am nothing but the basest of men.
With the above said, I have become concerned with the current leanings that we, as believers, are having in choosing those that are to lead us. As I have talked to believers over the years, I hear the fear of loosing to a "greater evil" or to lean upon the "management capabilities" of one over another. As believers, my question to all of us is what would be honoring before the Lord. How would He and how does He choose? Who would He choose today?
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
As the passage above shows, God looks upon the heart of a man. This isn't the man's outward appearance, his apparent ability to dominate others nor his proven ability to lead men into battle. How can we determine the heart of man and see if this is one that the Lord would choose?
Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Proverbs 17:20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.
Proverbs 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Proverbs 16:21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
Proverbs 16:27-28 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
Proverbs 15:32-33 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Given the above, would God choose a man that defiles with his lips? Would a man that pours out foolishness be one that our Lord Jesus Christ would say is the best for His people?
1 Samuel 8:5-10,18-20 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
Acts 13:17-23 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
The above would point to the fact that the Lord gave Israel their King because they refused to accept God's wisdom. Though He redeemed us through Daniel's seed, Jesus, a king chosen by the people was not His best choice. In truth, they trusted in the wisdom of the world. They wanted a man to manage their armies and fight their battles. That made them feel safe. They rejected the Lord and His wisdom. They paid dearly for it. When it was too late, God refused to listen to their cries for help because they rejected His wisdom.
Daniel 4:34-37 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
Daniel 11:1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
As the above proclaims, God does choose and strengthens the leaders. Who we get as a leader might be based on who we trust, man or God's wisdom.
Given all of this, I would like to bring our attention on the current events and the heart of God's people in the church. Back in 2008, I remember when I read of Pat Robertson's endorsement of Rudy Giuliani. At the time, I was taken aback with the thought of "certainly this can't be the case". Upon looking it up, he endorsed him because:
"The overriding issue before the American people, is the defense of our population against the bloodlust of Islamic terrorists," Robertson told the National Press Club audience. "Our world faces deadly peril...and we need a leader with a bold vision who is not afraid to tackle the challenges ahead." -> http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/11/07/pat-robertson-endorses-rudy-giuliani-for-president.html
This was interesting as it paralleled Israel's begging for a King. Giuliani was pro-choice but Robertson chose the fear and the wisdom of man over the principle of defending the unborn.
At the time, Mike Huckabee, a one-time preacher and former governor was running for office. I was confused and fairly agitated as I began to research and found that most of the evangelical right had endorsed non-believers for the position of high office.
Bob Jones III had endorsed Romney (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-10-16-jones-romney_N.htm) because:
"This is all about beating Hillary," Jones said. "And I just believe that this man has the credentials both personally and ideologically in terms of his view about what American government should be to best represent the rank and file of conservative Americans."
So Bob Jones III is a Christian leader that is to teach others to trust in Christ. He chooses the safety and wisdom from a man that believes that Satan is the brother of Jesus over a man who professes Christ as King. Is this a show of faith or a show of faithlessness?
I could go on and on about how our Christian brothers and sisters chose man's wisdom over God's choice based on the heart of the man. What I do find interesting is that after the election of president Obama, there was a hard shift towards the Constitution and the Founding Fathers. Just like Israel pining for the days of its Kingdom after being exiled from the land, we pined for the days of when we stood up for the values and principles that our nation was founded on. Now, I am perplexed because so many of us are pining after a man that shows managerial and leadership capabilities but is devoid of the true knowledge of God.
Needless to say, I'm talking about Donald Trump. I don't think I have to go into his history of language and discourse. If you need some material, I'll let you look that up yourself. I would just urge you to do it without kids being around at the time. But onto the issues that, for me, matter most as a believer to help me determine if this is who God would want us to marry....errrrrrr....choose to be our leader.
I also want to say that I'm not going to endorse any of the more "Christian" candidates because my concern is not about them. My concern is about the heart and mindset of the Christians I interact with and whose comments I read or hear on a regular basis. What is our motivation and what is our trust?
Abortion:
This has been an "evolving" issue for Trump. I will refer to http://www.charismanews.com/politics/primaries/51296-donald-trumps-views-on-abortion-confusing as quick summary.
In essence, he now says he is pro-life. This is apparently because he had a friend who almost had an abortion but didn't and now enjoys his baby. This isn't a change based on a spiritual reason and coming under the authority of Christ but under the undulating changes of emotion during one's life.
He has pledged to reverse Obamacare which contains loopholes for abortion but in the subject of Planned Parenthood where your American taxes paid for 327,653 abortions in 2013 (http://cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-hunter/planned-parenthood-we-did-327653-abortions-one-year) he said "I do not want to say that because I want to show unpredictability. You have to. You can't just go around and say that. But Planned Parenthood should absolutely be defunded. I mean if you look at what's going on with that, it's terrible. And many of the things should be defunded and many things should be cut."
The above is taken from http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Donald_Trump_Abortion.htm but I would like to point out the below where he said in a 2015 interview on PBS:
Describing himself as "pro-life," Trump told Bloomberg News in January that he believes abortion should be banned at some point in pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest or life of the mother. In 2011 he explained to the Christian Broadcasting Network that he had changed his mind on the issue. In "The America We Deserve," Trump then wrote that he supported a woman's right to choose."
Is this someone whom we can trust to choose a supreme court justice that will defend the life of a child? Is this someone that we can trust that will not have another emotional moment and make abortion payable on demand at every hospital by the government? After reading about the other candidates, who do you think would be most trustworthy? Who has a better history of doing what he says he will do that is based on a spiritual relationship that defines his character?
Homosexual Marriages and the Support of Sodomy:
I will leave MSNBC's love for Trump to do most of the explaining: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/donald-trump-2016s-most-lgbt-friendly-republican
His support for gay marriage has been something that has been around for quite some time and is easily searchable.
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Romans 1:26-28 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
The last set of verses (Romans) speaks of the heart of man and its natural progression towards being given over to a reprobate mind. How does it reveal the heart of a believer that chooses to overlook it and its seriousness? What was God's view of Lot and what happened to his family when he decided it was wiser to camp with those that are reprobate in nature?
On being a Christian and Christian rights:
Donald Trump is saying that he is a Presbyterian. I'll accept that but let us examine the words from this man of God?!?
He has never sought forgiveness from God (kind of the basic tenant of Christianity): http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/trump-does-not-ask/2015/07/18/id/657832/ and a more recent quote (17th of January 2016) http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-on-god-i-dont-like-to-have-to-ask-for-forgiveness-2016-1
James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Mark 7:20-22 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
He says he is a believer but he seems to have missed the relationship part with Christ:
"I believe in God. I am Christian. I think The Bible is certainly, it is THE book..First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica Queens is where I went to church. I?m a Protestant, I?m a Presbyterian. And you know I?ve had a good relationship with the church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my religion is a wonderful religion." and "[I go to church] as much as I can. Always on Christmas. Always on Easter. Always when there?s a major occasion. And during the Sundays. I?m a Sunday church person. I?ll go when I can." -> http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52942.html
I think one of the most evident things, to me, is that he is so divorced from the scriptures that he doesn't know how to quote 2 Corinthians 3:17 (http://www.mediaite.com/online/watch-liberty-university-students-laugh-at-trump-quoting-from-two-corinthians/). Even my four year old knows to say second and not two. Though I would never fault a person trying to learn from God's Holy Word to misread it out of ignorance, I find it offensive that a person would try to drape the Holy Word of God around them for his own gain and try to pass him off as a believer. Are we so callous and so lukewarm to not get a little hot when we see someone do this?
As I have said to many, it is not my place to judge. It is my place to preach and encourage us to submit under the authority of scripture. If I am in sin, please let me know for I must repent. If I have offended you, please let me apologize. If I have encouraged you in your walk with Christ, let our praise and glory be given to the Lord. I am nothing and am the chief of hypocrites and sinners.
This nation was based on Christian principles:
"The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite, and these Principles only could be intended by them in their address, or by me in my answer.
And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United: And the general Principles of English and American Liberty, in which all those young Men United, and which had United all Parties in America, in Majorities sufficient to assert and maintain her Independence.
Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God; and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System." - John Adams June 28, 1813
My opening set of scriptures was based on the precepts of God's precepts and Daniel's purposing of his heart towards those precepts while under the thumb of a self-worshiping dictator. On the surface, it would have been better for Daniel to have just chosen the path of least resistance just like it was for Israel in desiring the king.
It hurts my heart when I hear believers choose man's wisdom and the times they live in over the precepts and principles given by scripture. It is like they are saying what the Chinese "christian" business man would say "I'm a business man first and a christian second". Are we saying "I'm an American first and a Christian second?" Rex Lex was a foundational sermon preached by Rutherford that brought about the Revolution which was based on the principles and precepts of the Bible. In the face of an overwhelming force and insurmountable odds, the prayers of our founders brought about the end of tyranny of an ungodly king.
My dear brother, I've been involved in politics for most of my life. As I've gotten older, I've seen more and more how my decisions should be on the precepts and principles of Christ my King. To do otherwise would subject me to the whims and sins of man. An ocean that is as unpredictable as the waves. It is Christ that gives us blessing and it is Christ whom we should honor. Please let our vote be about honoring and trusting in Christ and not in the whims of man. If we do not this thing, don't be surprised when we face a judgment that is more oppresive than what we currently face. The Jews were kicked out of the land because of their refusal to follow the Lord and then again when they were regathered to only reject the Messiah. Do not be surprised if the Lord does not confound your wisdom by having a Trump being bested by a Sanders because his abrasive attitude makes the majority of voters vote in defense of the old man that appears to only want to do good.
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." -> John Adams - Argument in Defense of the British Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials (4 December 1770)
Your brother in Christ
.......... ...... i;m not wasting any more time answering him.......
That is the best I can give you.
