Election Eve Thoughts

Tomorrow is such an important day for our country!  The presidential election tops all ballots, but there are many other important races and issues that people will have the opportunity to vote on across the nation.  I pray that the Christian portion of the country votes based on a biblical worldview.  This is made somewhat difficult this year, because while one candidate claims to be a Christian be believes, supports, and forces some very non-biblical principles upon society.  Most notably the belief in the pro-choice agenda.  The other candidate is of the Mormon belief, but his actions are more biblically based.  Bob Russell has written a tremendous document concerning this on his blog at BobRussellMinistries.org or by going directly to http://www.bobrussell.org/2012/07/22/should-christians-vote-for-a-mormon-for-president/

Early this morning my wife and I were on a chilly pre-dawn walk and she reminded me of the story Jesus told of a man with two sons.  It is found in Matthew 21, ²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered.  

Actions do speak louder than words!  I remember my father telling me that it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and a few bad decisions or even one fleeting moment to destroy it.  When I vote I never vote strictly on party lines.  It shouldn't be about the party.  Both parties are flawed because of the partisanship that they are tied to.  So the challenge in my mind is the question that many have been asking, "Are we any better off as a nation than we were four years ago?".  I can't find any logical way to answer yes to that question.

I googled the National Debt Clock today at http://www.usdebtclock.org 

The counter on that thing is spinning faster than my electric meter, and it is killing our country.  I am tired of hearing that it is someone's fault.  What is done in the past is in the past.  As long as we keep casting blame on previous administrations we will never get this fixed.  One candidate has built and led many corporations, the other one has never led a business of any kind.  His total leadership experience is in elected offices.  

The single issue of human life is something that I cannot ignore.  The greatest single privilege that we have as Americans is the privilege of life, which is slowly being stripped away.  It is being stripped away prior to birth and with the proposed health care reforms it will be stripped away in the decision of who is worthy of socialized health care because of their value to society.  

The next president of the United States will have the opportunity to appoint two Supreme Court Justices.  Those are lifetime appointments.  This election is HUGE.  Not just for the next four years.

As I wrote last week, I have many friends who will vote differently than I will tomorrow and as far as I am concerned I hope they still consider me a friend tomorrow night regardless of the outcome.  In my mind this election has nothing at all to do with race or party affiliation.  If people want to make it into those things that is their silly choice.  This is much bigger than those issues.  It is about this nation doing the right things, remaining one nation under one true God, indivisible with liberty and just for all.

Why Should I Vote?

There is so much talking going on about the election next week.  Those who know me can figure out where I stand on most issues.  I am strongly conservative in my political views and to those who believe that the church or a pastor shouldn't speak at all about politics I apologize but am extremely confused as to why you believe that.

 

If the Christians, churches and pastors don't speak up about issues that effect the moral foundation of our nation who will.  It is extremely puzzling to me why the Christian voice is always as the one the is "politically incorrect".  Even in the oft used excuse of separation of church and state, which by the way is a phrase never used in the Constitution, but most often quoted as such, the issue is forcing about forcing an entire nation to have the exact view.  While I might wish that were possible I would strongly oppose forcing my views that Jesus is the risen Son of God upon any one.  God has never forced himself on anyone, and neither did His Son.  If He had then there never would have been a cross.  God is a God of choices!  Yes you can choose to believe in Him or you can choose not to believe.  What you cannot choose is what parts of Him you want to believe and what parts you don't. He is an all or nothing God! 

 

Elections are the same.  We are blessed as American citizens to have the right to choose.  Men and women have died and continue to die to protect that freedom. 

 

My struggle is to understand how people who claim to be believers in God and followers of Christ can vote in ways that directly oppose the teaching of the inspired word of God.  I realize that not everyone believes that the Bible is the inspired word of God, but that takes me back to the fact that I don't believe we get to pick and choose what parts of God we want.  Having a biblical worldview means that we apply the Bible to all of the decisions we make in life, including who we vote for.

History very well records the downfall of nations who took there eyes off of God.  Read the book of Romans and then read history books that define the fall of the Roman Empire.  It is impossible to read and not feel you are reading in dejavu.  We are experiencing exactly what happen to that world empire.

 

The greatest human right that we have is the right to life.  We kill more babies daily in America than four planes killed on September 11.  Even if we were to agree to be pro-choice, shouldn't the choice belong to the one that is going to live or die.  Life is precious!  Conception is miraculous!  Safe sex is talked about all through scripture.  Once again it is your choice to believe or not believe the Bible.   How can intelligent logical politicians vote to allow a child to be aborted and charge the driver of a vehicle with double homicide in the tragedy of an expectant mother being killed on the highway?

 

All that is free is not always good.  The discussion of health care has been mind boggling to me.  Our health care system is out of control, but the thought that signing a piece of paper is going to guarantee free and "prompt" health care for everyone is ludicrous.  There are no more hospitals being built, no more doctors graduating medical school, but somehow people believe that they will suddenly have there medical concerns taken care of is sad.  People are no doubt going to vote away their soul for that promise only to find out that they will be put on a list and if they are over the age of 50 or deemed to be of no value to society they will be on the end of the list.  The health care might be free, but it might involve embalming fluid instead of chemotherapy.  Sick people need to be taken care of, but this is not the answer.

 

I hate war as much as anyone, but it is the ability to fight to defend your freedom that gives us the right to say publicly that we hate war.  Sometimes you have to be willing to fight for what is right.  How anyone can believe that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were just going to go away is once again mind boggling.  

 

My prayer is that if you are an American citizen you will exercise the right to vote and that if you are a follower of Christ that you will exercise your right to follow and support a biblical worldview.  You are free to choose to disagree and vote differently from me and if we were friends before we voted we will be friends after we vote as far as I am concerned.  Just please don't ask or require me not to share what I believe in.  I am such a sinner whose only chance of salvation is because of the amazing love of God and the willingness of Christ to die to pay my sin debt.  Because of that I cannot be silent!!