Ward's Words | BY WARD PIMLEY

Sharing the Lord's Message of Grace

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Tag: Politics

  • JUSTICE! From Genesis to Revelation, God’s Promise – to Balance the Scales

    In the end, the Bible tells us, God will judge all mankind, restoring order and sinlessness to Eternity and sending the impious and rejectors of His mercy to everlasting punishment. He also tells us that vengeance belongs to Him, not to us. We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. 

    “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” – GENESIS 18:25b (ESV)

    “And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”” – REVELATION 16:7 (BSB)

    Message By Ward Pimley 

    HAVE YOU EVER WISHED you could – for just one moment – have enough power and force to exact vengeance on those who have hurt you in some way? 

    I know I have. Yes, it’s “in the flesh” when I feel that way, and not according to God’s Holy Spirit, but He assures us that vengeance belongs to Him, and He will repay (Deuteronomy 32:35). 

    Well, in Revelation 16, God reveals to us what will happen in the future toward all of those who have rejected Him and have harmed His “saints, apostles, and prophets.” 

    The prophets and apostles are Old Testament and New Testament teachers; the saints are those of us who trust Christ for our salvation.

    FIRST BOOK, LAST BOOK

    THE BIBLE’S LAST BOOK reinforces a point made in the Bible’s first book – that God, who is the judge of the world – will judge fairly (Genesis 18:25; Revelation 16:7). Those two verses appear as our text source at the start of this message. 

    I found it interesting to translate those verses into Spanish and French for the two other North American languages, figuring that God’s Word not only is true eternally but also available for everyone.

    “Nunca tal hagas! El Juez de toda la tierra¸ ¿no ha de hacer lo que es justo?”  – Génesis 18:25b (RVR95)

    “Y oí una voz que venía del altar y decía: «Sí, oh Señor Dios, el Todopoderoso, tus juicios son verdaderos y justos».– Apocalipsis 16:7 (NTV)

    “Celui qui juge toute la terre n’appliquera-t-il pas le droit?»” – Genèse 18:25 (S21)

    “Puis j’entends une voix qui vient de l’autel. Elle dit: « Oui, Seigneur, Dieu tout-puissant, tes jugements sont vrais et justes. »” – Apocalypse‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ (‭PDV2017‬‬)

    God’s final judgment will right the scales of injustice throughout the world for all time. That knowledge should help those of us who often want to do that job ourselves, to avenge wrongs we think were done to us.

    God will take care of everything in His time according to His will, and it will be just. We can rest easy and focus on the job He has given us – to live our lives with patience, joy, and self-control.

    ~PRAYER~

    ALMIGHTY GOD, Creator of all life – Your glory and honor and power reign, and You will avenge all evil and right the scales of justice. You are perfect in all of your ways, and we worship You. Thank You for the Gift of reconciliation through the sacrifice of Your Son that, by believing in Him and calling on His name, we will live. In the name of Jesus we pray. AMEN

  • IS JESUS BOTH YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR?

    THE BIBLE TELLS US that all who call on Jesus’ name and believe He is the Christ will be saved from eternal damnation, but it also tells us to receive Him as our Lord. Many who identify as Christian have received Him as Savior, but is He also their Lord?

    MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY

    THE ‘ALTAR CALL’ — Inviting those in worship to make a confession of faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him for their salvation — is one of the more emotionally fulfilling moments in a Christian worship service.

    Image of lighted cross

    The process rivals baptism — another public profession of faith — for its seriousness of purpose and determination of one’s eternal destination.

    Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV) “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

    The Bible tells us that at the end of history, when God judges the world, all people, small and great, will recognize the Lordship of the Creator, even if they rejected that truth during their earthly lives.

    Many people claim the mantel of “Christian.” Self-reporting data show some 2.2 billion individuals in the world declare themselves to be Christian, making it the world’s largest religious group, In addition, surveys show some 65-70 percent of Americans claim the mantel of “Christian.”

    Watching new hearts walk down the aisles toward the receiving pastors and kneeling before the Cross to confess their need for Jesus as Savior is riveting and a cause for celebration.

    Despite those staggering numbers, does anyone seriously see evidence, in either North America or the world at large, that Christianity is dominant in its influence?

    If not, then what’s going on here?

    ‘NARROW’ PATH v. ‘BROAD’ PATH

    ONE POSSIBILITY is that many people who claim to be “Christian” do not understand that it is more than a “cultural” designation, much like one is of English or German or Italian descent (or Nigerian or Japanese or Bolivian), or a host of other nationalities and ethnic groups.

    To be a Christian is a conscious decision to receive the Holy Spirit into one’s heart by declaring the sin in their hearts, the truth of Jesus’ divinity and sacrifice on the Cross, and their need for His healing touch.

    JESUS SAYS, “CHOOSE THE NARROW PATH.”

    That process is called “justification,” or the cancellation of a debt paid in full.

    Next, comes the process of “sanctification,” in which the saved individual grows in his or her walk with Jesus. This is the life-changing process by which the person becomes more like the Savior in word and deed.

    It may well be, as Jesus points out, that too many people fail to take that second step.

    In Matthew 7:13-14, He tells us there are two gates and two pathways in life: one is narrow, that leads to life; the other is broad, that leads to destruction. He warns us that only a few enter the narrow gate and live for Jesus, while most people enter the broad gate and live life on their own terms.

    Most likely, our churches are filled with cultural Christians — those who identify as “Christian” because of the culture — and immature Christians — those who have been ‘justified’ but stopped short of “sanctification.”

    JESUS IS BOTH LORD AND SAVIOR

    JESUS WANTS TO BE both our SAVIOR and LORD.

    In Luke 6:46, He laments that we call Him “Lord, Lord,” but fail to obey His commandments. In casual parlance, “we talk the talk, but we don’t walk the walk.”

    Can you imagine how dynamic and vital the Christian-claiming world would be if we actually believed what we claim we believe and lived out the Gospel in our daily lives.

    Romans 10:9 (GNT) “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved.”

    Romans 10:10 (ESV) “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

    Even with the modicum of faith that many Christians display, Christian influence has been significant: from the elevation of women’s status to equality with men, to building of hospitals and medical research, to the proliferation of science and systematic knowledge, to moral teachings to be in kind to others and lend help when others are hurting.

    That’s with just the modicum of faith most Christians display. What could be earth-shattering if every Christian actually held Jesus not just as their Savior, and so will avoid eternal destruction, but also as Lord, and lived according to His commandments.

    The altar call, wherever it is practiced, is a beautiful reminder of God’s promise of what He can do when His creation, who are called by His name, humble themselves, seek His face, pray, and repent of their sin. (2 Chronicles 7:14).

    ______________

    PRAYER

    Image of Holy Bible generated by AI by Freepik

    FATHER GOD, We confess we have drifted so far from You we don’t always take our faith walk as seriously as we ought to. Within our midst, O Lord, are fellow Christians who have not turned their lives over to Jesus as Lord but are content with calling Him their Savior. Help us to reach out to them in love with the truth and guide them toward maturity in their faith; and as we do so, O Lord, keep us from falling into the same trap. In Jesus’ name.

    AMEN

  • POST-INAUGURATION DAY–A PERSPECTIVE

    • PSALM 118:8 (ESV): “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”
    • JEREMIAH 17:7 (NKJV): “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.”

    THE DARK FIRST DAY 

    TODAY IS DAY ONE of the new Biden-Harris Administration, and already we are seeing evidence of the deepening divide within our country. More ominously, we are seeing a deeper divide within the body of Christ.

     The four-year reign of Trump-Pence has ended, and each man — and scores of top-level government officials — will begin the next phase of their lives, but we should take a moment to reflect on a few of their key accomplishments:

    • Full support for the lives of pre-born children
    • Support for male-female marriage as designed by God
    • Lowest ever unemployment rate among minority racial groups
    • Development of energy independence and exporter of energy
    • Transfer of US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, its capital city
    • Signing of peace treaties between Israel and Arab countries
    • Support for alternative schools and school choice to give parents the opportunity to send their children to schools that will educate
    • Forcing NATO countries to pay their share of mutual defense costs
    • Securing our southern border to halt the trade of illegal drugs and inpouring of illegal residents
    • Rebuilding our depleted military
    • Pulling back troops from long-term foreign engagements
    • Fully transparent administration with unrivaled press opportunities 
    • Oversaw development of potential life-saving vaccines in “warp speed” to combat the ravages of Covid.

    Perhaps the sweetest of all was a return to wishing our friends and acquaintances “Merry Christmas” instead of the vapid “Happy Holidays.”

    According to the Biden-Harris game plan, all of those measures are now under assault.

    Apart from the disgraceful platform this duo brings to power is the legitimacy they will bring to ending any form of, or attempt to, dialogue in a civil manner among competing interests in any public forum. 

    ALREADY THERE ARE CRIES TO:

    • Silence the voices of those who supported the Trump-Pence Administration in any way, 
    • Boycott private companies that hire anyone who worked in the administration or who voiced support for the administration in social media, 
    • Censure elected representatives in Congress those who raised legitimate concerns over the mishandling of mail-in ballots during the election,
    • Imprison those who are “science deniers,” i.e., anyone who disbelieves the political left’s views on energy consumption, energy production, climate change, efficacy of lock-downs and mask mandates,
    • Label as “racists” anyone (white people only) who do not bend to the accepted meme that American institutions are fundamentally and systematically biased against minority races,
    • Name white men (both a racist and a sexist claim) as the “problem” with American society, even though it was through white men that the “idea of America” was formed, established, and defended over the years.

    A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE

    A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE between the way the political left and the political right view their policy differences, and each other as fellow  Americans, is also coming into sharp focus. 

    In 2017, political columnist Charles Krauthammer opined the divide this way: “Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Liberals think conservatives are evil.”

    The proposition easily can be put to the test. Simply talk to one another. 

    The liberal will quickly move to an emotional argument around feeling, while the conservative will gravitate to a rational argument. That does not automatically make one side “right” and the other “wrong,” only that their methodology differs.

    The liberal will make sweeping denunciations without support and offer policy proscriptions rift with error. Here’s an example: Biden-Harris want to stop development of the XL Pipeline from Canada, despite the fact that construction brings with it harmonious relations with our largest trading partner, thousands of high-paid union jobs, and a ready energy supply. By halting construction on unfounded environmental concerns, the liberals jeopardize all three points.

    Rational? Not really. Placing displaced workers on food stamps and Medicaid may increase their dependence on federal government, but it does nothing to strengthen our country.

    Try to make that point and see how quickly the liberal will engage in name-calling and attempts to make you “go away” and “shut up.”

    Once a conservative voices a perspective different from the liberal’s, the liberal will begin the personal assault: “You’re racist, you’re fascist, you’re a science denier, you’re homophobic, you’re (whatever can be inserted here).”

    That’s it. That’s their argument. They’ll boycott your business, slam you, embarrass you, assault you in restaurants, shout at you, and demand you give obeisance to whatever their particular grievance is at the moment. If you won’t salute “Black Lives Matter,” they see that as license to spit in your food and upend your table.

    They can spend an entire year excusing left-wing violence in major US cities, treating the mayhem as “mostly peaceful” and necessary, yet go unhinged when a few people of mixed intent storm the Capitol while the President is speaking to his supporters at another location.

    Again, try to point out the hypocrisy of their position, and they’ll threaten your children. 

    You think that’s an exaggeration? Try having a discussion with a liberal and see how quickly they pivot from their argument to a personal attack. It’s what they do.

    WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

    WHAT ARE WE to make of all this? What are we to do in light of the changing of the guard at the White House?

    Whatever solution one posits emanates from one’s core values. Those who believe that “might makes right” may try violence, force, or verbal assault. That would be a very harmful response, and we should all condemn those instincts.

    Those whose values are secular conservative will engage the argument around economic and political issues, writing letters to their congressmen/women, engaging in debate forums, encouraging people to register to vote and turn-out when the day arrives, and patiently enduring until the next election. 

    We can commend those instincts, but for those of us who are social conservatives, we find that approach shallow and missing an important  component.

    Social conservatives — often dubbed the “religious right” — draw their values from the inerrant and infallible Word of God, the Holy Bible, comprised of 66 books, authored over a 1,600-year period in three languages (Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic) by 44 authors inspired by the Holy Spirit into creating a unified whole in which the Creator of the universe reveals Himself to mankind.

    For us, it’s the foundational values of society that are most compelling. Yes, we can weigh in on energy policies and corporate tax rates and educational goals, but it’s the family unit — mother, father, children — that is the centerpiece of a sound society, and we believe those values are now under attack, fueled by liberal ideology and backed by government power.

    God has designed us as either male or female and created marriage as an institution to bring us together into a whole. Look at it this way: God fashioned Adam in His image and gave Adam human characteristics patterned after God’s — we have thought, emotions, wills — although not to God’s extent.

    When God created Eve, He took some of the characteristics He had given Adam and gave them to Eve, leaving Adam with a portion of the whole while giving Eve a portion of the whole. 

    For Adam and Eve to be unified, as God is, they would need to come together as husband and wife in marriage.

    That is foundational. There is no political or economic issue that rivals in importance the structure of the family.

    When the very foundation of a structure is threatened, so, too, is the integrity of the structure.

    That is where we are now. 

    POSTSCRIPT

     O LORD, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, we give thanks for Your great mercy, Your patience, Your kindness. We also know You are just and call us to separate from the world’s values, which are self-centered, vicious, and destructive. We ask that You mold us into the men and women you intended in creation, and that we call on Your name so we can be healed. O Lord, we repent of our evil. Forgive us, Lord, and take us under Your wing. In Jesus’ holy and matchless name we pray. AMEN

  • THE ELECTION & THE AFTERMATH

    Romans 13:1 (NASB): “Each person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority  except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

    Daniel 2:21 (NKJV): “He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.”

    Romans 14:12 (ESV): “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

    ____________________

    GLORIFYING GOD EVEN IN DEFEAT

    NOW THAT THE VOTING IS OVER for the President/Vice President in the 2020 US election, how should the body of Christ react when many of us believe the wrong team won?

    In the flesh, we’re as capable of temper tantrums as our non-believing neighbors, but as voting_signfollowers of Jesus Christ, we are called to a higher standard.

    He told us that the world would know we are His flock if we love one another (John 13:35; John 15:17). He told us we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44). He told us to care for the least of these (Matt. 25:40), to proclaim the Good News (Matt. 28:19), and to store our treasures in Heaven, where they will not be stolen or damaged (Matt. 6:19-20).

    He also told us (John 15:5) we would not be able to do any of that in our own power. We would need His help.

    DISCERNING GOD’S WILL FOR US

    SO, NOW WE’RE ABOUT the job of discerning the Lord’s will. We read in Daniel 2:21 that God “changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings,” and we wonder, Did God just remove the king and replace him with another?

    Wasn’t it just four years ago that we praised God for raising up a president and vice imagepresident who pledged to honor the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, to honor marriage as a gift from God uniting female and male into one unit, and to proclaim not just the freedom to worship but also the freedom to live out our faith?

    If so, then, what happened?

    Did God change His mind? Not likely.

    Did God give us a brief window to get serious about our faith and find us wanting? Maybe.

    Why would God elevate to the highest two offices in the land a duo committed to:

      • extending abortion to include allowing born babies to die,
      • extending LGBTQ+ rights over the rights of normal males and females,
      • quenching religious liberty in subjection to the state, and
      • upending the first institution installed by God, that of marriage between a man and a woman?

    WHY??

    Why, Lord, why?

    STAYING FAITHFUL DURING TRIALS

    AT THE MOMENT, I feel sick. I see the country I used to love and still have hopes for turning into a hate-filled narcissistic shell of its former self.

    Yes, I see the threats launched from the victorious forces declaring their desire to silence opposition to their rule, to continue their assault on our civil liberties, and, if necessary, to destroy us.

    Yet, God tells us to “rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16), to “give thanks” in all situations (1 Thess. 5:18), and even to rejoice and persevere in “tribulation” (Rom. 12:12).

    Okay, we’re there. Tribulation, defeat, rejection. We’re there, Lord. Now we’re supposed to be patient and … what? Quietly endure? Suffer? Seek revenge?

    No, our Lord answers. Keep praying, He says (1 Thess. 5:17; Rom. 12:12; James 1:2-3). Besides, our trials are nothing compared with what the apostles suffered. Check out Paul’s trials (2 Cor. 11:24-28).

    BELIEVING GOD’S PLAN IS GOOD 

    NOT ONLY MUST WE focus on God’s plan being good, we must realize that His timing is not the same as ours. We want answers yesterday; He provides them 500 years later … or 50 years … or maybe five years.

    He has to prepare people for the future He has willed. Moses needed 40 years growing up in Pharaoh’s court, 40 years tending sheep in the wilderness, and then enduring the trials of facing Pharaoh with a series of plagues before God considered him ready to lead His people out of bondage.

    So, why should we expect an immediate answer to all of our questions by the evening news or tomorrow’s newspaper?

    The answers are in His Book, and we can sustain ourselves by reading it and learning from it.

    My conclusion: Stay in the Word, remain in prayer, fellowship with the saints, and testify to the world that God is in control, and His plan will occur in the timing that He decrees.

    POSTSCRIPT

    I DON’T KNOW WHAT the Lord is doing in this election. He doesn’t owe me an explanation. However, I thoroughly trust His judgment and His plan for my life. He will let it develop in His time, and I might live long enough to see some of it play out.

    What is very clear to me is that I am to call on the name of the Lord everyday, to seek my refuge in Him, to confess my sins to Him, to ask His will for my life, to engage in intercessory prayer, to be temperate in my comments, to be patient in my demeanor, and to show love and compassion to my fellow man, even those I dislike.

    38. God's.MercyThat looks like a pretty full plate, and, no, I am not capable of doing half of that well without the strong arm of Jesus Christ wrapped around my shoulders and the Holy Spirit indwelling my heart.

    May my heart cry mimic the covenant prayer of Pastor John Wesley 250 years ago: “I am no longer my own, but thine; Put me to what thou wilt; rank me with whom thou wilt; Put me to doing; put me to suffering. … So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen”

    Those are amazing words and an awesome responsibility. I am not up to it, but the God I serve is bigger than any obstacle I face. May His grace lead me and sustain me during the trials ahead.

    I’m going to need His love to get me through until the next election … and beyond.

    __________________

    PRAYER

    O LORD GOD, our merciful Father, we come to You humbly and repentant. We know that image-17we have failed to proclaim the Good News as vigorously or as often as we ought. We know You will confront us with our failures when we reach Glory. Help us to see clearly the pathway You’ve laid out for us to follow and give us the strength, and the desire, to obey. Your way is perfect at all times, and we rest comfortably knowing You, Lord, are in control. May we be Your faithful servants. In the loving and mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ we lift this prayer. AMEN

  • CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO POLITICS

    Some religious leaders caution Christians against publicizing political views, fearing discord that could split the flock, while others challenge believers to engage in all areas of public life, including holding office or working as staff. What is clear, and all agree on, is that in matters of our earthly lives—including the political—God’s people are called to seek His guidance and direction and then speak the Word of God boldly. How are you called to witness for the Lord during the political season?

    Psalms 146:3-5 (NLT): “Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those … whose hope is in the Lord their God.”

    2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV): “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

    Acts 1:8 (GW): “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you. Then you will be my witnesses to testify about me … to the ends of the earth.”

    WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIAN VOICES?

    THE U.S. POLITICAL FABRIC IS TORN. 

    The last several decades have seen a wedge form within the body, separating families, friends, neighbors, and communities. On one side are those pushing for more government regulation of our personal lives, while their opponents push against more government, saying less government promotes a vibrant private sector.

    In both arenas — the role of government and the cultural war — there is no middle ground. If one is not “right,” then one is “wrong” — not partly right or mostly right, but completely wrong.

    Overlapping this battle is the divisive “culture war,” pitting secular voices  calling for “progressive” values against Christian voices defending biblical values.

    Both major political parties have seen an “ethnic cleansing” of views, where those left-of-center have migrated to one party and those right-of-center have moved to the other party.

    The result of this realignment is a political middle nearly extinct, and, with it, any chance for either side to find compromise or common ground.

    †††

    WHAT SHOULD BE THE CHRISTIAN VOICE?

    The Christian is called to observe two truths. 

    One is to follow biblical teaching; that is, to listen for God’s voice and obey His commands where He has made them clear (Lev. 22:31; Matt. 28:20; John 15:14). 

    The other is to follow the Lord’s mandate to love God and to love our fellow man. Jesus said we are to forgive our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44).

    The Lord was also clear that He created civil government to maintain order and domestic peace, to punish wrongdoers, and to keep us safe from our enemies (1 Pet. 2:13-14; Rom. 13:1). He even calls us to pray for our political leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-3).

    In the most famous exchange on secular observance, Jesus told his questioners to “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:7).

    †††

    WE ARE REMINDED IN SCRIPTURE that the Lord Jesus will return to earth — the Second Coming — when He will gather the believers to Him and usher in a lengthy earthly reign, possibly for a thousand years, before providing the Paradise He promised that far exceeds the Garden of Eden (Rev. 21, 22). 

    Until then, we are called to witness in the way we act and speak that gives the glory to God (1 Peter 2:12).

    So, is there a “Christian List of Political Positions” that we could refer to that will tell us the biblical stand on the day’s affairs?  

    It might be easier to point to Scripture in defense of marriage between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6) than it is to discern a Christian position on, say, the ideal tax rate (Matt. 17:27).

    But looking for “right” positions on earthly concerns doesn’t feel at all biblical, especially in light of the apostle Paul’s statement that “our citizenship is in heaven,” and we are waiting for the Lord’s return (Phil. 3:20).

    †††

    AFTER JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS for our sins, He rose from the dead to create His church (Matt. 16:18), which He would soon commission his followers to build (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).

    The apostle Paul was clear that the Lord’s church should follow “one Lord” (Eph. 4:3-5), so there’s very little room for discord or fractious debate within the circle of believers. That is not to say there isn’t room for disagreement. That is entirely a different matter, as long as the issue is not a clear biblical mandate.

    We’ve seen what happens when God’s people fail to consult with God on all matters of their lives, from Adam and Eve’s decision to eat of the  forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:6), to Abraham and Sarah’s plan to fulfill God’s promise to give them a son (Gen. 16:1-2), to Korah’s uprising against Moses’ leadership in the wilderness (Num. 16:31-33), and that’s just the tip of the first three books in a 66-book Bible.

    The prophet Jeremiah was pretty blunt, wasn’t he, when he put it this way when God’s people stopped asking Him for guidance: “For the shepherds are stupid and do not inquire of the LORD; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered” (Jer. 10:21).

    †††

    WHAT IS CLEAR is that in all matters of our earthly lives, including the political realm, God’s people are called on to seek God’s guidance and direction.

    The apostle James, Jesus’ half-brother, says that if anyone lacks wisdom, he or she “should ask God,” who will give it (James 1:5). He says that the wisdom God gives “is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (3:17).

    The psalmist tells us (Psalms 118:8-9 CEV) that it is “better to trust the Lord for protection than to trust anyone else, including strong leaders.”

    Lastly, we’re reminded in Acts 4:24-26, that God is sovereign, and He will determine the outcome of any event, whether it be a plea for direction in marriage or which job offer to accept — or what the election outcome should be.

    That doesn’t mean we will understand or even like the outcome (Isa. 55:9). It does mean that God is in control.

    †††

    WHEN THE APOSTLES PETER AND JOHN were released from prison, they reported back to the early believers that the political and religious leaders of the day had ordered them to stop preaching the Good News of salvation. 

    Immediately, the believing community raised their  arms in prayer: “Sovereign Lord, you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’”

    Their amazing prayer continued: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.”

    After they finished, the Bible says (v. 31), “the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

    PRAYER

    O Holy and Merciful Father, we come to you in this troubled political season in our country and seek Your guidance. We ask for wisdom on what we, as Your followers, should share with fellow believers and with a fallen world hungry for Light and Truth. In the end, Lord, we know that Your Truth will prevail and that You alone are sovereign. We seek guidance that will help us navigate the coming months in a way that brings glory to You, Lord, and healing to our community. We raise this plea in Jesus’ Name. AMEN