As we speedily approach the return of Jesus for His bride, as well as the start of the tribulation period which will last seven years, things just seem to get crazier and more wild. It doesn’t help that in the midst of everything else we have a presidential election coming up within the next several months. The campaigning of candidates seeking to become the next President of the United States of America has been fierce. The campaign trail started off with several candidates, but in recent months those numbers have been significantly reduced to just a few while it’s been getting more and more wild. What is going on?
It has been said for the past number of years that America is racing towards judgment, and that many of the different things we have experienced in recent years have been warnings from God of what is coming our way if we as a country don’t repent, turn from our wickedness and return back to Him. America has been at a crossroads these past several years, having to decide if we are going to ignore God’s warnings and stay the course we are currently on, or if we will repent and return back to Him. Nobody knows at what point our course will be determined, or as some would say we have reached the point of no return. Many of you have heard of and read the book by Jonathon Cahn called, The Harbingers, a great book that identifies where we as a country are at this time. If you haven’t read the book, I encourage you to do so as it will, with facts and a Biblical foundation, clearly lay out the path America is currently on.
As I look at the political climate of our country, and the craziness of the campaigning that’s been going on, I am seeing something that concerns me. The biggest concern I have as we approach this election isn’t in who gets voted in, but more importantly who gets ignored and put in a back room somewhere to be forgotten. It’s not just an issue of political agendas and what we feel are best for this country, though they can make or break it, but it’s an issue of whose country this is. Are we wanting to welcome God back into the affairs of this country, or it is more an issue of promoting any one or more of the many views, opinions, or rights that we hold dear?
When Israel complained to God, wanting a king to rule over them as other countries did, God gave them what they wanted in a man called Saul. Saul didn’t really have a heart for God, but he did fit the mold of what the Israelites wanted in a king. And even though he was willing to offer sacrifices to God, it was his rebellion towards God that caused God to take the kingdom of Israel from him and to give it to someone that had a heart for Him. As we see the direction things are going in with this election process develop, it is clear that people are flocking towards an individual that is saying all the things they are wanting to hear, someone who doesn’t really have a heart for God. Just as the Israelites got excited about getting a king, especially one that fit the mold of what they thought a king should be like, thinking that God was approving of such when it wasn’t what God wanted for them, even so we have Christians flocking towards this individual as a God-send to restore America to its former glory. Just as the Israelites had the choice to let God continue to lead them or to have a king, even so we are having the choice to vote for someone who seems to have a heart for God, or to vote for someone that we feel is best qualified to represent us in restoring the prestige and status this Country once held globally for centuries.
I’m also reminded of a time in Israel’s history, specifically when they came under the bondage of Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar. The reason they became captive to King Nebuchadnezzar was because they had been rebelling against God and had been involved in idolatry worshipping gods other than the only true God. God had said they would be in bondage for a period of time, but after two years a prophet stood up and proclaimed it was time to break free of King Nebuchadnezzar. This prophet was not speaking on behalf of God, and it took another prophet who knew the will of God to take action against the first prophet, and Israel remained in bondage for more than an additional 60 years. It was hard for the people to grasp the idea that God was wanting them to remain in bondage, ignoring the very reasons they were there in the first place, but what probably messed with their thinking was a statement that the prophet Jeremiah said not once, but three times. In Jeremiah 27:6, 25:9, and 43:10 the prophet indicated that God said Nebuchadnezzar was “God’s servant”. America has been in rebellion against God for years, perhaps even decades, and has been committing idolatry worshipping other gods instead of God. So, if the heart of America doesn’t repent and return to God quickly, it is very possible that whoever becomes the next President, Republican or Democrat, no matter how bad they are or the policies they promote, may actually be the servant of God to help bring judgment upon this country for its rebellion and idolatry against God.
So, the question is this. What will be the most important criteria that will be the basis for the vote you cast come November? Will it be to have someone who has a heart for God and desires to lead the country as God leads them, or to have someone that you deem is most qualified to ensure the policies and views you hold dear will become or remain as a reality? It saddens me when I hear of Christians, and Christian leaders, who are willing to compromise their Godly convictions in the pursuit of policies and agendas, finding creative ways to explain why they support a person who doesn’t share or live by those same Godly convictions. Are they more afraid of the opponents from the other political party and what can happen if they got elected? Do they trust man more than they do God, the one who established this country from the beginning?
I can’t say that I have decided who I will be casting my vote for at this time, but one thing I can say is that I will seek to honor God more than my political views when I cast my vote. Oh, it doesn’t mean that the person I vote for will win the election, but it will mean that I didn’t forsake God and my Godly convictions by voting for someone that doesn’t have the mind or heart of God. Where the Israelites wanted a king to lead them more than God, I don’t want that to be said of me, wanting someone that would lead politically in line with my views and opinions more than God. What about you?????
John Johansson
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