Hello Saints,
It’s election season, and since we are in the Bible Belt, religion and politics often get mixed, and as we grow closer to the election, it gets uglier and more evil by the day.
Source: https://www.christianpost.com/news/bible-belt-has-most-sinners-research-suggests-how-sinful-is-your-state.html[1]
As you can see by the map, the Bible Belt has a whole has a lot of sin immersed in its geography. Some research suggests that the Bible Belt is the most dangerous place for pedestrians.[2] When you study all sixty-six books of the Bible, it’s hard to understand how any political party can take the position that the Bible aligns with their politics. Yet, every year candidates quote scripture or drop specific religious leaders names for creditability that what they spout in their campaign speeches aligns with the politics of Jesus. Politicians have always cherry-picked certain scriptures to validate what they stand for is right. Preachers and theologians do the same thing.
Jesus never claims any political position in scripture, so how is it that many Christians make the claim that Jesus is a conservative or a liberal? Jesus makes it clear that His kingdom is not from this world.
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place” (John 18:36).[3]
If Jesus states that His kingdom is not of this place, then how does any Christian or politician have the audacity to claim that Jesus is on their side? Jesus is the full nature of God and displays God’s true character for the world to witness. Jesus was a pacifist and a peacemaker. He never instigated or promoted violence of any kind, and as Christians, neither should we. This position doesn’t mean that Jesus didn’t voice his displeasure with how leaders conducted themselves. There are many references where Jesus chastised the leaders and people of His day. We all know the story of Jesus confronting the money changers:
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ [a] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ [b]“
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ [c]?”
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.[4]
And then there was the exchange with Pilate, where Jesus pushes back against Pilate, letting him know that the power bestowed to him was given to him by God:
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”[5]
But never once does Jesus advocate or approve of violence. Do you remember Peter cutting off the ear of the Malcus, (the high priest’s servant) and Jesus reprimanding him and then healing the guard’s ear?:
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)[6]
Jesus, to the contrary, remained autonomous and mysterious as to His politics. Nobody could pin Him down, and the religious and political leaders of His time did everything in their power to trick Him and entice Him into inditing Himself. Still, none of their schemes ever succeeded, and that infuriated those in power even more. Jesus revealed their true allegiance was only for themselves as opposed to God and the people in their care, custody, and control. This disclosure and threat caused intense fear and frustration amongst the leaders of that time, and ultimately the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
If you read the Bible as a narrative vs. a literal or historical account of biblical history, you will discover “The Gospel of the Kingdom.” The Gospel of the Kingdom reveals the true nature and purpose of God, which is a God of love, who stands for justice, righteousness, and peace for all people. This revelation includes all people from the past, present, and future. Jesus revealed this truth to the religious and political leaders of His day, by stating that the kingdom of God is near, or if you wish at hand:
17 From that time on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” Matthew 4:17.[7]
In the Bible Belt, many preachers preach the salvation gospel only. It is essential to preach the truth about salvation, but it is unfortunate when that is all a preacher preaches, for a couple of reasons: 1. Our salvation in Christ is about relationships with other kingdom people, not an individual quest. None of us were saved for becoming Lone Ranger Christians. 2. American is poisoned by individualism. The typical American is obsessed with themselves and looking out for number one. Nowhere in the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, do you find teaching individualism or for living a self-centered life. On the contrary, it is all about losing yourself, striving to live an other-centered life, and giving up your life for God’s purpose and glory.
There has never been a politician throughout world history that wasn’t tainted to some degree by power and the desire for more. We live in a culture that is all about more. The late business philosopher Jim Rohn once said, “more will only make you more of what you already are.” “Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.” ~ Jim Rohn
(Historian Craig Nelson:) “When Alexander Hamilton was asked why the U.S. Constitution made no mention of God, he said the country did not require ‘foreign aid’; when his mother insisted on a serious reply, he explained, ‘We forgot.'” You can trace history to discover how the quest for power corrupted everyone who possessed it. Lord Acton himself is famous for saying, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Nobody can point to any figure in history who maintained a position of power that wasn’t corrupted by that position of power eventually. They always end up turning their power toward their personal pursuit of more, making individual success the aim vs. the wellbeing of all people.
Friends, the hope and idea that President Trump or Joe Biden are somehow going to bring about authentic kingdom living, are delusional at best. It is only through Jesus Christ that we have salvation, receive grace, and possess the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone will restore heaven on earth. Only Jesus will bring about the kingdom of God. No earthly representative will ever achieve this goal. Of course, one leader vs. another can make a difference in how much taxes you pay, how much goods and services cost, and how much your 401(k) and bank accounts grow, but none of them will ever achieve creating heaven on earth.
As kindom people, we are charged with making disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, which will ultimately help transform the earth, and “HELPS” bring forth the kingdom of God on earth. Still, we are not the agent to complete this task. This transformation will be completed by Jesus Christ alone; we are simply conduits for God’s work to be done until He returns.
You will never hear me tell you how to vote. I am not qualified to do that. You will never listen to me preach about politics of one flavor vs. another from the pulpit. But you will hear me preach and encourage you to be a faithful kingdom people, bringing people together vs. tearing people apart by becomings peacemakers vs. pot-stirrers. The kindom of God is near on earth and my friends’ you and I as kingdom people play a vital role in the earth being restored to its original state and purpose.
Shalom,
Pastor Harold Long
[1] https://www.christianpost.com/news/bible-belt-has-most-sinners-research-suggests-how-sinful-is-your-state.html
[2] https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/01/23/the-bible-belt-should-really-be-called-the-carnage-corset-for-pedestrians/
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2018%3A36&version=NIV
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+21%3A12-17&version=NIV
[5] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+19%3A11&version=NIV
[6] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2018%3A10&version=NIV
[7] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A17&version=NIV
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