2016, Does It Matter Who Wins The Election?

I have never been so conflicted about the candidates in an election cycle as I have this one. It has been a real battle of the mind and heart.

I read a quote recently of John Calvin. Calvin was a French theologian and pastor during the Reformation period (circa 1500). He said, "When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked leaders." Actually, those more or less approximate what he actually said in his voluminous work, Institutes of the Christian Religion and in his commentary on Romans. I have read the sections of both these works from which this referenced quote is made. Its accurate.

So here is my take on this and how I think it might relate to this election. I really believe we're at a crossroads in American history. We have these two candidates because for the last 60 plus years and longer, we have been going down a slippery slope of moral and spiritual decay. These two candidates are a reflection of who we have become as a nation. The moral, spiritual bankruptcy reflected in these two candidates has been brought on primarily, I believe, because the Church has become too much like the culture that surrounds it. The church in America has become lukewarm. It is not the "salt and light" that it once was or needs to be. 

Scripture says that judgment begins at the doorstep of the Church ("For it is the time [destined] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not respect or believe or obey the gospel of God?" (AMP) - 1 Peter 4:17). The Church is complicit in the implementation of the judgment of God and she should not be pointing her finger at a lost and unrighteous world. 

Scripture also says, "If MY PEOPLE [not a lost and unrighteous people] will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from THEIR WICKED WAYS, then [and only then; when MY PEOPLE pray and seek my face] will I hear from heaven and forgive THEM and heal THEIR land.

If you ascribe to what I just said then you would probably agree with Calvin. Eventually judgment will come. I would not at all be surprised if we are headed for a judgment even now given the two ungodly, unrighteous candidates we have to choose from today. 

[May I just say here that it breaks my heart that my children and my grandchildren are having to face such a time as this in America. It breaks my heart that I and my generation are leaving our children with such a world. But there are still things that can be done and I intend to do them.]

However, to the matter at hand:

If God wants to judge this nation by giving us "wicked leaders" then it WILL NOT MATTER which presidential candidate wins. They are both ungodly and unrighteous people. God could use either one to bring judgment on America. Having said that, here is the question for me:

        Would I rather be governed by

                an ungodly, unrighteous Democrat, or

                an ungodly, unrighteous Republican (who, by the way, has a godly and righteous running mate)?

        Either way I cast my vote, God's plan will move forward. But my vote could likely be an indication as to the severity of the judgment that comes upon the Church and this country.

Psalm 33:10,11 says, "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the people of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all the generations." It goes on to say in verse 12, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. "

I guess, and in the spirit of this election cycle, one could say, "The Fix Is In!"

Selecting A Candidate

Selecting the candidate that can best serve as POTUS (or any other office).

I will seek for a godly spirit in those for whom I vote. A reading of 2Timothy 2:16, 22-26 provides me with some clues. Look for a person who: 

exemplifies godly values, 

Is humble in spirit, 

uses reverential/decent language, 

honors God, 

pursues a righteous life and a pure heart, and finally,

is a clear thinker. 

I need to pray also that God would grant wisdom beyond his/her years and experience, exceptional counsel and knowledge of truth to discern between right and wrong. 

Since we're NOT electing a "Pastor and Chief" but a "Commander and Chief," my best candidate may or may not have a personal relationship with Jesus. So I need most of all pray that he/she would have a heart for repentance unto salvation.

Liberty vs. Freedom by Jed Waverly

LIBERTY or FREEDOM? The difference is amazing.

May 30, 2011 By Jed3 Comments

I wanted to speak to the difference between liberty and freedom. In researching the subject I found the blog post quoted below. It is excellent and brief. Don't believe I could have done the subject any better justice.

This post was written by Jed Waverly at http://the-penultimate-word.com/2011/05/30/liberty-or-freedom-the-difference-is-amazing/ However he discontinued his blog in April 2016. In the event that this link does not work at some point I am reprinting his blog in its entirety here.

Like many people, I suspect, I’ve always thought of the words Liberty and Freedom as meaning the same thing.  In speeches and written pieces they are used pretty much as synonyms.   But several weeks ago I heard a commentary on NPR (specifics have escaped my memory) in which the commentator distinguished between the words in a way which makes all kinds of sense.

Freedom is a state of being capable of making decisions without external control.

Liberty, on the other hand, is  freedom which has been granted to a people by an external control.

These words are not in opposition.  They don’t fight each other.  To the contrary, they are cut from the same fabric and it is helpful to understand their unique meanings in order to celebrate the freedom we enjoy.The Declaration of Independence declared that the King of England had undertaken such actions as limited the freedom of citizens of the newly-established colony in America.   By his actions the people were restricted and controlled in an unjust way.  The complaint was not just about rules and regulations; it declared that the very nature of freedom had been violated.  One paragraph, toward the end of the document, stated the conclusion:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

It is a powerful statement, in which the assembled leadership of the new country identifies the concept of freedom and declares itself to be capable of granting liberty to the people of the emerging nation.  The difference is clear:   people are, by nature, meant to live in freedom, and the new government will grant such libertyto its citizens.

In doing this, the “founding fathers” make clear an important fact, that the purpose of the new nation is to be a place in which freedom is celebrated, and in which a government will be established to guarantee that freedom through the liberty it grants to each citizen.  In saying this, the Declaration establishes the government of the soon-to-be-United States of America as the grantor of liberty … the guardian ofliberty … and the guarantor of those actions required to protect and perpetuate such liberty.   That is a huge point needing to be understood by the citizens of the USA.

There are some who reject the role of government and claim the right to freedomapart from any control or oversight.  The result of such thinking would be anarchy in which individuals and groups within a nation would claim rights and privileges which appealed to them, but which did not guarantee the same rights and privileges to others.    The Declaration of Independence says that in order to assure freedom for all citizens, a government and its various agencies will oversee that freedom by granting liberty to those citizens and doing everything necessary to protect that grant.

This is not a “free hand” extended to government, however.   Every law, every regulation, every action taken by that government must be measured against the question of whether it fulfills that goal and does, indeed, guarantee liberty for the exercise of freedom.  It is a heavy responsibility, and a complicated one.  This is not a tiny, insular nation.  It is vast, complicated, and diverse.  The oversight of libertyrequires a moral, ethical, and intelligent application of law to a complex institution.   All the more reason that those elected to be the leadership of our nation should be selected with care, caution, and without hope of personal gain.  To the contrary, our governmental leaders should be beyond reproach and known to understand the task for which they are selected. They should not be elected in a frivolous way, or based upon purely emotional standards.

Today we celebrate the lives of those who our government, in its wisdom, has called into a service to this nation charged to protect and extend the liberty we have been granted.  It is for that reason that they are honored and their lives are cherished.

Here, Take My Girls

The LGBT Tidal Wave - A Moral Tsunami

Mr. Obama, I am broken-hearted that you would be willing to offer up your two daughters to the worst of perversions.

A story of parental betrayal and broken promises - That evening two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he stood up to greet them. He welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night." “Nah," they said, "We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square. You know, with the wonderful people of Sodom.”

But Lot insisted, "Ooo, that might not be such a good idea."

At last, they went home with Lot. But before they could retire for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”

Lot stepped outside to talk to them (Really?). Shutting the door behind him and in a hushed and halting manner, he said, “Please, my brothers,” (My brothers?) he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. I'll tell you what, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish.” (based on Genesis 19)

So Lot (a Hebrew, one of God's own) had become so morally blind and bankrupt that he was willing to offer up, betray, his two daughters to be sexually assaulted by the depraved men of the city of Sodom. Read this again.

"I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and 

you can do with them as you wish."

Two years ago, in 2014, after Barack Obama signed a declaration of homosexual rights for the LGBT community I wrote the words below. However, as a matter of decorum and respect for the office of President, I did not publish them. But these words have haunted me ever since. 

With the recent insanely crafted declaration of the President and the DOJ Secretary regarding Federal policy on transgender bathrooms, I can no longer keep my peace. "Politically Correct?" There is NOTHING correct about this. The President and the DOJ Secretary have prostituted [PROSTITUTED] the Constitution of the United States, the Civil Rights Act itself and the sons and daughters of this great nation. 

THIS IS WHAT I WROTE IN 2014

Consider Sodom and Gomorrah. Those cities were under judgment for their perverted sexual 

sin and rebellion against God. How bad was it? How far gone was the "believing" 

community? Consider Lot's words, "Here, take my daughters."

Then I wrote this... 

Mr. Obama has opened wide the gate of nation-wide perversion, a tacit 

national "pastoral" approval of sexual perversion. "Here, Take My Daughters."

Mr. Obama, you have essentially offered up your two precious daughters 
to the most wicked and vile of perversions. But not only your daughters. 
You have taken liberties with my precious daughters and granddaughters 
and offered them up to those same wicked  and vile of perversions.
THAT CAN NOT STAND WITH ME!

End of 2014 quote.

America has crossed the line. It did so a long time ago. God has been merciful. I hope it is not too late for my beloved nation, America. But if she would turn to God, if the church of Jesus Christ would be on its face before God now, broken and asking forgiveness, there may still be an out-pouring of his grace and mercy. For the nation of the prophet Jeremiah it was too late. May it not be so for America:

Consider these words from The Lord of Heaven's Armies to Jeremiah 7:

16 “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don’t beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you. 17 Don’t you see what they are doing throughout the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods! 19 Am I the one they are hurting?” asks the Lord. “Most of all, they hurt themselves, to their own shame.” 20 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I will pour out my terrible fury on this place. Its people, animals, trees, and crops will be consumed by the unquenchable fire of my anger.”

A reading of this entire chapter would be worthwhile and something over which to pray. 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%207&version=NLT 

FOR THE SAKE OF MY NATION
FOR THE SAKE OF MY CHILDREN
I WILL STAND WHERE I AM ABLE
I WILL TAKE MY CAUSE TO THE LORD
I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN MY CAUSE TO MY REPRESENTATIVES
I WILL DO ALL IN GOD'S NAME TO POINT MY NATION TO
THE GRACE OF GOD!

Pastor Michael Lee offers further explanation of the transgender disorder here: 

https://www.facebook.com/destinychurchofocala/videos/1696336990631829/

Dr. Paul McHugh, Psychiatrist, John Hopkins further the transgender disorder here:
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/johns-hopkins-psychiatrist-transgender-mental-disorder-sex-change#.Vzi69-JcuTA 

My Vote For President

Open link below:

The presidential candidate who will get my vote