Political Participants Not Bystanders
Greetings in the Lord!
Recently the Lord had me read Mark 12:13-17, then again for emphasis, Matthew 22:15-22. Both passages tell the story of Jesus being set up by Pharisees and the Herodians by their asking him, "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them," Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied. Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
While there are many things to be gleaned from that story, I immediately discerned by looking at the pile of "junk mail" I'd received from political organizations that the Lord was asking me to start sowing financially to some of these organizations. Why? Because they are stepping in and speaking out where the Church at large is sitting on her hands or in is agreement with some of the current agendas of our newly elected governing officials. Quite frankly, there are proposals on the table in Congress now that would restrict freedoms of religion and endorse a system of thinking that is contrary to the will of God (ie, limit Christian broadcasting and other media outlets, promote abortion and doctor-assisted death, etc.)
And here is where being a prophetic speaker gets interesting--back in January the Lord had me publish words about the coming of these freedom-restricting agendas, saying they will come because of the rebellious choice made at election time. However, that was not His will for us. So, now, even though more judgment stands positioned at our doorway, the Lord in His mercy still raises up faithful voices to speak out and encourage people (our leaders too) to make godly choices and get into agreement with His will for our country. Now that is a compassionate God!
Which leads me back to the above passage--do you know that we have obligations to God and to our State? As citizens of a country, a democratic one at that, we are participants in the political process and cannot hide our heads in the sand or run for the hills when the going gets tough. No, we are to be the godly voice in the political process. If we won't, who will? I am not proposing a union of Church and State, either, but to understand as ambassadors of Christ we must speak and represent the will of God to our culture and to our leadership and in the positions the Lord has put us in our society. Esther was a godly woman in the role of a queen. Daniel was a righteous man and a high-ranking official in Babylon. Both of these people had obligations to God and to the State in which they served. Both of them were subjected to ungodly decrees made by the kings themselves, and instead of lashing out against the kings, they prayerfully called upon God to direct their actions, expose the evil intentions that gave birth to the decrees, and be participants in the will of God however the Lord lead them to behave, intercede, and remained faithful to God--first.
I am encouraging Christians to revisit the stories of the Bible where the faithful were hard-pressed by the enemies of God. How did they respond? By crying out to God and being willing to do whatever the Lord asked of them in His wisdom to become a part of the solution. God has the answers, we apply them. How is He calling you to get politically involved these days?
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Recently the Lord had me read Mark 12:13-17, then again for emphasis, Matthew 22:15-22. Both passages tell the story of Jesus being set up by Pharisees and the Herodians by their asking him, "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them," Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied. Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
While there are many things to be gleaned from that story, I immediately discerned by looking at the pile of "junk mail" I'd received from political organizations that the Lord was asking me to start sowing financially to some of these organizations. Why? Because they are stepping in and speaking out where the Church at large is sitting on her hands or in is agreement with some of the current agendas of our newly elected governing officials. Quite frankly, there are proposals on the table in Congress now that would restrict freedoms of religion and endorse a system of thinking that is contrary to the will of God (ie, limit Christian broadcasting and other media outlets, promote abortion and doctor-assisted death, etc.)
And here is where being a prophetic speaker gets interesting--back in January the Lord had me publish words about the coming of these freedom-restricting agendas, saying they will come because of the rebellious choice made at election time. However, that was not His will for us. So, now, even though more judgment stands positioned at our doorway, the Lord in His mercy still raises up faithful voices to speak out and encourage people (our leaders too) to make godly choices and get into agreement with His will for our country. Now that is a compassionate God!
Which leads me back to the above passage--do you know that we have obligations to God and to our State? As citizens of a country, a democratic one at that, we are participants in the political process and cannot hide our heads in the sand or run for the hills when the going gets tough. No, we are to be the godly voice in the political process. If we won't, who will? I am not proposing a union of Church and State, either, but to understand as ambassadors of Christ we must speak and represent the will of God to our culture and to our leadership and in the positions the Lord has put us in our society. Esther was a godly woman in the role of a queen. Daniel was a righteous man and a high-ranking official in Babylon. Both of these people had obligations to God and to the State in which they served. Both of them were subjected to ungodly decrees made by the kings themselves, and instead of lashing out against the kings, they prayerfully called upon God to direct their actions, expose the evil intentions that gave birth to the decrees, and be participants in the will of God however the Lord lead them to behave, intercede, and remained faithful to God--first.
I am encouraging Christians to revisit the stories of the Bible where the faithful were hard-pressed by the enemies of God. How did they respond? By crying out to God and being willing to do whatever the Lord asked of them in His wisdom to become a part of the solution. God has the answers, we apply them. How is He calling you to get politically involved these days?
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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