Applications from Luke 6 to Help us Endure the Election Year 2020 Chaos

The Bible passage for today (Luke 6:1-26) from the reading plan our church drafted over 18 months ago seems to apply to what we are facing as a nation today, which will surely escalate in severity and intensity as Election Day approaches and as we navigate whatever is planned for the "October Surprise".

The legalistic Pharisees had been watching and waiting for an opportune time to accuse and overthrow Jesus. While scheming to do evil on the Sabbath, these virtue signaling hypocrites attacked Christ for doing good (healing) on the Sabbath while failing to acknowledge Christ as Lord over the Sabbath. They were offended by his teaching, so they, being the thought police of their time, were filled with fury and outrage, so they conspired against him, which ultimately led to the crucifixion of our sinless Savior.

Then Jesus "went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God." (Luke 6:12) When He returned, he called 12 disciples to follow Him, to learn from Him, and to become leaders/apostles for the early Christian church.

Jesus went away alone to pray fervently before any big event. That's where we need to be right now.....on our knees in prayer. We need to confess, repent, worship, express gratitude, pray for His mercy, guidance and strength, and ask Him to appoint for us leaders who love and obey Him, according to His will.

Then Jesus ministered to the multitudes (with teaching and healing) and delivered the Beatitudes and the Woes (Luke 6: 20-26). Those promises should encourage and strengthen us as we face the trials ahead.

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. (Luke 6:20-23)

If the foundations are removed

Massive earthquakes around the world have shown us the destruction that comes when the foundations are shaken. We know the foundation is the most important design element of any building. So imagine what would happen if the foundations of a nation were not just shaken but completely removed.

America was founded upon faith and total dependence upon God for the purpose of spreading His truth and giving Him glory. Stacked upon this core foundational layer are common moral law, rooted in the Bible, and preservation of life, liberty, and the rule of law. These are what uphold our nation and keep us united.

 

The new progressive movement sweeping through our country has one primary goal which is to completely remove America's foundations. The result will be America's great downfall, and we've seen harbingers of this coming calamity over the past 30+ years (9/11 was a big one) warning us to repent and rebuild our crumbling foundations upon God. The largest financiers (George Soros & his Open Society Foundation) and proponents (Obama and the Clintons) of this progressive, leftist movement know precisely what the outcome will be and have followed Saul Alinsky's playbook exactly to ensure America's downfall.

Wake up, America!  Repent before it's too late.

When Choosing the Lesser of Two Evils Trumps Choosing Neither

To those still struggling (as I have this election in particular) with the question of how to vote if you're not comfortable choosing the lesser of evils because it still feels like choosing evil, consider that we live in a fallen world which regularly presents us with a choice between two evils.  Some choices, such as which route to take home during rush hour when you know both routes will tempt you to have unwholesome thoughts, may not seem as bad as this election.  Other choices involve much higher stakes.  If an intruder breaks into your home with plans to assault your spouse or children, will you choose to shoot the intruder or let him have his way with your beloved family?  Both options seem evil, but you can't just stand there refusing to choose either option because the perpetrator will certainly choose for you!  When given a cancer diagnosis, the choice between traditional chemo treatments vs. another non-FDA approved alternative approach will feel like a choice between evils. If you choose neither, cancer will ravage your body.  Whatever you decide or don't decide in any lesser of evils decision, let us remember that God could intervene at any time in any way he chooses.  Any choice, even a choice between two evils, that is ultimately decided by trusting in God's sovereign will and faithfully following His leading glorifies the Lord.  He sees the motivations and longings of our hearts which matter more to Him than the fact that neither choice is ideal.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)

Let us humbly and honestly consider ourselves as we evaluate imperfect presidential candidates.  I asked myself, "Do I consider myself too moral to vote for a platform I know our country desperately needs to preserve democracy, the Constitution, religious freedom, and the very lives of persecuted people around the world simply because the candidate representing that platform offended us with something he said over a decade ago?  Have I no words in my past which I wish I could take back?" I most certainly do, and without Christ I am nothing.  The choices began to look different for me when I weighed the Trump's character in light of my own shortcomings.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:2-3)

Eric Metaxas reminded me of William Wilberforce and Dietrich Bonhoeffer who chose to immerse themselves in corrupt worldly systems so they could stand for what was right with the goal of freeing the oppressed.  God's word led them to stand for truth, justice, and life despite the evil they had to encounter in the process. So God's word has great power to bring about change even through corrupt human systems.

I was also reminded of the way God has used wretched men throughout history who He humbled and brought to repentance.  The more I learn from wise God fearing men who Trump has chosen as his advisors, the more encouraged I am that he is closer to repentance than he has ever been before.  I wrote more about how the hope of repentance influenced my decision here.

When Trump first won the RNC ticket, I considered a write-in as a way to voice my opposition to both candidates and to draw attention to the type of leader we truly want.  However, I reconsidered as I learned more about how much is at stake in this election. I live in a swing state where every vote counts, and write-ins are not even considered in my state, unless they are for Jill Stein. If I even want the opportunity to vote for a truly conservative candidate who upholds Christian values in the next election, the I have to focus now on battling the overwhelming corruption that is overtaking our country and plucking away are freedoms.  As sad as it is to admit, Trump is the only candidate with a chance of pushing back the stronghold of corruption in federal government apart from God's supernatural intervention. The more I prayed and learned (not from the media's propaganda machine but through Wikileaks and those with direct information), the more convinced I became personally that I must use my vote, the only earthly power I have, to help stop Hillary Clinton. 

Frankly, this election is not about me or my preferences. It's much bigger that my family and my own personal concerns.  When I consider the slaughters, the persecutions, the unstoppable corruption and outright treason throughout the federal government, the out of control violence and division, the economic crisis, the international crises threatening nuclear war, the freedoms (religious freedom especially) on the chopping block, the expansion of abortion into infanticide territory with Supreme Court Justices (Ginsberg especially) who support eugenics, new support for "post birth abortion" as they call it, the plot to divide Catholics, the attack on conservative Catholics and evangelicals which includes insistence that they change their beliefs about abortion, Hillary's desire to repeal the Hyde Amendment, Obama's attempts to force religious groups to pay for the abortion pill through Obamacare, lawsuits that resulting in fining Christian businesses for refusing to participate in gay marriage ceremonies, and new pressure to cater to Obama's transgender bathroom mandate, it's just all so much bigger than any of my personal objections to a man's temperament or past words. Judge me all you want, but the more I dig up information that clearly counters the mainstream narrative fed to the media by the DNC to smear Trump, the more convinced I am that I have to vote with the "deplorables" even if the DNC election rigging schemes (verified by Project Veritas Action) are not stopped. The vote and continued uncovering of the truth are all we have left in terms of human power.  But prayer is always our greatest resource, for the Almighty God has all authority and all power to deliver us.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the
majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is
your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and
honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might
are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given
strength. (1 Chronicles 29:11-12, (NLT)

⁷ But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare...

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:7, 11-13)

Addendum
As I have openly and honestly described my own struggle with this election dilemma, I am concerned that my words or opinions may have offended members of God's precious family of faith.  So I have issued and apology and an appeal for unity on the next blog posting found here.

When Free Markets Get the Oxgyen First

We've flown with our children approximately 100 times, and before every single flight, a flight attendant has told us that in case of cabin depressurization, we should place an oxygen mask on ourselves first and then place a mask on our children.

By Peter van der Sluijs - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

When my son actually listened to what the attendant was saying for the first time, he said, "That's not right. You should serve us first so we can survive, live longer, and prosper." And yes, God's word is clear that we should put the interests of others, especially the poor and weak, before ourselves. But parents know that the odds of the child surviving are much greater if both the parent and the child survive, so by putting our mask on first, we can better serve the child, not just at that moment but for the rest of our lives.

So when people first hear the principles of capitalism (and democracy) pitted against socialism without any frame of reference, historical data, or big picture understanding of implications and long term outcomes, they respond just like my son did, "That (capitalism) is not right. Let the old, rich, taxpayers die (via taxation or business crippling legislation) so we poor young people can live and prosper."

But America has proven to the entire world that by serving those who work hard, pay taxes, provide jobs, grow GDP, and build the economy, the odds of both the young and old, the weak and strong, and the poor and rich prospering is greater. But if we raise minimum wages, tax burdens, and entitlement programs to unsustainable levels, everyone will perish.

The key is finding the right balance. If the parent only puts his mask on first and never puts one on the child, the child will die by suffocation, and the parent will die of guilt and heartache. The greatest outcome is when love for another, not greed or self interest, is what motivates us to work hard, survive, and thrive so we may better serve and more extravagantly and joyfully give to others.