Saturday, October 27, 2012

Where are the Christian Voices?


WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIAN VOICES?

I was not very surprised when the evangelical community gave their support for Mitt Romney. After all, their utter disdain for President Obama was hardly clandestine. I was surprised when Romney was invited to speak at evangelical universities and gatherings. I had long since concluded that the overwhelming majority of evangelicals were deeply invested in idolatry as it pertains to America, and they were listening to all sorts of voices shouting loudly that the destruction of the nation they loved was imminent unless President Obama was defeated. So in essence, Fred Phelps or Joseph Goebbels would be preferable to Barak Obama. The hysteria was and is breathtaking. And this time evangelicals couldn’t just hide behind the pro-life banner. This time it was money and freedom.

There were overt suggestions of the president’s patriotism or some secret agenda to set up a socialist state. People questioned his birthplace and his academic history. And some believers even called him an antichrist. Yes, it was nauseating to say the least. But sprinkled into all that mess were statements, attitudes, and pejoratives which not so subtly pointed to his race. Oh yes, racism still lives and breathes within this culture. And I am white so I really have no idea to what extent on the personal level.

One Romney supporter suggested the President was not too bright and was lazy and shiftless. Young people may not completely understand the implications and history of such words. Sarah Palin, a professing believer, said President Obama was “shucking and jiving”, another racially charged description. Some say Colin Powell’s endorsement was based upon race and not policies. Many still believe he is a secret Muslim. And on and on the demeaning and ignorant attacks continue.

But we should expect it coming from unbelievers and ignorant people. But where are the Christian leaders who even support Romney speaking loudly against such brute beast rhetoric and racially charged invectives? Those voices who have no problem excoriating President Obama about a myriad of things remain oddly silent when they hear unchristian verbiage leveled at the president. Hopefully his two daughters are shielded from some of it, but I am sure the first lady hears most of it.

Thousands of so called “Christian leaders” across the nation are a disgrace to Christ and His teachings. The same crowd that rightfully condemned the Rev. Wright’s caustic rhetoric take a far different tone when others use such language against the President. And why is this the case?

Hatred. Pure, distilled, and ready for human consumption, hatred. Honestly, if I was not a believer, and if I had heard the collection of Christian voices in this election year, I would never have come to Christ. But even when people who support Romney use unkind and vicious invectives against President Obama, those professing believers on the same political side are embarrassingly silent. That not only says something about their political agenda, is speaks volumes about their commitment to Christ.

I know many who clicked on this post and because of the title anticipated something far different. You may have thought I would ask for Christian voices to help save a nation. Or maybe Christian voices that would speak against immorality. Or Christian voices that would speak in support of freedom. Or Christian voices that would speak against socialism. But instead you got a request for Christian voices to speak up for Jesus and His teachings and to rebuke brothers and sisters who openly disobey and ignore them. I wish I could say I am sorry you did not get what you were looking for, but I am not sorry. But I am glad you read this.

This election has said much more about the church than it has about any candidate.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess a lot of Christians forgot about that they are not to worry about what they would eat, what they will have for clothing, where they will be housed. But instead should be worrying "am I spreading and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ?". This world is not my home, I'm just passing through.

Joel

Anonymous said...

Amen.

Having just read this post out loud to my husband while he's preparing lunch, he and I are totally in agreement. We've seen this, and any christian worthy of His Name, should say, these people don't represent me, because they are racially motived, hate- motivated, and they speak against Jesus, who said whatever is done unto others, is done unto Him. Christian pundits can disagree on his politics, but to attack him personally and call him things that he is not, is slanderous, incontinent, lying, and the sinful. And the leaders just stand by and say nothing. I almost want to cry when I realize that men like Billy Graham are so quiet. They would 'endorse' a political candidate; but they would be silent when another candidate is unfairly and hatefully smeared, by the CHRISTIAN community.

Revelation chapter 18 describes a place called Babylon, that "has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird". I pray that we haven't arrived at that place, but if we have, Lord have mercy on us all.





Dan Knezacek said...

I am sitting up here in Canada, and watching what is going on across the border with interest. Maybe it's just me but the articles I am reading are focusing on Obama's policies, and not his skin colour.

Neither Romney nor Obama are biblical Christians. Neither shows the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Of course we could say the same thing about Clinton and the Bushes.

If you want to focus on the issues, look at the way America's debt has skyrocketed under Obama. Obama consistently acts in a hostile manner toward Israel. My bible still says that those who touch Israel touch the apple of God's eye!

Obama consistently shows disdain for your constitution. He is a lawless man.

But Obama isn't responsible for abortion, and some states approved gay marriage before he came to power. I think Obama is a judgment from God against you. I also think that if you get rid of him, Romney will pick up where he left-off!

If it is the time for God's judgment against the US, it really doesn't matter which person is the president. That judgment cannot be stopped! Well it could if you would repent, but I think God has given you over to a reprobate mind.

Rick Frueh said...

God does not deal with nations in the New Covenant. Go and preach the gospel to every creature is our calling. How would America repent as a pluralistic nation? Would 75% please God? No, God deals in correction with the church, but for now His judgment will wait until the gospel age is over.

Dan Knezacek said...

Maybe I'm a little thick, but God has always dealt with individuals. When God saved David, he did not save all of Israel. When God saved Melchizedek He did not save all of the Jebusites.

In the Old Testament, He dealt with the nation as a whole, but He still saved individuals, as He always has and always will.

And yet God still deals with nations. I would challenge you to show me a verse where God does not deal with nations, at the same time that He saves individuals.

During the Tribulation "all of Israel shall be saved" yet at the same time 2/3 of Israel will perish. (Zechariah 13:8)

Do you not think that America's prosperity over the last 60 years is directly tied to their support of Israel? I think so, and I would challenge you to show otherwise.

At the same time, I am not saying that physical, earthly, prosperity is equivalent to spiritual blessings. You can be blessed in this life, and still end up in the Lake of Fire. This does not mean that those blessings did not come from God.

Even during the millennial reign, the majority of mankind will be lost. Christ's presence on the earth, and His dealing with nations, will still not guarantee the salvation of individuals.

If Jesus Christ called Herod an "old fox" then why can't his followers call Hitler, Stalin, or Obama similar names? (Luke 13:32)

Rick Frueh said...

"All Israel" refers to an ethnic group not a secular nation. God did deals with nations in the Old Covenant, but not in the New.If America's prosperity is tied to the support of the secular nation of Israel, then God must be "blessing" China today. To ascribe divine blessing based upon materialbenefits is a dangerous and unscriptural principle.
In that construct Bill Gates and Hugh Hefner have also been blessed. Many time earthly blessings can be a curse, and many times they are a result of individual industriousness. The New Testament is repleat with warnings about being rich. Per capita several oil rich nations have incredible propsperity. I doubt that indicates divine favor.
God deals with His people, the church, but to those outside the faith - the gospel.

Anonymous said...

ppl consider death as being th thang that takes ppl outta th earthly realm, bc they walk by sight...and so if they cant see it, its dead...that is adam's legacy, to walk by sight, bound to th temporal, to time, corruption and decay...to return to dust bc he is in fact, of dust...

true death is separation from God...

nothin could be clearer (to who can see) than to see adam become deaf and blind to th God he once walked with in the garden, and then be cast outta th garden where God made him a home, bc of adam's sin...its th result of sin...th wages of sin is death...and so whoever is born in sin is dead in the here and now, is walkin about separated from God and is dead; its an amazing thang that while th adamic nature actually sees death everyday, he calls it life...while the life that is from God, th new creation born of th Spirit of God, which is hidden from adam, is also dead to adam bc he cant see it...bc its hid in Christ, and bc adam is only concerned with earthly, visible, sensual thangs...

th OT is full of adam's attempt to declare hisself alive and well...he began cities, cultures, invented stuff, its all there...ppl were honored fa their skill or strength, towers were built, cities were named after each other...civilizations ruled and disappeared and merged ...and yet it was all death...not any of it was blessed by th God who gave em over to themselves...theres not one instance after bein cast outta the presence of God, where adam was declared clean, healed, forgiven, or blessed by God...tho im sure the adams of that time did as th adams of this time still do...and measureing theyself against each other, they decide whos blesssed, better than, and who has th best country, civilization and stuff...

th only thang that matters is a new creation...and adam cant do that--theres nothin new under th sun...only in Christ is there new life and only by th Father...only th Father can make alive, create, declare Himself and make Himself heard...

so as we be bombarded on all sides and pressured to choose who to vote fa and who is a better leader and who's country and civilization is better and therefore 'blessed', lets remember that all of it is just adam tryna make hisself heard and declare hisself alive and well and blessed...and lets remember that he is actually dead...and lets remember to let th dead bury th dead...

we have this testimony: that God gave us eternal life and this life is in His Son...

-g-

michael said...

I tried making a comment in here on my IPhone yesterday and it didn't make it onto the comment stream above. I will now try with my computer.

Rick, you ask where are the voices.

Here's mine:

Deu 32:8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
Deu 32:9 But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.

The voice least heard in the world today seems to me to be the voice that gives understanding to those words.

I speak of and point to the allotted heritage of Jacob.

I will endeavor to give my voice to this reality.

Consider the voice the Church "should" be giving to Babylon that she is not?

Isaiah first says:

Isa 2:5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Then things turn dark in the world and it is this "vehicle" for this darkness that seems to not be identified today because of the allurement of spiritual Babylon blinding their eyes?

Consider Isaiah 21 to a conclusion in chapter 24 and how things go from dark to very dark, kind of like the progression from Cain to just before the days of Noah building the Ark? It got so bad that wickedness consumed the world and God chose to destroy it saving the drunkard Noah and his three sons.

He is now getting set to destroy (the wicked world) it one more time and this time permanently!

Go to Isaiah 24. WARNING, let not the faint of heart read that chapter!!!

break

michael said...

Now consider what Jeremiah writes about Babylon in Jeremiah 51.

Then go to the revelation given to John to give to the Servants of the Lord about the things that must shortly take place?

Then we come to Revelaton 18.

I would note the similarity of Revelation 18 and Isaiah 21 and Jeremiah 51. Isaiah 21 shows the "fallenness" of Babylon. Jeremiah tells us to get out of her as does Revelation 18.

Revelation 18 goes even further and says this, I believe the "voice" you are addressing?:

Rev 18:6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.

Finally it behooves the Church to comprehend and after coming into maturity in Christ as the Warrior King "give voice" to this "spiritual Babylon world" that wars against Her that She finds Herself in and not of according to these words given to us through the revelation given to the Apostle Peter, here:

2Pe 3:11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!


It is interesting that as you said above, the "thing" that remains for the Church to "do" is give voice to the Gospel of the Kingdom to every creature for a witness and the end shall come! God uses sinners to give Voice to the fallen world. God isn't after perfect humans waiting patiently for us to get it right first, to become perfect first before He will use us to speak to the world, "spiritual Babylon"!

I would ask, how's the Church doing "hastening" the day of the Lord giving Voice calling out to the Elect caught up in the affairs of the world calling them out to come out of her into the eternal Glory in Christ (1Peter 5:10) and learn to pay her (spiritual Babylon) double for all the harm she has done to our soul harming us because we stand firm in the Name of the Lord!

This brings me to one final quotation from Isaiah, which is:

Isa 7:9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.'"

If you are not firm in Faith, you will not be firm at all in giving the Voice of Christ to the nations!

There, I have lifted up my voice in here!

This then brings me to the "vision" for the nations of the world according to King David, an active, vibrant, living Voice to the nations and still be warned that there are consequences for scorning and disregarding this VOICE:

1Ch 16:31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"

Which brings me full circle to the very first verse of the Song of Moses, here:

Deu 32:1 "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
Deu 32:2 May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb.
Deu 32:3 For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!
Deu 32:4 "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.