Voting- Humility Lost

*Again I must open with a warning, I am going to write about politics, and I am going to do it based on what should be guiding our thought life and what should be guiding our actions…Gods word. I did so 4 years ago here and really nothing has changed.

“Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, 

Who have upheld His justice.

Seek righteousness, seek humility.” -Zephaniah 2:3

Humility lost

Your word O Lord be ever present, in thought, in deed to the very depths of me.

You shall not give your glory to another, and it is You who have called us to righteousness. Holy because You are holy. 

Forgive us of pride, for it is pride that keeps us out of truth and out of righteousness. To You be the glory alone, and let us be humbled in Your sight.

Politics and religion, two dirty words nobody likes to bring up in conversation because they are opinionated subjects. Here is the thing though, I am a very black and white person, I am a person that doesn't normally speak or write for the sake of an “opinion” I speak/write in truth. Truth is not something that is relative, truth is not an opinion it is either true or it isn’t, and I get that statement is hard to understand in this generation of “What is true for you, is not necessarily true for someone else” but honestly..I don't care what you think…I care about what the truth is.

Let me get some things out of the way right off the bat: 

1. I am not Mr. Political activist, I don’t claim to have all the answers, or to know all the ins and outs of how the political system works.
2. I am not a conspiracy theorist and I don’t think the world is going to end depending on who you vote for. 
3. I am not a loyal Republican or Democrat
4. I am not Mr. Patriotic wave a flag and put the country above biblical standards.
5. I don’t believe this nation is a Christian nation(it hasn’t been in a long time)

I am just your regular common sense view point who loves God and is committed to actually living like it. I looked back at what I wrote on this blog 4 years ago, and I just couldn’t believe how things have become even worse. Where is our humility? I speak to you Christian, where is your humility? I get the world is crazy, and I get the world has its ideals and they are contrary to ours, but why have so many bible believing people become so much like the world? I am appalled at how many believers have rallied behind Donald Trump…

“Woe to the rebellious children,” Says the LORD, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of my Spirit,” Isaiah 30:5

For all those that hold to the belief that the founding fathers of this country were sincere believers and founded this nation based on Christian principles…what would they think of Trump? MORE importantly what does Your savior think? What does God think? If you actually want Trump to be president of this country you have to do these three things;

1. You have to ignore biblical standards for leadership
2. You have to take God completely out of Politics
3. You have to ignore his lack of humility 

Many people, believers included, think the first 2 points don’t matter anyways. Who cares about biblical standards for leadership, and politics has nothing to do with God…right? I mean we are not voting for a pastor.

I have heard that statement “We are not voting for a pastor” more times than I can count this year. They are certainly right though, we are not voting for a pastor, we are voting for somebody who has the freaking authority to lead our country!! By that statement, you are saying that God doesn’t matter…that somebody who holds the power of leading a country doesn’t need God to do it. Isn’t it ironic, Christians will tell everyone that God is needed, that we need to hold to His word for guidance and direction in every aspect of life…but just not the political aspect? God isn’t needed or welcomed there is HE? 

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying the leader of our country has to be the perfect christian, because there is no such thing. What I am saying, is we shouldn’t throw God out of politics, we shouldn’t treat them like separate issues, because if we honestly believe and claim to follow God, than that means we do that in every aspect of life….in marriage, in friendships, in how we speak, how we act, how we serve, how we do work, and how we lead. If God is our top priority our devotion, that would mean the principles and standards He sets would be something we adore and seek after. We have the privilege to be able to vote for our leader, other Christians do not have that choice, and while generally speaking you are not going to agree with everything a candidate believes or stands behind and you are not going to always have the choice of voting for a believer. We should be seeking Godly character traits, or at the very least a leader with humility and honesty, someone who puts others above themselves, that is the mark of a true leader.

So while we are not voting for a pastor, we are voting for someone who is leading our country, and we should seek to vote without throwing God out of politics like He doesn’t belong.

The Christians that are voting for Trump, will vote for him because they will ignore his lack of humility, and they will ignore his lack of God. They will make the excuse its voting for the lesser of two evils…

I covered the myth that is “Voting for the lesser of two evils” 4 years ago, again what does God think of evil? Does He consider lesser of evils? Evil is evil any way you slice it, that statement is a statement of fear too. For far too long people have ridden that train to the ground, the fear that you must vote R to keep D out of office or visa versa. 

Why have we become a country without humility? Believers are to be the example of this, we are called to show that we have ultimate reliance upon GOD.

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12

If we don’t live according to His word in every aspect of our life, then what are we even living for? What is our purpose? 

Our life is supposed to be transformed and renewed in Christ, How can one who holds to Christ support Donald Trump? I am not even speaking upon his lack of belief in God, I am speaking about his total character is the complete opposite of what we are called to be, how can you support that? Now, you may be asking yourself; “Why am I just ragging on Trump”..because he has the evangelical vote…and I see more Christian support for him than I do Hillary. So back to the “Christian chosen one”…

Christ tells us in John 7:24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” And we are suppose to judge the fruit, identify false hood by their fruit Matthew 7:16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” 

This is directly at those who would say “You cant judge Donald Trump” first of all, you are making a judgement about him in voting for him, and second I can judge him, in fact infant-Christian…we are called to judge by the fruit. Donald Trump claims to be a believer and will flat out lie about it and that doesn’t bother any of you, why? because he’s a good business man? he's a freaking con artist….a snake oil salesman who will say whatever you want to hear. It would be fine if Donald Trump were honest about his belief in God, and had a little humility, just a freaking ounce of humility and ability to lead. However, not only is he not a believer he is a flat out liar about it. He claims to be Christian, and yet has never asked forgiveness from God because he doesn't need to. Yeah, that is who I want to lead my country..a person who thinks He is not accountable to God for ANYTHING he does.

Those who vote Donald Trump again either reject the need for God in politics, don't care about biblical standards for leadership or are completely naive. I guess Paul Washer was right about Christianity in America…it is not Gospel hardened it is gospel ignorant.  We completely throw God out of this country, don’t care if our leadership is accountable to Him, and we wonder why this country is totally backwards and is lacking in humility. 

Trump is not the answer for this countries ills, Repentance and GOD is the answer, Trump is not going to fix this country, if elected he will be the punishment of this country that it deserves. Trump is mentally disturbed and self centered, to the point that I honestly believe he has a narcissistic disorder. I understand the popularity of Trump, amongst the worldly, I don’t understand it for the Godly.  

I know God is in control, I believe in Divine Providence; God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things. 

I will honor who ever receives the position, because Gods word says I have to, but I wont vote for Trump nor will I vote for Hillary, because I can not do so in good conscience ….because neither of them are fit to run this country, and neither stand by principles that I respect.

We need humility as believers, we need to humble ourselves before GOD, we need to submit our worries, our stresses, our fears, our vote to HIM. God is our ultimate authority not man. I will be voting third party again, and there are plenty of options. Voting third party is not a wasted vote, and it is a vote that goes against both parties because both parties are corrupt…

I am not  for someone who should be in Prison(Hillary) and I am not for someone who should be in a mental institution(Trump).

Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote … he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.
Samuel Adams

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. 

Proverbs 29:2

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 

2 Chronicles 7:14

Oblivious to Sin

Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD's anger.

Zephaniah 2:3

Sometimes when we are seeking to be righteous we fall into

a place of self righteousness, which can lead to a very selfish

"proud" attitude and a judgmental demeanor.

Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him;

But the just shall live by faith.

Habakkuk 2:4

We (as followers of Christ) are called to be humble,

however this also can lead to a problem, As some mistake

the meaning of humble. Or maybe rather then mistake the meaning,

people let humbleness lead them down a path of a "Woe is me"

attitude. By the way just for the record I struggle with the following at times myself, I in NO way mean to elude that I am perfect.

I just see so many of us that hang on to the fact that we are all sinners,

and yes indeed this is true, but so many of us ignore seeking righteousness,

as if the fact that we are forgiven allows us to be oblivious of our sins,

oblivious to the fact that sin ANGERS GOD...Oblivious to what is right and what is wrong. How many have the attitude that "Yup..I'm a sinner, freely admit it, Christ saved me from them" and then therefore do not even seek to allow Christ to work through them and change their behavior, do not repent when they do sin because they do not think they need too, and don't even seek righteousness that can be found in Christ.

Sin very much so angers God, so much so that Christ suffered

and paid the price for it,as I've quoted before..

DO NOT think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.

I DID NOT come to destroy but to fulfill.

Matthew 5:17

Christ was the only one who actually followed the Law perfectly,

and He came to be the sacrifice for US because we could

not and can not follow the LAW(without him), this everyone indeed agrees with...BUT Christ's forgiveness doesn't give us FREEDOM to sin..

This I feel really needs to be explained. I'm a horrible person, I'm a sinner,

this I recognize with a remorseful disposition "For the things I wish to do, those things I do not do, but the things I wish not to do, those I do"

I HATE my sins, I seek not Self-righteousness... BUT the righteousness that is found in Christ Jesus, I seek to live by his words as there is nothing else to even remotely live for, "Whom have I in heaven but you? and earth has nothing I desire besides you"

However it is in this seeking of righteousness that I must REMAIN humble as not to think I could ever save myself or to think that which I seek to do makes me better then anyone else.

Forgiven for being the failures that we are....yes indeed,

this however doesn't mean we blind ourselves into thinking

sin is ok, or that we do not warn those about the damaging

life of sin. If I do not seek to be humble in dealing justly with others,

you better believe the holy spirit will convict me of my own doings,

it is in this inward self examination of just how corrupt I am,

that without Christ... without His sacrifice, which led to Gods forgiveness, just how unworthy I'd be of any sort of relationship with Him, other then of course His wrath and anger...

If there be ground for you to trust, as you do, in your own righteousness, then all that Christ did to purchase salvation, and all that God did from the fall of man to prepare the way for it, is in vain.

Consider what greater folly could you have devised to charge upon God than this, that all those things were done so needlessly; when, instead of all this, He might only have called you forth, and committed the business to you, which you think you can do so easily.

-Jonathan Edwards

Does forgiveness mean we shouldn't realize what we are forgiven from?

If we should realize this fact, then why don't more of us know the Ten Commandments? many ignore them saying "We don't have to follow them"

indeed we are saved by Grace not works, but the fact is we have broken the law wether we think we have or not, otherwise Christ wouldn't of had to die for us. Shouldn't we know them, not for salvation purposes but to realize how fallen we are? NOT so we can "feel bad" or walk around saying "Woe is me"

but so we can see how amazing His forgiveness really is, So we can see

just how undeserving of His grace we are.

1."You shall have no other gods before Me.

2.You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

3.You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain,

for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

4.Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5.Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

6.You shall not murder.

7.You shall not commit adultery.

8.You shall not steal.

9.You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10.You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

Some might say; "gods? Idols? i've never done such a thing"

really? anything can be an idol, and anything can become your god,

for anything you put above God hence becomes your god..

I.E Money,Cars,Yourself,Music,Tv,Movies,Video Games ect...ect..

remember the man who came to Jesus in Matthew 19?

He said he has kept all the commandments since he was young(Liar)

and then jesus said;

"If you want to be perfect, go, give all you have to the poor,

and come follow me."

Did the man do it? who knows, all it says is he was very sorrowful,

because he had great wealth, if He wouldn't follow Jesus because he loved

His money more, he essentially broke the first/second commandment.

Even still some might say; "I've never murdered or committed Adultery!"

Really? Jesus said in Matthew;

You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.

Matthew 5:21-22

Hmm..Ever been angry with someone for no reason? had a bad day

and you chew someone out...just because? or whatever the case may be..

guess what? Christ says then you have broken the 6th Commandment.

You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:27-28

Who can say they have never lusted after someone before? If you have,

and YOU HAVE...then you also have broken the 7th commandment...

What is my point? my point is we all have sinned and fall short of Grace,

anyone who claims to be without sin is a liar and the truth is not in him.

There is no justification in sinning, there is no work you can do,

there is no mountain you can climb that will ever make you deserving of anything other then the wrath of GOD...

It's like what Paul Washer said in the video I posted on Facebook, Many people ask why do bad things happen to good people? When the question should be, Why does any good ever happen at all? For we are not "good people" and any good that we receive is more blessing and love that none of us deserve in the first place, for we are wicked.

Therefore humble yourselves under Gods mighty hand, and realize the price

has been paid for YOU, someone had to suffer for what YOU DID...and you will NEVER deserve that kind of love...