Reflections of a Trail Blazer

Have We Forgotten Who we Are?

I have kept quiet for a long time. I do not think that people who support President Obama are evil and I do not think that white people who do not support President Obama are all racists. While I do believe that the bible is full of answers to political arguments, I am not convinced that the way the church goes about these issues is biblical at all.

Prior to the election my inbox was inundated with email from all types of ministers and ministries. I discovered that the body of Christ had its own political headquarters. After a while I was annoyed by the continual flow of information. I was tired by the prophecies. Many of the religious groups were trying to steer me away from voting for Barack Obama. I was informed of his various ties to organizations and groups that were questionable. I was informed about his position concerning several issues, the most important one being of abortion.

There were enough scriptures sent my way that, if I wanted to, I could have printed out a brand new bible. I would have called it “The Politically Correct Scriptures for a Successful Election.”

I even became aware of black ministers who disconnected from white ministers because of the campaigning.  I was saddened to hear of long time relationships kicked aside because of the election.

I was not happy with white Christians who seemed to think that there are no God-fearing Democrats.  I am not happy with black Christians who think that all Republicans are narrow-minded.

I was surprised at black Christians who campaigned with their scripture preference, yet their own acceptance speech was based on President Barack Obama’s race, not the scriptures or his political platform.

I was disappointed to discover that ministers I considered seasoned and/or mature leaders are religious, racial and gender bigots.

It was interesting to me that, according to the Republican Christians, McCain had no sins. He is a Republican so he must be better than the demonic Democrats (my sarcasm). While Palin received an unfair amount of ridicule, the hope the Christians were placing in her because of her Christianity was even more unfair.  The church did the same thing to our former President Bush. Many were behind him because he was a professing Christian.  The church unfairly looked to President Bush to solve problems that the church should have solved on their own.  Consequently, when President Bush made decisions the church did not agree with, they literally kicked him to the curb. They ceased to honor the man of God and cursed him for his “sins.”

This election only confirmed to me what I have always known.  Christians do not understand honor, authority or covenant. And, we do not understand the scriptures. We use them as weapons to get rid of anyone who gets in the way of our thinking. If we are to be scriptural based politically we must realize several things.

1. The government of the world cannot lead the church. The church is and will always be the leader. The world is going the way the church is leading it.
2. The church is never going to go under. However, brace yourselves; it is going to go through a tremendous time of pain and suffering and may go underground. But the church will never be done away with.
3. Abortion and other sins are not the fault of the world. Sinners do what sinners do. We live in a fallen world. Sin cannot be legislated. However, because of the sins of the church, we are the ones who are killing our young, not just physically, but spiritually. We are living a life before them that is hypocritical. Our value of God’s word is shown through our everyday actions. Our children see it and choose not to believe us anymore. They have been positioned and primed for the change they have followed. The extremes in their dress and in their behavior are historically indicative of a generation that is tired of what was and is looking for change. It does not always indicate a rebellious generation. It was our error when we labeled them Generation X, as if they were of an unknown entity.
   1. The number of unwed parents is as large in the church as outside the church.
   2. The number of unwanted pregnancies is as large in the church as outside the church.
   3. Adultery, spousal abuse and child neglect is as prevalent in the church (and especially among church leaders) as outside the church.
   4. A lack of integrity is a cancer in the church.  I am hard pressed to find a Christian who will not lie. We lie about everything. We then factor in all of the reasons why we lie, justifying our lies (fear, etc.). At some point we should be walking freer of the sinful life we have been delivered from.
   5. Scriptures were not written for the world. They were written for the body of Christ.  We cannot expect the world to live up to the standards of the word of God.  We must be willing to do so.  Why picket for prayer in the schools if you will not pray at home?  There is nothing, even in the law, to stop you from praying. If the public display of prayer is the only type of prayer we know, then corporate prayer should not be one of the least attended services in our church. Many pastors do not show up for their own prayer meetings.
   6. Crisis prayer is necessary. Constant prayer limits our crisis prayer.  We continually live for a miracle when we could be living in God’s blessings. What happens, now, that the election is over?  Will there still be prayer and fasting for our new president, whether you voted for him or not?
   7. Judgment begins, first of all, at the house of the Lord.  I personally believe that what is about to happen over the next few years will definitely cause this scripture to become real to all of us. Again, God expects more out of you and me, who profess to know Him, than those who do not know Him.  Do you know why scorpions sting? Because that is what scorpions do? A leopard does not change his spots. Change in us only comes from the power of God as we adhere to His word.  Not from our boycotting, bashing, and crude, unkind words that we try to say is scriptural.
   8. Race, Religion and Government have never been God’s criteria for winning a war. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us and for this nation. His standard of battles and victories are His word. He is not really interested in your comfort or your convenience. He is a jealous God and He is only interested in His agenda. We cannot use race, religion or the government to try to fulfill our agenda and claim it is God’s agenda. Do we know what God’s agenda is? The next statement should give us a clue.
   9. Matthew 6:33 is still relevant to our lives. Remember, seek ye first the kingdom of God? We are continually seeking the kingdom of man with the hope and expectation that it will provide for all of our needs. Is it working? Look at the million-dollar, billion-dollar and trillion-dollar bail outs that are not working.  God can and will work through many resources; however, He is our only source.  It is good when the government comes through as a resource. When it does not we must look to Him, as He is the source of the resources.

I feel the urgency, once more, to encourage every leader, whether in the institution of the church or in the marketplace to take a closer look at the motivations of our heart.  Read Psalms 78 and look keenly at your sheep, disciples, children, grandchildren and anyone else following you. Discern whether or not your principles, motives and actions are such that should be carried into the next generation.

Those of us who have been in ministry thirty-plus years have lived more years than we actually have left. What will we do with those years? Gripe and belly-ache about what the government will not do; how America is going down the tube? Or will we roll up our sleeves, get off of our mental retirement and let the seasoning of the years give us the innovation necessary to properly equip the coming generation?  Remember, it was not the world that kept the children from coming to Jesus; it was his disciples. A blending of the generations is crucial. We need their youthful and fresh thinking and they need our guidance and wisdom.

Ministry and church as we have known it is gone forever.  The answer is not to force God out of our churches so that people will come. If you use a hotdog to get people into your church, it will take a hotdog to keep them there. We can change how we do what we do without sacrificing the truth of God’s word and the fruit of its holiness.  One of the first things we must change is our understanding the difference between the governments of this world and the Kingdom of God. These governments operate under different principles. A redeemed person is supposed to be able to function in the Kingdom of God and in the world, using the standards of the Kingdom of God to fully prosper in both realms.

If my survival in the world (that I am not of) is dependent on the government of that world then I am nullifying the word of God and saying that God’s word is incapable of providing me what I need and/or want. We like our arguments that justify our reliance on the world system, but preach and teach totally differently from our pulpits. My mother used to say that we “preach cream and live skimmed milk.”  We tell the people to rely on God while secretly we are relying upon a government that is only used as a crucible for the Christian.

I believe that our lack of understanding the power and principles of the Kingdom of God has moved us to depend on the kingdom of this world, thinking that the Kingdom of God is too weak for us.

The coming years will give each us opportunity to discover who we really believe.