The Bible and who I should vote for in November

America is a great country, isn’t it? And one of the great things about America is I can have an opinion, I can voice my opinion, and I can vote for someone who shares my opinion.

On November 6th we are voting for the next president of the US. I am a Christian. Does the Bible tell me who I should vote for in this election? To hear some people tell it, it must. I am told that to vote for so-and-so is either a vote for or against the Gospel. Funny thing is, both sides use this tactic. Admittedly, it is more common among conservatives, but liberals use it too. Is this true? Is a vote for Romney more biblical than a vote for Obama? Or, would Jesus vote for Obama instead of Romney?

When we check with the Bible, we discover disturbing news for those who present their political positions as biblical:

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world

My kingdom. Jesus has a kingdom but He says it is not of this world. Not of this world means it does not belong to this world, is not a part of this world. The Gospel is about a kingdom, but not a kingdom of this world. The Gospel offers no political platform; it does not endorse any political view or party; nor does it give any commands or offer any advice concerning the conquest of a country or people.

What?!?!? That’s right, the Gospel does not tell me who to vote for for president. Not only that, but did you know that it does not tell us what kind of government we should have? Democratic or Socialistic, free market or commune, president or king.

Ah, what about the Old Testament? Does it not offer commands and precepts concerning government? Yes, it does. And these all concern the nation Israel. God clearly tells Israel what kind of government to have. But we are not Israel. Yet even under the Old Covenant, God did not tell the other nations how to run their governments, other than that it should be conducted in righteousness.

Once again, the Gospel is not about worldly politics. It does not offer anything concerning what kind of government a country should have, or who I as a Christian should vote for.

So, does this make the Gospel truly irrelevant for today? I mean, we have a government that allows each one of us to vote yet the Bible doesn’t tell me who to vote for. Surely, what people have been saying is true, the Bible was good then but is irrelevant now. Oh no, the Bible is a very political book. What is our politic? The kingdom of God.

saying there is another king – Jesus

We preach the kingdom of God and seek first the kingdom, but we are not a political party or movement. We have not been sent to fix the world. We are a called out group, forming our own community within the community at large. Our politics? Jesus is King. We are calling people out from the world because the King is coming back!

For those who are sure that the New Testament guides us concerning what kind of government is best, consider this: it offers no legal framework, no government structure,  nothing about the appointment of leaders, monetary systems, education, etc. As I mentioned, in the Old Testament God formed Israel to be a people, a nation, a political entity, and therefore it speaks of all the matters concerning governing a people. But the Gospel introduced something entirely new. The people of God is now the Church and we are not a physical, political people. It is this very truth that makes the gospel workable in every culture, and under any government.

The Church, rather than being a political force is to be a prophetic voice to the culture, calling it to righteousness. We are to speak out against the immorality and ungodliness and unrighteousness of both parties. We should decry abortion and the dissolution of the family and the general immorality of the country AND the oppression of the poor and the danger of wealth. When we affiliate ourselves with a political party, we become partisan, and lose that prophetic voice. Historically, we find the Church at her best when she is exercising a prophetic voice and at her worst when she is involved in politics!

And speaking about being relevant, the New Testament is very clear about how I should relate to the government:

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation . . . Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  For kings, and for all that are in authority

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;  Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. . . Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

remind them to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates

Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. (ouch!)

I am an American. I have my own political views and I will vote according to those views. And as an American I will discuss politics with you and urge you to come around to my well reasoned and rational view point. But I cannot tell you that my political views are necessarily more biblical than yours. More importantly, I am a follower of Christ. And while the Bible does not speak about Democrats and Republicans, Libertarians and Independents, it definitely tells me to pray for and obey my government, honor my leaders, and not speak evil of them. And you know what is a sad reflection on my spiritual life? I spend more time talking about politics than I do praying for kings and all that are in authority.

My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 

Songs I sang this morning

This morning at the beginning of the service, the song leader read Psalm 91:1. I immediately leaned over to Mary and she was already nodding her head. You see, Howard Childers taught us and we used to sing Psalm 91:1-2. And so I began to sing:

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High 
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty 2x

And I will say of the LORD, 
He is my refuge 
and my fortress
my God
in him will I trust. 2x


At the start of his message, the Pastor read Psalm 46. When he reached v 10 I began to sing:

Be still, and know that I am God  3x


Then a little later in his message, he had reason to go Psalm 18. And I began to sing:

From v 2
Praise the name of Jesus (2x)
He's my rock, He's my fortress
He's my deliverer, in Him will I trust
Praise the name of Jesus

And then from v 3 and 46

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised
so shall I be saved from my enemies. 2x

The LORD liveth; and blessed be the rock; 
and may the God of my salvation be exalted. 2x

Great songs!

I knew there was another song from Psalm 18, but since I *was paying attention it didn’t come to me until I got home. And actually, I know it, but we never sang it. from 18:29

I can run through a troop and leap over a wall Hallelujah, hallelujah!
He's my strength and my shield He gives power to all Hallelujah, hallelujah!
I am free from condemnation Jesus is the Rock of my salvation.
I can run through a troop And leap over a wall Hallelujah, hallelujah!

So I sang a lot this morning, officially and unofficially! Funny thing is, in all the songs I sang in my head, I was never off key. Not once!

Choruses I sang last night at work

Last night I read Joshua 5, which ends this way:
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?  
14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?  
15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

And that naturally reminded of the chorus, For The Lord is Marching On. I cannot remember if we sang this at Bible Covenant, but I have always loved this song. Sad to say, all I could recall last night was the refrain, but when I got home I sang it all a couple of times! Hope you know it and can sing it as well!!

For the Lord Is Marching On
by Bonnie Low

For the Lord is marching on
And His army is ever strong
And His glory shall be seen upon our land
Raise the anthem, sing the victor's song
Praise the Lord for the battle's won
No weapon formed against us shall stand

For the Captain of the host is Jesus
We're following in His footsteps
No foe can stand against us in the fray

We are marching in Messiah's band
The keys of victory in His mighty hand
Let us march on to take our promised land!
For the Lord is marching on
And His army is ever strong
And His glory shall be seen upon our land

© 1977 Scripture in Song

And that led me to this next song, which I know we sang at BCCC (and I think it was a favorite). Again, I could only sing the refrain last night, but this morning…

Gird up your Armour

The Lord has given a land of good things
I will press in and make them mine
I’ll know His power, I’ll know His glory
And in His kingdom I will shine

With the high praises of God in our mouth
And a two-edged sword in our hand
We will march right on to the victory side
Right into Canaan’s land

Gird up your armour, ye sons of Zion
Gird up your armour, let’s go to war
We’ll win the battle with great rejoicing
And sing His praises more and more

Ahhh, go ahead and sing out loud to the Lord! What, you don't know these? Make an appointment with me and I will teach them to you!

It’s just stuff – or is it?

My youngest daughter recently experienced a fire, her apartment burned. When she contacted us to let us know what happened her initial assessment was, “I lost everything but the clothes on my back.” This is from the poem I wrote that night:

I was awakened today

Bad news from far away

“Wake up” I heard him say

“Erica’s house burned down today.”

And in a scene straight from a dream

There was Erica’s tear stained face

“My place burned up, I’ve lost it all”

That was the reason for the call

How do you remember everything you’ve lost?

How do you figure up how much it costs?

This is hard, but how can I really know how rough?

I sit surrounded by all of my stuff

Our stuff. We have so much of it. It is really hard to imagine losing all your things. Harder to actually suffer through it! This got me to thinking about all my stuff.

Jesus said, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

We know this is true, but imagine your life if you possessed nothing. Too drastic? Imagine your life if you could only keep what would fit in your car. Wow!

I know of Christians who live in “community.” I perceive that to mean, they all live in the same house and hold all things common - they own nothing individually. Many years ago I heard about another group in the US living like that, and I wondered what it would be like. I was astounded, I immediately missed my things!

You are not what you own. Yet there are people who judge me based on my things. My car. My clothes. My cell phone. My computer. My TV. My house. The money I make and the job I have that makes it. To them I am the sum of my stuff.

 But, if a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, what do I do about all my stuff? Even if I reduced my possessions to what would fit in my car, I’m still always thinking about them: “If I get this new item, will it fit in my car?”

Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. But, I have an abundance of things. This raises some questions:

How many things can I have?

How can I possess my things without making them the sum of my life?

Am I covetous?

Am I content? Or, does my happiness depend on my possessions?

These are some serious questions. Or as I would have expressed it when younger, These are some heavy questions. I think it is inevitable that we will accumulate possessions, and I don’t know that you can put a number on how many you can or should have. But these are excellent questions nonetheless. And maybe the last two are the most important.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

And I haven’t even mentioned giving/sharing.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

This is what I’ve been thinking as I’ve tried to imagine what it would be like to lose all my possessions at once. For me it’s just wondering, but for Erica it’s a reality.

God had mercy on my child

And now may He give her grace

And wipe those tears from her face

And fill her heart with His love

Is Moses a type of Christ?

The Old Testament speaks of the coming Messiah from Genesis 3 on. It does this by direct prophecy and through types. A ‘type’ is an event or a person that God intended to be a picture of Messiah; in which or by whom Christ casts His shadow across the Old Testament. These types are found throughout the Old Testament: Adam, the serpent on the pole, Joshua, and many more.

What about Moses? As the author of most of Genesis to Deuteronomy he wrote often about the coming Messiah, even prophesying of him, The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken. But was Moses a type of Christ?

Now Moses was a great man. Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. He led Israel out of Egypt, gave them the Law, and was one of the greatest intercessors ever. In Isaiah we read, Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. The Jews understood it to mean that Messiah will be exalted above Abraham, extolled above Moses and very high over the angels. Amen! But was he intended to be a type of Christ?

Last night I thought about the time, when, as a young, growing, eager believer, I asked my spiritual mentor if Moses was a type of Christ. I was taken aback by the swift and definite “No” that I got in response. I remember the No but I don’t remember an explanation being given.

Well, as great as Moses was, he was not a type of Christ. And this is the explanation, Moses represented the Law. He was the great Law-giver.

Moses is compared to Christ,
And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant…
But Christ [was faithful] as a son over his own house…

What is the significance of this? The law cannot save you. And this is illustrated in the entering of Israel into the promised land. Moses did not get to lead them into the land, because the law cannot take you there. Joshua, who is a type of Christ, did lead them in. (That Joshua is a type of Christ was established by God when He had Moses change his name from Oshea to Joshua - Joshua and Jesus being the same in Hebrew and Greek.)

So, is Moses a type of Christ? No. He was a great man, one of the greatest men in the Old Testament, and he was a part of the Old Testament witness concerning Messiah, but he represents the Law, not Christ. God was gracious to Moses and took him to the mountain so he could see the promised land before he died; and he had the privilege and honor of appearing with Christ in the mount of transfiguration, and so he was able to see Messiah as well. But he is not a type of Christ.


How a type of Christ kept Moses from the promised land
There is an actual incident which kept Moses from entering the land. Israel was at a place where there was no water, and they murmured against Moses. Moses took it to the Lord and God showed him a rock and told him,
Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

However, Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly.

For this God kept him out of the promised land. What’s the big deal? The big deal is the rock is Christ. The first time they ran out of water, God told Moses, Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And the second time he was to only speak to the rock.

The rock is a type of Christ and the water is eternal life. Christ must be smitten before the water will come forth. But Christ only needed to be smitten once, after this, we only need to speak to Him to receive the water of life. And Moses messed up God’s type by smiting the rock a second time!

Not only was Moses not a type of Christ, but a type of Christ kept him out of the promised land.

Anyway, that’s what I thought about last night at work.

Why I will vote ‘No’ on November 6

On November 6 this will appear on the ballot in York County:

Countywide Question
Shall the Department of Revenue be authorized to issue temporary permits in this county for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours to allow the sale of beer and wine at permitted off-premises locations without regard to the days or hours of sales?

Yes, in favor of the question
No, opposed to the question

This is a good illustration of obfuscate! The question is, 'Shall we allow the sale of beer and wine on Sunday as well as every other day?’ Currently, beer may be sold all day, every day, except between midnight Saturday and 7 am Monday. I will be voting, No.

In this post I will explain why I am voting No, not attempting to persuade anyone else to do the same. So don’t get your knickers in a knot if you don’t like my reasons!

First, the issue of Sunday. I know this is the last of the Blue Laws. When we first moved to York in 1989, the Blue Law was still in effect. You could not buy anything other than groceries on Sunday until 1 pm. I suppose this was an attempt to ‘honor the sabbath.’ This is not the reason I will be voting No.

Second, the matter of government. I believe in limited government, so I suppose it seems kind of odd that I would cast a vote that allows the government to determine when I can buy alcohol. My reasoning goes like this: I’m not asking the government to do anything it is not already doing. It already forbids the sale of beer on Sunday and my vote is to not change that. See, I am a conservative, Don't change anything. ha!

Now to the positive reasons:

What a difference there is between Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday night! Well, actually, they start drinking on Thursday night in Rock Hill. And you simply don't have that on Sundays. We all know that if this passes, Sundays will be a madhouse for at least the first few weeks, “Hey, we can drink our brains out on Sundays too!!” I do not look forward to that.

Then there is the matter of restraint. So many people have no self-restraint and I think the government can and ought to supply it. “They will get it somewhere else.” I realize that possibility, but nearly every one I refuse the sale of beer to on Saturday nights, simply won’t go up the road to Tega Cay, where they can purchase beer. Restraint.

Our society is already rushing headlong toward unrestrained gratification of every desire and confusing that with ‘freedom.’ As in, “If I want to do it, it should be immediately available.” I don’t believe it is beneficial for a society to spend so much of it’s energies getting drunk and/or stoned. And that is where so many are today. Will refusing the sale of beer on one day stop that trend? No, but it is a speed bump.

A couple of objections that I have heard:

“Will one day make that much of a difference?” All I can tell you is how nice Sundays are. I really don’t see how people are inconvenienced by the inability to buy beer on Sunday.

“We’ll lose tax revenue.” I don’t care! Money is not God.

To sum up why I will be voting No:

It provides a nice break from the alcohol frenzy that makes up the rest of the week.

It promotes restraint and self-control, which I believe is good for a society.

It encourages planning. If you want to drink on Sunday, then buy it on Saturday. What’s so hard about that? This must be something people need help with because I regularly hear at 2 am Sunday morning, “Is it Sunday?”

That’s why I will vote No on November 6.