Jump Start # 2711

Psalms 47:8 “God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.”

The election is over. Some people woke up this morning happy, excited and thrilled that their candidate has won. Others are very depressed this morning. They can’t believe it. I write this a week before the election. I do not know who will win. The line separating politics and religion, particularly Christianity, sometimes gets blurred and very thin. First and foremost, we belong to Jesus. We belong to Jesus more than we belong to any political party. We belong to Jesus more than we belong to this country.

Some lessons for us this morning:

First, Presidents come and go, but God remains. We sometimes can forget that there is no American flag up in Heaven. God was, long before there was an America, and God will be long after the American story has been written. God is greater than the White House or the Court House. Daniel reminds us that God raises up kings as He pleases. God can see things into the future that we never can. God knows when it will be the day to send Jesus and end all of this. As our verse today reminds us, He reigns over the nations. Notice, nations, plural. Not just a nation or a country, but all of them. There is not a place, nor a country that God does not reign over.

Second, how I act today is going to reveal a lot about my character. If I choose to walk about angry, it will hurt the influence I have on others. If I allow this anger to spill over into our fellowship, it can have lasting damage. We be family of Christ and it’s important to remember that. More important than donkeys and elephants is that Lamb of God. Some will be speaking evil today. Some will be making threats. As I write this, a week before the election, some states are moving national guard into position, anticipating violence and trouble. Make sure, you are not part of that. We teach our kids to be good losers. Sometimes we need to listen to those lessons ourselves. This country has many deep issues and division and sin are high on that list. In another few years, if the Lord allows, there will be another face in the Presidency. Those faces change. What God expects of you never changes. It doesn’t change if Caesar is running the world. It doesn’t change if  the President elected is a person I do not like.

Third, don’t lose focus on what is important. All the news, the polls and the hype about the election can curtail our efforts in evangelism and encouragement. Getting to Heaven remains at the top of the list. Teaching others about Jesus is more important than any political discussion we can have.

Fourth, there are some sad revelations about elections. First, the only time you ever hear from some candidates is when they are running for office. The rest of the time, you never hear from them. Second, tons of money are poured into elections to get people’s vote. That money could be better spent on needful things, but it’s not. Third, the current climate of political ads are mean and nasty. Calling opponents liars seems very common. Character, respect, and dignity have gone out the window. It’s hard to expect the country to get along when those leading the country or wanting to, are so unkind to each other. Instead of the best person winning, much too often voters are choosing between who is the least worse. And, in many cases, voters would rather not pick either of the picks.

Fifth, no matter what happens, you and I need to be joyous. We are Heaven bound. The best is yet to come. Our citizenship is in Heaven. Someday all this political mess will be behind us. What truly matters is our walk with the Lord. Thankfully, He never gives up on us nor walks away from us.

Somethings will never change. God’s people need to assemble to worship. The kingdom needs to be financed to do things. The young need to be taught. We all need to be encouraged. The mighty work of the Lord goes onward, whether it’s a Roman Caesar running the world, a president running our country, or a tyrant that is making life difficult for God’s people. We will worship, whether in church buildings, or catacombs or in caves. God’s word will be preached and taught, whether it has to be behind closed doors, in secret, and the Bible kept hidden for fear of confiscation. Faith cannot be driven out of us. Jesus is our King and He will reign no matter what happens.

What does the future hold? Tough times? Better times? We know. Ultimately, the future means being with the Lord in His Heavenly Home. This world is not my home—we sing that, but sometimes we don’t act that way. When I visit homes or stay in hotels, I do not rearrange the furniture or change the paintings on the walls. Some places I’ve been to really needed that, but it wasn’t my home. It really wasn’t my concern. I wonder if we get too worked up about things here. This isn’t our home. We are just pilgrims passing through. There are some things we like. There are many things we do not like. Some things catch our attention and some things we never notice. Our home is Heaven. That’s where we fit in. That’s where we are most comfortable.

Trump or Biden? Left or right? Blue or red? I’m more interested in up and down, how about you?

Roger