Lamentations 3:37-38, "Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?"
I do not believe in wasting my vote. It is my personal statement of conviction. Because of Romans 13, I believe it is against God’s will for me to say yes to anyone in leadership who does not represent the biblical purposes of government. Any leader who punishes good or protects evil is not a minister of God. (For example, that is the reason I will not vote for anyone who allows for any abortion.) Here are some steps I follow when deciding who deserves my vote. Since committing to these standards, win or lose, I have never regretted any ballot I have cast. Nor have I feared any election’s outcome. In fact, because I am free from that fear, I look forward to voicing my choice. Here are my rules for voting.
1. Prioritize God’s Sovereignty. The Bible is explicit in this fact: God is sovereign in all things. Nothing happens without His direction or approval. No one comes into power unless He ordains it. Psalm 75:7 “But God is the judge; He puts down one and sets up another.” God is not subject to our whims and wishes. He always does what He wants. He is more interested in His will than ours. Psalm 115:3, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. Psalm 135:6, "Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." Isaiah 46:10, "Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’" Daniel. 4:35, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?’ God does what He thinks is right. Jeremiah 27:5 “ I have made the earth, man, and the animals on the face of the earth, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed right to Me.” In that case God made Nebuchadnezzar king of the world. It is God who sets up kings and removes kings. Our next president will be whoever God wants our next president to be. Regardless of how the ballots are counted. Daniel 2:21 “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” Daniel 4:25b “And they shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will. Unfortunately to many Christians voting is like gambling, you take a chance on the lesser of two evils. Interesting, isn’t it, that God even has that covered? Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
2. Do not vote in fear of man. God has not given His people the spirit of fear, 2 Timothy 1:7 This noun for fear is used only here. It means cowardice. The verb is used in John 14:27. “ Do not let your heart be troubled nor let it be fearful.” When the disciples were with Jesus in a boat and a great storm came He told them not to be ‘cowardly’ Matthew 8:26 He contrasts that fear with faith. I refuse to be intimidated by the news, ads, proposals, threats and claims of any Party or candidate. Rather I vote in the fear of God. He says that righteousness exalts a nation. Paul tells believers to expose the things done in darkness. I would rather demonstrate reverence for God by supporting righteousness and exposing evil than compromise my vote and allow unrighteousness and evil to continue.
3. Trust God. The references above clearly prove that God can be trusted, must be trusted. Jeremiah 32:27, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" Psalm 2: 12 “Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” If I think that when I vote somehow God’s will may be affected I am not trusting God. Isaiah 45:5-7, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these." Psalm 33:10, “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples.”
4. Always vote my convictions. James warns against the dangers of being compromised in our thinking. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:8. “You will never get what you want if you do not vote for what you believe.” H. Phillips God can change any man’s direction. Proverbs. 21:1, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes.” Rev. 17:17, "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose. . .” That verse is speaking of His enemies.
5. Remember every politicians’ chief objectives. These are a. to get reelected or b. to get elected to a higher office. They do not want my opinions, ideas, or allegiance. They only want my vote. (Present example. How can the absolute denial of Americans’ protests against the bail-out otherwise be explained? The three Senators running in the current Presidential election all voted against their constituents! Not because it was right but because they were pressured by outside interests. For that reason alone none of them deserves another pat on the back.) This is what distinguishes a statesman. He believes in principles that are profitable for all Americans and will stand by these principles consistently.
6. Do not watch or listen to the MSM (Main Stream Media.) The chief purpose of all television and radio is to amuse. ( A/muse = ‘not think’) Consequently, we will gain much information there but very little knowledge. Some may protest, “but I only tune into Fox News.” Does Fox News really report and let us decide on every candidate? Are the reporters there truly ‘fair and balanced’ when it comes to all the details of each candidate? Every news agency edits. Fox simply leaves out the news that casts moderate candidates in a bad light. Rarely is a true conservative ever mentioned. Therefore it cannot claim the title fair and balanced.
7. Do not rely on Christian political, cultural ‘ministries’ for all the answers. Some of these organizations are doing a needed job in areas where the church has become silent. But they, too, put much emphasis on fear and not enough on trust and conscience.
8. Do your own homework. If you want to vote intelligently and morally you must learn for yourself. Refuse the temptation to study the issues presented by a candidate. Examine each candidates’ past voting record, life choices, circle of friends and enemies. What a man does is far more relevant than what he says. But if you want to learn that you will have to do your own homework. MSM or Christian MSM will not give you what you really need. Only what they want you to know so you will vote for the candidate they prefer. I compare every candidate to the Bible and the Constitution. I normally do not have to go much further. No candidate will ever line up fully with either but I do not believe there is any other consistent standard of evaluation.
9. Consider that when you vote for a candidate, unless you have the opportunity to personally clarify it otherwise, you give tacit approval to all his or her positions. That assumed approval the candidate uses for political gain. If I vote for a candidate who supports any abortions or partial gun control or more taxes I am approving those acts.
10. Compare every candidates’ plans and past decisions to the Constitution. Hold them to account by these documents, either state or Federal. If you do not do this it will not be done. I guarantee you that neither of the MSM’s really care about that.
I just read this from some forwarded e-mail. “Then ask yourself if you, your children and grand children can afford for you to make a mistake in voting.” The point of that sentence is to intimidate. But if I vote according to my biblical convictions, respecting the character and sovereignty of God, in response to the Constitution I will be voting correctly. It would be a mistake to vote otherwise.
There is only one presidential candidate who is actually presidential. I believe Chuck Baldwin lines up more closely with the Constitution and the Bible than any other candidate. I will have to write his name on the ballot but he will have my vote. Please consider him. www.baldwin08.com
No comments:
Post a Comment