‘Not My President’ is Not an Option

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities.” (Romans 13:1)

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Not every Bible verse we read may give us peace and comfort initially. A good portion of Scripture is instructional, designed for our well-being particularly when we’re unable to see the bigger picture. This was the

case for me four years ago. Romans 13:1-5 was not a comforting piece of Scripture to me, but I discovered peace and comfort in God in my obedience to His word. Like it or not (and I did not) Barack Obama was my president and I was going to submit because God said so. To put it another way: I feared not the man, but the Lord. I still do, therefore #Notmypresident was never an option.

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Now (for me) the tide has turned and I have a sense these Godly directives will be a bit easier for me to follow, but for you maybe not so much. Perhaps these last four years for you were smoother, but now you’re faced with submitting to folks you may very well despise. As I’ve previously outlined – I feel your pain and I can relate to what you’re going through. I am here to tell you that if you truly fear God, you would do well to comply with His directives. In so doing there is peace and there is comfort.

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do.” (Romans 13:1-5)

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Now of course this is all grand counsel if you are a Christian. If you are not, the Bible and all of God’s tenets are foolishness to you, which happens to be another position I can relate to. The solution for me was to submit to Jesus Christ and His perfect will for my life. Prior to receiving Jesus as my Lord and Savior, there was no peace or comfort, only temporary solutions to problems that I had absolutely no control over. In Jesus I discovered the solution.

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If you’re still reading and you’re not a Christian, I suspect that perhaps you’re feeling God attempting to draw you closer into a relationship with him. If that is the case, the onus is upon you to respond to Him and I’d encourage you to investigate further.

Please don’t hesitate to comment or ask a question.

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Crass vs Crook

Crass or crook: those are our options come election day, 2016 unless of course you choose to opt out of the process this year.

I understand.

You and I wish the choices were rather between ‘class and crook‘ so we could sleep better after the election, but that is not our reality. Lets face it folks, collectively as a nation this is our fault and we have gotten what we deserve.

What should we have expected after decades of moral decline? Are we really surprised that crass shows up on the scene when we have been approvingly inviting adultery, fornication, and lewdness into our living rooms via cable TV for the last however many decades? I am not surprised, but I am guilty.

Let’s Look at Porn

Porn is just the tip of this filthy iceberg, but did you know that according to one source, “While few people openly admit to watching porn, 66 percent of all men and 41 percent of American women view pornography at least once a month.”

I’ve watched porn, have you? (that’s a rhetorical question and you are not obliged to answer). Frankly, I am the one who is ashamed and embarrassed of my past behavior and how it has led to our present condition. How can I possibly judge the words that come out of a man’s mouth in a private conversation when my words and deeds over five decades have contributed greatly to the moral decline of this country. I am an accessory to this perversion, having participated in the creation of an environment where illicit behavior is both condoned and encouraged. Sure, I’ve repented and turned away from these heinous activities and turned to Jesus, but that in no way negates the fact that I have been complicit.

Having said that…

I know plenty of crass people (don’t worry, I’m not going to name names). I also know plenty of crooked people, having been in law enforcement for so many years. The thing with criminals is that their former conduct often disqualifies them from holding public office as well as many other jobs. Like it or not, that is the law of our land.

This is not the situation with one of our presidential candidates. Technically speaking, she is not a criminal; she has not been formally charged with any criminal activity, nor has she ever been found guilty of any charge. Having said that, we as a nation cannot help but notice the huge cloud of criminality that hangs over her head. Many of us notice it and talk about it daily, and many others notice and work to sweep it under the rug. Of course the situation is only exasperated when our Attorney General and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation seem to be working with and for the suspect, rather than the good of our country.

It all just smells oh so foul.

As I said before, I know plenty of crass folks. And so do you. The truth be told most of the people we deal with are or have been crass. This list includes, but is not limited to doctors, lawyers, teachers, policemen, mechanics, and the list goes on and on. I could tell you stories and you could tell me stories. And they could likely tell stories about us. However, there is one thing that many (if not most) of these people have in common: they know their job and they do it well.

So it is with the crass fellow who happens to be running for President of these United States: he knows his job, he does it well, and there is not a raging storm of criminality hovering above his head. He’s crassy, not classy, but he is forgiven.

So there we have it. I’m voting for crass over crooked. I’m not excited about it, but I believe crass has better credentials when it comes to getting this nation economically, Constitutionally, and securely  stabilized.

The Bigger Picture 

I’d be remiss if I left out these pertinent Bible passages:

Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:23, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:13 “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

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