“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” - Colossians 3:1-2 (N.I.V.)
God’s Word seems clear enough on the surface. Christians, at least, are cautioned to not overly concern themselves with what goes on “in the world”, because while we are “in” the world, we are not to be a part “of” the world (or as some teach—the world “system”). The implications these admonitions have for Christians who have some degree of concern for what happens in the world—and especially the country-- in which we live have been cause for disputations and hurt feelings and possibly misinterpretations of motives for generations, and even more so in our present society, which appears to be rapidly disintegrating around us, as the once strong influence of Christianity obviously is waning in our country due to the indifference of many who call themselves “Christian”, at the same time that the “Satanic Disciples of Godless Socialism” are infesting our body politic, shredding our culture, rampaging and pillaging in many of our cities, and who appear to be in the ascendency (but they aren’t).
We all know that Christians are instructed to be the “salt” of this world. Salt, throughout history, has been used as a preservative, and I’ve always contended that Christians can’t be preservatives in this world unless we determine to be at least somewhat of this world. Otherwise, why bother being “salt”? Is this a contradiction in God’s Word? I don’t believe it is.
I write a great deal on the article comment sections on internet web sites (but never on the Deep State controlled ‘social media’ like Facebook and Twitter) under a “cyber” name. I have “interesting” discussions, and downright arguments, as well as agreements, with people all over this planet—Christians, Jews, Muslims (oh how I love to dispute with them), and patriotic Americans of various religious persuasions or none at all. Back in 2016, a cyber poster wrote this to me: “Since we know that the world has been condemned, and it awaits the judgment of tribulation, our flesh wants to do something to make this country great again. However, Col. 3:1-3 states that we should not be involved in the things of the earth. We should be proclaiming the gospel…to the lost, so that they will be saved from the wrath to come.”
Of course, this poster was correct—Christians must share the Good News with the unsaved. To use a “Star Trek” term—that is our “Prime Directive”. However, is that ALL Christians are supposed to do while here on Earth? While many may disagree with me, my contention is that sharing the Gospel is NOT all we’re supposed to do. My answer to this Christian brother somewhat displeased him, as it may displease you. But it was MY answer to this apparent dilemma:
“We are”, I told him, “IN this world physically, mentally, emotionally, AND in the “spirit” of American patriots who have gone before us, often sacrificing all they had, and more, to do what they could to FOUND AND PRESERVE this unique but always imperfect nation we call The United States. If we are to be the “salt”—i.e. the preserver—of “good” in this world, and in this country of ours, are we supposed to totally ignore all of the increasing corruption, all of the evil, all of the hatred we have for each other, all the violence, and all of the mendacity and perfidy of government at all levels, without doing ANYTHING, without using the power of God’s Word, to try to change this?
“I know that some Christians declare it to be a matter of total unconcern to them if we, or our children or grandchildren, live in a nation of chaos, corruption, tyranny, or civil war. Frankly, I prefer to live and have my descendants live in a country at least as good as the one our mostly Christian Founders gave to us! And again, speaking frankly, I DO CONSIDER IT THE DUTY OF ALL CHRISTIANS TO DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO RESIST THE EVILS OF OUR TIME! I do consider it cowardly for Christians to keep their holy heads in their “I’ll have to pray about it” sand and ignore the inroads of tyranny and evil and unbelief that are attacking all of us. Jesus may return next week or in a thousand years. No man knows that hour—only God The Father knows. So keep on praying and witnessing, of course, but also abide by that great old WW11 song that I often heard in those war years:
‘PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, AND WE’LL ALL STAY FREE’.”
A few days later, my antagonist responded, saying, “Did Jesus get involved in worldly affairs? Did His Apostle, Paul?” At first I decided to terminate our discussion, seeing no reason to continue disagreeing with each other, but upon reflection, and always loving a good “dispute”, I answered him as follows:
“Our LORD did have a temper, in that he tossed out the “money changers” from His Father’s House and overturned the tables and benches they were using (Matthew 21:12). He did advise His disciples to sell their cloaks and buy SWORDS to protect themselves from the evil ones that would threaten them (Luke 22:36-38), although He didn’t intend for His Disciples to use the swords aggressively. He did call Herod Antipas “that fox” (Luke 13:32), thereby making a true and righteous judgment on that evil man. These sound like “political statements” to me.
“Paul was a tent maker and seller (Acts 18:2-3), so he must have been involved in the commercial activities where he lived in order to support himself and NOT BE A BURDEN on others. Paul was born a ROMAN citizen, was he not? (Acts 22:27-28). Can anyone say authoritatively that Paul NEVER cast a vote for a local politician or a Tribune? Did Paul EVER involve himself in “worldly” affairs? I’d conjecture that he DID! “Therefore I must conclude the following regarding Christians who contend that we are not to set our hearts and minds on “earthly” things:
- Since you became a Christian, you’ve NEVER voted for ANYONE at ANYTIME for POTUS or any other political office;
- If you HAVE ever voted for any of these offices since you were saved, doesn’t that make you GUILTY of being involved in “worldly” affairs?;
- Back in our Revolutionary War days, you would have been a TORY because you would have believed it to be a violation of Romans 13:1 to resist the established “authority” of King George’s colonial representatives; therefore you would NOT have been in favor of revolting against George 111 (of which I WOULD have been in favor).
- IF you don’t take a strong stand in some way against the evils of our day, then you are GUILTY of letting the Evil One have easy victories! “He that is not FOR me is against me”, said Jesus. Does being “for Him” involve RESISTING the evil One and his schemes to the best of our ability? I believe it does!
“Therefore, my friend and brother in Christ, I contend in love that IF you’ve ever voted for anyone for any office since you became a Christian, you are a HYPOCRITE for having done so! I further conclude that if you did vote in the past, and you are NOT voting in November, 2016 because the choice is “between Jezebel and Pharaoh”, as you claim, then you are denying the admonition of Scripture for Christians to be “the salt”—the preservers—of this once Christian oriented land, and like far too many lazy and unconcerned Christians in the past several elections, by refraining from voting and by refusing to involve yourself in the endless battle against the machinations of “the god of this world”, you are CONDEMNING YOUR COUNTRYMEN to an increasing “hell on earth”. If that’s your contention, I accept it, but I say ‘shame on you’ for your lack of concern. Now I realize that each of us must make his own choice. You’ve made yours, apparently. And I’ve made mine!”
Obviously this post was originally written several weeks prior to the November, 2016 national election. My Christian brother was admonishing me, and other Christian patriots, that it was useless, and anti-Scriptural, for Christians to involve themselves in such “worldly” activities as political campaigns and elections. I’ve talked with some Christians over the years, and read writings from others, that agreed with my cyber opponent—i.e. that Christians should refrain from involving themselves in the “dirty” and “corrupt” affairs of the political world (and they surely are dirty and corrupt, far too often). While I respect their perspective in this matter, held in all sincerity I’m sure, I did then and will always disagree with that mind set. In my opinion they are practitioners of “Abandonment Theology”, which I cannot—nor will I ever—accept!
As American citizens, we will be asked to make a momentous decision on November 3, 2020: A decision, which, in virtually absolute certainty, will decide the fate of constitutional freedom in the U.S. We will be asked to vote for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, a moderate to conservative populist duo of the Republican Party, OR for the sleazy left wing liberal former Vice President Joe Biden and the far left radical Democrat Kamala Harris (who has long been a puppet for the evil group ‘Planned Parenthood’) whom he selected (or in actuality who was selected FOR him by his Deep State masters) to run as his Vice President. The choice looming directly ahead of us should be painfully obvious: Do we choose an imperfect but dedicated man (Donald Trump) who loves America and our way of life, who has served the cause of Constitutional Liberty fairly well for almost four years, and who will be faced with momentous and freedom-preserving decisions in his next term (such as the possible COLLAPSE of our monetary system), OR do we choose an aging, semi-senile pro-Marxist/Socialist (Joe Biden) and an ambitious and ruthless leftist extreme socialist (Kamala Harris)—(who will be one heartbeat or one stroke away from being POTUS)-- both of whom have declared frequently that they are going to totally TRANSFORM the U.S. into some kind of socialist/communist state, are going to basically trash our venerable Constitution, and who will do their best, particularly if the House and Senate are captured by the Klan of New Bolsheviks, to destroy the free enterprise economic system that has served our nation so long and so well.
To vote for radical leftist candidates like Biden and Harris, despite their current “denials” that they are enemies of our Republic, that IS what they intend to do, and that IS what they are! To vote for a man who has used our free enterprise system so successfully and who has created large numbers of jobs for thousands of Americans (Trump), OR to vote for a man whose professed goal is to be remembered as “the most progressive (socialist) President in American history” (Biden). THOSE are the two choices we are faced with on November 3, 2020—a choice to try to preserve our Constitutional liberties (which is not a foregone conclusion even if President Trump is re-elected), OR to voluntarily—and STUPIDLY—take our first step (or perhaps the FINAL step) into “a thousand years of darkness”, as President Reagan warned long ago!
To preserve freedom for our descendants, or to relinquish it now and swiftly degenerate as a country into a North American “Venezuela”. THAT is what we all will be deciding when we cast our ballots on November 3. The vultures of repressive collectivism are circling over the battered but still living body of American freedom, my fellow Americans. They smell the blood of our fear and our uncertainties and are increasingly confident of their “feast” on the corpse of freedom and our Constitutional Republic should the despicable, incompetent, and disgusting Joe Biden, the “Job Killer”, become our 46th President, “supported” by the conniving and disgusting Kamala Harris (who will quickly function as “Co-President”, without doubt). Only you and I, my fellow Americans, can prevent that from happening. I hope you will do the right thing on November 3, and vote for the re-election of Donald Trump. He may be far from a perfect man, but considering the alternative, he is looking more “perfect” every day! (And I assume I don’t have to remind you that there are NO perfect people, nor have there EVER been any “perfect” Presidents—no, not even George Washington was such!)
Whatever happens, my fellow Christians and patriots, always remember that our Savior shed His blood to cover my sins, past-present-and future---and your sins, also. ONLY HE could do that! But our American patriots of the past also shed their blood to give their loved ones and their physical or political descendants an opportunity to live a better and a more free life. Please don’t think that I’m equating our Savior’s precious shed Blood to the blood shed and the sacrifices made by our patriot ancestors. There is no comparison, of course. But there IS a lesson for us to consider, because as our Savior shed His blood to pay for the sins of the world, patriots of the past also shed their blood in order that they, their families, and their descendants, could have a chance to live in a free society. Great sacrifice was involved in BOTH cases, and in both cases that sacrifice made ALL the difference. I’ve tried to make my case that Christians must be patriots who do what they can to resist the evils that “The Prince of Darkness” delights in enveloping all of us with. As a great Christian of the past, Martin Luther, is reputed to have said: “Here I make my stand---I can do no other!” For all of his imperfections, I surely agree with him in this. I invite Christians and Christian Patriots everywhere to do the same.
