Category: Politics

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Politics

Make America Spiritually Great Again

When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. -Proverbs 29:2

Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people. –Proverbs 14:34

A new day has dawned. Perhaps you were one of the millions watching a live screen of President Trump’s inauguration today. If so, you will most likely remember where you were when President Trump placed his hand on the Bible and was sworn into office. I was sitting in a chapel room with K-12th grade Christian school students. I found myself reminiscing my childhood times when President Ronald Reagan was leading the USA and patriotism was running high.

Morals and values were highly prized in that day and time. The next generation knows nothing of the days when America was spiritually great. They don’t know what the Jesus Movement was or how thousands of hippies gave their lives to Christ in the 70’s claiming One Way! The name Billy Graham, in the mind and hearts of the next generation, is synonymous to Joe Smith (just an ordinary name).

If you’re a 14 year-old living in America today, all you can remember is one President and his name is Obama. All you’ve known is division, terrorism, and that the government has promoted the homosexual and the transgender lifestyle. You’ve seen power stripped from police in uniform and given to the people. And you’ve known nothing but a media that is set on its own agenda. Yes, if you’re 14, all moral innocence and purity has been lost and America has not been so great to you.

I was reading an old blog post written by the late Adrian Rogers on this historic day and wanted to share some insights from this great pastor:

It appears that most Americans believe the economy is the top issue. But I had rather leave my children and grandchildren the legacy of a godly nation than great wealth to be squandered in a godless society. No, righteousness is our greatest need.

When we lose character—righteousness—then we will lose liberty. People who cannot live responsibly from within must be governed from without.

When government takes over, whatever it subsidizes, it must control. An example is our educational system—subsidized by government—which has gradually outlawed God in our schools. In place of the Ten Commandments, we have values clarification, the glories of our welfare state, one-world government and a new world order. Hitler said in 1920, “Give me the minds of the children, and in one generation I will give you the Fascist super state.” So in our public schools, the Bible is out and humanism is in.

As far back as 1983, The Humanist magazine stated, “The battle for humankind’s future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith. The classroom must and will become the arena of conflict between the old and the new, the rotting corpse of Christianity and the faith of humanism.” Classrooms became Humanism’s newly designated “Sunday School.”

Our forefathers said that our government is to “provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare.” Not “provide the general welfare.” When we see the government as a cow to be milked rather than a watch dog to be fed, we’re in trouble. Give us a land where freeborn Americans can go out and do what the Bible says: work. For “if a man will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10).

These are great quotes to read on a day like today! Trump said in his inauguration speech that he wants to put the power back into the hands of the people. This is a good thing but the real power is found in God, answering the prayers of his people. Where there is righteousness, there is liberty, and where there is liberty, there is room for God’s Spirit to work. Without a free country to live and work in, next generation ministry (NGM) might not even be possible.

The political structures and forms that are set up to guide both national and church governments matter. In a free country such as ours, next generation ministry can be attempted in a single-elder (single-pastor) or plural-elder congregational form of church government. No matter your choice, give next generation ministry a try and here’s my speech: “Let’s make America spiritually great again.”

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Politics

Post Election: What does it mean for the Next Generation?

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I have so many thoughts and feelings concerning this year’s election/results and what it means for the next generation.  First, I was shocked that Trump won the vote.  I can still hear myself telling everyone 2-3 years ago that Hilary Clinton would be our nation’s next President.  Honestly, I didn’t like to say that, but I felt it was sure to happen.

What makes America great is that a man can overcome all odds, including the media, special interest groups, his own party, and the poll favorite herself to become President.  Only in America!  I didn’t think Trump had a chance.  The great thing about Trump is he owes no one anything.  He will not be a puppet on a string.  In fact, Trump doesn’t even want the President’s salary and is opting to be paid the required penny a year.

Trump is far from perfect and said many things he should not, but spiritually, I did feel he was this nation’s best alternative.  Compared to other Republican candidates, Trump put together the best evangelical task force.  Maybe I should not speak of politics, but I feel and believe that theology applies to all of life.

In my spirit, I feel Trump won the election for a few reasons: (1) The prayers of God’s people were heard.  2 Chronicles 7:14 was answered.  Many American Christians who have not faithfully been praying prayed for this year’s election, (2) The people’s voice was heard and it still counts.  What makes America great is that people vote in their leaders and the people’s choice won out.  I couldn’t have been more proud to be an American, and (3) God loves America and has not given up on her.

That being said, it is vital that God’s people use this upcoming 4-year window to impact the next generation like never before.  The cultural landscape of our nation is changing vastly.  Strategically, we must focus our efforts on minorities.  We must learn how to build bridges with those of other colors and ethnicities.  We must worship together, pray together, sing together, hold hands together, and study the Bible together.  Simply put, we must experience a little heaven on earth (Rev 7:9).  Personally, I have many friends that don’t look like me or talk like me and I love them all.

Finally, I think a word of thanks goes out to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and specifically the Graham family.  Billy has been a faithful servant of God for many years.  His son, Franklin, went to every state capitol and called for God’s people to come out, to repent, and to pray for the nation’s election.  I think God in his providence has allowed Billy to stay alive long enough to see the fruits of his labor.  In fact, it would not surprise me at all if Billy passed shortly after Trump is sworn into office as our nation’s Commander-in-chief.

Let’s thank God for the election results, but even more so, let’s be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49).

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Politics Teaching

Politics Aside: What are we teaching the Next Generation?

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It has been well documented that the next generation considers the church an institution that is too political.  Too political in that many churches split over silly agendas and preferences but also too political in the sense that national politics are given a bigger stage to shine on they ought to be given from both behind the pulpit and inside the church itself.  When churches emphasize political parties more than they do the gospel or even worse claim their political preference as the gospel, the next generation turns off. 

I do not intend to use this platform to provide you with statistics on how the next generation will vote or how the next generation should vote in the upcoming election.  Ministry leaders understand the old cliché, “people vote with their feet.”  Many young people will choose not to vote at all.  Is the church taking notice when young people decide not to enter their church doors?  Do politicians notice when the younger generations decide not to show up at the poll?  People vote all the time.  We, the church, must take inventory, look at ourselves in the mirror, and decide if we ourselves are a stumbling block to the next generation not being able to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

At his crucifixion, Jesus did not receive any votes.  His closest friends turned away and as his triumphal entry indicates, the notion of popularity is here today and gone tomorrow.  It would be easy to provide you with statistics and polls which indicate the values and beliefs of the next generation.  How many Millennials voted for Bernie Sanders in contrast to Hilary Clinton?  How many votes will Donald Trump receive when compared with Hilary Clinton’s vote count?  How many Millennials feel helpless and will choose not to vote at all?  Yes, votes do reveal feelings and beliefs, but I sense there is something at stake for the next generation in this election that I feel has been overlooked and ignored.

Life boils down to relationships.  Jesus placed an extremely high value on relationships.  Jesus desired that men and women not only love God, but also their fellow man.  The Great Commandment (Mat 22:35–40), The Golden Rule (Mat 7:12), and The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) all remind us of how paramount relationships are to the Kingdom of God. 

The way in which Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton have related to each other in this election period is the epitome of treating one’s fellow man as nothing less than slime.  Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton are not only two politicians running to be the next President of the United States.  They are two national leaders who are to set an example of what it means to love one’s neighbor.  My greatest fear is that the next generation looks at how these national leaders treat each other in dialogue, etc. and think to themselves that this is natural and normal behavior.  If our nation’s leaders, and one whom will soon be proclaimed our nation’s greatest leader, can name call, sling mud, and degrade another, the next generation’s rationale becomes “why can’t I?”  After all, this “leader” climbed to the top of the ladder in his or her profession with a manner that dehumanizes another, so “why can’t I?”

With this line of thinking at work, it does not take long for us as a nation to soon forget that “we the people” are made in the image of God and to begin witnessing our children acting as mini-Clinton’s and mini-Trump’s toward one another.  Bullying is already a huge problem with students in school and cyber-bullying often plays a major factor in teen suicide.  The election campaign has become so horrid that children should not even be in the same room where the evening news is heard.

I vote that we love one another as Jesus commanded us to and that the church and the family teaches the next generation to act the opposite toward one another as our presidential candidates do toward each other.