Recently a friend of mine on Facebook posted a note about his feelings toward voting and how it may be contrary to what the Jesus Christ would have us do as Christians. After much prayer and thought I have concluded the following. As you read, I would suggest that you pray about what the Lord would have you do concerning issues like this and any other. The following is just what I have seen the Lord lead me to believe and do personally- if you feel the Lord is leading you in any other direction- by all means OBEY HIM! Here is his note, the next post was my response.
...Ok i now there gonna be peeps who really disagree with me on this and am happy you hold your beliefs passionately. i would hope and pray that you would confront me on any of this so we may talk about it and i could led you through why i have come to this conclusion and on what biblical stance this is coming from. Thanks you for your time.You cannot serve two masters at the same time. If you do you will wind up serving one and hating another. When we vote we must ask ourselve this question, why are we indorsing and supporting someone who is in fact not Jesus Christ. It would seem to me that in the bible jesus takes a clear path in this, not to be of this world. We are set apart from it, we live in it yet we are not of it. The voting process has become infatuated with big spending, lies and corruption. Why would we support these thing when we are told that all these are sins. When Obama or McCain could be using the millions apon millions to feed the poor and help the homeless they spend it on hateful and illworded campaign slogans and Ads.Lets take it back to the part where the bible says you cant serve two masters. I see a exact political parallel in this. We support these people and put their names on our cars. We put that fish and Religious bumperstickers on the back of of our cars and on the other side we put i support the war. May i remind you jesus was very clear on killing and loving our enemies.Its seems we brand ourselves with the names with what this world has to offer... we are set apart from this world. I see where people could get excited over this election. I mean whoever wins has the power to change history right? Wrong!!! it is the church, the body of christ who has the power to change history we just have forgotten that the power that is given to us is higher and more powerful than the worldly power that is given to a worldly man. Jesus, when he was being tempted in the desert by satan had the choice to have power over all, all he needed to do was to bow down and worship satan. Jesus refused tha power because he knew the corruption that came along with it. I would go so far to say that he knew that, that kind of power was weak and the only power on earth that could change history is the power of love.So which master will i boast in? which master will i lift up? I will lift up the master who says love your enemy, not bomb them. I will lift the master who says give to the needy and homeless, not take from the needy and homeless. I will lift up the master who claims he is the Son Of GOD and who has the true power to move the earth! The church has the power to move the nations we just have to remember where we come from and what true power is. true power is not bending over to the laws that go against everything that jesus stands for. Remember it says "we must obey god rather that human beings" (acts 5:29), maybe this is what st. augustine was getting at when he said, " an unjust law is no law at all." But the attitude of jesus ran deeper than the usual christian politics-that you obey the authorities when they are doing good, and you disobey authorities when they are doing bad. Getting back to the issue... True power is not voting for the person who you think has power. true power is not letting someone make choices for you. But true Power is us standing together as the body of christ, not to change the Government or to make a revolution but to show the world there is a better way. To show the world the love at which christ has shown us, and that jesus' way of economics and ruling is better. here an example of what god economy was getting at. every 7 years there would be something called the jubilee and this is when the isrealites would destroy all dept, would redistribute land, would set slaves free, to allow aliens into the land freely with love, and to give lovingly to the homeless and poor. You see god has the blueprints for a perfect way of life all we have to do is live by it and to follow it to the very depths of our hearts and souls. During the exile in the desert when the jewish people came out of Egypt, God had a plan for the people to be no ruler but God. Of course the people threw that away once they got into the promissed land and demanded from God a king to rule the land, a king that is able to be corrupted and decieved. But people there in the bible in dueteronomy are is the blue print for a wonderful kingdom, a wonderful nation. all it takes is the followers of christ to follow it and to live the christ lived with everything we have.I choose not to vote because i choose not to serve two masters. I follow christ. I have a few quotes from people who where of the early church..actually one was a roman scribe who was looking in on this group of christ followers. He called Abraham and commanded him to go out from the country where he was living. With this call God has aroused us all, and now we have left the state. we have renounced all the things the world has to offer.- Justin(origen, quoting celsus) " if everyone were to act the same as you christians, the national government would soon be left utterly derserted and without any help, and affairs on earth would soon be passedinto the hands of the most savage and wretched barbarians." [origen] celsus exhorts us to help the Emperor and be his fellow soldiers, to this we reply, " you cannot demand military service of christians any more you can of (roman)priests." We do not go forth as soldiers with the Emperor even if he damands this.[Origen goes on further to say that if the romans followed the teachings of jesus, there would be no barbarians.]-OrigenWe ourselves were well conversant with war, murder, and everything evil, but all of us throughout the whole wide earth have traded in out weapons of war. we have exchanged our swords for plowshares, our spears for farm tools...now we cultivate the fear of god, justice, kindness, faith, and the expectation of the future given us through the crucified one...the more we are persecuted and martyred, the more do others in ever increasing numbers become believers.-justin, martyred in 165 ADYou who are God's sevants are living in a foreign country, for your own city-state is far away from this city-state. Knowing which is yours, why do you acquire feilds, costly furnishings, buildings and frail dwellings here?Anyone who aquires things for himself in this city cannot expect to find the way home to his own city. Do you not realize that all these things here do not belong to you, that they are under a power of alien nature? The ruler will say you do not obey my laws, either observe my laws or get out of my country. Aquire no more here than what is absolutely necessary. Instead of feilds buy for yourselves people in distress with your means.-Hermas, 140 ADI do not strive to be a rulre. I do not strive for wealth. I refuse offices connected with military command. I dispise death.-TatianWe may live in the best babylon in the world(america)...but its still Babylon, and we are called to come out of her.--Tony Campolo(recent history)I RECOGNIZE NO EMPIRE OF THIS PRESENT AGE.-Speratus, Acts of the MartyrsHere is something shane claiborne wrote when he was in an interview with CBS when they asked him what he thinks of the war in Iraq and of America. They basically called him a traitor.i believe these words that he says and push it towards you.Traitor?If this bloody, counterfeit liberation is American...I am proud to be called un-AmericanIf depleted uranium is American...i am proud to be un-Americanif US sanctions are American...I am proud to be un-AmericanIf the imposed "peace" of Pax Americana is American...I am proud to be un-AmericanBut If grace, humility and nonviolence are American..I am proud to be AmericanIf sharing to create a safe, sustainable world is american...I am proud to be called americanIf loving our enemies is American...I am proud to called American.Regardless, I would die for the people of New York, but i will not kill for them...my kingdom is not of this worldI would die for the people of Baghdad, but i will not kill for them... my kingdom is not of this world. I will stand in the way of terror and war... my kingdom is not of this world.I will pledge an allegiance deeper than nationalism, to my GOD and to my family... my kingdom is not of this world. I will use my life to shout, " ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE" ...for my kingdom is from another place. "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were my servants would fight... but now my kingdom is from another place"[ Jesus;John 18:36](shane Claiborne)I RECOGNIZE NO EMPIRE OF THIS PRESENT AGE.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Response to Voting... part 1
Lars, you are absolutely right. God has chosen to use the church, the body of Christ. Does He need us, no, but He has chosen to use us and from the day of Pentecost on- He chose the body and bride of Christ to be His hands and feet on this earth. In John 16:7 Jesus spoke to the disciples saying that “Nevertheless I tell the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart I will send Him to you.” The Holy Spirit is now living inside each believer on this earth and moving and working in ways that are far above anything we can imagine. God alone has power and He is supreme in His power.
You referenced Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will love one and hate the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” This is absolutely one of the best ways in which I see the life of a Christ follower shown through the words of Jesus. If you look into the Greek meanings of the words, in this passage, it makes it come to life so much more. The word serve here in this passage is douleuo (strong’s# G1398) which is a derivative of the Greek root doulos (G1401), this word would literally mean slave in its original context. Specifically defined as: One who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, whose will is completely subject to the will of another. And then again looking up master and finding Kurios (strong’s# G2962) meaning: controller or one in supreme authority. Through this scripture it is such an amazing reminder that as we have declared Jesus Christ, Lord of our lives, we have now chosen that He is our supreme ruler and we have forfeited our own will and have become subject to His! Desiring not only to obey Him, but to trust Him and walk in the Spirit, keeping in line a moment by moment relationship with Him. Being how this is what I personally desire to do, to continue daily living in submission to the King and Kings, I find it hard to understand how you connect voting to it all. How can you reference my action of going to a voting booth and acting upon my God given right… or what you would reference as my “privelage” to vote as an act of serving, or in Greek enslaving, myself to another master, or supreme authority. It doesn’t quite work for me.
I will continue to choose to live for Him, and as I daily ask Him to guide my every thought, word, and action, this may lead me to the voting booth. Now, who I am going to vote for should not be an issue here, but there are certain said policies that will also be chosen with the candidate that I choose on the ballot. If so lead, I know there is always the final option on the ballot… “NONE OF THE ABOVE.”
This is now my question for you, friend: “How will not voting make a difference?”
I agree in that God alone has power, and He has said that we have power to do NOTHING (John 15:5), BUT if we abide in Him we have the true power to effect change in this world. Now, I don’t believe this power is being used fully in any tangible form or way through most of what I have seen, especially of the Body of Christ in this country. However, I choose to believe it can and I desire as you, to see a change made through the body. As I take a stand and begin to go out in obedience to what Christ calls me to do- I know His hand will be seen and His power will change things. As far as voting and making a difference goes though, I don’t see them as mutually exclusive. I humbly propose, that we can do both (if the Lord so calls). I think going to hang out with poor people in Reno, could very well be a way in which Christ wants to be seen through us, so perhaps after I cast my ballot I’ll drive my car an hour away to do just that. On the other hand, I may just be lead instead to walk down the street and spend time in the word with some ageing children of God in convalescent home down the street (this would even preserve some of the non-renewable resources we know as gas, in my car). Either way, when I go cast my vote, it is nice to remember that I have already chosen who is President or I mean supreme authority of my life, and that this is not the question that will be on the ballot, but rather as an informed citizen and power filled Christian I will walk in the will of my God and do what He asks of me.
As for me, I choose to be an extremist for love, which also leads me exercise my right to vote. As Shane Claiborne says, “There are times when injustice will take us to the streets and might land us in jail, but it is our love for God and our neighbor—not our rage or our arrogance—that counts.” I would however, encourage you to continue to walk in His ways and to be challenged by the complacency that it seems we, as a body and bride or Christ, have found ourselves in. Frankly, I’m sick of it too. I would love change the way things are, and will demonstrate His love in all I can, but instead of merely continuing in my apathetic ways and discussing my ideals, I’d prefer to put some action behind all of the talk… so let’s make a difference (and perhaps not so proudly and loudly…).
As you referenced:Giving to the Needy 1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
You referenced Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will love one and hate the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” This is absolutely one of the best ways in which I see the life of a Christ follower shown through the words of Jesus. If you look into the Greek meanings of the words, in this passage, it makes it come to life so much more. The word serve here in this passage is douleuo (strong’s# G1398) which is a derivative of the Greek root doulos (G1401), this word would literally mean slave in its original context. Specifically defined as: One who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, whose will is completely subject to the will of another. And then again looking up master and finding Kurios (strong’s# G2962) meaning: controller or one in supreme authority. Through this scripture it is such an amazing reminder that as we have declared Jesus Christ, Lord of our lives, we have now chosen that He is our supreme ruler and we have forfeited our own will and have become subject to His! Desiring not only to obey Him, but to trust Him and walk in the Spirit, keeping in line a moment by moment relationship with Him. Being how this is what I personally desire to do, to continue daily living in submission to the King and Kings, I find it hard to understand how you connect voting to it all. How can you reference my action of going to a voting booth and acting upon my God given right… or what you would reference as my “privelage” to vote as an act of serving, or in Greek enslaving, myself to another master, or supreme authority. It doesn’t quite work for me.
I will continue to choose to live for Him, and as I daily ask Him to guide my every thought, word, and action, this may lead me to the voting booth. Now, who I am going to vote for should not be an issue here, but there are certain said policies that will also be chosen with the candidate that I choose on the ballot. If so lead, I know there is always the final option on the ballot… “NONE OF THE ABOVE.”
This is now my question for you, friend: “How will not voting make a difference?”
I agree in that God alone has power, and He has said that we have power to do NOTHING (John 15:5), BUT if we abide in Him we have the true power to effect change in this world. Now, I don’t believe this power is being used fully in any tangible form or way through most of what I have seen, especially of the Body of Christ in this country. However, I choose to believe it can and I desire as you, to see a change made through the body. As I take a stand and begin to go out in obedience to what Christ calls me to do- I know His hand will be seen and His power will change things. As far as voting and making a difference goes though, I don’t see them as mutually exclusive. I humbly propose, that we can do both (if the Lord so calls). I think going to hang out with poor people in Reno, could very well be a way in which Christ wants to be seen through us, so perhaps after I cast my ballot I’ll drive my car an hour away to do just that. On the other hand, I may just be lead instead to walk down the street and spend time in the word with some ageing children of God in convalescent home down the street (this would even preserve some of the non-renewable resources we know as gas, in my car). Either way, when I go cast my vote, it is nice to remember that I have already chosen who is President or I mean supreme authority of my life, and that this is not the question that will be on the ballot, but rather as an informed citizen and power filled Christian I will walk in the will of my God and do what He asks of me.
As for me, I choose to be an extremist for love, which also leads me exercise my right to vote. As Shane Claiborne says, “There are times when injustice will take us to the streets and might land us in jail, but it is our love for God and our neighbor—not our rage or our arrogance—that counts.” I would however, encourage you to continue to walk in His ways and to be challenged by the complacency that it seems we, as a body and bride or Christ, have found ourselves in. Frankly, I’m sick of it too. I would love change the way things are, and will demonstrate His love in all I can, but instead of merely continuing in my apathetic ways and discussing my ideals, I’d prefer to put some action behind all of the talk… so let’s make a difference (and perhaps not so proudly and loudly…).
As you referenced:Giving to the Needy 1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Wishes...
The saddest thing is you could be anything
That you could want
We could have done everything
But now we can't
Now it's not anything at all
The hardest part was getting this close to you
And giving up this dream of being friends with you
A story that isn't coming true
You've got some growing up to do
I wish we could have worked it out
I wish i didn't have these doubts
I wish i didn't have to wonder just what you are doing now
I wish i didn't know inside
That it won't work out for you and i
I wish that i could stop this wishing and just say my last goodbye
After all the things you put me through
Tell me why i'm still wanting to hang with you
And why am i, why am i still waiting for your call
You broke my heart
I'm taking it back from you
And taking back the life i gave to youLife goes on before and after you
I've got some growing up to do
I wish we could have worked it out
I wish i didn't have these doubts
I wish i didn't have to wonder just what you are doing now
I wish i didn't know inside
That it won't work out for you and i
I wish that i could stop this wishing and just say my last goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
I wish we could have worked it out
I wish i didn't have these doubts
I wish i didn't have to wonder just what you are doing now
I wish i didn't know inside
That it won't work out for you and i
I wish that i could stop this wishing and just say my last goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
That you could want
We could have done everything
But now we can't
Now it's not anything at all
The hardest part was getting this close to you
And giving up this dream of being friends with you
A story that isn't coming true
You've got some growing up to do
I wish we could have worked it out
I wish i didn't have these doubts
I wish i didn't have to wonder just what you are doing now
I wish i didn't know inside
That it won't work out for you and i
I wish that i could stop this wishing and just say my last goodbye
After all the things you put me through
Tell me why i'm still wanting to hang with you
And why am i, why am i still waiting for your call
You broke my heart
I'm taking it back from you
And taking back the life i gave to youLife goes on before and after you
I've got some growing up to do
I wish we could have worked it out
I wish i didn't have these doubts
I wish i didn't have to wonder just what you are doing now
I wish i didn't know inside
That it won't work out for you and i
I wish that i could stop this wishing and just say my last goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
I wish we could have worked it out
I wish i didn't have these doubts
I wish i didn't have to wonder just what you are doing now
I wish i didn't know inside
That it won't work out for you and i
I wish that i could stop this wishing and just say my last goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
It's time i said my last goodbye
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
to be a slave...
what would it mean to truly follow Him
to make Him the master of my life?
I long for a greater power to rule over me
one that loves me
Being a slave to a Master who loves me
who is love
yet at times it seems that I am a slave to the very thing I despise
those little thoughts
little things
that I don't want to do...
and yet I do
How do I surrender to the Greater Master
How do I flee from the prison of sin
to come to Him...
to love Him...
not for freedom
not for heaven
not for blessings
but for Him... simply because I love
and I want Him
I want to stop hurting Him
I want to stop running from Him
I want to stop allowing our relationship to become cluttered
I want it to be pure again
I want to be in love with Him
I want Him
I can't do this...
oh, but you're right
we can
to make Him the master of my life?
I long for a greater power to rule over me
one that loves me
Being a slave to a Master who loves me
who is love
yet at times it seems that I am a slave to the very thing I despise
those little thoughts
little things
that I don't want to do...
and yet I do
How do I surrender to the Greater Master
How do I flee from the prison of sin
to come to Him...
to love Him...
not for freedom
not for heaven
not for blessings
but for Him... simply because I love
and I want Him
I want to stop hurting Him
I want to stop running from Him
I want to stop allowing our relationship to become cluttered
I want it to be pure again
I want to be in love with Him
I want Him
I can't do this...
oh, but you're right
we can
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