The Issues (Israel, The Border, Immigration, The Economy, Social Services)

The Issues (Israel, The Border, Immigration, The Economy, Social Services)

For those who have somehow not yet been inodiated with ads the past few months and are somehow still unaware, we are only a month away from our next presidential election.

According to the ads, everyone is wicked and evil, everyone will raise your taxes, everyone will take away your freedoms, and everyone will legalize crime.  The closer that we come to November 5, the more mud that we see being slung at each other.

I have a very strong conviction that this property, that this stage, that this pulpit is to be used for Jesus; to worship Him, to teach about Him, and to lead people to Him.  None of it is to be used for the purpose of politics.  Nothing divides people and stirs up hatred faster than American politics.

However, as Christians living in this amazing nation that gives us the opportunity to vote and to be a part of the political process, we are missing out if we don’t participate! 

We are able to vote and be a critical part of selecting our elected officials.  We are able to speak directly to them our thoughts and opinions on issues that we care about.  We are able to see the choices that they make, the way that they vote, the issues that are important to them, the changes that they make in office, and more.

What an awesome nation that we live in!

Our voice has not been given to us by God for the primary purpose of being political, but we should use our God-given voice to speak into the political system.  To be clear, the primary purpose of our voice is for us to praise God, to tell others about Him, and to pray that God’s kingdom would come and that His will would be done here as it is in Heaven. 

When the three powers of our American government work as the founding fathers intended them to, the government is representative of its people.  It is a constitutional republic that acknowledges that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

It acknowledges that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.  In order to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty, the founding fathers of this nation wrote the constitution that guides and directs our elected officials in their various roles and offices.

It is a government that operates from the bottom up and not the top down.  To affect who is elected into positions of power and authority, the opinions of the people must be influenced.  Hence the ads that we see everywhere and the heavy propaganda that we see in the news and media.

To be clear, faith cannot be forced and belief cannot be legislated.  In fact, even though our nation was formed using the moral compass of Judeo-Christian values, our country values the freedom of religion.  Specifically, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The “separation of church and state” fallacy that we so often hear quoted really means that the government cannot establish a religion, not that religion cannot be a part of government.  The government cannot force everyone to embrace and live out any specific religion.

However, beyond this constitutional amendment prohibiting it, it just doesn’t work.  Christianity cannot be forced or legislated.

Imagine this for a moment.  The world that we live in is changed in an instant.  The devil is bound and thrown into a prison.  No longer can he influence anyone on the face of the earth.  Jesus, Himself, rules the whole earth as King.  Every one of His judges is a devout Christian who refused to deny Christ even though it meant that they lost their heads for doing so.  This perfect, faultless, sinless government rules the entire earth for 1,000 years.

What would happen if after all of that time the devil is then released?  Under the perfect government lead by Jesus, Himself, wouldn’t they deny the devil and his lies and fight against him?

Well, all of this will happen and according to Revelation 20, people who number more than sand on the seashore will still follow the devil and join in battle against God and His people even after all of that.

Faith cannot be forced and belief cannot be legislated.  These life transformations can only happen from the inside out of and only by the work of the Holy Spirit.  If we want America to truly be a Christian nation, then it’s up to us to evangelize, not up to our elected officials to legislate.

When you vote, vote for your values.  Vote for those who will represent you.  Vote for those whose vision is for the America that you desire to live in.  Vote with a clear conscience before God for what you are supporting with your vote.

With all of this in mind, we’re now going to turn to the issues at hand in this election and to what God’s word says about them.  I’m not going to tell you who to vote for.  I’m not going to tell you which party to join.  I certainly am not claiming to be an expert on any one of these matters. 

I’m simply going to tell you what God’s word says about issues we are facing.  Both republican and democrat will disagree with me by the end on some points, but all that I’m doing is sharing God’s word and not necessarily the opinion or stance of myself or any politician.

In fact, let’s start with the whole party system before we go onto the issues.  Jesus said:

Mark 3:24 (AMP)

If a kingdom is divided [split into factions and rebelling] against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Mark 3:24 (NLT)

A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse.

So we may think that it is a good idea to split our nation up into parties of like-minded people, but Jesus said that this is a sure way for it to fail.  Also, there are rumors of a potential civil war following the upcoming election.  I understand the passions that are running high, but again, Jesus said that’s a good way to cause the collapse of our nation.  We survived one civil war already, but could we survive a second?

Now onto the issues!

Israel

Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed by God and whoever curses Israel will be cursed by God. 

Take a quick look at the history of Israel either Biblically or from extrabiblical historical accounts and you’ll quickly come to this conclusion.  Biblically, consider the account of Balaam, a prophet of God, and Balak, the king of Moab, who hired Balaam to curse the people of Israel found in the book of Numbers.  It just didn’t work!  It’s a fun story, too!

Now, the nation of Israel is not perfect and far from who God desires them to be.  Debates can be made about the current democracy of Israel compared to the initial Biblical nation made up of Jacob and his twelve sons.  There is so much that we can study and discuss on this topic, but we’re going to keep it simple this morning.

Regardless of those debates, God made a covenant with Israel and He made a promise that the land would be theirs until the end.  That’s why we refer to it as the promised land.  That’s the very promise that Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel, quoted and stood upon before the United Nations just a few days ago.  He physically laid out a map of God’s blessing versus the curse of Iran that is trying to destroy them equating it to the timeless choice before Moses thousands of years ago. 

God defined Israel’s borders in Exodus 23: I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River.  Yes, from the river to the sea.

If we want our nation to be blessed, we will vote for leaders who will bless and stand firmly with Israel and agree with God regarding its borders and agree with God that Jerusalem is their capital city.

Border/Immigration

There are three parts to this one, so don’t bail on me and storm out after the first one.  🙂

In Revelation 21, we see that new city of Jerusalem has well-defined borders with walls and gates and says that they exist to keep everything impure out of it.  There is only one way into its twelve pearl gates and that is by faith in Jesus.  Jesus said in John 10 that anyone who tries to enter any other way is a thief and a robber.

Everyone is welcome to come on in to the Kingdom of God.  The welcome mat has been laid out and the invitation has gone out to anyone and everyone; every nation, tribe, language, and people.  However, there is only one way to enter into it and that is through faith in Jesus Christ.  If anyone tries to get in any other way, then they are stealing.

Jesus spoke many parables about the Kingdom of God to explain what it is like.  In several, He explained what will happen to such thieves who break in.  Just looking at the gospel of Matthew alone in chapters 8, 13, 22, 24, and 25 Jesus said: Throw them outside, into the darkness, into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Yes, that is what Jesus said will happen to those who try to force themselves into Heaven any other way.

All that God does is good.  If the perfect Kingdom of Heaven has borders and walls with specific ways to enter in and harsh consequences for those who break in, then vote for leaders who agree and will do the same for our nation.  That is the only way that the nation will stay good and ensure that people trying to enter in for the purpose of causing us harm are kept out.

If someone knocks on my door and comes in at my invitation, they are a guest and I’ll do whatever I can to show them hospitality and to meet their needs. 

Hebrews 13:2

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

If someone smashes my window and climbs through, they are a criminal and I will do whatever I can to stop them and get them out of my home.  It’s not because I hate that person, it’s because I love my family and want to keep them safe.  If they don’t enter the proper way, then they obviously don’t have good intentions by breaking in.

Vote for leaders who value well-defined and well-enforced borders. 

However, God’s word doesn’t stop there when it comes to the topic of immigration!  As God developed Jacob’s family into the nation of Israel, He gave them civil laws to govern them.  He was specific about how His people were to treat immigrants and foreigners living among them.

Exodus 23:9

Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

Leviticus 19:33-34

33 When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Vote for leaders who treat those who immigrate through proper channels as though they were native-born citizens and those who enter any other way as thieves and robbers. 

Leviticus 23:22

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.

Vote for leaders who give to the immigrants in need, but not before those who worked hard for the harvest. 

I could not find any historical record of the concept of cities of refuge before God created them within Israel.  Cities of refuge were God’s idea.  Now, to be clear, these six cities of refuge given to the Israeli tribe of Levi in Numbers 35 were not lawless places where people could go to escape justice. 

They were safe places for people who accidentally killed someone could run to and hide until they stood trial.  They were available to both the Israelites and to foreigners living among them.  These were safe places only for those who did not have any harmful intent, but rather, accidentally took someone else’s life.

Vote for leaders who do not support cities of refuge being a safe haven for intentionally malicious criminals.

Economy

God speaks often on the topic of finances throughout the Bible.  On a national level, it’s important to vote for leaders who will be good stewards of the vast riches that God has blessed this nation with.  Coal, natural gas, sun, wind, water, nuclear, and more; we have been richly blessed with so many sources of energy!

There are so many people willing to work hard, so many innovative and intelligent people with cutting-edge ideas, so many wise people who understand how to manage resources well, so many skilled and talented people who serve with excellence.

We have very few reasons or needs to be dependent on other nations for anything.  Independence and self-reliance are attributes and character traits that God values. 

1 Timothy 5:8

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

11 …make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Proverbs 14:23

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12

6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.

Vote for leaders who will provide opportunities for people to put their hard work, innovation, wisdom, skills, and talents to work to benefit themselves and everyone else in our nation. 

Romans 13:8

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Proverbs 22:26-27

26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge

    or puts up security for debts;

27 if you lack the means to pay,

    your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Vote for leaders who will avoid taking on unnecessary debt. 

Vote for leaders who will not transfer the debt that others voluntarily took upon themselves onto those who did not choose to do so.

Social Services

Yes, God values hard work and independence.  However, that does not mean that He lacks compassion toward those who are legitimately unable to provide for their own needs and forced to be dependent on others.

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress

Proverbs 28:27

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

Luke 14:12-14

12 Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Jesus gave a parable explaining how He takes the way that we treat the least among us, from worldly standards, personally!  He ended it stating:

Matthew 25:40-43

40  ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

Galatians 6:10

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

The Apostle Paul was arranging a collection from all of the churches to help out the church in Jerusalem during a time of need and he explained:

2 Corinthians 8:13-15

13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”[Exodus 16:18]

When there is true and legitimate needs and it is in the power of others to help those needs, it is good for them to help it.  However, this should be encouraged and not forced. 

There is a delicate balance in any program or service that meets human needs.  They should meet those needs, but not enable people to be needy.  They should have an end goal of equipping those who can be independent with a path to be so.  They should be need-based and neutral toward identity factors. 

The church faced this complaint very early on with their food pantry program:

Acts 6:1-4

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

If national leaders are given the power and authority to be Robin Hood-like figures that take from the rich and give to the poor, that power and authority given to any human will eventually lead to corruption and the misuse of it.  It will eventually lead to the lack of desire to do well and succeed just to have it stolen away and given to those who refuse to do so.

Vote for leaders who have a great deal of wisdom in how to develop programs that connect willing resources to legitimate need.

Next week, we’ll continue and look at more of the issues facing us in the upcoming election and what God’s word teaches us about those issues beginning with abortion.

But now, let’s turn our focus away from the issues facing and dividing us as a nation to the God who unites us!  Let’s turn to Him, the only solution to all our issues!