Introduction
Text Matt 5:13-16
Jesus prayed in John 17:11-20
These are in the world
I do not pray that You should take them out of the world
They are not OF the world
Sanctify them (separate them and consecrate them)
I send them into the world
This is for all those who believe because of them
Now, how can we be ‘separate” and still be in and/or sent to
A number of religious sects have thought that the separation was literal
•We cannot be ‘sent to’ and isolate ourselves
•In other words, isolation prevents us from our mission
The separation has to do with values, lifestyles, behavior, and even thoughts and feelings
Values
•Priorities
•Morality
These become the determining factor in our behavior, thoughts & feelings
This is one of the ways we become salt and light (text)
Salt is indicative of ‘influence’
Light is indiciative of:
•Revelation = showing, unveiling
•Enlightening
•Leading: Implication of leading through darkness
You cannot be a person of faith and it not influence your vote with heavenly values
Your Faith Should Affect Your Participation in the Kingdoms of Man, and in our culture how we vote.
The values of your faith are the values of your vote
What values should affect our vote?
1)The value of life
•I have a difficult time understanding how a candidate can claim to be a person of faith (Christian) yet defend the law that allows the destruction of human life in the womb.
•In this election there is warfare around the issue of life
Abortion
•Partial-birth abortion
•Abortion of convenience
•We become numb to the issues of abortion
•God’s word should motivate us
Stem-cell research
•Adult stem cell research
•Umbilical stem cell research
•Both of these have had the most success
•Embryonic stem cell research
The destruction of life
Life is not less important because it is small or we cannot see it
The battle over life has been fed by the evolutionary world view
We are no differenct from the animals, so we are no better than the animals
Since the animals are incapable of coming up to our level, then by behavior we must ‘devolve’ to theirs
But animals do not abort or destroy their babies
No promising research
Politicians have implied that there has been no research in this area
There has, but there have been no discoveries to help
Other nations have been doing research
There is research going on in this nation through universities and private companies
They only limit that has been placed on embryonic stem cell research has been government supported
I know of no candidate that opposes stem cell research
But they are accused of opposing stem cell research when they take a stand for life
There are some states that have very strict laws protecting animals
Some even have stiffer penalties than for human murder
Some have banned medical research using animals
Yet some of these same states have legalized taking human embryos and destorying them to get stem cells
In research that has made no promises
There have been a number of advances in stem cell research
It has helped in alzheimers, ms, parkisans and numerous other diseases
But not one has come from embryonic stem cell research
A word about the death penalty as it relates to the issue of life
The issue of life and your vote
The candidate’s view of life
Federal court and supreme court appointees
Constructionists vs. originalists
Voe v. Wade was a constructionists view
No prayer in school was a constructionists view
What other opinions might a constructionist court make
Gay marriage?
Stem cell research?
Euthenisia?
Other constructionists opinions
Anti life
Anit Christian
Foreign law
The supreme court
Two originalists/strict constructionists have been apointed
Two revisionists (living document) may be near resigning
It will take a strong political will to allow the court to swing in a pro-life matter
There is alot of spiritual warfare around life
2)The value of marriage
nearly 48 states have passed some kind of law regarding the sanctity of marriage as being between one man and one woman
The New Jersey Supreme court has overturned the will of the people in that state and ordered (so much for separation of powers) the state legislature to write a law allowing homosexual unions
3)Other considerations
a) How we deal with poverty
Giving to the poor without accountability and economic education and without restraints leads to them to a lifestyle of no restraint
Government can help, but people have to want to help themselves
This does not apply to everyone, but many become ‘dependant’ on that which is being given to them without accountability
Missions is a perfect example
Churches in missions that have been nurtured towards self-suffeciency are much more stable than those that have been supported by western dollars
b) Taxation
Government is an unproductive aspect of society
Government is an ineficient way to operate business
Health Care
Social Security
The more government involvement, the more economically oppressed the citizens
What is the fuel that feeds an economy
Wealth!
Over taxation of the wealthy keeps the poor oppressed
Laws to restrict or redistribute the wealth are birthed out of envy and jealousy
When taxes are lifted, ther is more money to go into our economy (government money does not feed the economy)
Taxation can be a tool of oppression in a society.
c) War
I have had people look at me and question how I can be pro military and be pro life
God authorizes governments to act in war
Two kinds of war in scripture
War that is ‘just’
War to make oppression
Conclusion
As viable citizens in a heavenly kingdom, we are affected as citizens in the earthly kingdoms.
What else can we do?
Pray
