ELECTIONS...ELECTIONS...
Hey, the Election Fever is in the air. The International media in recent times has been abuzz with US Presidential Election News. The campaign speeches and moves of the Presidential candidates are analyzed by every News channel, even as the Candidates are presenting to the public their panacea to everything that ails the US economy. Add to all these some stimulating Presidential debates and the picture of a juicy and spicy Electioneering campaign is complete.
Nothing quite like our Master’s way of connecting to his audience by using relevant topics…Didn’t He
a) Speak about the Living WATERS with the Samaritan lady beside a WELL,
b) Call the would-be World shakers beside the Galilean SEA as “FISHERS of men”
c) Give a call to repentance using the hot “media” topics of his days (Luke 13:1-5)
Toeing the Master’s line, Yours truly felt inspired to select Christ’s ministry related topics for meditation in this message which would revolve around a recent HOT TOPIC "E.L.E.C.T" (ACRONYM PLEASE), with Electioneering lingo thrown in for good measure. So here goes…
E-Easy to understand manifesto
Heard of a party with complicated manifesto designed to confuse people’s mind? No, the name of the game is KISS..."Keep it simple silly"! The Poll plank has to be sometimes as simple as “Read my lips, no new taxes”. Well, Christ’s “party” manifesto even as He launched the campaign “Save Souls” was as simple as it comes “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt 4:17), reinforced by Apostle Peter on the day the Church was born (Acts 2:38).
The question which would follow on hearing the word “Repent” is who should “repent”? Let the Scripture itself give the answer “EACH of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Really everyone, including the respected ones’ of the society with no police record? Even the Presidents and Prime Ministers? Yes, for the Scripture says “…for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). In connection with the fallen Adamic nature, all of us have inherited; I heard an insightful, humorous which goes thus…
There was bright student in school, who had a problem pronouncing the word “Electricity”, for it would always roll out of his mouth as “ElectriKITTY”. Now his sympathetic, empathetic class teacher with an intention to help, wanted matters to be set right with proper training at his ward’s home itself. So the teacher went to his pupil’s home and explained the issue to the composed, well-educated, highly-placed (in society) dad who after a patient hearing sighed “You see that is not my son’s fault, it is beyond his capaKITTY to pronounce the word electriKITTY properly”. Just as the teacher was recoiling from a shock, in walked the erudite grandfather who had overheard the conversation from a nearby room “ Sir”, the grey gent pleaded “Please do not make publiKITTY, about this problem running in our family for generations”. We smile. Are only speech “impairments” inherited from our parents? Is not the deep down sin problem also “transmitted” which all began in the Garden of Eden, when our first parents sank their teeth into the forbidden? No wonder the Scripture says “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Was not the Saviour sent specifically for performing the much-needed “heart –transplantation” operation (Ezekiel 36:26)?
The phrase “Kingdom of God” which is oh-so-near reaffirms not only the proximity of salvation (read Eternal life- Romans 10:8-10), but also that of abundant life (John 10:10) which the Saviour guarantees whereby with the Holy Spirit indwelling us (Gal 5:22-23), we can experience in full measure the joys of Heaven RIGHT HERE ON EARTH. Hey, not a sneak peek into what Heaven would be but actually scaling the peak of ethereal joys, which cannot be adequately described in words but has to be experienced personally to be believed! Have you “voted” (read accepted His manifesto) for Christ’s party? Have you parted ways with self-power (number one enemy which prevents a sinner from coming under Redemptive Grace) in trying to score over sin? If so, it would be PARTY TIME IN HEAVEN (Luke 15:7/ 24)!!!
L-Loyalty
After a terrific experience of enjoying the Heavenly joys on accepting Christ, if someone (God-forbid) wants to defect back to Satan’s party, then the “divine Anti-defection law” would be invoked and a terrible punishment would be round the corner (Heb 10:26-31/ 2 Peter 2:20-21)! Remember, what happened to the Redeemed Jews (from Egyptian slavery) who wanted to return back (how tragic) to the very place of their bondage, from which they had sought deliverance (Heb 3:15-19)? On the other hand, the Lord wants us to give “EVERY AREA” of our lives into His hands (including the TV Programs we watch). Hey Christ comes into our life not to be a mere resident but to be a PRESIDENT!!! Going back to OT Times, remember our unchanging God (Heb 13:8) gave the LAW (613 of Divine rules covering every area of Jewish life, including the maintenance of their Toilet facilities-Deu 23:12-14) to our OT counterparts ONLY after their “Salvation” experience from Egyptian bondage and NOT BEFORE it. Simply put, He saves us NOT because we are holy but to make us COMPLETELY Holy.
No questions please on the total loyalty (Matt 10:37-39) Christ expects!!! I fully agree with what one Biblical Scholar remarked “One is ready to LIVE for Christ, only when one is ready to DIE for Him”. If we indulge in “cross voting” (something like a Democrat party member voting for a Republican and vice versa) in the spiritual realm, there would be nothing to look forward to except “expulsion from the party” and severe whipping (Heb 10:26-27)!
E- Easy to understand Party symbol
Just as the Party’s manifesto has to adhere to KISS principle, it’s logo too has to be kept simple for people to understand, otherwise it can kiss its chances of getting elected goodbye. The Republican Party has easy to identify party symbol - an Elephant- and the Democrat party has a kicking donkey.
Any doubt on Christ’s party symbol? CROSS on which the peerless Leader laid down His life atoning for World’s sins’ ladies and gentlemen.
The Cross of Christ was in the middle of two crosses not only on the Good Friday (enemies of Christ wanted to insult Him all the more, by assigning the middle cross to Him, for traditionally in the middle cross was crucified the biggest criminal, whenever three people were crucified together) but in the middle of two groups of people throughout History from the First Good Friday onwards. If in the middle cross was the Saviour dying FOR the sins of the World, the cross of the unrepentant thief has all along represented that group of people who preferred to die IN their sins, while the cross of the penitent thief has throughout history symbolized humble souls who are willing to die TO their sins by accepting the Saviour (Luke 23:32-43). You see the “Party symbol” is very easy to understand. Having accepted Christ, can we testify like Apostle Paul did “As for me, may I never boast about anything EXCEPT THE CROSS of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.”
The Cross since last 2000 years has been calling everyone at crossroads of life for deliverance from the weight of worries caused by unconfessed sins (Matt 11:28). Why delay, go affix your voting seal on the Cross!
C- Canvassing
Heard of an election in a democracy with no canvassing? Hey Christ’s Party member, when did you last “canvass for your party” (read did evangelism)? Before we go any further, let’s apply the interrogative, “why at all should we canvass for the cause of Christ”? Is to merely increase the Christian population and enjoy the privileges which go along with one being part of a majority community? NO, NOT AT ALL! We who have experienced HIS POWER (in saving us from sin) and HIS JOY ought not to keep this GOOD NEWS THAT HE CAN DO LIKEWISE IN EVERYONE’S LIFE TO OURSELVES (Acts 4:20)!!! Talk of hitherto poor, unemployed citizens of a Nation now made rich by the novel employment Governmental schemes acclaiming from rooftops, the wondrous change a New Government in power has wrought in their lives…Are we going to fault these folks? Didn’t somebody say that GRACE is actually God’s Riches (poured into the lives of poor languishing ones’) At Christ’s Expense (2 Cor 8:9)?
Coming to two types of evangelism...while Mass evangelism (organizing huge public meetings) may be one way to canvass (sole preserve of the gifted souls from whom the Lord expects a lot – Luke 12:48) for the cause of Christ, personal evangelism (simply sharing with love what Christ means to you with others after developing a rapport with them –I Cor 9:22-23) is an universally acclaimed way of sharing the Gospel, effectively.
I repeat the question…”when did you last canvass for the cause of Christ… Hey our Lord’s “LAST” Commission (Matt 28:18-20) ought to become our “FIRST” priority…
T- Triumph
Who would win the Presidential Elections? Even while Pollsters are making all predictions, there is no doubt as far as “spiritual Election realm” is concerned. Now consider this Scripture portion, which applies to every Christian equipped with Christ’s power wrestling with the dark forces “…OVERWHELMING victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” – Romans 8:37 (the key operative word being "overwhelming")
Never depend on your fallible strength to secure a victory over sin, that is a recipe for certain failure (remember an overconfident Peter denying Christ – Matt 26:31-33 / 69-75) but depend on Christ (Zech 4:6). WHEN IT COMES TO SCORING AN EMPHATIC VICTORY OVER SIN, THE ISSUE IS NOT YOU ARE TRYING OR NOT. RATHER THE MAIN ISSUE IS YOU ARE YOU TRYING ON YOUR OWN TO DO THE SAME OR ARE YOU ALSO RESTING ON THE SAVIOUR POWER? When you are prayerfully relying on the power of Christ, mark my words…you will not only secure victory over sin (Stage 1 of Christian life) but you would also be greatly used by the Master in His service thence (Stage 2 of Christian life-Ministry). What about your opponents (Eph 6:10-17), even as you are winning souls for the Lord? Well, take my word they would “lose their deposit” in a crushing defeat… (Romans 16:20)!!!
Prayer: Father, even as we are depending upon Thy power, enable us to scale greater heights in our spiritual flight and fight. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
(Suresh Manoharan)
www.jandsmministries.com
