Opening Prayer: Father God, we thank you for this day and praise your holy name. Lord, we know that we will be a light for the world. We know that we often forget or ignore our responsibilities and do not live up to all that you command. Forgive us for falling short of your expectations. We understand what Paul meant when he said, "follow me as I follow Jesus," and we pray for spiritual guidance to do better. We pray that You will open the mouth of Your servant to proclaim your Word boldly. And we pray that the Holy Spirit will open the hearts of the hearers to receive Your Word and write it on their hearts. Let the words from my mouth be pleasing to you and food for your people. In Jesus' name, Amen!
In case you have not heard or read, many elections are taking place in the year of our Lord 2022, from the local sheriff to senators in the United States Congress. I tell you this because voting is important. Women and people of color fought hard and are still fighting for the privilege to have a say in who occupies leadership positions at the highest levels of authority in our church and our nation. Believe me, when I tell you that this is not just a worldly issue; it is a godly issue. We are obligated to keep watch over ourselves and give no offense to anyone if possible. Those called by His name should not deliberately cause others harm.
Therefore, we urge you to be serious and zealous about who we elect to positions that substantially influence our life. We need to identify those who cause division and perpetrate offenses contrary to what is right and just for all of God's creation. Then we must do our part to ensure that divisive people do not get into positions of power. We should be able to look to our leaders and imitate their faith. Do not misunderstand what I am saying because I "do not love the world or the things in the world" (1 John 2:14, ESV), but we must contribute to electing wise leaders with the experience that demonstrates a pattern of good works. We need leaders who strive to build a world on the foundation of the Lord without prejudice or partiality.
If our leaders are not living by faith, they have no foundation to build on and cannot understand or determine the direction the people should go. We need a foundation to have a vision and a vision to build on the foundation that the Lord poured. Cracks are multiplying in the foundation of our nation because many sins are growing at an outrageous pace. People cast off all restraints and commit sins for personal gain. We no longer blush when we look upon sin; instead, we rename it, defend it, and even promote it! Sadly, this happens even in the church. Too many people continuously forget that righteousness exalts a church and a nation, not wickedness and sin.
"There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers" (Proverbs 6:16-19, ESV). Lying about FBI Agents planting evidence, feet that run to attack FBI Field Office, and false witnesses concerning the 2020 Presidential Election and January 6th events are all things God hates.
Remember that song, "Go Back to the Old Landmark"; we need to go back to the beginning and support people that God would choose to put in leadership positions. God said to the people, "choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads" (Deuteronomy 1:13, ESV). God included the people in the selection process. We still have that responsibility because Christ came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). A follower of Christ does not live on the outer boundaries of the law. We do not go home to an island where evil does not dwell, and worldly politics does not exist.
Who better than a follower of Christ to be able to thwart the actions of the crafty and discern what it means to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17, NKJV). What better position to shut down those who devise wicked plans than to be in authority over those plans? What better place to influence the ungodly to consider godly actions than to be in charge to approve or disapprove of those actions? Be careful; God does not want liars and evil people making decisions for His people. Scripture tells us, "Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of the fifties, and tens" (Exodus 18:21, NASB). No matter how small or large the group, we need godly leaders, leaders who do not Lord over people or conspire to acquire dishonest gain.
Do not be like those who smile in your face in a 20,000-dollar suit and lie for their own gain to gain even more. The dry bones of those smilers are rotten to the core. Jesus said, "Follow Me," so it was natural for Paul, Silas, and Timothy to speak to the Thessalonians, "Follow us as we follow Jesus." We must listen to Paul's advice and imitate him just as he imitates Christ.
Specifically, Paul says to the Philippians: "Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do" (Philippians 3:17, NIV). We must heed his advice and agree with Followers of Christ endeavoring to bring decency and order back to the table. Lord, in times like these, we acknowledge our need for your guidance and thank you for your never-ending patience.
Closing Prayer: May our hearts and minds be attentive to the Word of God and open to change. Let us invite Jesus, the Son of God, into our life. Amen!
