We Have a New President. Now What?

We have a new president today, one who promises major, radical change. 

The really hard part has just begun.

Our president-elect has a little over two months to prepare for a job that is too big for anyone brave enough to try it. 

This is not a time for gloating or boasting. This is a time for Mr. Trump to settle down to the hard work of learning the law, getting to know the people with whom he will be working, and choosing wise people to surround and help him.

I don't want to discourage anyone in their time of celebration, but there are a few things we, and he, need to remember. 

We are a nation governed by laws. 

Some of those laws are not good. As law-abiding citizens, we, and Mr. Trump, still have to obey those laws until they are changed. There is a way, and a process, to change and repeal bad laws. That process, for the most part, rests in the hands of the congress, not the president. 

Mr. Trump will not have the authority, nor the power, to repeal the ACA or laws concerning abortion, physician-assisted suicide, or term-limits. He can veto new laws, but congress can still override his veto.

If he wants change in law, he will have to work together with congress to accomplish it.

Our constitution provides for checks and balances in the three branches of government: executive, judicial, and legislative. 

Our forefathers had experience with too-powerful government. They wisely chose to limit the powers of each branch so that one person could not "reign" unchecked. Mr. Trump will be head of the executive branch. He will not be the boss of the judicial or legislative branches. 

He will need to work together with the other branches to accomplishes change.

It is God who establishes the authority over us, and He has established Mr. Trump. 

We don't need to forget that, nor should he. There will be times when we disagree with what our new president does or says. We are to honor his authority. We are not to write scathing posts on social media. We are not to call him names or speak against him. We are to honor the office as that of God-given authority. Because it is. Period. 

Christians are directed to pray for their leaders, and this new leader needs our prayers more than he knows. 

He will experience temptation to a degree he's never experienced before. Pray he can resist. 

He will experience spiritual warfare to a degree he's never experienced before. Pray he can stand firm. 

He will need to make decisions he's never made before. Pray he will be wise. 

He will need to hold his tongue and bide his time in a way he's never done before. Pray he will tame his speech. 

He claims to be a new believer in Christ. He will need to grow in faith, in knowledge of Scripture, in relationship with God. Pray he does.

Christians need to do their part. 

It's time we stop grumbling and start living as we are called to do. We've said we want change. If that is true, we need to be change agents. Get involved in the world outside the doors of our churches. Get involved in the lives of those who are hurting, who are making bad choices, who need the redemptive power of Jesus. 

The "church" was never meant to be a social club. We are to be a family who worships together, learns together, and works together to take the good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth. Worshipping and learning are only a part of the mission of the church. 

We need to live like the people Jesus died to save. 

In this country, the ones who have the greatest power to create change are those willing to relentlessly pursue it. Know the law. Learn about the issues. Talk to legislators. Vote. Volunteer. Get involved. Make a difference.

We can have real, substantive change, but only if we, the people, change first. 

We must give up our sense of entitlement. Stop asking, "What do I deserve?" and start asking, "What can I do to help?" Be willing to tackle the hard issues of national overspending. Tighten our belts. Pay our debts. Tackle the issues of runaway health care. Stop saying, "Do all you can do." Start saying, "Do what's best." Start taking responsibility for our own health and quit relying on medicine to do what we should do. Exercise. Eat right. Give up the habits that are killing us.

For all his bluster and bravado, Mr. Trump is not "the change" we most needed. We are. So, body of Christ, we have a fresh start. A new chance. A better day.

 Let's be the change we say we want. Let's be the people of God we say we are.

If we want to make America great again, it takes more than a new president. It takes repentance, humility, and prayer. 

This time, let's do what it takes. Let's make America great again.

"Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." Romans 13:1 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Do More Than Vote Your Beliefs, Live Them 
#Trump #election2016

Do More Than Vote Your Beliefs: Live Them

Today is election day, and I'm praying that the citizens of this country go to the polls and vote their convictions. 

I'm praying that God will not give us what we deserve. 

Judging by the two candidates, I don't know how He will avoid that, but we will get what we have chosen, one way or the other.

Tomorrow, we will have a new president-elect. (If there is not a hanging chad or other crazy problem.) Fellow Christians, whichever candidate wins the election, WE will have a new president. Not for some of the people, but for ALL of the people. 

It will be the candidate God has allowed. If you don't believe me on that, read Romans 13:1.

Regardless of who is elected, I'm going to do what Christians are supposed to do. Pray for those in authority. Whether they are my choice or not. I'm going to be subject to the governing authority, just as Bible-believers are supposed to do. I'll be careful about what I say, because I understand how much damage my tongue can do, just as James tells us.

I hope we'll all do the same.

If we want to change this country, and I hope we do, fellow Christians, we will not change it with grumbling or name-calling or spiteful posts on social media. We will change it by getting on our knees, humbling ourselves, repenting of our sin, and praying, then getting involved and working for good and not evil.

After we vote our beliefs, let's be sure we live them, too.

"Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." Romans 13:1 nasb

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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Is Your Faith Big Enough to Receive a Miracle 

#Election2016 #liveit

Living As One Nation Under God

My sister, brother-in-law, and niece (Katie) drove up last weekend to help with Blue Springs Day. They were in charge of the Cupcake Walk, but I had forgotten the cupcakes. My sister, Cookie, and I made a quick trip to my house to get them.

As we drove up, I commented on the bunting on the upstairs porch. Cookie said, "Yeah. Katie wanted to know what was wrong with you. She couldn't believe it was still 4th of July at your house." 

I told her I'd been busy. And I have. I just hadn't gotten around to taking them down. And I hadn't. 

There was a bigger reason the bunting was still up, though.

After July, I decided to leave the bunting and "flag" door decorations until Labor Day. Then, the wind blew the bunting backward. Every time I drove up to my house and saw the backward bunting, it seemed symbolic. I would think about what a mess our country is in and I would stop to pray.

One day, when I thought about taking it down, I wondered how much longer we'd have this country of ours and be able to fly a flag and decorate with bunting. The thought was chilling and I decided to leave it in place. 

Yesterday, after more than four months, I took down the bunting and replaced the door decoration with my fall flower arrangement. 

I realized something I should have known before. In many ways, the nation I grew up in is already gone. The digital network has connected us globally in ways we never even imagined when I was a child. I'm not sure there's more crime, but we certainly hear about it more. There may not be more corruption, but we read/hear/see it constantly. 

We're less insulated. Innocence is lost earlier. Poor choices are paraded like a trophy. We might have made the same choices forty years ago, but we weren't as proud of them. We weren't as open. 

And yet... we're the same fallen, broken people we've always been. There's still only one hope for change, and that hope is still in Christ alone.

After the presidential elections, one group of supporters will swear the country is going down the tubes. One group of supporters will swear it's not. 

The truth will lie somewhere between, and it will depend on how we the people decide to live going forward. Will we stay the same or begin to live as "one nation under God" is supposed to live?

When God said, "if My people", He wasn't referring to lost people. He was referring to His people. 

Positive change will not come because of one man's claims. Positive change will come only when God's people decide to stop blaming lost people for not living like God said, and, instead, start doing it themselves.

It's up to us, body of Christ. We are the ones who must show the rest of the nation what living "under God" means, how it's done. We are the ones who must  demonstrate that "Victory in Jesus" is not only possible, it's worth it. 

Let's decide today to do something so radical that even our fellow believers will be surprised. Let's love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let's love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Let's stop giving leftovers and give of our BEST to our Savior. 

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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Making Sense of Election 2016

#ifMypeople #onenationunderGod

MAKING SENSE OF ELECTION 2016 - OR TRYING TO...

Wading into the election fray seemed like a good idea a few weeks ago. When I sat down to write, however, I wondered if I'd lost my mind. I dreaded trying to tackle the impossible task of making sense of the circus that Election 2016 has become. 

There's good news, though. We don't have to make sense of it. We have to find God in the midst of it. 

This morning, I did what I always do. Prayed about what I should write. Today, the only thing in my heart was, "It's time to write about the election." I'm doing it, but with a sense of trepidation. 

If you're going to read this, please read it all the way to the end.

We can probably all agree that neither of the major candidates are perfect people. None of them are ideal candidates. We can probably all agree that there's been considerable rhetoric from both sides. Some of what has been said is probably true. Some has been skewed to make truth appear less favorable. Some is likely blatantly untrue.

Can I sort it out and find the truth in the midst of the jumble? No.

There are many issues about which I care, but what I care about doesn't matter nearly as much as those things about which God cares. 

Let's stop for a few minutes and look at the things that matter to God. (This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but representative.) 

1) God cares about loving Him and loving others.

"And He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it. 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 22:37-39

2) God cares about justice, kindness (or mercy), and humility.

"What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

3) God cares about life.

(I'm lumping the issues of pre-born life, care of the elderly, and end of life issues, including physician-assisted suicide, in this broad category.)

"Thou didst form my inward parts... I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:13-14 

4) God cares about the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the prisoner.

(I'm lumping the issues of poverty, homelessness, and refugees in this broad category.)

"Then the King will say to those on His right...'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'" Matthew 25:35-36

5) God cares about a servant heart.

"But the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." Matthew 23:11-12

6) God cares about our dependence upon Him in matters of finance.
(This includes both personal and national debt.)

"Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:32-33 nasb

7) God cares about Israel and our response to Israel.

"Now the Lord said to Abram,... I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse." Genesis 12:1, 3 nasb 

If we are to follow Him, we must care about the things He cares about. With that in mind, I tried to look at the things the candidates care about and compare them to what God cares about. 

It was nearly impossible. 

What's written doesn't necessarily match what's been said. What's been said doesn't necessarily match the life the candidates have lived.

I've reviewed both the Clinton and Trump websites, as well as that of the Libertarian party and its candidate. 

The Libertarian Party's statement of principles says: "We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose." 

I read those words and they sent chills through me. I envisioned heroin dealers selling on the street corners without fear of arrest because they "exercise sole dominion over their lives" and "do not forcibly interfere with the equal rights of others." 

I can see so many ways that the libertarian philosophy can go wrong that there's no way I can support this party or their candidate.

I'm not endorsing either of the major candidates, either. 

With that said, here are the things I'm using to make my decision. 

LOVING GOD - 

Of the major candidates and their running mates, who professes born-again, sold-out Christianity and has the background that seems to confirm it?

JUSTICE/MERCY/SERVANT HEART/POOR/HUNGRY/HOMELESS - 

Of the major candidates and their running mates, who responded to a major disaster during the campaign (Louisiana flooding) by going to the scene, giving aid, and personally handing out supplies? (Admittedly this may have been a performance, but even a show of mercy is better than no show at all.)

FINANCE - 

There's been so much rhetoric about this area that I don't have clear evidence of either party's candidate being truly reliable, but which candidate's finances appear to be less questionable? (That's a terrible way to decide, but it's all I have.)

REFUGEES - 

There is nothing in Scripture that says to build a wall around ourselves and keep strangers out. Who has a heart for the refugee? 

LIFE - 

Who supports life in all its stages? Who opposes partial-birth abortion? (As a physician, I can see no reason late-stage partial birth abortion could be necessary, and I cannot support a candidate who does.)

ISRAEL - 

Who most clearly stands with Israel?

In the end, the two issues I'm using to choose a candidate are their pro-life stance and their support for Israel, because I believe those two issues are the ones that are most representative of what God cares about. 

You may feel differently. That's fine with me.

WITH THAT SAID...

I don't expect things to go well, no matter who wins. 

This election cycle has made me cringe over and over again. None of the candidates are ideal. None of the candidates can "make America great again," no matter what they claim. 

Only God can make a great nation, and He will do it only in response to the true repentance of His people.

"...if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 nasb

Healing only comes after humility and repentance. They are not optional, and we aren't there yet. 

I expect things will change in this country after November 8th, and in ways we don't like and won't enjoy.

If we are to balance the budget and pay off our debt, there will be a marked change in our way of life. That's not necessarily bad, but it will be very different and very hard. We'll get used to it. We'll learn to adapt. Or we won't. 

There might be chaos for a while. Rioting in the streets. Murder and mayhem. That's happening in other parts of the world right now. We'll get through it. Or we won't. 

The Revelation given to John on Patmos describes a terrible time to come, and we are closer to these events now than we've ever been. Are we "there"? I don't know. Only God the Father knows the timing. 

I hope the pre-tribulation people, who think we will be "raptured out" of all the hard times, are right, but I doubt they are. I believe we, as believers, will see at least a significant part of the hard times to come. 

I've written a lot of difficult things that may sound hopeless today, but let me end this blog with some certain truth. 

God is still in charge. 

No matter who wins the election, God will still be in charge.

King Jesus will return one day, and when He does, a better day will be just around the corner. A new Jerusalem. A new heaven and a new earth.

We have to get through the hard times to get to it, but what's coming will be worth it. 

If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, now would be a good time to meet Him. I'll be happy to introduce you. (Message me if you're interested.)

Sorting out this mess of an election is hard. I've struggled to find what God wants in the midst of it. I'm not throwing stones at anyone who views it differently. 

When November 9th rolls around, we will still be "we the people" and we still be "one nation under God", whether the majority want to be or not. No matter what our views, no matter who occupies the White House, there's one thing for certain.

God's people need to love Him with our whole hearts and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. If we want America to be great again, that's where we should start.

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming quickly.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." Revelation 22:20-21 nasb.
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photo above courtesy of freeimages.com
In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: A Different Kind of Prayer Work

#election2016 

Why I Didn't Watch the Presidential Debate and What I'm Going to Do About It

I didn't watch the debates last night.

Maybe I should have, but I didn't. I have a TV but I don't have cable or satellite. That's because I'm less of a TV person than I am a cat person. I'm pretty sure my big TV still works, because I turn it on for a minute every few months, just to be sure.

My TV wasn't the reason I didn't watch the debate, though; it was because I never do.

I prefer to skip all the rhetoric and analysis by commentators. I get the transcript of the debate afterward. Then, I check the facts. In this day of fake news sites, you have to be super careful, but it's still possible to get truth.

Truth.

It's a scare commodity these days, but let me remind you that there is a source for truth. The Bible. In fact, Jesus told us that He is the way, THE TRUTH, and the life. (John 14:6) If we want truth, we need look no further than Jesus.

When we compare the two candidates against THE TRUTH, JESUS, neither looks too great. However, when I compare my own life against THE TRUTH, JESUS, I don't look too great, either.

When I compare their words against THE TRUTH, JESUS, I'm not too impressed with the candidates, but, again, I don't always line up too well, either.

Yesterday, an interesting thing happened that may have quite an impact on the election process. I spoke at Traceway (a local assisted-living facility) about The Untapped Power Grid Project. We had a wonderful time together. As I do sometimes, I used my "prayer board" to demonstrate what I mean when I talk about praying for my Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. 

I include Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in my Samaria, and pray for them regularly  I didn't intend for their pictures to make it into the stack of missionary prayer cards, but somehow they did. As I walked around the room, looking at the missionaries those great prayer warriors had chosen, I noticed one woman holding Hillary Clinton's picture. 

"Did you want a missionary card?" I asked.

"No. We'd better do something or we're in big trouble. I'm taking her."

She was right. Unless we do something significant, we're in big trouble. That "something" is not more rhetoric. It's not more bad mouthing. It's not more complaining. 

Check the facts for yourself, then get busy doing what must be done.

Repent. Pray.

Yep. Don't just pray. We must start with our own personal repentance. We have sin, too. Not just our candidates. Let's deal with our own faults before we take the faults of others to the Lord.

Once that big job is done, let's get serious about prayer. Combine it with fasting. I can't do this job on my own, but I'm willing to do my part. It's going to take all of us in the body of Christ, however. 

I hope you noticed how I've outlined my plan of action. I'm repenting and praying. Those two things are critical. In fact, I've already begun. 

But that's NOT all I'm doing. 

I'm also checking facts from reliable news sources. Well, as reliable as I can find. What I'm not doing is listening to a "talking head" to get my information. I don't want someone else's interpretation of facts. 

I just want facts, and I know I'll have to dig to get them.

We have a serious problem. Neither candidate is as politically, ethically, morally, (or any other way) as attractive as I'd like, but a choice will have to be made. Let's make a prayerful AND informed choice.

For the sake of the nation, please help.

There are two verses on which I rely. They were first spoken more than two thousand years ago, but their truth has not been diminished by time.

"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 

"The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes." Proverbs 21:1 nasb

Whether they realize it or not, a nation depends on the body of Christ to do what we can do. Repent. Pray. Get informed. Make the wisest, most Godly choice we can. We will have to pray hard for the one who's elected, but that's a problem for November. 

Today, let's check the facts, then examine our own hearts, get right with God, and take our candidates to Him. 
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In case you missed the story of Sam's project, here's the link: Sam's Project: Rubber Boots for Barefoot Rwandan Children
If you'd like to give to help buy boots for the barefoot school children of Rwandan, you can go directly to the project page here: Help Sam's Kids. There's still a LONG way to go. I'll have an update later this morning.
In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Gory Gifts: The Biting Cat and the Decapitated Mole
#election2016 #pray