Wallowing In The Mire

Politics is a nasty business. I am somewhat surprised at the number of confessing Christians willing to wade into the mire and promote men who are compromised to their core. When was the last time you heard any politician speak in absolutes regarding their beliefs according to the faith they profess? There is a website called “godvoter.org” which polls presidential candidates on their religious beliefs, then based on the candidates responses they issue them a grade. Obama received a “D-”. Romney received an “F”. Point is…they are politicians. I am not saying that Christians should not vote. I am saying we should embrace the opportunity we are afforded in casting private ballots and stay away from activities that could cause that holy name that we represent to be evil spoken of. Some things should stay behind the veil so to speak. Our mission as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God should come before promoting our own personal political views which can be divisive. Preach the gospel and let people vote their conscience in private. I hear some believers say that God puts people in power for His purposes and they pray let His will be done. If you are one to ascribe to this line of thinking then you should not run down whoever ends up elected. Much like David refused to dishonor King Saul though he did evil things. Ultimately the will of our King will be carried out. The soldiers of the Lord have no business getting entangled in the wars and rumors of wars and all the other shenanigans of this waning age. There are more pressing battles that we need to take the fight to. The governments of this world are on a fixed path and they have their own priorities. For instance, the enterprise of sexual trafficking has kept human slavery very much alive in the 21^st century and America is the leading “John” in this horrific travesty of human rights. Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport is the busiest hub in the nation for the import and export of sexual slaves. America leads the world in activities related to the exploitation of children as related to child pornography. Where are these issues on the list of priorities for our current candidates? I have watched all the major debates with the exception of the last presidential debate and I don’t recall these major issues getting any attention.

I just want to caution my Christian brothers and sisters to beware of being swept into a majority religious culture that has developed its own sense of values and approval separate from that of the living God. This may seem farfetched but remember it was the religious community that gave Jesus Christ his greatest opposition during His ministry as the son of man on earth. I am not persuaded that things have changed much. The disciples of Jesus often contended with Him as He displayed His priority for the dejected and cast asides of that day. They also cautioned Him for being too revolutionary. The Word of God is always revolutionary to the carnal, to those who have been lulled asleep and seduced by the deceptive peace and dulling comforts of this world. You will never get a majority vote and be popular or well liked in this world standing with Jesus. In fact Jesus said in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you.” As one of my favorite songs from Hosanna Music goes,

“Don’t grow weary doing well; don’t surrender in the fight,”

“Keep on storming the gates of hell; keep on doing what you know is right,”

“Keep on praying in spirit, keep on walking in the light,”

“Don’t be fearful, or discouraged keep on doing what you know is right,”

This song was entitled “Don’t grow weary” off the CD release “In Christ Alone”. The title cut “In Christ Alone,” says,

“In Christ alone, I place my trust and find my glory in the power of the cross,”

“In every victory, let it be said of me,”

“My source of strength, my source of hope, is Christ alone.”

Let us be clear about where our allegiance lies and who we look to for the well-being of the world. Read 2 Peter chapter 2 of the bible to get the full context of the expression “Wallowing in the mire”.