Follow the Motivations!

 We have two passages of scripture for consideration today. Both are from Matthew chapter 6: 

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (ESV)

Jesus is speaking here. This is a continuation of his Sermon on the Mount, which began in the previous chapter. In the sermon, he lays out the attitudes of those who would work to further the kingdom of God. The focus of his statements is straightforward. Anyone can grasp their meaning. Life here on earth is physical and temporary. Life in heaven is forever. Let’s face it, this body must fall away at some point. Our souls, which are immortal, will ultimately reside in one of two places. Heaven or Hell. Those who serve God are admonished to maintain an attitude that is geared primarily toward that eternal future, not the temporary one. 

The same attitude must prevail when we consider money and riches. It is a far better thing to work for treasures that do not go away. Contrast that with those who gather wealth for themselves, then die. What happens to those riches? Are they of any help in the life beyond? No. Physical accoutrements, like our bodies, must remain earth-bound. Jesus put it this way: “Their reward is with them.” He was speaking of those who strive only for riches, and the praise of men. Sure, they get their reward. Now. But that’s as far as it goes. His conclusion is: “You cannot serve God and money.” How can someone claim to be a follower of Christ when their thoughts are constantly geared toward some form of financial remuneration? Divided allegiances do not work. 

The point is that Jesus wants us to evaluate ourselves to make sure our allegiance and motivation is in the right place. 

Jesus’ message was successful. His disciples and the early Christians were stalwart in their courage and dedication. From the disciples, when they were brought before the Sanhedrin saying, “We ought to obey God rather than men,” to Stephen and onward to Paul and the succeeding generations, Christianity has been characterized by people of great integrity and character. Christians of the past, and those of the present as well, are internally motivated to do his will because they are convinced by the truthfulness of Jesus’ words, His life and His resurrection. 

The question I want to ask, and hopefully try to answer is this: Do Jesus’ statements apply only to the spiritual realm and Christian ministry, or might they have other applications too? The answer is an enthusiastic yes! What are the hallmarks of any great society?  Emphasis on truth and honesty. Faithfulness, peacefulness and forgiveness and all the other qualities engendered by a love for scripture. Any culture that wishes to achieve great things must have citizens of the same kind of character and responsibility. 

What about politics? Particularly, American politics. Historically we have had men of courage, discipline and character to lead our country. Often these same men sacrificed their own fortunes and future because of their commitment to something greater than themselves. They enshrined their beliefs in what are the two greatest documents outside of the Holy Scriptures created by man. The Declaration, and the Constitution. Every senator who is elected to office must take this oath: 

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God. 

Every government official must go on record that they are willing to put our nation and its laws above their own personal ambitions and gain. That is what the great men of the past have done. That is not necessarily true today. How low have our elected representatives fallen! Especially when they raise their hands and recite what to them are mere words, and then work incessantly against the very Document they have sworn to uphold. Take a look at the current set of politicians who want your vote. Ask yourself if they are willing to fight and die for that Document that is above them in all respects. Ask yourself if they are willing to deny themselves in order to uphold those same strictures. Find out if they are more concerned with maintaining the integrity of that law for future generations, or if they are lying, and working to use the power of their office to line their own pockets with money from various intrigues and influence peddling. That is illegal by the way. I’m not talking about a little cash here and there, I’m talking about millions and millions of dollars.

If a politician, particularly one who is vying for the highest office in the land, is just in it for himself, do you honestly think he will work what is best for you? Do you think he will consider your rights and freedoms above his own? Of course not! This man is not worthy to become President of the United States. The incumbent he is running against, it turns out, has sacrificed much to stand against the party of anarchy, riots, lawlessness and endless sniping. Let us support him. Let us work to un-elect those who are against him, and all who are of the party that would feign to serve you, but are actually in it for themselves. 

Vote for the future, not the now. 

What About the Issues?

Let’s start today with a passage of scripture. 

Proverbs 1:20  Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;  

21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? (ESV)

Today we will discuss issues. What about all those political ads we are bombarded with on tv? Should we give any regard to them?  The short answer is: No! Many of the ads are outright lies. The rest may or may not contain actual truth. So don’t pay attention to them! They are meant to confuse you enough to vote their way. Personally, I keep my remote handy, and hit the ‘mute’ button whenever these ads come on. 

For this election there is only one issue. 

Take a quick look around the country. Think about which states are having the most problems right now. Look at the ones who don’t have enough electricity, the ones who are burning from riots and civil unrest, the ones who have repressive and arbitrary lockdown restrictions. It is these very same states which are supposed to be the most enlightened, have the most concern about the environment, and are, ideally, the least racist. If their states are so great, why are they having all these problems? Why are people leaving them in droves? Something doesn’t add up. 

“….Wisdom cries in the streets….”

The fact is, in these states, the Democrat representatives have worked to put in place a socialistic agenda that is the antithesis of everything our forefathers fought and died for. They are attempting to rewrite our history under their own terms to minimize, or discount entirely the great heritage we are heirs to. Our forefathers were not perfect, that is true. The present crop of Democrat politicians are less so, for they are both hypocrites and liars. They hinder legislation designed to help Americans in this time of pandemic, and then scream and whine at the President for going around them via executive order.  They plot behind the scenes to destroy his Presidency, then use their own operatives in the courts to obstruct investigators trying to get to the truth. That’s not all they have done. Were I to enumerate all their crimes, the hours would seem like days! I hope that, by now, most of their ineptitudes are common knowledge. 

We can easily see it is the Democrats who are the ‘simple ones’ mentioned in the Proverb above. They have little to offer, except empty promises and the desire for raw power. (For themselves, not you.) Their policies convey no hope, for, as everyone knows, socialism is a dead-end system of economics. There is no room in their agenda for individual thought or respect for people, only categorization and polarization of victims, as in race, feminism, repressed, displaced, and so on. 

The issue at stake in this election can be expressed in one word. Liberty. Do you want to remain free? Do you want a nation that will continue to be ‘of the people, by the people and for the people?’ Do you want the Bill of Rights to remain in place, with all its protections against government incursions into your life? To do so means we must overwhelmingly vote against the Democrat party at every level. Upon our nation’s founding we fought a war to secure our independence. In a few days we will fight at the ballot box to secure a future for our children.

They are strong, they are well financed, and they have the support of just about every media outlet. But guess what? The election will not be decided by them. It will be decided by you, for you are the same rational, law-loving, patriotic Americans who go to work every day, worship at their local church, and raise their children to be decent, God-fearing adults. And, oh, yea, you vote, too. In case you didn’t know, (for Christians are never considered in the national media), we outnumber them! 

“...How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing….” 

If we, as Christians, unleash our power at the polls. Their scoffing will end on November 3rd. 

Rise and be counted! I plan on doing just that. Will you join me?

The Sovereignty of the Individual

     God always has an order of priorities when dealing with man. Likewise, he sets priorities in dealing with nations, too. That means every nation should do the same. 

    What are the national priorities for the United States of America? Those priorities are easily lost amidst the smoke and mirrors, claims and counter-claims, and back and forth sniping between candidates at every level as we approach this election. 

    But, it turns out the founders of our country not only had them, but laid them out clearly for everyone to see. First, from the Declaration of Independence: 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” 

    Jefferson’s priorities for the new nation look like this:  

    First, and foremost. God. He is the Creator. He is the guarantor and giver of those unalienable Rights, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Thus He stands as the top priority of our nation, and is the only Power worthy of our worship.

    Second. God’s highest creation. Man. It is man who was given volition, a body and a mind. Thus he can use those facilities to work and make a life for himself and his family. Man cannot exist for very long in an environment where there is no right or wrong. He is at his best when he, as an agent of free will, voluntarily chooses to serve God, for that produces the longest lasting, and most stable family structure, and stable families make for a stable society. 

    Third. Government. Hence the phrase “...deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Government ranks below the individual in the order of priorities. 

    Now we see that our system was in fact, unique among all other nations in history. For none of them were founded as we were.

    What about the Constitution? Does it carry similar priorities? Let’s see: 

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

    In the very first sentence of the First Amendment is codified that priority. What does it mean? A couple of things. That the United States will never establish a national church, neither will it hinder the free expression of Christianity. 

    Now I am going to state this priority in my own words. 

    The individual doing the will of God is superior to the state. Likewise, churches which  preach the gospel and train their members to be Christian leaders are superior to the state. Why is this? Because ultimately we are eternal beings, and one day this physical body will fall away, but our souls will go on forever. Our nation will not. It is temporary and earth-bound. By allowing the church free reign, the citizens of this nation would continually be reminded of that fact, and act accordingly. Our national character is distinctively Christian. Our Founders understood this, and saw firsthand the results of a thriving and influential church. They also had keen insight into human nature, especially in terms of government. In constructing our first amendment this way, the Founders were taking a preventative measure to curtail the federal government from unbridled excess, as they had just experienced with the king of England. Extricating themselves from George’s arbitrary use of power cost them many lives and much bloodshed. 

    All other rights fall from this one. Think about it. Why do we have freedom of speech and the press? So people can proclaim their faith from one generation to the next. Why freedom of assembly? Because Christians are commanded to meet. But then, if Christians are allowed to meet, then why shouldn’t everyone be allowed to do the same? People who frequent a business are meeting, aren’t they? As are those eating at a restaurant. I’m talking about peaceful gatherings here. Riots are not meetings, they are criminal activities. Why are we guaranteed the right to redress the government? To keep that same government in check, lest it continually overstep its bounds and misuse its power. 

    Their vision was based on a profound truth. When people are better the nation gets stronger. Don’t let anyone fool you! We are not strong because of our military, or our technology, or our highway system, our economics, or anything else, other than the strength of our character.  That character was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus on the Cross. 

    As we think about the upcoming election, let us weigh the candidates in the scales presented by our founding documents. What are their beliefs concerning God? Do they rightly place Him above all? Do they act according to His will? What about their attitude toward you? The citizen? Are they working to increase your freedoms? Or hinder them? Or remove them altogether? Last of all, do they consider themselves to be superior to you? Or do they put you and your first amendment rights above them? Pick the candidate who best fulfills these criteria, not the one who makes the biggest promises.

They Loved Darkness Rather Than Light

Today we will discuss motive. Every action people take, and every reaction to that action by others, is driven, often unconsciously, by some sort of motive. For many people, and in most situations these motives are benign.  Take a buyer and seller at the marketplace. Each of them has a desire. The seller, to maximize profits, and the buyer, to minimize expenditures. The agreed upon price is that which meets both criteria. If such cannot be achieved, either party is free to walk away. 

In criminal cases the prosecution is under a mandate to provide motive for the defendant’s behavior, otherwise the case will fall apart. Means as well. Motive and means will ultimately be the criteria by which the jury will determine guilt or innocence. In a court trial it is extremely rare for a defendant to give their motives for a particular crime. If they were to do so, it would incriminate them. So they will try to mask that motive for as long as possible. Why do you think so many crimes are committed at night? Fewer people are awake, or around to see. 

John 3: 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (ESV)

The same is true on the state and national stage. As they say, “Nothing happens by accident in politics.” Every action taken, every motion, every rule, every regulation, and every tax is driven by some internal motive the politicians do not want to make clear, otherwise they will be booted out of office. 

There are a couple of ways that those in politics can prevent their activities from seeing the light of day. One is a straight cover up. Deny, deny deny, and hope it goes away. Another would be to apply smoke and mirrors to the situation. Actively create disturbances in other areas to keep the spotlight off them.  

Now we come to the current political situation. Many will call it ‘divisive’and ‘unproductive’ because the rifts between our national parties could not be any greater. There is, in my opinion, a reason for that. The problem is almost completely on one side of the aisle. I believe I know the reason and motive. 

In the run up to the last election we have the incompetent heir apparent to the party of the Democrats set against a scrappy, non politician businessman. Sometime during the election year, and continuing after, rumors of ‘Russian interference’ started. This ‘scandal’ was endlessly promoted against the scrappy businessman, who won the election. Shortly thereafter, impeachment proceedings began. Was there any ‘Russian collusion’? No. The charges were a complete fabrication. We have not yet heard the end of it all yet. Some indictments have already been handed down, but more information surfaces every day. A few people, more knowledgeable than myself, have written books on the subject. It is the most scandalous raw grab for power in our nation’s history.  This was, in fact, a coup attempt. It was conceived, planned and implemented at the highest levels of the previous administration, and carried out by their minions in various intelligence services. This, my friends, is Treason. 

Can you not see why the Democrats have gone full in for socialism and communism? Can you now see why they let their cities burn and do nothing? When they could? Can you also understand why they are going in all the way with mail in ballots? The plan is to so obfuscate the results, they can continue down the path they are on. They have already stated they will not accept the results if Trump wins. They can't! If they lose, the indictments will continue, and a number of them will face prison time, or worse. We all know the penalty for treason, don’t we? Their actions are so reprehensible that they are past the point of no return, so they cannot do anything but continue. If they win, then all their crimes will be swept under the carpet and go away. 

But, if they win something else goes away along with it. Our country. The Democrats have already demonstrated absolutely no regard for our constitution and the rights it accords. They have shown a willingness to pursue  and encourage violence against the very citizens they were commissioned to protect. Their cities are smoking heaps, with hundreds of millions of dollars of damage, livelihoods destroyed and people dead on the streets. And what do they do? They arrest a few and then let them go, to commit crimes the very next night. Then they call on the police chiefs and ask why crime is so high in their cities! The gall! The pride and arrogance of this party is beyond belief. 

So why do we allow them to continue in power? 

As Christians living in this nation today, we have a unique ability, no, a responsibility to be active in politics. It is we who have the answer, not them. Against their pride we present humility. Against violence, we hold strength of character and common decency. Against their grab for power, we present law and due process. Against their screeching and mindless wailing, we hold up Truth.  

Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world!’

It’s time to let our light shine too. 

Christians! The fate of the nation is in your hands!