Post by Cindy on May 24, 2023 11:39:02 GMT -5
I'm not looking forward to yet another election campaign year. It gets so ridiculous, especially among those who call themselves Christians. We know that most of the people who claim to be Christians aren't really saved, and therefore don't act like it or understand what the Bible says, but the unsaved don't realize that. So those fake Christians make those of us who are really saved look bad. Then of course, there's real Christians who just haven't yet grown in their faith enough to realize that God is the one who puts whoever He wants as the President, or King, or whatever the election is for in each country. Here, we like to talk about our votes counting etc, and they do - I'd never deny that. But ultimately, it's God's decision, not ours, and He can bring it about in any way He chooses to. But that's not really what bothers me about it all.
What I hate the most is to see "Christians" who get all worked up about who is voting for who, and even denigrate others who they think are voting (or going to vote) differently than they are. Where's the love in that? It looks a whole lot more like hate to me, and that's the opposite of what Jesus calls us to do. These "Christians" spew hatred toward unbelievers, making it so those people will never listen to anything they have to say about anything, including about the gospel. So by their behavior and words, they've lost the opportunity to share the gospel with those people they've denigrated. Instead of showing them what God's love looks like, they've shared what Satan's hate looks like, something the unsaved are very familiar with anyway. Once these "Christians" have blasted someone for considering anyone other than the person they like, they then, also seem to then take offense at anything else that person may say. It must break our Lord's heart to see this. The good thing is that He will show real Christians that what they're doing is wrong, when they've grown enough to hear it. The problem is the fake "Christians", because they don't care what the Lord's will is.
It's the same every election year. I'm embarrassed to say that once I too was part of the problem. I'm so very grateful that the Lord showed me my sin and helped me to stop acting that way. I had a lot of people to ask forgiveness of and try and repair the bridges I'd burnt by my previous words. Some were beyond repair and I can only pray and ask the Lord to send others to witness to them.
I see this same behavior at other times too, but it seems at it's worst during an election year. One of the things that the Lord showed me in His Word is that while we are to treat everyone with love all the time, we are to be especially loving toward fellow Christians. The examples He shows us is that we are never, ever to put down, denigrate, or even repeat something bad we've heard about a fellow Christian, and that includes a pastor. I was a little shocked at that, because it's something we often do without even thinking about it. (Which just goes to show us how evil our minds tend to be.)
My point is, we see this behavior constantly during an election year, and even after it for awhile. We see Christians denigrating other Christians and unbelievers alike. And that brings up the question, If we're not supposed to speak badly about another Christian, how do we know if someone is a real Christian? That's easy to answer though, because God doesn't leave that up to us. He says that if someone says they're a Christian we are to treat them as though they are, even if we think they aren't. He says that He is the only one that can judge a person's heart.
Finally, when someone behaves the way I described, it's actually idolatry. I'm sure you've all seen where a person is talking about the person they're voting for and talk as though that person was a savior. In fact, I recall the news reporting that Obama was called a savior and so was trump. (I no longer listen to the news, so don't know if Biden's been called that or not.) If I was a gambling person, I'd bet money that people will say that if we vote for their candidate in this upcoming election, that he (or she) will save us from the awful things that Biden's done to our country. Guess what? Horrible things are going to happen no matter who we vote for and no matter who are next president is! This is the thing I don't understand: people who say they know we are very close to the time of the Tribulation, will still act like a good president (the one they're voting for of course) can save the day. That if he's elected, life will be good again. Sorry folks. God told us that things would happen just like when a woman is in labor. Labor pains don't stop once they get started. This world will not see peace until Jesus returns to rule the earth for 1000 years. Of course those who are really saved will see peace before that since we'll be taken to heaven in the rapture before things get horribly bad.
Could God put everything that's been happening on hold and by doing so postpone the Tribulation for awhile longer? Absolutely! But it would take a major supernatural miracle to do so, and I seriously doubt He's going to do that. On the other hand, it won't take any miracle or any help from anyone for the Tribulation to start at any time now. The Antichrist is ready and waiting to step out on the world stage. And the vast majority are going to vote for him!
What I hate the most is to see "Christians" who get all worked up about who is voting for who, and even denigrate others who they think are voting (or going to vote) differently than they are. Where's the love in that? It looks a whole lot more like hate to me, and that's the opposite of what Jesus calls us to do. These "Christians" spew hatred toward unbelievers, making it so those people will never listen to anything they have to say about anything, including about the gospel. So by their behavior and words, they've lost the opportunity to share the gospel with those people they've denigrated. Instead of showing them what God's love looks like, they've shared what Satan's hate looks like, something the unsaved are very familiar with anyway. Once these "Christians" have blasted someone for considering anyone other than the person they like, they then, also seem to then take offense at anything else that person may say. It must break our Lord's heart to see this. The good thing is that He will show real Christians that what they're doing is wrong, when they've grown enough to hear it. The problem is the fake "Christians", because they don't care what the Lord's will is.
It's the same every election year. I'm embarrassed to say that once I too was part of the problem. I'm so very grateful that the Lord showed me my sin and helped me to stop acting that way. I had a lot of people to ask forgiveness of and try and repair the bridges I'd burnt by my previous words. Some were beyond repair and I can only pray and ask the Lord to send others to witness to them.
I see this same behavior at other times too, but it seems at it's worst during an election year. One of the things that the Lord showed me in His Word is that while we are to treat everyone with love all the time, we are to be especially loving toward fellow Christians. The examples He shows us is that we are never, ever to put down, denigrate, or even repeat something bad we've heard about a fellow Christian, and that includes a pastor. I was a little shocked at that, because it's something we often do without even thinking about it. (Which just goes to show us how evil our minds tend to be.)
My point is, we see this behavior constantly during an election year, and even after it for awhile. We see Christians denigrating other Christians and unbelievers alike. And that brings up the question, If we're not supposed to speak badly about another Christian, how do we know if someone is a real Christian? That's easy to answer though, because God doesn't leave that up to us. He says that if someone says they're a Christian we are to treat them as though they are, even if we think they aren't. He says that He is the only one that can judge a person's heart.
Finally, when someone behaves the way I described, it's actually idolatry. I'm sure you've all seen where a person is talking about the person they're voting for and talk as though that person was a savior. In fact, I recall the news reporting that Obama was called a savior and so was trump. (I no longer listen to the news, so don't know if Biden's been called that or not.) If I was a gambling person, I'd bet money that people will say that if we vote for their candidate in this upcoming election, that he (or she) will save us from the awful things that Biden's done to our country. Guess what? Horrible things are going to happen no matter who we vote for and no matter who are next president is! This is the thing I don't understand: people who say they know we are very close to the time of the Tribulation, will still act like a good president (the one they're voting for of course) can save the day. That if he's elected, life will be good again. Sorry folks. God told us that things would happen just like when a woman is in labor. Labor pains don't stop once they get started. This world will not see peace until Jesus returns to rule the earth for 1000 years. Of course those who are really saved will see peace before that since we'll be taken to heaven in the rapture before things get horribly bad.
Could God put everything that's been happening on hold and by doing so postpone the Tribulation for awhile longer? Absolutely! But it would take a major supernatural miracle to do so, and I seriously doubt He's going to do that. On the other hand, it won't take any miracle or any help from anyone for the Tribulation to start at any time now. The Antichrist is ready and waiting to step out on the world stage. And the vast majority are going to vote for him!
!!
