America Made the Wrong Choice in the Election
I know that I'm supposed to say that God is in control and that we should simply pray for our president and put our faith and trust in the sovereignty of God, but I'm not going to.
This seems like I'm backtracking on statements made in my previous column "America Needs a Different Type of Leader," where I said that regardless of who wins this election, we must remember that Jesus is the King on His throne both in Heaven and in our hearts. I'm not backtracking. I believe that with all of my being.
But for those who seek to live according to the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, these astonishing election results should cause us to fall to our knees and grieve for our nation. Colorado has legalized recreational use of marijuana, while Massachusetts, Maryland, and Oregon have approved it for medical usage. Maine, Maryland, and Washington have legalized homosexual marriage. And Massachusetts has also joined Oregon and Washington in allowing euthanasia. It has become clear that in every instance where Biblical values were up for a vote, the American people have chosen to reject them. This election goes so much deeper than just who was elected president for the next four years. This election was a barometer of the soul of America, and America is in critical condition.
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Still, I will not curse the darkness. There's no value in that. While I'm disappointed in these results, I wish I could say that I'm surprised. I'm not. I've believed for some time now that we will continue to see less and less of the grey area, and more of a clear distinction between black and white. Sin will become more and more acceptable and celebrated. Those vices and immoral practices that we have so long treated as taboo will no longer be seen as such. We will continue to become a nation that more closely resembles Sodom and Gomorrah, rather than the "City on a Hill" that was dreamed about by men like John Winthrop and William Bradford.
But along with greater darkness, comes the opportunity for greater light. And that light is found in the people of God, beginning to once again act like the people of God.
Throughout history, God has always chosen to work through weak, frail, inadequate human beings who are willing to give Him whatever they have, and allow Him to use that for His glory and purposes. But for too long now, the Church in America has sat back and made excuses for our laziness and apathy by saying, "God's in control." And while I fully believe that God IS in control, I realize that He has chosen to limit Himself to a great extent by what He can do through His people. We can no longer afford to bury our heads in the sand, hoping for things to get better. It's time for God's people to rise up.
We must do so much more than hold a few prayer services and preach a few sermons over the next several weeks. Eventually, the stinging pain of Tuesday night will begin to lessen, and we will again go about our lives as we have before. But if we allow ourselves to forget the emotions and fears we have felt because of this election, we will miss the greatest opportunity that God has given the Church in this nation in over a century. As the darkness grows, the light can shine brighter, and a mighty move of God can return America back to the nation we once were, when we could confidently know that "In God We Trust" was more than four words on our currency; it was a truth written upon our hearts.
We need revival. And revival never comes to an apathetic people. In fact, revival most often comes to a people suffering from persecution. It is during persecution that God's people take their eyes off of their own frivolous desires and petty differences, and return to simple faith in God based upon hearing and obeying His Word. And let me assure you, persecution is coming. The virtual prison of political correctness, tolerance, and celebrating diversity, will soon move into a radical agenda that attempts to silence the voices of those who speak out against sin and the evil that dwells in the hearts of men. Those who refuse to be silenced will be branded as religious extremists and relegated to the fringes of society. Two of our most sacred rights as Americans – Freedom of Religion, and Freedom of Speech – will be chipped away at until we will no longer recognize the country that we were born in.
But in that persecution is the hope that awaits America. As the persecution grows, the Church will be forced to return to God's principles of love, obedience, justice, holiness, compassion, truth, and faithfulness. The Church in America will once again become the salt and light that Jesus told us we are supposed to be. And when all is said and done, I believe that revival will come to America. And that revival can spread to the world.
There is truth in the cliché, "It's always darkest before the dawn." So, again, I will not curse the darkness. I will thank God for the mercy and grace He has shown us in allowing us to see this darkness and shine His Light to the world. As the Apostle John wrote, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5 ESV)
