Posted on 02/16/2008 10:42:45 AM PST by free_life
Are Presidents appointed by God? Do we see His hand in the process of choosing a President? Maybe we get what we deserve, as in what we bring on ourselves. There was a 50/50 split in 2000 and the election in 2004 was very close also. Was God telling us something? There are no conservatives left in Republican nomination process but many millions of conservatives in America with no clear choice to support. God again? Who do God fearing Christians vote for now? Obama/Hillary split/division going into convention. Is this all Gods doing? Is God showing us how divided as a nation we are and wants us to change course? Or what if anything might God be trying us to get in this? God is always involved in drawing people to Himself and back to Himself. He in His mercy gives us opportunity to repent and return to Him. As a nation we are moving away from God. I am asking questions here not presenting this like I have settled understanding on this. What do you think?
What about the extreme weather and what we call natural disasters? Is God shaking what needs to be shaken so we will turn to God Who cannot be shaken?
Some scriptures to consider.
Daniel 2:21 He (God) changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities , for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities ; all things were created by him and for him.
John 19:11 (speaking to Pilate) Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above . Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
Daniel 4:17 "`The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'
Daniel 5:21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes.
Joshua 24:15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you , then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Luke 1:52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
1Samuel 9:16 "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me." 17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, "This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people." ...14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."
1 Samuel 25:30 When the LORD has done for my master every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel,
1Kings 14:7 Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel.
Micah 3:9 Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; 10 who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. 11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us."
Deut 30:19 (NIV) This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live Josh 24:15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways ," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
It's hard enough for me to look at them, imagine the revulsion a Perfect One must feel
This does not belong on News/Activism.
What ever part He likes. He is God after all.
I don’t pretend to understand God’s will, but think God is not a tyrant manipulating us like puppets.
I can’t believe even for one second that God is manipulating weather disasters to make us turn to him. A God like that would be a monster.
It should not be on News/Activism. I put it only under the following 3 topics - Government; Politics/Elections; Your Opinion/Questions
WikiBio says McCain is a Baptist. I heard he was non-practicing.
Does anyone know?
I believe that what He is doing is separating the wheat from the chaf. Everyone in the world will be forced to make a choice—believe in the world or believe in G-d. If you believe in the world, you will be more and more disappointed. He will spit the lukewarm out. No one will be able to hide, so my prayer is that everyone will chose G-d.
Better pray he plays are large part in them this year.
Not sure how much involvement He chooses to take, but I’ve sure been praying.
I am asking these as questions because I want to know the truth in this. I do know God used weather and natural disaster many times in the bible. I do not think God is a monster even though He flooded the whole earth and caused the earth to open up and swallow people...etc. He is God!
God says He will shake the earth. What do you think he is saying?
I don’t know what God is saying.
Death, trouble, disasters happen to everybody, the good and bad alike.
I do know we are not our mortal bodies, but spirit within. Bodies and forms change and die, but spirit inside endures.
Everything on Earth, and the Earth itself, one day will die, but spirit inside endures.
I am very interested in hearing what others think about this. Unfortunately I have to go out. Sorry....I will check back later when I get home.
As we approach closer to the end of times God will get more involved in the affairs of men and offer more opportunities to turn to Him. Is this not correct?
Ping to read later
” First, then, our text very clearly teaches us THE MINUTENESS OF PROVIDENCE. Every man can see providence in great things; it is very seldom that you find any person denying that when an avalanche falls from the summit of the Alps, the hand, the terrible hand of God is there. There are very few men who do not feel that God is present in the whirlwind, and in the storm. Most men will acknowledge that the earthquake, the hurricane, the devastation of war, and the ravages of pestilence, come from the hand of God. We find most men very willing to confess that God is God of the hills, but they forget that he is also Lord of the valleys. They will grant that he deals with great masses, but not with individuals; with seas in the bulk, but not with drops. Most men forget, however, that the fact which they believe of providence being in great things involves a providence in the little, for it were an inconsistent belief that the mass were in God’s hand, whilst the atom was left to chance; it is indeed a belief that contradicts itself; we must believe all chance or else all God. We must have all ordained and arranged, or else we must have everything left to the wild whirlwind of chance and accident. But I believe that it is in little things that we fail to see God; therefore, it is to the little things that I call your attention this morning.” - c.h.spurgeon
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0187.htm
5 SOLAS!
Amen
Biblically a strong argument can be made that the world's governments are under the control of Satan. For example:
Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Satan tells Jesus Christ that he has all the power and glory of the worlds kingdoms in his hands and he can give them to anyone he wishes. Does Jesus call him a liar? Does he deny that Satan has this authority? Nope, he says:
Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
In fact, only at his second coming, at the 7th and last trumpet will the earths kingdoms be given to Christ:
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.
Based on this, involvement in the political process is often choosing what we perceive to be the lesser of two evils. The end is never going to be good. Satan is pulling the strings right now.
Heb 12 and Hag 2 are two examples of God saying He will shake the heavens and the earth. We know of the time in the end when His wrath will be poured out on those that have rejected Him. But what about up to then. The rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous. Much of the world is worse than in the day of Sodom and Gomorrah. I am not even speaking of punishment/wrath here, but God warning of what is to come. As in God's mercy.....turn to Me, there is no safety outside of Me. That He is so much more concerned about man's eternity than any calamity here and now.
As for nations and governments and leaders. God involves Himself in the affairs of nations and peoples and tribes and governments and kings and authorities. Many examples in the bible.
How can the things like the 50/50 divisions etc even happen in the elections? I do not believe in chance, luck, unlucky, coincidence.
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