Our Spiritual Winter...(the election)

The recent re-election of Barak Hussein Obama has served to uncover the deep Spiritual crisis in America, particularly among confessing Christians. What a blow to the cause of freedom,playing by the rules, and responsibility!

On election night, most people I know didn’t expect anything less than a reprieve from the four years long nightmare that is the Obama presidency. We sat in stunned silence, contemplating the new reality. We who cherish the American ideals of limited government, Judeo Christian morality, and sane servant leadership, no longer have the prevailing consensus, for now.

But perhaps our vision of the right path for America had to be terminated so that we could be better prepared for God’s agenda. How should we look at this reversal of our hopes? What do the righteous do when the wicked come to power?

Obviously, God does things differently than we would do them. But consider this. Suppose America received a president who really could turn the economy around, cut taxes, bring back investments, and growth, and pay down the national debt, undoing the shackles Obama has put on our economy. Do you think our population would ever turn to God?

We as a nation did have decades of steady growth, with Reagan, Bush and Clinton and even under George Bush, and the nation is further from God than ever before. We have had almost 30 years of uninterrupted prosperity, and no real revival!

We know the ‘problems ‘ of this nation are all preventable and still fixable, but what is God doing?

I believe that God often puts his people in a position of seeming weakness in a socety, so that in our weakness he can display his power. We in our flesh always want to win,(Americans are winners, right?). But God uses seeming defeat to display his greatest victory. Would you have voted for David or Goliath in a fight?

* We aren’t the first Christians to be in this situation - We western christians think that our previous situation was the rule, but really in the big picture it has been the exception. The church has always been a ship in a sea of hostility to God and Christ, and usually doesn’t deal in any political power or influence, for our power is Truth, it is the Gospel, not polls, blocs and media savvy.

Doesn’t it always seem that the church fares better spiritually in an environment of open hostility to God by the state? Is not our greatest problem the apathy and complacency in the people we are trying to reach for God? They don’t realize they need God! The world has exerted a ‘soul deadening’ effect on them! Our generation is currently like Lot and his wife and children.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.(I Peter 4:12)

* We shouldn’t become bitter about this political reversal – It is galling to see the seeming triumph of the godless, to hear Obama tell us he won the debate over taxes, policy and ‘values’. It hurts to think that power might have been stolen, when we read of wards voting 100% for Obama in swing states, such as Florida and Ohio, or of the county which went 108% for Obama!

But are we not told that “The whole world lies in the wicked One” ? What did we expect? Politics concerns pure, worldly power, power to influence, to disburse the public funds, and to wield influence in this world. True there is a Biblical use of political power,(See Romans 13) but an amoral people can only have an amoral system, one in which the conscienceless and most ruthless usually prevail.

How else could a nation which has slaughtered 50 million of its own most helpless, and profaned the Holy, such as marriage by redefining it to “include” sexual deviants end up?

The bitterness and disillusionment that has surfaced among many christians only tells us that we have set our hearts upon something other than God’s Kingdom.

We have to guard against hating the “revenge voters”; ie the Obama coalition of illegal immigrants, homosexual activists, Muslims, the envious, racists , socialists, and the immoral who expect productive people to pay for their “birth control”. If we hate them, we deny Christ and become like them.

It is all understandable, after all I don’t want to raise my children in Obama’s America, But here we are! Are we going to live as pilgrims in this world? As christians? Here is our opportunity to “Shine”!

* We should overcome evil with good- I am not going to deny that I do believe that what has happened to America is evil and will have profound ramifications for whatever time is left for us on this planet. We have experienced another coup de tat, (the first one being 4 years ago).

But we must realize that God works in the affairs if men, and His sovereignty is what is driving these events. God doesn’t want us to make this world into our cozy home… He wants us to look for “a city, whose builder and maker is God”.

For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God…By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise…But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.(Hebrews 11:10,18)

Every chance we get we should love our enemies, and seek to do good to them. Certainly we should pray for them, and be prepared to help, because their godless Utopia is doomed to collapse upon them.

* Give place to the Sovereignty of God- Now is the time to remember the teaching of Psalm 37. The assumption is that it actually looks like evil is prevailing and nothing is being done about it! This is extremely demoralizing to many christians, but God often works in such circumstances.

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.(Psalm 37:1-8)

Obama is indeed evil the antithesis of the values of this former Judeo Christian nation, will not always get away with his divisive leadership, his character assassination of the rich, the productive. But the LORD is seeing all of this, and will not ignore it. We have got to believe God!

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.(Proverbs 6)

* Lets realize the times- Jesus told those who came to arrest him, “This is your hour and the power of darkness”. I believe this is true of “the current powers that be”. It is their (brief) time to really prevail and have their way for now, until the Cornerstone comes to crush them at his advent. “The God of peace shall soon crush Satan under your feet”.

It has never been a better time to be a Moslem, or a race pimp, or an anarchist or communist. Enjoy it while you can! They are making gains they never thought possible,for the last Judeo Christian Bastion of worldly power seems to be collapsing now and darkness descends on the earth. The night of Tribulation seems to be approaching.

I don’t see an American superpower in the last days, do you? If anyone does let me know, I have studied scripture for decades and have never seen it. We must decrease. But I am a Christian, I want Jesus to come back! I await the Parousia, more than the retaking of the house and senate! He has promised us a Kingdom, He is coming as you have heard. Maranatha!

http://grassrootsactionalert.com/?CID=7&RID=31025852

Four More Years (What It Means)

From the Desk of Steve Elliott, Grassfire Nation

November 7, 2012

Four more years ... of exile. But there is hope. Please read my thoughts on where we go from here. —Steve

Dear Friend,

I’m writing to you to explain why, even after a late and discouraging evening that stretched past 1:00 a.m. on the East Coast, I was back at the office before 8:00 a.m. this morning.

And why the sinking feeling I felt last night has already been replaced with a deep determination.

And why I’m going out to buy equipment for our new office this afternoon.

And why we are going to build, build, build — despite a stunning and, for me, unexpected defeat.

+ + Let’s Be Clear: We Just Got Pummeled

Before I go on, let’s be clear: last night was a defeat, and I didn’t see it coming. I expected a “Tea Party Wave” — perhaps a 300+ electoral-vote victory for Romney. All the signs seemed to be there. The 2010 elections, the failed recall of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and even the Chick-fil-A Day pointed to a re-shaped political landscape. The polls and crowds made it clear that there was more enthusiasm with Romney.

But that wave never came. The people did not rise up and reject Obama’s statism. Quite the opposite — 15 million fewer people voted, and Romney earned less votes than John McCain did four years ago.

+ + Far Worse Than 2008

Upon reflection, what happened last night was far worse than what happened in 2008. Our first “dance” with Obama was mostly about smoke and mirrors — “hope and change” that was never really defined. For many Americans, Obama 2008 was more an idea, an idealized dream and a collective catharsis from our dark past.

But Obama 2012 was something altogether different because now we know the real Barack Obama. We watched him advance the most radical leftist agenda since at least FDR. We saw him rape and pillage the free market and impose a government takeover of industries. We witnessed him go to foreign nations and apologize for America and then leave our people alone to die in Benghazi.

This time we knew Barack Obama. Yet a majority of American voters said, “More!” The opposition to Obama’s agenda never really showed up at the polls.

We can try to console ourselves by saying it was a close election ... that the leftist media gave Obama the election ... that we couldn’t really expect a Northeastern liberal Republican to be our standard bearer ... that a bizarre hurricane swung the election.

All that may be true.

But it matters little now. And the less time we spend blaming each other or the trickery of the other guys the better.

So here’s why I’m more determined ... why I’m building.

+ + A 2,500-Year-Old Letter Written for Today

I want to share with you a letter that, although 2,500 years old, it could have been written this morning. For us. For faithful patriots who feel like they just discovered they will have to live at least the next four years in exile.

This letter was written to Jewish exiles who had been pushed out of Jerusalem and forced to live under a tyrannical ruler named Nebuchadnezzar.

The exiles wanted one thing: they wanted to be re-established back in Israel. They even had a prophet named Hananiah come to them and tell them that their time of exile would only last two years.

You can read about it in Jeremiah 28.

Hananiah was a false prophet. He died.

And so Jeremiah wrote a letter to the exiles. You’ve probably heard a part of that letter recited many times. It’s one of the most commonly quoted passages in the entire Bible. Unfortunately, this passage is mostly taken out of its proper context and delivered as a “feel good” word that everything is going to be O.K.

One of my friends was quoting this verse yesterday morning:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Those words sound so good. The future is bright. God has a plan for prosperity, for a real hope and a real future. On the eve of the election, it must have meant a Romney win, the GOP takes the Senate and we start the rollback of the Obama regime, right?

Not exactly.

+ + The Plan Was Exile

Here’s the shocking context of Jeremiah 29 (and I offer to you, the context for November 6, 2012): the plan was exile.

That was the “plan” Jeremiah’s letter was talking about. I encourage you to go read all of Jeremiah 29. Here is the immediate context:

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you ...”

The plan was 70 years of exile. Keep that in mind the next time someone quotes Jeremiah 29:11 to encourage you that your time of trouble will soon end. Not only was the exile going to last 70 years, the exile WAS the plan!

If you don’t believe me, go back and read the beginning of the letter, from Jeremiah 29:4. Here you’ll see the Lord (through Jeremiah) giving the Jewish exiles specific instructions on how to conduct themselves in exile:

—Build houses and settle down.

—Plan gardens and eat what they produce.

—Marry and have sons and daughters.

—Marry off your sons and daughters so they can have children.

—Increase in number; do not decrease.

Again, remember the context. A false prophet had just come and said the time of exile would only last two years. That prophet died. The truth is, the people will be in exile for 70 years. And the directive is to build families, grow businesses, think trans-generationally and increase.

+ + Seek the Welfare of the Land

It gets better. Because Jeremiah’s letter makes it clear that building and marrying is not enough. People in exile must do something else — they must be a blessing to the land.

“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

So let’s review. First, the plan is exile. Second, build. Third, bless. Simple, clear instructions.

But why was this important? Why a “plan” for exile with specific instructions on how to act in exile?

Historians tell us it was during the Babylonian captivity that the Israelites moved from a Temple/Jerusalem focused society to a synagogue and community focused society. Simply put ...

It was the lessons learned during their time in exile which enabled the Jews to survive 2,500 years in exile. But not just survive — but to thrive and become the most prosperous, most successful and most innovative people group in the history of civilization.

Exile was the plan.

So that’s why, today, I’m going to build. And I’m going to plant. I’m going to bless. And I’m going to pray.

For that is the final piece to the puzzle ...

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

So let’s get building. Let’s get planting. And let’s get praying. And let’s bless this land. There are lessons to be learned in exile.

Steve Elliott, Grassfire

"resist not evil"

I've been in deep prayer and meditation since I heard of these two announcements yesterday hours apart:

Breaking now-- CIA Director David Petraeus submits resignation [over adultery]
BREAKING: Lockheed Martin CEO-in-waiting Chris Kubasik resigns over "close personal relationship" with subordinate.

I used to work for Lockheed Martin in the 90's. Today is the 237th birthday of the Marines, tomorrow is Veterans Day. Service. Honor. Sacrifice. Country. God. Sin. Judgement.

After seeing your post, I Googled Resist Not Evil - great article for me - I could have used this many years ago...

I had my first spiritual experience at 25 when a woman I was living with announced she was pregnant and demanded I pay for her abortion. It increasingly became a terrible situation and I had to have the police remove her (still pregnant) from my apartment. I went downhill from there and a week later started disassociating and my family thought I was delusional (I said I wanted to marry her and have the baby - God would work it out). They had me committed (I thought I was going to Church) and in the hospital, I had a phenomenal out of body experience - it was like all of the spiritual world was rushing through me at once - I opened my mouth and the sound that came out wasn't human - it shook my soul. I started seeing everything around me as correspondences to the spiritual world - peoples names, numbers, colors, books - especially the Bible. I would fall into trances, just moving along looking and listening - totally detached.

I was diagnosed bi-polar. Sometime later, my boss told me she lied to an auditor about an important issue (she was a VP). I prayed on it and felt I had to go to her boss and tell him. I did and shortly thereafter, they found a way to fire me.

I contacted a headhunter and got an interview at the company my step-father worked at. Many people from Church also worked there - I felt I was so blessed that I got the job there. It was the manufacturing facility for the largest mainframes in the world and my position put me into every area I could imagine and then some - working with brilliant people. I thrived there for several years.

I had a few episodes/spiritual experiences there but everything seemed fine until my boss decided to have an affair. Then used me as an alibi with his wife. Things got bad again and I had to be hospitalized but I was released too soon - I went to a mutual friend (a manager) and asked him how he thought I should proceed. He didn't answer me and took the info to my boss and confronted his (he had his own axe to grind). They couldn't fire me so they started to 'make me quit'. I lost my drivers licence and had to take the train to work - I had to get up at 4am. I was really loaded up on medications and could hardly function anymore. My boss went to my parents and they wouldn't speak to me. I didn't feel the Lord anymore. They said they were now limiting my hospitalization coverage. My life was unraveling at 30.

I decided to commit suicide by an overdose of lithium. Long story short, I should be dead, my level was so high (14). I was in a coma for 10 days and had a near death experience. I saw heaven and the tree of life and found out what I must do.

I woke up paralyzed, unable to speak (I still use a wheelchair). I went through rehab and through a retraining program to make sure I still had my cognitive abilities got a job with a large company whose owner's wife was from my Church. I loved it there - they had very high ethical standards. I did well... left for the west coast and moved back and they rehired me.

Then in 2004, I started to become involved with the election stuff here on FR. I was going full pedal to the medal here and with a high performance job. Add to that I reported to a director who, it was rumored by everyone I knew, was having a "close personal relationship" with subordinate. I wanted to talk to either one of them about it but was forbidden by others (something about sexual harassment). I was let go in 2009 just prior to them shutting their doors. I moved to Kansas, slowed down and found peace.

Here, I learned that I'm not a machine or 'human resource' but more like a field of winter wheat. The Bible came alive to me once I understood how an agricultural community works. I've had a few hospitalizations for medication adjustments and spent a lot of time with soldiers from bases here. I've seen up close and personal what Commander In Chief is doing to people under him. I've cried and ministered with them and them with me. I always try to keep them in my prayers.

I didn't start real repentance in my life until I retired. I didn't trust the Word really in my youth and had a poor understanding - felt I needed to internalize evil to understand it and ended up paying a big price. My Church teaches and I now know that when we repent and being regenerated, we are protected from evil and we are raised up spiritually. Evil becomes powerless to the spiritual person. We can see it's effects on others but not be caught up in it... resist not evil.

I know this was long and highly personal but it's my testimony and witness about how sin is like a cancer. My experience and faith make me pro-life who follows the Ten Commandments.

Blessings,

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.