Posted on 04/24/2018 9:53:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24)
The verse refers to money, but in light of today's debate about the unaccountable devotion many Christian leaders have for President Trump it is not a stretch to apply it to their relationship with him.
Last week at Wheaton College in Illinois a number of Christian pastors and leaders gathered to discuss the future of "evangelicalism" in the Trump era. Some who were not there claimed it was a forum for Trump-bashing, some who were in attendance disagreed.
There is a conceit among some conservative Christians that God is only at work when a person they voted for is elected and that the rest of the time He must be attending to other countries. "God showed up," said Franklin Graham following Trump's election. Scripture states that all authority comes from God and that "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water; he turns it wherever he wants."(Proverbs 21:1)
That means that God also must have "shown up" when Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and every other president was elected. The Almighty does, in fact, have a different agenda than us earthlings and sometimes He puts up leaders to judge people for their wicked behavior.
Long ago I stopped answering people's questions about my denominational background for at least two reasons. The first is that I don't want to be defined by a label, the meaning of which can mean different things to different people. The second reason is that I don't want to be aligned with various causes and movements (spare me from movements) that have little or nothing to do with the God in whom I believe.
Which brings me to today's "evangelicals." If you do not identify as one, or if you are secular, can you define the term without a Google search? Probably not, but the word has invaded the culture much like "born again" (usually in quotes in newspaper stories) in the '70s when Jimmy Carter publicly pronounced his second birth.
Evangelicals mostly voted for the church-going Carter in 1976, though not in 1980, preferring instead the non-church-going Ronald Reagan. I understand. It was more about policy than piety.
That brings me back to the debate within evangelical circles as to whether President Trump deserves the support, even adulation, even fawning, of some in their tribe.
I will leave that for now to those debating the issue and ask a more important question. What would happen in our culture and especially in our politics if all of those who call themselves evangelicals began obeying the commands of Jesus of Nazareth?
As I read the Scriptures, which evangelicals believe are infallible and inerrant, both Testaments place obedience as a top priority for believers.
If God is supreme and Jesus is Savior, doesn't it follow that their commands and teachings should be paramount?
There is no expectation, much less any command, for believers to prop up a fallen world through government. It's quite the opposite. What would be the world's perception of evangelicals if they started obeying the commands of their true leader? Those commands are to love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, feed the hungry (that's personal, not government), clothe the naked, visit those in prison and care for widows and orphans.
Yes, some do these things, but not enough. Today, "evangelicals" are perceived by many as one more interest group attached to the Republican Party and especially President Trump. Its members need to make a choice as to which one is their true "master." They can't serve both.
So Cal, you seem to be saying that unless the perfect Christian runs for president then evangelicals can’t vote for or support anyone.
I’ve never met someone who wasn’t a sinner.
That being said, as a Christian, I am hard-pressed to find anything about Trump which I consider objectionable. He’s not perfect. Big deal.
Wearing a blue shirt or going bowling?
Submission to Governing Authorities
13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
Trump has his faults and may not be overly religious, but should be a welcome relief for evangelicals from Obama’s pro Muslim secularism or Hillary’s abortion loving pro gay atheism.
No question the EV community is leaning unashamedly pragmatic with Trump. Christians are ignoring that he is a profane adulterer and kissing his hand.
The alternative was Hillary advancing Obama’s agenda and a judiciary stacked with Bolsheviks.
History will likely condemn the Evangelicals for being myopic.
Where does that leave our founding fathers?
Who does Cal Thomas “follow” as far as Presidential would-be’s? How perfect is Ted Cruz? I saw enough of the man during the primaries to know he’s not cut out for the Presidency. He’s not sinless either, none of us are, not Cal Thomas and not any human being who has walked the face of this earth since Adam other than Jesus Christ himself. Flawed sinner that he is, Donald Trump is the President and he’s the only Republican who could possibly have withstood the gauntlet to which he’s been subjected. God knows I’n sick of this smug conjecturing.
I would not marry Trump. I would not have Trump as my pastor.
However, it was an easy choice to vote for him over Hillary.
Abba Father YHWH is sovereign. He defined the end from the beginning. Your free will ends when you bump up against His plan. The 2016 US Presidential Election is encoded in the Book of Deuteronomy. Let that sink in. Seth Rich Murder is in that matrix. Let that sink in. Hillary is corrupt was the key to that matrix. Let that sink in.
I wonder how many Evangelicals Vote for Democrats wh0o have a Party Platform that has no recognition of God Almighty and support On Demand Abortion up to the moment of Birth?
Is there some Study out there that every Christian in this Country is a Registered Republican?
Are they saying that it would have been better for all Christians to stay home and let Hillary be elected president of the US?
This is ridiculous!
We don’t elect Presidents for spiritual leadership, or as the example for moral behavior.
Presidents are elected for POLICY decisions.
Which of Hillary’s anticipated policy decisions do these ignorant whiners say they would prefer over those made by Trump?
Maybe cal should stop following his master - the washington media and fake news..
The premise of this article is horrible. You can be a Christian and support a secular leader, who is himself a demonstrated Christian.
Lol! What the heck? This is a great verse when it comes to people supporting the democrats. Why? Because the democrats support and advocate sin, like Homosexuality (Romans 1). They also generally promote abortion, promiscuity, and coveting other people’s money. Supporting them is much more akin to supporting the ‘World’.
This article is way backwards.... supporting policies says more than ‘supporting a person’.
Hear, hear. And as an evangelical Christian, I will add Amen!
Who is still active? Roy Reinhold was the best and he’s stopped publishing, shortly after 9/11. Direct me to that matrix I want to see it.
Quite a silly argument.
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