Thoughts on the Election

Hello Friends,

A thought or two regarding the election:

May the church of Jesus, which is so gullible these days, not get complacent (my Republican friends) or grief-stricken (my Democrat friends). May we all get on our faces and ask God to give us a gracious heavenly awakening that humbles us all and sends us out to love our neighbours. Invite your opposing neighbour over for a BBQ and love them. See them as PEOPLE, not as Dems or Reps. There are beautiful people, Jesus followers, on BOTH sides, who do not understand each other, and this must grieve God. Seek to understand, not to be understood, and beautiful things can happen.

Please may Rep believers not "gloat""Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice" (Prov 24:7) and may Dem believers not be angry and hate the president, but pray for Him. "Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger." (Prov 28:9)

Trump says "Trump will fix it". I get what he means, and pray for success in any GOOD endeavour he attempts, but I think his "it" is different than God's "it". God's "it" has to do with the human heart, and only Jesus can help there, and THAT is the calling of the church. It will provoke God to grief and anger if the carnal church somehow thinks the job is done now. Our job is prayer and evangelism, and loving our neighbour ... and we do very little of both.

(A special word to my Rep friends: If you believe that Trump's win was an act of God's mercy on the USA, very good. But may it lead to HUMILITY and REPENTANCE, not strutting and boasting, for true mercy properly received always humbles, and never puffs up. May it lead to love and respect for others, not arrogance. There is so much pride and arrogance in Reps and Dems, when what is needed is humility and servant-heartedness)

One final thought and then I will shut up! I do have dear friends saying that this is like wicked Israel asking for a king in the days of Samuel. It really is not. It does not translate. Israel was a theocracy, and their request was direct rejection of God, their King. The USA is a Representative Democracy and to vote for a president, whether you do so as a Dem or Rep, is not to reject God, but to obey the law of the land which honours God. BUT! to then gloat when your choice wins and somehow think now the Kingdom will come, or to respond in anger when your choice loses, and hate the person elected and those who voted for him, is in fact to forget that God IS the King, and that does grieve God.

May the Lord Jesus be our only hope and our only focus and ay we all be filled with love for one another. JG