Politics, Pastors and Business as Usual Part 2

The Wake-up Herald

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13:11-14

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Robert McCurry, Editor & Publisher
August 23, 2012
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"Politics, Pastors and Business as Usual
Part 2

by Robert McCurry

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." (Proverbs 29:2).

This truth is summarized by the prophet Jeremiah:   

“For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy they do not judge. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jeremiah 5:26-31)

Proper civil government is to conform to God’s Word. This is one reason why the Christian faith was a prerequisite for holding public office in colonial America. Eleven of the 13 colonies required faith in Jesus Christ and The Bible as basic qualifications for holding public office.

‘Piety and the fear of God is the prime and principal qualification in those who sit in chief places of authority,' insisted Joseph Belcher, in a sermon delivered in 1701. In New Hampshire, until 1877, state senators and representatives were required to be of the 'Protestant religion.’

God specifies the qualifications of the men delegated to positions of civil authority. Because successful government moves from internal to external through the several spheres of government—self, family, civil—we may conclude that the qualifications for success at the inner levels are prerequisites for success in civil leadership. The civil magistrate is called the "deacon of God" in Romans 13:4. Qualifications of elders and deacons are detailed in I Timothy 3:1-13. They include commitment to the marriage covenant, temperance, hospitality, gentleness, and dignity.

It is impossible for a government to function in a God-fearing fashion apart from the direction of godly men. In the Old Testament the required qualifications for civil government leadership are listed as wisdom, understanding, ability, fear of God, honesty, experience and freedom from covetousness (Deut. 1:13 & Ex. 18:21). Only a people of firm Christian character will properly value and approve such men for public office. 

Interestingly, the ‘Christian faith prerequisite for holding public office in colonial America’ was replaced by the No Religious Test Clause of the United States Constitution and is found in Article VI, Paragraph 3:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

This has been interpreted to mean that no federal employee, whether elected or appointed, career or political, can be required to adhere to or accept any religion or belief.

Today’s non Christian politics

    • Barack Obama—Muslim; President Obama has been the most pro-baby killing, pro-homosexual president in the history of this nation! He is the first president to endorse same-sex marriage.

 

    • Joe Bidden—Catholic; And how important is religion to Joe Biden? In Promises to Keep, Joe Biden wrote about the importance of religion:"My idea of self, of family, of community, of the wider world comes straight from my religion. It's not so much the Bible, the beatitudes, the Ten Commandments, the sacraments, or the prayers I learned. It's the culture." (Joe Biden, Promises to Keep, 2007)

 

    • Paul Ryan—Catholic

 

  • Mitt Romney—Mormon;Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney told Cathedral Age, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. Every religion has its own unique doctrines and history." Trouble is, the Mormon ‘god’ and the Jehovah God of biblical Christianity are not the same; the Mormon ‘Jesus Christ’ and the Jesus Christ of biblical Christianity are not the same. Mormons believe that their founder, Joseph Smith, "restored" the true church on earth beginning in the 1820’s.

Robert Jeffress, the pastor of the First Baptist Church in downtown Dallas, an influential congregation within the Southern Baptist Convention, said the Mormon Church is a cult and stated that Mr. Romney “is not a Christian.” He later expressed surprise at the stir his comments created, saying that his view of the Mormon Church is widely held by evangelicals. “This isn’t news,” he said. “This idea that Mormonism is a theological cult is not news either. That has been the historical position of Christianity for a long time.”

Islam, Catholicism and Mormonism are not Christian religions.

‘Political salvation’ is a mirage and quicksand

The last fifty years of America’s political history proves that the only real difference between either of the major political parties is their rhetoric; the end result of their practice is the same.

No political party or platform, however conservative or moral it may claim to be, can save us. No politician, however articulate and persuasive he may be, can save us. No legislation, however ‘constitutional’ it may be, can save us. Salvation—personal and national—is of the Lord. Our trust must be only in the true Jehovah God. He alone is wise enough, powerful enough, pure enough, and competent to save and deliver us. He alone gives the victory and He alone is to be praised.

God’s Word and political folly

“Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov 14:34). Sin is the transgression of God’s law. God’s warnings are clear. The wages of sin is death. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psa 9:17).

Wake-up, Pastors! Wake-up, Christians!

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The Wake-Up Herald is published by Robert McCurry. The publication is designed to exalt the true God of the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ, and inform, inspire, and challenge its readers regarding biblical truth and real-life issues. The contents are the sole responsibility of Robert McCurry and do not represent or speak for or on behalf of any other person or group. There is no subscription charge. The publication is a ministry of faith dependent on the contributions of its readers. Contributions are not tax-deductible. Send all correspondence to: Robert McCurry,605 Moore Rd, Newnan, GA 30263 or herbap@aol.com Remove? Send reply with “remove” in Subject line