…I made the earth . . . and the people . . . I give it to anyone I please . . .

What is God telling the Jews through Jeremiah?
The answer ?—He is I charge of politics.  And for His purposes He determines who will and who will not be in charge of Governments. As He says elsewhere, He raises up one and puts down another.
Does that mean that we have no say in the matter? Of course not.  We vote.  But, providentially, God so arranges things that our votes achieve His purposes. And His purposes may be to bring tragedy upon an ungrateful nation, as He did upon Israel.
Sometimes the rulers we abhor therefore, are but His judgment, one that we deserve.

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Here, let’s consider only one item—one that may appear insignificant. But it is often of significance to consider how one handles insignificant matters. It usually tells you much about him.

In Nehemiah 5:15c (HCSB) we read,

I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor.

Here, we see a man who cared. The people who had returned to Jerusalem remained a pitiful lot. They were poor, lived among the ruins of a formerly great city, were outcasts among those who lived in the land; their situation was miserable. Nehemiah recognized the fact and cared. Already burdened beyond belief, to take upon themselves a new responsibility, now that the new governor had arrived, would have been almost beyond their ability. Or, so Nehemiah saw it.

So, on his own, he determined not to place an additional burden upon their shoulders. He was entitled to his share of the food allotment that was to be given to him and his officials. But he chose not to enjoy that entitlement. He understood the needs of others and, in effect, determined to identify with them. Here was no pompous person, gobbling up all he can get from others; rather, here was a servant of the Lord who saw his responsibility in that service to stand with—not above—those he served.

What a difference there would be in government today were our officials to adopt a similar attitude. Of course, it would not take the same form that it did with Nehemiah. But to adopt Nehemiah’s attitude would have significant impact. Of interest, in this regard, can you think of five ways in which our officials could refuse to take advantage of those perks that are rightfully theirs for the taking? It might be a challenge to you as well if you should do so.

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As a matter of fact, it was long after, when Constantine wedded the church and the state—for whatever purposes he may have had in mind—that the church began to go downhill. There is something about the church taking the initiative to get mixed up in the state’s business that God doesn’t seem to honor!

In our time, and in our democracy (is it really a republic anymore?), the church seems not to understand this fact. Moreover, it becomes obvious to anyone who has lived 82 years (as I now have) that the seemingly large gains have not turned out to be so large after all—or lasting. Indeed, many of these “gains” in the long run have actually turned out to be losses.

If Christian magazines didn’t have a lot to write about politics in relationship to the church, they’d probably fold for lack of material. After all, is the emphasis of the church today on the right thing? Is the passage (or failure) of a bill in the congress as important as the beginning of a new congregation in Chinatown? As the salvation of a child in Sunday School, in God’s sight? In yours?

Perhaps we need to examine our priorities when it comes to prayer, to the giving of time and money and those long, heated political discussions with others. Where do we put the focus? Where does our money go? With what matters are we concerned to speak over and over again with other people? In other words—what are our priorities? Perhaps our concerns are wrongly placed. Perhaps we should get back to more Bible study, more fellowship around the Word—discussing passages of the Bible with other Christians, and spending more time witnessing to the lost!

Politics is an interesting area (as Citizens we can’t avoid it altogether)—but it can soon overcome us in ways that tend to make us forget who is really in charge of what will happen on earth tomorrow, and in days ahead to our children. Perhaps we should re-focus—making sure that in the lens we see what the Scriptures place up front and center rather than focusing on some other interesting, even vital, topic off to the side. What do you think?

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1. Work less, and therefore mess up the country less. The more congress does, the worse things get.
2. Work like mad and get done all the things that need to be done to turn the country around.

Which would you support?

Frankly, if congress isn’t going to do any better than it has in the past, then let them stay home with their families around the fire roasting marshmallows.

But if, on the other hand, they are going to really bring our country back to the position it was in before the Democrats started ruining it, then work, work, work at it.

Who knows what will happen?  There are new men in Washington. Does that mean new, good ideas—and votes? Or are they going to fall in line, in time, the way it seems politicians all do, and do the country more harm than good?

I don’t know.  But I know one thing—we Christians ought to be much in prayer that the right decision is made with the right effects. Are you grousing about the nation—or praying?

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At any rate, you may think that many of my blogs are written while half asleep. Let me assure you that if there are any blogs like that, they’re probably my very best. But when I write what I’m about to say in this one today, I can tell you, without qualification, that I’m wide awake! And mean every word of it. And I think I know what I’m saying.

The big guns in their big church buildings, housing huge congregations, with millions at their disposal to use for the work of Christ, have largely failed us. How have they used their influence? Like John the Baptizer, have they exposed the sins of politicians, and publically called specific individuals to repentance? To my knowledge, NO! What they have done instead is to shine up to them and from that cozy relationship, befriended them—supposedly—to win them to Christ. How many have been won? How have our policies in this country been affected by them for good? Who, in this country of any stature, is openly calling them to repentance? You know the answers.

“But the tea party has made a difference! Maybe something good is happening.” Why did it take a motley bunch of upset people to bring about some welcome changes? Why wasn’t it preachers, and Christian leaders all over the country are proclaiming the truth in such a way that was the reason why the country’s policies are changing? Why did it take the tea party to do what it has done—a welcome phenomenon in God’s providence—but which can have only temporary results because, there was no change of hearts accompanied it and constituted the difference? People were not elected because they were Christians and wanted to turn the anti-Christian tide that is quickly flowing in upon our shores; they were elected by force. Because people wanted conservatism—not because people wanted to see Christ honored, and believing politicians turning the country toward His ways. Why is it that the church—so potentially powerful that it is—has spoken so weakly? We don’t need health and wealth preaching. We don’t need big church, big tent thinking. We don’t need more photo ops of well-known preachers holding hands with fornicating, God-despising, baby-aborting advocates in the Senate and House. What we need are some fearless men who have the clout (as John did) to exercise it by publically calling specific persons to repentance. Will it ever happen? Or will our country continue to drift downstream? Will we continue to offend God so egregiously as we have been doing that we can look forward to nothing but judgment?

At the beginning of this article, I spoke of falling asleep. I tried to indicate something of the stupidity and confusion that results from doing so by punching in nonsense letters. Perhaps instead of a long line of “m’s” I should have used “Zs.” The church does seem asleep to its duty to call men and women to repentance and to faith in Jesus Christ. We need change—but it has to be change that God approves since it glorifies Him. Judgment, throughout history, has been the result of continued, unabated sin in which the prophets call “peace, peace,” when there is no peace. Are there any prophets afoot today in this land? If so, what is their message? The thing to be feared is to think that a change in government toward more conservative politics will lead to even greater lethargy on the part of believers, who will be satisfied with it. We can thank God for what He is doing to bring about policies more in line with the individual’s welfare, but the danger is that we will be satisfied with it.

Instead, let’s continue the movement that has begun in this land—certainly! But let’s also do all we can to influence those who will take over the government to bring Christ and His principles to bear upon what they do and say. Let’s call for change that comes from repentance!

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God was incensed that these things happened, ”roared from Zion,” and sent a southern, country boy to the North to warn them that He was going to destroy the land by the invasion of a people from far beyond Damascus. Because they refused to heed the last warning that He issued through Amos, the disaster soon came. The Assyrians swept down from the North, devastated the land, and utterly destroyed the countryside, the temple, the palace, and the city, rolling the massive stones of the latter down the hill. Women who had lived in drunken revelry, were literally (as archeological reliefs show) led captive by fishhooks implanted in their lips, and the few men who survived were sold into slavery in far away lands. But they constituted a slim remnant. Unlike the later deportation of the Southern kingdom where there were three sizeable returns to their land after their later exile, the remnant of the ten tribes (which were never “lost’) dribbled back in small groups, especially during the 270-year period following the reconstruction of the city of Jerusalem, when the 70 year period of Babylonian captivity was over. They became incorporated into the tribe of Judah (as the presence of Anna, of the tribe of Asher in New Testament times shows; Luke 2: 36). And from the time of their incorporation into the tribe of Judah, they—as all Israel from then on—were called “Jews,” a name derived from the word Judah.

The book of Amos is a book of doom! It is worth reading in a time like our own, when our country is quickly slipping into many of the same sinful practices found in ancient Samaria. The wealth of the period was immense—ivory inlay in beds and other furniture has been found, with sheets of ivory stored to be used for such purposes in the future—just as the Book of Amos describes. The totally illegitimate priesthood, of course, was incensed by the preaching of this country bumpkin, and ordered Amos to return to Tekoa, his own land. But Amos preached on, predicting the destruction of those who opposed—as happened (members of the faux high priest’s family were killed along with him, and his wife became a harlot). God devastated the land, which was never satisfactorily rebuilt. Today, a little village remains, along with a nearly-defunct religious group called Samaritans, all that is left of the “Samaritans” of Jesus’ day who were of foreign extraction deported from other lands.

Why am I writing such things? As a simple warning to those few who will read this blog, urging them to repent on behalf of the nation, implore God for help, and serve Him as never before. There may yet be time before God pours out His wrath upon an ungrateful nation that possesses so much and yet cares so little—about others and about God! Amos commented on the false perception of the Israelites who expected God to intervene, and destroy all of their enemies in a great “Day of the Lord.” Instead, said Amos, I’ll teach you what the Day of the Lord really will be—a day of gloom and destruction all right, but not for your enemies–for you! God is coming in judgment for sure, so “Prepare to meet your God!”

But they would not listen. No one stood in the gap and, thereby, stayed the hand of God through repentance and prayer. In today’s growingly grim situation, will you?

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