The Values for which I will stand, pray, & speak

 
A dear & greatly respected friend has been corresponding with me about my Facebook posts.  He feels my posts are "hateful" and "bitter."  I don't agree.  I do not FEEL hateful or bitter towards anyone.  But my discussion with him caused me to realize that others who may disagree with me may see my posts differently than me, and I admit that I did actively work against the re-election of President Obama.  Now, after the election, I still find myself wanting to speak up for the same causes.   The truth is, I am much more issue-oriented than I am personality oriented.  I spent some time praying about this, asking God to guide me in future posts and to show me anywhere where I was wrong in what I posted.  I admit that I might have passed some potentially offensive posts in my zeal to see America go in a different direction.  As a result, I decided to think through and write down in firm form the values I will speak up about, and the kinds of posts I will not make or pass on.  Since I first wrote this on Facebook, I've added a couple of other things, & I'll continue to do so as God brings more to my mind.  For now, this are my own private rules.  They apply not only to Facebook, but to all public discussions.  Also, I am glad to say that I have many friends who disagree with me, some of them on almost every point below.  I still value them as friends and respect their right to make their own choices.  But for me, I have to speak up for the values that matter to me.  Some will see that I did not list my obvious interest in helping African children, fighting child trafficking & slavery.  I am trying to keep this as short as possible, & I feel those interests naturally flow out of the second point.  My support for the value & dignity of human life reaches far further than abortion, although that is included.  It is that core value which causes much of the ministry for which I, and Every Child Ministries, have become known.  Well, here are my values & private rules.  It might be interesting for others to do something similar.

THE VALUES FOR WHICH I WILL STAND, PRAY, AND SPEAK

Testimonies that honor my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and encourage other Christians.

 

The unique, innate value & dignity of human life as created in the image of God from conception until natural death.

Respect for all people as created in the image of God whether or not I agree with their views, decisions or lifestyles. This respect not to be interpreted as approval of their choices.

 

Respect for people’s right to make their own choices, up to the point those choices do not infringe on the life or right of another human being.

 

Religious freedom for all & discussion of ways we should react when those views are threatened or ignored.

Human sexuality, marriage and family as God created them to be & as a standard towards which we should strive.

Support for the nation of Israel to exist and to defend that right.

Exposing the progress of the imposition of Shariah law in non-Islamic countries.

Exposing the increasing persecution of Christians and speaking out as their voice.

Financial responsibility including minimizing debt, spending resources wisely for the good of all, and emphasizing programs that empower people to stand on their own and not to become permanently dependent on government.

Limited powers of government and strict, literal interpretation of our founding documents.

Truthfulness, transparency, and normal use of words without reinterpretation and doublespeak. Accountability from public officials and cultural spokespeople.

Factual exposés related to the above principles.

Prayer for all elected & appointed officials.

 

WHAT I WILL NOT SAY OR PASS ON

 

 Name calling and nastiness or villainizing of entire groups or political parties.

Nit-picking not related to the above principles.

 

Anything that just complains or expresses anger about those with opposing views without contributing in a positive way to the discussion.

Complaints & demands for recounts related to the election.• Respect for all people as created in the image of God whether or not I agree with their views, decisions or lifestyles. This respect not to be interpreted as approval.

 

 

Post Election Blues

My heart is heavy and sad today.  I'm not scared, not desperate.  I know God is on the throne and sovereign over all.  I know God is still the same as He was before the election of Barack Obama to a second term.  Ultimately, I trust in Him.

But I am sober, somber.  I know that this nation has made a huge mistake--not because they elected a Democrat and not a Republican, but because they elected a man who claims to be a Christian and yet spits in the face of so very many Biblical ideas and principles, even things as basic as respect for all human life and what marriage is.  That's why I decided to take an open stand against him on Facebook, even realizing I could lose a friend and the mission could lose support. 

America has been moving away from God for some time.  Obama did not start the engine rolling downhill.  But his policies and the principles he openly espouses are like stepping on the gas full speed ahead.  His polcieis and principles mock God and His Word. 

As I thought about the election, I can't help but think of the Bible account of when the children of Israel wanted a king, so they could be like all the nations around them.  God said no, He was to be their king.  But they kept insisting.  God warned them pointedly what would happen if they got a king.  He would make them poor with heavy taxes.  He would enslave their children to serve him.  But they still insisted.  So God let them have their own way, and they suffered all the consequences God had warned them about.  (I Kings 8)

I think about Romans 1:24, 26 & 28, where the Bible says "God gave them up" because "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge." 

Is God at the point of giving America up?  Has He done so already?  I can't say for sure, but I do know we are headed in that direction, in a steep downhill race, picking up steam, going faster and faster.  There is a huge cliff ahead, but we show no signs of stopping or slowing down.  I knew before the election we were close to that point if we haven't reached it yet.

I feel we have crossed a line, and there may be no return. 

Of course, I know God can bring us back if we turn from our sin and seek His face, but I also see that when we insist on going our own way, God's judgment often comes in the form of giving us up--simply withdrawing His grace and letting us eat the fruit of our own ways.

My mood tonight reminds me of one of our most difficult nights in Congo.  The army was in mutiny and was systematically pillaging and destroying sections of the city of Kinshasa.  We were staying at a friend's home and they were not able to get back because the streets were unsafe and volatile.  We could hear gunfire in the background.  We heard that the soldiers were coming to loot the neighborhood where we were staying.  They had planned to do so that very night.  There was no way to get out and nowhere to go.  We felt that we might die that night.  We gathered the African guard and workers who were there.  Together we knelt on the veranda and committed our lives to God.  I remember that tears streamed down our faces as we faced the fact that we could be in our last hours on earth.  It was a sober, somber time.  Yet the most amazing peace filled my heart.  I knew that if the soldiers killed me, I would be with Jesus.

That's the sense I feel right now.  Sober.  Somber,  Realizing that we are in awesome and imminent danger as a nation.  Yet still knowing that Jesus is with us.  Nothing can separate us from Him and His love.

The future?  It's not looking bright right now as far as this life goes.  It's looking very serious for our grandchildren.  Yet Jesus is with those who love Him, and we know we are on the winning side in the end.   Lord, let me experience the reality of that in even greater measure!