Making Deals With the Enemy

 NOTICE: If you do not believe in marriage as between a man and a woman, you may not want to read this.  You have been warned that the information here is based on traditional marriage and does not approve of same-sex marriage. 

  And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.  And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.  Josh 9:14-15

 In the 9th chapter of the book of Joshua we read where Israel is continuing their campaign to posses the Land of Canaan.  They are about to make war on six nations that the LORD has commanded to be destroyed for their immorality and idolatry. The wickedness of these six nations had exceeded the mercy of the LORD.  The problem was the enemy they were facing was more deceitful than they realized and they would soon pay the price for their failure to consult the LORD on this matter. 

 The six nations got together to form an alliance against Israel, however, the people of Gibeon made the decision to opt out of the alliance and try to save their skin by using a more subtle method. They planned to deceive the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them and their plan was based on information they had somehow gleaned about Israel’s military policy in relation to nations that were not part of the nearby nations of Canaan. According to Deuteronomy the Israelites were to destroy all these six nations, sparing none, however, according to Deut 20:10-20 Israel were allowed to offer peace treaties with other nations who lived ‘at a distance from them’. And so the leaders of Gibeon decided to deceive the Israelites into thinking that they represented the people of a nation from ‘a distant land’ and on that basis to seek to negotiate peace terms. And so in verses 3-13 you have the record of how they went about this deception. They got together a delegation of men and made them up in such a way as to appear as though they had been travelling for a long time from a distant country. They put the oldest, most worn out sacks they could find over their donkeys and filled the sacks with dry moldy old bread. They gave them old cracked wineskins and made the men in the delegation wear old worn out clothes. Then they worked out a convincing little story that they would tell the Israelites, about how they came from a country far away and how they had heard about the mighty things their God had done in Egypt and to the Kings on the other side of the Jordan and because of what they had heard about them and about their great God they wanted to make a peace treaty with them. It was a great idea. But would it work?

Well as we read through the narrative we discover that it did work. Joshua and the leaders were somewhat cautious at first as we see from v 7. Responding to their initial request for peace by saying ‘but perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?’ They were nevertheless taken in both by what they heard and by what they saw. The men from Gibeon had a story that sounded so convincing. And there was plenty of evidence to back up what they were saying. It appeared that they had indeed come from a distant country and this being the case they could and should make a peace treaty with them. And so Joshua and the leaders of the people took the decision to do so. The problem of course was that things were not what they appeared. Joshua and the leaders had been taken in. They had been deceived. And the reason they had been deceived was because they took this decision without consulting the Lord. They worked solely on the basis of human wisdom, of carnal reasoning. They thought, ‘well the story sounds very plausible, we have no reason to doubt the honesty of these people and after all the evidence was there for all to see’ This seemed the sensible thing to do. But no matter how sensible and right their reasoning and their subsequent decision seemed to be to them, the fact of the matter was it was a wrong decision and a wrong course of action. It wasn’t that Joshua and the leaders failed to use their brains, they asked questions, they looked at the evidence, they weighed up the situation and so on. But what they didn’t do was bring the matter to God and seek his guidance. Look at those words in v 14 “the men of Israel…did not inquire of the Lord.” Maybe they thought, ‘there is no need to inquire of the Lord about this matter, it’s so obvious that these people are telling the truth. It’s obvious what we should do. No need to take this to the Lord.

As a result of this impetuous decision that was based solely on faulty reasoning they in effect not only allowed an enemy that should have been destroyed off the hook, but also allowed the enemy into their camp. It was a mistake, a foolish mistake, and Joshua and the people had to live with the consequences of their mistake and all because they didn’t seek guidance from God on the matter. They took a hasty decision about an important matter, based solely upon their own powers of human reasoning and without seeking clear guidance from God, and they got it wrong. If only they had taken the time to bring the matter before God. 

Christians must beware of falling into the same trap into which Joshua and his fellow leaders fell. We need to guard against making decisions in our life without first seeking God’s guidance and God’s will in the matter. To make hasty decisions based solely upon the fruit of our own reasoning - logical, and sensible as that reasoning may indeed appear at the time will bring us misery down the road.

One area in which the Church has for several years now allowed the enemy to enter into the camp of the Church and an enemy that is proving as deceitful as the men of Gibeon and is out to destroy the Church is the LGBT community.

Evangelical leaders are trying to make a “treaty” with the enemy. After the U.S. Supreme Court gave federal recognition to gay marriages, several evangelicals responded by urging like-minded Christians to be more sensitive towards the gay and lesbian community.  For those outside conservative Christianity, this may not seem significant, but it's a notable change for Christians who believe their faith requires them to challenge same-sex relationships.  The enemy will not show tolerance toward the Church when they gain acceptance of the leadership of the church.  This has been proven by the actions of the mayor of Houston. 

The Mayor of Houston (a lesbian) tramples the U.S. Constitution by demanding five pastors turn over their sermons and private communication between the pastor and the congregation. And so begins the day of battle, where the institutions of this world have plagued the minds of this generation and trampled everything the Church holds true.

We like to believe the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment is at the top of the Bill of Rights because the freedoms it protects are the most important. It says, rather bluntly, that the government can't interfere with freedom of speech or religion. Apparently, when it comes to violating the Constitution, the city of Houston decided to try for a two for one. Why violate one constitutional right listed in the First Amendment when you can violate two at the same time?

In subpoenaing sermons and emails from five ministers in the city's church, Houston decided to violate the ministers' rights to both speech and religion. It issued the subpoenas over a lawsuit filed to force a referendum on the city's new nondiscrimination ordinance.

The enemies of the Church have been fond of pointing to the "separation of church and state" invoked by the U.S. Supreme Court when it banned prayer in public schools. That separation should exist, but not as much to keep the church out of the state's business as to keep the state out of the church's business.

A civil authority compelling religious leaders to turn over the contents of their sermons is a violation of religious liberty. The Constitution clearly prohibits it. Would the people of in your church feel comfortable with your pastor sending some government official private communications between you and your pastor?  If city officials want to know what's said from the pulpit, then attend services. These days, most likely, they could even watch the sermons streaming online.

Of course, that's really not the crux of what's going on here. Subpoenaing political speech pointed at a government action or criticizing a government official is clearly an intimidation tactic intended to have a chilling effect on that speech. That is nothing short of tyranny.

What is disconcerting is the fact that Christians endorsed Parker for mayor.  Why would any Christian support Parker?   They were making a “treaty” that would later bring misery to them, just as the men from Gibeon brought misery to Joshua.  

Let me be clear before you think I am picking and choosing what sins are not acceptable and those that are acceptable. I am opposed to brother and sister marrying- incest it is wrong. I am opposed to older men marrying a child as allowed by Islam-it is wrong. I am opposed to a man marrying more than one wife- as allowed by some branches of the Mormon Church. I am opposed to same sex couples marrying which is opposed by the Bible. I am opposed to adultery and premarital sex which is plaguing  the Church.  I find these sins of immorality  just as evil and destructive to the Church as the LGBT community.  It was the total of all these sins that brought judgment on the Canaanites.

 Do not make yourselves unclean in any of these ways because that is how the nations that I am throwing out before you became unclean. ²⁵ That is also how the land became unclean, and I held it liable for punishment, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. ²⁶ But all of you must keep my rules and my regulations. You must not do any of these detestable things, neither citizen nor immigrant who lives with you (²⁷ because the people who had the land before you did all of these detestable things and the land became unclean), ²⁸ so that the land does not vomit you out because you have made it unclean, just as it vomited out the nations that were before you. ²⁹ Anyone who does any of these detestable things will be cut off from their people. ³⁰ You must keep my requirement of not doing any of the detestable practices that were done before you arrived so that you don’t make yourselves unclean by them; I am the Lord your God.

For years I have heard the gay community ask the question, If we want to marry, how does it hurt you?  Let me ask the same question to the LGBT community, If Christians don’t approve of your behavior, how does it hurt you?  I have never advocated the beheading of gays and lesbians as carried out by Islam or advocated violence, name-calling or putting all gays and lesbians in prison, or denying them the freedom to speak.  I have never advocated the firing of a gay or lesbian, nor have I tried to destroy their businesses.  It is this simple, I oppose sin of any nature, not just the LGBT community.  I oppose drug abuse, sex abuse, child abuse, elder abuse and feel they are just as evil as the LGBT community.  My problem is that the LGBT community wants me to accept their actions and life-style without allowing me the same consideration.  They bring law suits against those who will not perform same sex marriages, they try to destroy the business of those who refuse to condone their life-style, they force their belief on those who disagree with them, and they use corrupt judges to change the law to allow them to practice their immorality.

 Christians have failed to see that the LGBT community has hijacked marriage and is now forcing the Church to accept and condone same sex marriage as legitimate, even though marriage between a man and woman has traditionally been the only spiritual ceremony in the Church for thousands of years. 

The same standard that the LGBT community is insistent on to be respected and they are demanding from Christians, is not given to Christians who oppose their life-style.  The LGBT community opposes Christian’s freedom to speak out against a life-style that we feel is immoral.  They have no problem encroaching on our freedom of speech and religion as shown by the lesbian mayor of Houston when she demanded that the five pastors who spoke against her ordinance.  Where is the tolerance in her actions?

The American people have supported traditional marriage in every electoral battle over same-sex marriage.  The gay community has won it victories in the courtroom by corrupt judges who twist the words of the state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution.  The tolerance of the Christian community towards the gay community has not been reciprocal in nature. Yes, I am aware there are those on both sides of this issue that have no problem resorting to violence to prove their point of view, just because you feel you are right dose not justify violence.  Often, the violence against a LGBT individual is carried out by non-Christians and then associated with the Christian community.  Any one restoring to violence against those who do not accept the teaching Jesus Christ cannot be called a Christian.  These individuals are as wrong as the sin they protest against. 

The gay community has every right to oppose those who speak against them and Christians have every right to speak out against the actions of the gay community. That's freedom of religion and freedom of speech. But let's stop pretending that the Christians are intolerant while the gay community is not. Every week you can find where a same sex couple has sued those who will not accept their way of life.  Maybe Christians should start suing those who infringe upon our rights and freedom.

The church has allowed the world to make a treaty with those who are out to destroy not only the message of the Gospel but the Church as an institution against the moral decline of this nation. When will Christians realize that you cannot make deals with the devil and not become like him?  The tolerance of sin leads to the acceptance of sin which leads to condoning the sin and the final stage is openly practicing that sin.  This is apostasy and is the very direction our country is head.  This is the reason the LORD commanded Israel not to become as the nations around them.

I do not hate or wish to bring misery on those who have accepted a life-style that is different than mine, I pray that they may find the way to salvation and accept the gift of that Jesus Christ died to give them—freedom from the bondage of sin.  I pray that the Church understands that we are in war against evil and that we cannot make treaties with the devil or allow our own reasoning to override the wisdom of the LORD.

The War of Islam Against The World

First, let me say I am not an expert in the Muslim religion, what I know is from observation and the reading of their teachings. I have not been instructed by one of their teachers, so I admit to not knowing what Islam is all about. (Although, many practicing Muslims cannot tell me what Islam is all about.)  I can only judge a belief system by the actions of its followers.  So, if you find my observations are offensive  stop parading the evil actions for the whole world to see and give us something that is different from what is posted on the Intranet or the nightly news.

It is sad to think that this past week another family must deal with the death of a loved one, from those who desire to dominate the entire world and bring all unbelievers into submission or death.

  The last victim of the “Religion of Peace” was Alan Henning. Here is a man who worked for a Muslim charity under the false pretense that he would be protected from the Islamic jihadist. His acts of kindness toward the Muslims were met with hatred and violence that ended in him being beheaded. This action of brutality and murder has become the calling card of the true Islam.  

  What amazes me is how can our elected leader here in America can be so naive to believe that they can deal with a political and religious group that has no value for human life?  How can our leaders deal with a group of people who believe that they (Muslims) are not to make friends with Jews and Christians and to kill the disbeliever? This is part of their belief system not some random act committed by a rouge element of Islam.  How are non-believing Muslims supposed to accept Muslims when we are considered the Pagans who are to be killed, crucified, beheaded or have our hands and feet cut off?

  I listen to elected officials who act like the only solution to the problem of Islam is to act like the Muslims-- kill every jihadist by recruiting jihadist to fight jihadist.  All we need to do is look how the last ten years have gone. The jihadists are not on the run, they are bigger and stronger than ever and openly beheading people--even here in America!

  Alan was nicknamed "Gadget" for his love for new technology, he was not a professional aid worker but friends and colleagues said he was touched by the suffering of Syria's civilian population. He joined a group of Muslims who he considered friends that had founded the charity "Rochdale Aid4Syria" and traveled to Syria.

  Here was a man, who was a non-Muslim, helping Muslims who were in need of medical equipment and food.  You would think that would count for something. Yet, even those he was working with (Muslims) trying to help them, gave him a hard time because he was not a Muslim; still he felt the need to help. His problem was he did not understand the Muslim religion. “When you meet the unbelievers, strike the necks…” (Qur’an 47:4). After he was captured he told other captives that he would not be harmed because he was an aid worker. How wrong he was in thinking he was just an aid worker—he was an unbeliever.

  Our elected leaders are just as ignorant in thinking that they can stop the evil of the Islamic State by arming rebel Muslims. As we have seen in the past few months those who were against ISIS have now joined ISIS. How can our government leaders justify arming rebels who chop off heads, kill and rape women and children, bomb subways, buses, night clubs, and fly jets into building? These are the same people who believe that America is the Great Satan and should be destroyed. These Muslims would not feel regret for the death of our children, the beheading of those they consider unbelievers, or the total destruction of our way of life.

  No, I am not a hater of the people who have been deluded by the evil religion of Islam. It is however, difficult for me to understand a religion that will kill those who do not believe in their brand of “religion”. It is also difficult for me to understand how our government leaders expect to defeat a political and religious entity that has world domination as their goal and the total destruction of our way of life. Islam cannot be managed, cannot be controlled, and is an entity that has no regard for human life.  

 The Muslims cannot be trusted. A religion that allows believers to lie to unbelievers is not a religion of integrity.  I have no problem giving people the benefit of the doubt but when it comes to safety of my family, the security of my nation and the future of American, I will look hard at those who are Muslim.  When I know Muslims are allowed under their religion to lie, I cannot trust what they say and do.  When lying is a basic tenet of a religion (Al-taqiyya) how can they be trusted?  I do not believe Muslims are liars by nature, they are liars by choice, by doctrine and belief.  Any religion that advocated lying is evil by nature.  Muslims lie when it is in their interest to so and their god "Allah" will not hold them accountable for lying when it is beneficial to the cause of Islam.  They can lie without guilt or fear of retribution from their god.  A lie in defense of Islam is approved and even applauded in their "holy" books.

The concealment of a truth is not an abandonment of truth if it benefits Islam.  Muslims may appear very sincere; in fact, they are sincere, when they lie for their own protection or in the cause of Islam--they have permission to lie. I am well aware that there are Christians who lie as well and lack integrity, but never are they given permission by the LORD to do so.  The LORD does not promote lying and commands against it, however, a Muslim has no guilt since the Koran and Hadith allow for this deception.

So, the question I must ask is, why would someone want to help a group of people who are never honest in their dealing with those who are unbelievers?  My heart goes out to the family of Alan Henning. Here was a man, who trusted those who claim to be a religion of peace, yet, to show their gratefulness for his service of charity and kindness they beheaded him as an enemy.

The very foundation of Islam is evil and will never be defeated by offering charity and kindness.  This is a religion that is void of mercy and love.  Islam is a religion that kills its own children, rapes its own women, and destroys all that is good--it is a religion that cannot be trusted.

At the news of Henning's death there were several Muslim leaders who spoke out against the depravity of his beheading, but knowing that their doctrine allows lying, how can they be trusted?  How do we know they are actually telling the truth?  Are they saying these things because they know the anger of the "unbelievers" will bring wrath down upon them for this horrible act?  Are they only protecting their own lives and standing in the community by acting like this is a horrible act?

 It does not stop with Henning, the family of Peter Kassig is struggling with the news that their son will soon be beheaded by ISIS.  Even though Kassig has converted to Islam, this does not at this time seem to offer him protect from death. I cannot imagine what his parents are going through, knowing that his life may soon be taken from him.  The struggle, frustration, and emotional exhaustion knowing that the very people their son is helping, the very religion he has embraced will soon take his life.  Where is the mercy and justice found in Islam? 

As I listen to the news media interviewing Muslim leaders who say we know nothing about Islam--I agree.  The only way one could fully understand Islam is to have a personal relationship with Satan.  The head of ISIS, Al Baghddi claims to be a Muslim, the ISIS soldiers claim to be Muslim, so I can only conclude that they are Muslims and are not to be trusted.  We can only pray to the LORD that Peter Kassig's life will be spared.

Here in America we fail to understand that war has been declared on us by the Muslim world.  The enemy that we are fighting cannot be reasoned with or trusted.  We hear our military leaders who would have us bomb ISIS back to the 7th century- but this will not stop them.  We have elected leaders who believe we can reform Islam or at least manage them--but this will not stop them.  The reality is that true Islam is acting out what they have been from the beginning--an organization with world domination.  It is their desire to convert everyone or kill the unbelievers.  This is not a struggle between political ideologies but a spiritual struggle between good and evil.  The question is –who will determine what good and evil will be accepted?  How many more will be beheaded because they feel they can help reform or change a belief system that lacks love and mercy and does not honor the sanity of life?  All we can do is pray for those who are deluded into accepting a belief system based on deception and evil.  

 I believe, the only way to slow down the spread of Islam is to stop supporting all Muslim countries with military aid, stop buying their oil, stop all trade with them and no longer allow immigration from countries that are Muslim into this country.  They have declared war on us, let's act like we are at war and stop playing games of political correctness.   This is my observation of the world as I see it today.

A Political Sunday

 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.⁸ And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.  ¹⁰ And also all that generation was gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.  ¹¹ And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:¹² And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. Judges 2:7-12

 The issues facing America are biblical.  Issues such as life, marriage, the family, the economy, the poor, and many others are addressed specifically in scripture.  There was a time in America when a message against the sins of the people and nation were considered scriptural in nature.  But that same sermon today is labeled as political and, as a result, the pastor is sidelined into silence.  It’s not that the church is somehow becoming “political.”  It’s that politics are invading the realm of the church.

The First Amendment prohibits the government from enacting laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion.  A pastor preaching a sermon from the pulpit is one of the core activities of the free exercise of religion.  A law that prohibits pastors from speaking freely from the pulpit violates the free exercise of religion.  How can the exercise of religion be free if our church is subject to fines and penalties for something said from the pulpit?

The voice of America’s pastors led the way through independence, slavery, civil rights, and have even influenced which men and women we put into public office.  But because of the Johnson Amendment, the voice of pastors is unjustly silenced every election cycle.  Some uninformed people believe that the church has no place in the political process crying out, “separation of church and state.”

"Separation of church and state" which is a phrase used by Thomas Jefferson and others expressing an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The phrase has since been repeatedly used by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Our Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..." and Article VI specifies that " no religious Test shall ever be required" as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." The modern concept of a wholly secular government is sometimes credited to the writings of English philosopher John Locke, but the phrase "separation of church and state" in this context is generally traced to a letter by Thomas Jefferson, addressed to the Danbury Baptist Association  and published in a Massachusetts newspaper.  It is in reference to the  founder of the first Baptist church in America, Roger Williams —who had written in 1644 of "[A] hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world"—Jefferson wrote, "I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."

 But what has our moving away from the biblical principles of Christianity done for America? There was a time in the American Christian churches when almost every soul in America acknowledged the Ten Commandments as the cornerstone of ethics and morality. Today most Americans can't even name three of the Ten.  If anything, most feel they are only suggestions.  

There was a time when Americans universally disapproved of homosexuality, adultery, and divorce; they believed sexual promiscuity absolutely wrong; they regarded obscene language as inappropriate; they saw abortion as unthinkable; and they held public officials to high moral and ethical standards. Nowadays, most of the behavior society once deemed immoral is defended as an inalienable civil right—the government has invaded the sanctuary of the church by condoning acts of sin and requiring the church to accept sinful practices as a person civil rights.

 How times and the culture have changed! The strong Christian influence and scriptural standards that shaped Western culture and American society through the end of the nineteenth century have given way to practical atheism and moral relativism. The few vestiges of Christianity in our culture are at best weak and compromising, and to an increasingly pagan society they are cultic and bizarre.

In my life time, our nation's political leaders, legislative bodies, and courts have adopted a distinctly anti-Christian attitude and agenda. The country has swept away the Christian worldview and its principles in the name of equal rights, political correctness, tolerance, and strict separation of church and state. Gross immorality-has been sanctioned not only by society in general but in effect by the government as well. A portion of our tax dollars are now used to fund programs and government agencies that actively engage in blatant advocacy of various immoral practices.

This problem facing America today is not political—it is spiritual.  It matters not how many well-meaning organizations lobby, boycott or demonstrate against the moral decline in America—the bottom line is still spiritual and needs a spiritual solution.  But if we do not have a free pulpit to proclaim the message of the Gospel, cry out against the sins of the people and nation, we will have a generation that does not know God.  

Judgment must first start at the house of God.  When Christians start acting like Christians there will be a change in the culture of our country.  The problem right now is it is hard to tell the sheep from the goats.  

The American church will never gain control of the culture by political influence.  What happens so often is the power of evil corrupts those trying to make the right changes without the power of God. 

I am against all the same sins that many of my contemporary evangelical Christians are protesting against.  But all too often they have replaced spiritual power with political action. Paul tells us the time will come when there will be a form of godliness but there will be no power.  We have arrived at that day. When we preach a political solution for the evils of our culture, we are placing the political process above the transformational power of the Gospel. The power of the government is limited in what it can do to stop the spread of sin and evil.  It is only by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that a true transformation takes place.  Regardless how evil a government becomes it cannot stop the plans of God. What we as Christians must remember is that the message of the scripture deals with the nature in which God deals with individuals and nations.  So in spite of our desire to reform society through the political process it is more important that we reform the lives of men through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As Christians we do have an obligation to become involved in civic and political activities to correct the social and cultural wrongs.  Paul in writing to the Church at Galatia says, Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  For Christians to show apathy towards the political process that gave us the opportunity to change the direction of the social and cultural issue that are contrary to the moral law of the Scripture would be wrong.  But to replace the priority of preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ with political correctness and activism will not advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The greatest good through political involvement cannot compare to what the LORD can do through us, God has called the church to be a kingdom of priests, not a kingdom of political activists. The apostle Peter instructs us, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" 1 Pet. 2:9.  

It is our responsibility to proclaim the news of the transforming power of redemption that reconciles the sinner to the Father, by the price paid by the death, burial and resurrection of the Son, Jesus Christ.  This message will far exceed any political, social, or economic reform that the Church can bring about by our activism. 

Evil has existed from the time in the Garden of Eden when Adam made his choice to disobey the command of God. From that time until now, the creation has been influenced by evil.  Ours is a spiritual battle waged against worldly ideologies and dogmas arrayed against God, and we achieve victory over them only with the weapon of Scripture. The apostle Paul writes: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" 2 Cor. 10:3-5  

We must reject all that is ungodly and false and never compromise God's standards of righteousness. We can do that in part by desiring the improvement of society's moral standards and by approving of measures that would conform government more toward righteousness. We are concerned over the rampant indecency, vulgarity, lack of courtesy and respect for others, deceitfulness, self-indulgent materialism, and violence that is corroding society, but in our efforts to support what is good and wholesome, reject what is evil and corrupt, and make a profoundly positive impact on our culture, we must use God's methods and maintain scriptural priorities. 

God is not calling us to wage a culture war that would seek to transform our county into "a Christian nation." To devote all, or even most, of our time, energy, money, and strategy to putting a façade of morality on the world or over our governmental and political institutions is to misunderstand our roles as Christians in a spiritually lost world. 

God has above all else called the church to bring sinful people to salvation through Jesus Christ. Even as the apostle Paul described his mission to unbelievers, so it is the primary task of all Christians to reach out to the lost "to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me [Christ]”.  If we do not evangelize the lost and make disciples of new converts, nothing else we do for people--no matter how beneficial it seems--is of any eternal consequence. Whether a person is an atheist or a theist, a criminal or a model citizen, sexually promiscuous and perverse or strictly moral and virtuous, a greedy materialist or a gracious philanthropist--if he does not have a saving relationship to Christ, he is going to hell. It makes no difference if an unsaved person is for or against abortion, a political liberal or a conservative, a prostitute or a police officer, he will spend eternity apart from God unless he repents and believes the gospel. 

It is therefore, vital that the pulpits of America remain free to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  As Christians we can protect our freedom at the voting booth.  Those individuals running for public office who do not support the freedom of the American pulpit should be voted out of office or not supported in their effort to gain a political position in this election cycle. 

What is hard to understand is that evangelical Christians make up 26% of eligible voters, or 52 million.  Of this number 63% voted, or 33 million.  This made up 26% of the entire votes cast in the election.  There were 10 million evangelical Christian who were eligible to vote but were unregistered, with another 9 million who were registered but did not vote.  When we withhold our influence at the voting booth we are promoting immoral and destructive polices by default. 

In the last election there were 239,405,657 eligible voters in America.  Of this number 197,828,022 were registered to vote but only 126,000,000 actually voted.  Had all evangelical Christians voted they would have been 41% of the total votes cast! 

If you want to make a political impact in America then vote.  If you want to make a spiritual impact then spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If you want to keep a free pulpit then support only candidates who support the right of pastors to preach the Word of God.