United Church of God

Pastor's Corner - December 20th, 2019

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Pastor's Corner - December 20th, 2019

As many of you know - I generally do what I can to avoid politics, and political commentary.

It is really easy to get wrapped up in it, and become too involved. I've been there personally. Prior to the 2016 election, I stayed far more up to date with the events that were going on politically - and listened to a lot of news radio. I found as time went on, that wasn't something that was healthy for me, because it caused me to become extremely agitated about things I had absolutely zero control over. These days - I maintain just enough information to know what is going on politically, but don't fixate on it like I used to.

My position regarding politics has always been that God puts into place the rulers that He feels are necessary for His plan to come to fruition. Whether we vote or not - the ultimate result will be the same. I know others feel differently, but that's been my position based upon the passages found in Daniel 2:21, John 19:11, and the example of Nebuchadnezzer being raised up as God's servant in Jeremiah 25:9-12. 

God has long had a history of raising up rulers and nations for His purposes. He has also had a long history of deposing leaders and bringing nations to ruin. Most frequently from without, but sometimes, from within.

The past few weeks, it has been difficult to escape the constant hum of the impeachment trial. Turn on the news, and that was about the only thing anyone was talking about. Hop on Facebook, and one group of people is sharing this, another group is sharing that. Turn on the radio, and that's the topic of discussion. It's inescapable.

I listened to bits and pieces of the inquest, I read the transcript... I read summaries of the findings. I don't know whether Mr. Trump is guilty of what he is accused of. What I do know is that the group that are pushing the articles of impeachment appear to have a pretty thin case based on a lot of hearsay and suppositions. From the transcripts of the call, it also appears that Mr. Trump skirted a line that he should not have gone near, and the true intent of his words are difficult to ascertain. It appears that to a degree, at the very least, both sides are guilty of behavior unbecoming their office.

Unfortunately, in man's politics - this is standard operating procedure. Morality is often a casualty, and you are left choosing between "the lesser of two evils", and compromising on your own standards in order to justify supporting the candidate in question. 

As of this writing, the findings of the committee were that there was enough evidence to move forward with articles of impeachment, and the house of representatives voted to ratify those articles, impeaching Mr. Trump. Now the fight moves to the Senate, where a trial may or may not be held. A vote of 2/3 of the body of the Senate is required to convict and remove the President from office, and with a Republican majority in the senate, 53/100 seats, the chances of his conviction and removal is slim. 

The entire process has been eye-opening in that, whatever the outcome of the trial in the Senate--whatever the final verdict... a number of political analysts have conceded that this is the most divided the United States has been since the Civil War.

Just prior to the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech at the 1858 Republican State Convention in Illinois, stating the following: 

"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery, will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new -- North as well as South."

2 short years later, the union did largely dissolve, and the United States would be embroiled in a civil war that would last 4 years, and result in the deaths of 620,000 Americans.

The sentiment of Lincoln's speech was taken from scripture, from Christ's words recorded in Mark 3:25. In response to a group accusing Christ of casting out demons through the power of the devil. Christ told them in no uncertain terms. 

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

We've reached that point it seems in the United States. A house divided. Two distinct groups of people with different agendas, different principles, morals, and beliefs. Two groups of people whose beliefs and standards are so vastly different that it creates unending conflict. Whether it will reach a point in American politics where it is 'all one thing or the other' as Lincoln described in his 1858 speech remains to be seen, but what we are witnessing today is simply a symptom of human governance.

It can be really easy to choose sides in the midst of the maelstrom and align ourselves with one over the other - but the more appropriate perspective is to look at God's morality and standards, and commend political figures when they align themselves with God's standards, and to pray that they might come to repentance when they fall short of God's standard.

Scripture indicates we should pray for those in authority (1st Timothy 2:1-3). That does not mean that we agree with everything that they do. We ought to obey God rather than men, but we should be respectful and pray for them and the decisions that they make. 

The end result of this impeachment process is difficult to ascertain, but regardless, the 2020 political process is only just beginning. We are called to be peacemakers, encouragers, and edifiers... not allowing ourselves to descend into the seat of the scoffer. 

Someday, hopefully very soon, Jesus Christ will return and establish the Kingdom of God over all the Earth. We look forward to the establishment of that Kingdom, and an end to the politics of man.

Godspeed the day.