Links to Go (October 14, 2016)

My Prediction for November 9

I have a prediction. I know exactly what November 9 will bring. Another day of God’s perfect sovereignty. He will still be in charge. His throne will still be occupied. He will still manage the affairs of the world. Never before has His providence depended on a king, president, or ruler. And it won’t on November 9, 2016. “The LORD can control a king’s mind as he controls a river; he can direct it as he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1 NCV).


The Governing Cancer of Our Time

Over the past generation we have seen the rise of a group of people who are against politics. These groups — best exemplified by the Tea Party but not exclusive to the right — want to elect people who have no political experience. They want “outsiders.” They delegitimize compromise and deal-making. They’re willing to trample the customs and rules that give legitimacy to legislative decision-making if it helps them gain power.
Ultimately, they don’t recognize other people. They suffer from a form of political narcissism, in which they don’t accept the legitimacy of other interests and opinions. They don’t recognize restraints. They want total victories for themselves and their doctrine.


Why I Cannot Vote Republican or Democrat in November

This election is more important than the economy, taxes, or Supreme Court justices. It is about the heart and soul of Christianity in America. Many will compromise their morals in some way. They will find some argument, and there are plenty available on both sides, that will excuse a vote for the Republican or Democratic candidate. There are no legitimate excuses. If a person votes for Trump or Clinton, all they can do is ask for forgiveness. Supporting either candidate will hurt our witness among the very people we are trying to reach. We must think beyond politics and consider the kingdom of God.


Why It’s Okay to Choose Not to Vote

The problem I have with this is two-fold. First, followers of God throughout history are told not to react out of fear (Joshua 1:9; Mt. 10:26-33; 1 Pet. 3:14). We don’t fear persecution, government, those who do wrong, or death. In fact, all we’re told to fear is God Himself, and we fear Him because He has the power over all life, all kingdoms, all nations, and all people. The God we serve doesn’t want us to live in fear, but to live in faith and trust that He will take care of us, regardless of who is in office.
The second problem I have fits cleanly with the first. Don’t forget who God is! No one, not the president or Congress or the Supreme Court, can stop God from carrying out His will upon the earth. I understand that certain government officials could strip away various religious freedoms, but you know what they can’t take away? They can’t take our salvation, and they can’t take away our ability to speak about Christ. They can’t take away our joy, our love, our charity, or our hope. The most that could ever be done by any person on earth is to take away our lives, but even then the gospel message would ring out (Acts 7:54-8:4).


Speak Truth to Trump

But because several of the Democratic candidate’s policy positions are so manifestly incompatible with Christian reverence for the lives of the most vulnerable, and because her party is so demonstrably hostile to expressions of traditional Christian faith, there is plenty of critique and criticism of the Democratic candidate from Christians, including evangelical Christians.
But not all evangelical Christians—in fact, alas, most evangelical Christians, judging by the polls—have shown the same critical judgment when it comes to the Republican nominee. True, when given a choice, primary voters who claimed evangelical faith largely chose other candidates. But since his nomination, Donald Trump has been able to count on “the evangelicals” (in his words) for a great deal of support.


Pray

Spirit filled people may be concerned about what’s going on in this world but they aren’t in a panic over it because they know that it matters but not a lot in the big picture. Spirit filled people are rebels, misfits & warriors. They won’t preach a doctrine of politics, whether it be church or nation.


The New Culture of Life

On issues from race to sexuality to drug law, Americans are used to seeing each new generation become more progressive than their parents; with abortion, it’s not happening: In a 2015 Public Religion Research Institute survey, 52 percent of millennials said the label “pro-life” describes them somewhat or very well, a number that roughly mirrors the general population. A 2013 poll showed that 52 percent of people aged 18 to 29 favored bans on abortion after 20 weeks, compared with 48 percent overall. Pro-choice activists now worry about the “intensity gap” among young people: A poll commissioned by NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2010 found that 51 percent of anti-abortion voters younger than 30 considered the issue “very important,” but for pro-choice voters the same age, only 26 percent said the same.


Family Sends Pizza Deliveryman to Check on Grandma After Hurricane

He said he wrote a special instruction when he placed the pizza order, asking the delivery person to call his phone when the pizza was delivered. He then asked the deliveryman to give his cellphone to Claire Olsen so he could hear from her and make sure she was OK.
Eric Olsen said that when he heard his grandmother’s voice on the other line, he felt “relief, absolute relief.”
“Police and fire couldn’t do it, but Papa John’s got there in 30 minutes and put the cellphone to her ear,” he joked.


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