CHRISTIANS CONDUCT IN POLITICS

One of the ways we display the glory of God is through the unity of the church in both its breath & depth of commitment. Through the supernatural outworking power of God, He has and continues to redeem people throughout the world from every race, nation, tribe, culture, class, etc. to become one people. As a church, we work together to display God’s perfect character as imperfect people. Its only in the context of the church where all these diverse people are able to make manifold the riches of God’s glory to a watching world. In Christ, we’ve been united in spite of coming from different backgrounds. Though we’ve been joined together in this unity through Christ, sometimes, the display of God’s glory by us as believers is impaired by differences betwixt the diverse people in the body of Christ.

Though we are saved and are already in Christ, and we’re still continually admonished to be like-minded and of one accord as believers; however, as long as we are still with our present unredeemed flesh, we’re prone to stumble wonder and fall down. Not only that, because we’ve got liberty to choose and make present earthly decisions on the issues of life, this freedom can likewise impair and bring about discordance to Christ’s body which is the Church – both universally, & locally and in the end, it may hinder our fellowship as brethren – just ask Euodias & Syntyche.

Because of these differences that might crop up within the body, apart from the aforementioned unity & fellowship, other two tasks are at stake on our conduct as believers;

Evangelism: This has to do with how we relate with the outside world. It is both active and passive. Active is whereby we share the truths of Christ Gospel to the world (Matt 28:18-20), and passive is when the world watches our conduct (John 13:35).

As I said previously, even though we as believers have been given imperatives to be of one accord, at the same time, we’ve been given liberty on some of the decisions we make and an example of this is in the area of political thought and ideology. In some advanced democracies, we can see this ideology to the extent that it has literally created two camps; i.e. the right & left; however, in the case of our Kenyan context, unfortunately we don’t have any guiding ideology but our political worldview is still being dictated by our tribal leanings and this is where the trouble comes and thus making our ministry of evangelism to be at stake.

Let me use our social media conversation as an example.

According to the last population census in the country which took place in 2009, it was revealed that approximately 90% of the people who live in this geographical location of the world that was formerly founded by Imperial British East Africa Company are self-confessed Christians. Typically, most of these people in cucu (pun deliberately intended) media call themselves with terms such as ‘child of God,’ ‘daughter of Sarah,’ ‘Christ’s believer,’ ‘unmerited favour,’ amongst other clichés connected to Christianity. Unfortunately, our timelines usually digress from our confession as they are filled un-Christ-like clutter and especially at around this time with clutter dealing with very immature political thought. Out of the 168 hours we have in a week, almost 160 hours of our social media posts are things that bash our political opponents, deify our preferred tribal candidates, name-calling or talking ill/negatively of other the other camp, passing lies, amongst other ills. However, come Sunday between 6 am to 2 pm, have you ever noticed that our timeline posts usually shift a 180 degree turn and we start posting ‘spiritual’ things? How hypocritical!
In lieu of that, when you as a professed believer, how can you truly unbelievers that Christ’s not only saves but changes people while it appears that you yourself as an individual you are still not regenerate? How can you muster the strength to tell others the gospel if it has no effect upon you? How can unbelievers be won over to Christ by your conduct when you are mess in your own personal walk? If your speech & life isn’t filled & seasoned with grace, there is absolutely no way you can perform your duty of evangelism.

Discipleship: This has to do with how we relate with one another as believers.
So, you know the imperatives ‘one another’ that we’re to do; exhort, love, encourage, showing kindly affection, submitting, forgiving, admonish, comfort, etc. Looking at this list, how are you able to do any of them when there’s tension, infighting & disharmony amongst us as believers? Because of this, there will be a wall of separation between the various political factions in the church and in the end it’s the church which will suffer loss as there won’t be any real discipling taking place and our spiritual growth will stagnate.

Remember, it’s the role of every member to foster unity, and it’s when there’s real unity that we are able to do our work of ministry for the benefit of our own spiritual growth in the context of discipleship but also in the context of evangelism.

If we have to politic, let’s engage in a biblical, sober & mature manner. Let’s exchange ideas in order to build each other up, not the way the world does, but in a way that will truly show that our voting decisions are wise inferences – not tribal ones. Therefore, as James admonishes us, if we lack wisdom, let’s pray that God will grant us so that we may walk rightly as we politic and that no matter the outcome, God will be glorified.

I would have love to add other factors that are at stake such as where our trust lies, our real citizenship, God’s sovereignty, amongst others but that we can look at another time if the Lord wills.

WHEN THE FOUNDATIONS ARE DESTROYED - PSALM 11

By Pastor Ray Pritchard
Keep Believing Ministries

“When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3
 
We don’t know exactly when David wrote this psalm. Many writers connect it to the time when Saul chased David in the wilderness (1 Samuel 23:13-14), but we can't be sure. We know the psalm comes at a desperate moment when his enemies seemed to be closing in on him and his friends encouraged him to run away.
 
The psalm breaks naturally into two parts. The first three verses describe David’s predicament, and the last four verses reveal his deep faith in God despite his circumstances.
 
This psalm is best known for the question in verse 3:“When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Many preachers have taken this text and used it to show that when the foundations are destroyed, there is nothing the righteous can do. They are left in a hopeless situation.
 
But that is not what David says.
 
When the foundations are destroyed, there are many things the righteous can do, but above everything else, they must first get a right view of God. 
 
It happens that I am writing this sermon in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage in all 50 states. It’s not that we didn’t see it coming. The larger culture has been trending that way for years. Perhaps the shock is the speed of the change. Many believers feel that this decision is a decisive attack on the very foundations of society itself.

I happen to agree with that assessment and believe that hard times are upon us. When a nation celebrates what God condemns, judgment from on high must eventually come. No one can say how or when or where that judgment will come. But as certainly as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, as certainly as the great empires of history have fallen, even so no nation is promised exemption from judgment.
 
I. Our Commitment
 
As we look at the first three verses that describe David’s predicament, let’s consider the commitment we must make as we face an uncertain future.
 
We Will Not Flee
 
“I have taken refuge in the Lord. How can you say to me, ‘Escape to the mountain like a bird!’” (v. 1)
 
It is not wrong to flee persecution. Jesus told his disciples, “When they persecute you in one town, escape to another” (Matthew 10:23). The brave Christians in the Middle East who face beheading by ISIS are not wrong to flee. But sometimes you can’t escape, and sometimes the Lord calls you to stand and face whatever comes. God’s people are not required to prove their faith by staying in one place when they could save their lives by fleeing to the countryside. After all, David hid from Saul for years until the time came for him to become king.
 
But there are times when we must not flee. Sometimes you have to stand and fight. This is one of those moments. When David’s friends encouraged him to flee the country, he replied, “I have taken refuge in the Lord.” If God cannot protect him, then running to Egypt won’t keep him safe. I apply that same principle to the current moral crisis in America. I have no doubt that things will get worse in the near future. Open hostility toward Christians will increase. Some will lose their jobs because of their convictions. Others will find their careers stymied because of overt anti-Christian hatred. Some will face huge fines (like Aaron and Melissa Klein, the bakers in Oregon who refused to bake a cake for a lesbian wedding) for standing up for their convictions. Churches will face the loss of tax exemption. Increasingly believers will be marginalized and ridiculed. Christians who dare to speak out against the prevailing tide will be vilified on social media. Some will receive threatening phone calls. They will discover that other Christians don’t want to be around them.
 
We will no doubt be disappointed by evangelical leaders who cave to the gay marriage position. Suddenly they will discover biblical support for two men getting married that no Bible scholar had discovered in the previous 2000 years. Their itching ears will lead them away from the Bible into the depths of moral compromise. Professing themselves to be wise, they will become fools.
 
All of this was foretold in the New Testament. Truly the “perilous times” of 2 Timothy 3 are upon us.
 
How will we respond?
Will we run and hide?
Will we flee from the battle?
 
Elizabeth Rundle Charles put the matter this way:

 
“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christianity.  Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace to him, if he flinches at that one point.”

 
Sometimes you have to stand and fight.
You may lose the battle.
You may be wounded.
You may not survive.
 
We have to stand and fight for what we believe.
We leave the results in God’s hands.’
As they say in the Coast Guard, “You have to go out. You don’t have to come back.”
 
This is no time to flee, and there is no place to go anyway.
 
 We Will Not Fear 
 
“For look, the wicked string the bow; they put the arrow on the bowstring to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart” (v. 2).
 
In this case David is being quite literal. At one point Saul tried to kill David with a spear. Later he sent his army after him. The arrows they were shooting were not metaphorical. When those arrows hit, they drew blood.
 
It’s always good to know what you are up against. That way you won’t be surprised when trouble comes.
 
We Will Not Fret
 
“When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3)
 
The word translated “foundations” refers to the moral and spiritual underpinnings of any society. What can the righteous do when the foundations crumble beneath them?

Do they quit?
Do they despair?
Do they run away?
Do they become bitter?
Do they resort to violence?

For Christians in the Middle East, this is not a rhetorical question. What do you do when your community is destroyed by ISIS?
 
Christians in America now face that question in a completely different way.  The foundations are being destroyed before our eyes. When you see the White House lit up in rainbow colors, you know we are seeing Romans 1 come true in our day.
 
What will the righteous do?
What can we do?
 
What do you do when the foundations are destroyed? Answer: It all depends on how big your God is.

If you’ve got a small God, you’ve got a big problem.
If you’ve got a big God, you'll okay even when the bad guys seem to be winning.
 
II. Our Confidence
 
Notice what David doesn’tsay. He doesn’t call for the army to mount an offensive. He doesn’t say, “Let’s run for the hills.” He doesn’t raise money for a big political campaign. In modern terms, he doesn’t organize a social media campaign.
 
For David (and for us) it’s not about the what; it’s about thewho. To be sure, tactics matter. There is certainly a time to go to war to protect your nation. And we’ve seen clearly that it matters greatly who occupies the White House. There can be no doubt that social media played a big part in the recent changes in American attitudes about gay marriage.
 
But in times like these, we need God first and foremost. When the foundations are being hacked away, we’ve got to go back to the First Principles. That’s what David does in verses 4-7.
 
God’s Presence
 
“The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven” (v. 4).
 
This is David’s way of saying God is everywhere. He’s on the earth (in his holy temple), but his throne is in heaven. I admit that it doesn’t always look that way. When you read the headlines, it can seem as if the whole world is spinning out of control. Lately we’ve been reminded that ISIS is planning attacks on America. With the rising spiral of violence in our world and our own slippery slide into the pit of moral corruption, it’s easy to conclude that God either is not on his throne or he doesn’t care what happens on the earth or perhaps there is no God at all.
 
But right at this point we see the fundamental difference between a believer and an unbeliever. We believe there is a God who sits on the throne of the universe, a God who is absolutely sovereign, a God whose ways are far above our ways, a God to whom the whole human race must someday give account.
 
Was God shocked by the murders in Charleston?
Was God caught by surprise by the crisis in Greece?
Was God unprepared for the Supreme Court decision?
 
The answer to all such questions is a resounding no. Our God is never surprised, never asleep, never startled by evil, never shocked by natural disasters, and never astonished by Supreme Court decisions.
 
I have been thinking lately of what one of my Greek teachers in seminary liked to say. Dr. S. Lewis Johnson remarked that the hardest verse in the Bible to believe is Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” “If you can believe that,” Dr. Johnson said, “you won’t have any trouble with the rest of the Bible.” For a long time the truth of that statement eluded me. I couldn’t get it because I had never really thought about Genesis 1:1 in its larger context. But it is hugely important that the Bible begins with a declaration, not an argument. The Bible simply declares that God is, and that he created all things. Twenty years ago E. V. Hill preached a powerful sermon at a Promise Keepers gathering in Chicago. In his own unforgettable style, he preached for 40 minutes on just two words: “God is.” He said it over and over again. He whispered it and he shouted it. He illustrated it, declared it, proclaimed it, and dared anyone to deny it. You wouldn’t think you could preach that long on just two words but he did, and when you think about it, you could preach a lot longer when your topic is as profound as “God is.” Once you get it settled in your heart that “God is,” a lot of other problems will be solved as well.
 
Perhaps we should keep Isaiah 6 in mind. That magnificent passage begins with the words “In the year that King Uzziah died.” That note is important because Uzziah was one of the best kings Judah ever had. When he died, the nation was plunged into turmoil. A golden age in Israel’s history was drawing to a close. Would the people continue to walk with God or would they return to idolatry? In that fateful moment, Isaiah came face to face with the living God. He says it this way: “I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).
 
Where is God? He’s not nervously pacing heaven wondering, “Who will I get to replace Uzziah?” Not at all. At that critical moment, God is where he has always been. Seated on his throne.
 
God’s Judgment
 
“His eyes watch; He examines everyone.The Lord examines the righteous and the wicked. He hates the lover of violence. He will rain burning coals and sulfur on the wicked; a scorching wind will be their portion”(vv. 4-6).
 
No one gets away with anything.
 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it this way: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Though the wheels of God grind slowly, they grind exceeding small. Be sure your sin will find you out.
 
These words of David remind us that there is a solemn and eternal difference between the righteous and the wicked. That difference is sometimes easy to see in this life, sometimes not so easy. Suppose you go to a football game and look up in the stands. It’s easy to tell who is rooting for the Bears and who is rooting for the Packers. The fans let you know which side they are on. But spiritual allegiance isn’t always easy to determine. Suppose you go to a cemetery and walk around. In that quiet, peaceful setting, saints and sinners rest side by side, six feet under the green grass. You can’t tell the righteous from the wicked simply by reading the gravestones.
 
But God knows.
That’s the whole point of these verses.
 
God sees everything.
He reads every heart.
He knows every thought.
He hears the words whispered in the darkness.
He knows us better than we know ourselves.
 
A day of judgment is coming for those who mock God and reject his Word. In an image that reminds us of Sodom and Gomorrah, God promises to rain burning coals and sulfur on the wicked. The scorching wind of judgment will wipe the smile off their faces.
 
We dare not water down these solemn words.
 
On June 26, the day the Supreme Court handed down its verdict, Chuck Swindolltweeted these words:
 

Disobedience to God’s commands always results in serious consequences—eventually.

 
God’s Deliverance
 
“For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds. The upright will see His face” (v. 7).
 
The Lord stands up for those who stand up for him.
He takes the side of those who side with him.
 
David stands on the peak of faith and says, “Though the battle may be hot and we may be surrounded, God will win in the end.” This is the true position of those who believe God and his Word. I have told and retold the story of Richard John Neuhaus, founder of First Thingsmagazine, and a great defender of the moral and spiritual values of the Christian faith. At one point he was on his way to a speaking engagement. When he arrived at the airport, the man who picked him up was bemoaning the sorry state of affairs in American culture and how bad the times were. After listening for a while, Father Neuhaus finally replied:

“These may be bad times, but they are the only times we are given. And despair is a mortal sin.”

 
He’s right on all counts. These are bad times because our leaders are spiritually corrupt and morally blind. But why should we despair? If God is on the throne, then we should rejoice because these are our times. We don’t have to ask, “What will America be like in a hundred years?” The great good news is, I don’t have to stay alive for another hundred years because I serve a God who is eternal. He will still be on the job long after I go down to the grave.That’s David’s final answer to the many perplexing problems of this life. Those who know and love the Lord will see his face. We will behold the Lord in the most personal way possible.

Today we walk by faith.
Today we stumble along through this life.
Today we struggle.
 
But today is not the last day.There is a better day coming for the people of God when all will be made right. Between now and then we will have many days when the foundations seem to be crumbling around us and the wicked rise up and threaten us.
 
But the wicked will not have the last word. Those who scoff at the Lord and his Word will be consumed with the fire of God’s judgment. Between now and then we move forward by faith, believing that out trials are sent by God to improve us, not to destroy us.
 
Take the long view because we’re in this for the long haul.Let’s go back to that question in verse 3 for a moment:
 

“When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

 
Make no mistake. The foundations are being destroyed right in front of our very eyes. Long-held moral values are being jettisoned in favor of a new morality that is really no morality at all.
 
What can the righteous do?
 
I have no political advice to offer even though I’m in favor of political action. Christians need to take their convictions with them into the voting booth. We ought to write letters, speak out, refuse to be intimidated, support good candidates and run for office ourselves. I’m not in the “roll over and play dead” category.
 
But I’m not going to end on that note because David doesn’t speak of  political solutions in Psalm 11. When the foundations are being destroyed, we need a fresh view of God and a long view of history. God who sees all things will judge the wicked and bring them down in the end, and the righteous will see God’s face.
 
How then should we live? As I ponder that question, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. I can summarize it in three words. We need .  . .
 
Tenacious winsome courage.
 
Tenacious means we don’t give up. 
Winsome means we face life with a smile, not a scowl.
Courage means we do what needs to be done.
 
Tenacious means we keep on keeping on.
Winsome means we don’t lose our temper and say something stupid.
Courage means we take our stand for the truth.
 
Tenacious means we keep on praying.
Winsome means we are cheerful when others attack us.
Courage means we do hard things without complaining.
 
Tenacious means we love people anyway.
Winsome means we display grace under pressure.
Courage means we speak up instead of wimping out.
 
We need all three qualities together to face what life throws at us. So let's wrap up this message with a good prayer for all of us: 
 
“Lord, grant me tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day. When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going. Grant me a cheerful spirit when things don’t go my way. And give me courage to do whatever needs to be done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A CALL FOR THOUGHT PURITY

An older proverb says, "You are not what you think you are, but you are what you think." The statement is not merely an ancient proverb, but it is also a Bible truth. The Bible states that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).
Satan attacks all of us in many ways, but perhaps his most vigorous assault is brought to bear upon our thought lives. Satan knows that what we think, eventually makes us what we are. He knows that our thoughts often lead to actions-and so he works on our thought lives. Each of us is responsible for what he welcomes into his mind.

THE MIND'S CAPACITY FOR EVIL

The Apostle Paul was keenly aware of the capacity of the mind for evil thoughts. One may dwell upon lustful thoughts, wrong thoughts about some member of the opposite sex. Another may seethe in his mind with jealousy and envy toward other people. Still others are consumed with pride and with high thoughts about themselves. The "works of the flesh" in Galatians 5 is a long list of sins-many of which are sins of the mind.
The mind can easily be covered up (at least for a while), and so the mind is difficult to capture for Christ.
We can retreat within the walls of our minds, and think about things that are known only to ourselves and God-they eventually do come out into the open.
In the European country of Italy nearly 2,000 years ago, there was a thriving town called Pompeii. It was nestled on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius. One man who lived in Pompeii painted filthy pictures on the walls of one of the rooms of his house. He normally kept the door to that room shut. He thought no one would ever know. But in 79 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried the town of Pompeii. And in more recent years archaeologists began to uncover the city, and they found houses just as the owners had left them. The house with the bad pictures was discovered, and today, those who tour Pompeii find that the guide keeps the door to that room locked so that people will not walk in accidentally, and become embarrassed. His thoughts came out into the open.
The greatest area of sin in the believer's life is not usually in the area of actions, but in the arena of the thought life. Pride, for example, is a sin of the mind. And so is lust and suspicion and discouragement. These are all sins of the mind.
Most of us would not want the thoughts that have gone through our minds during the past month to be flashed on a screen in front of a room for all to see. It could be kind of embarrassing, and perhaps even frightening.
The secret thoughts, however, that pop into our heads are not really an accurate barometer of our spiritual condition. It is what a person continues to think about, and what he delights in-that tells more accurately what he is and where he stands spiritually.

THE MIND'S OCCUPATION WITH THE GOOD

The mind is like a garden which can grow beauty or it can grow ugliness. It can produce flowers or it can bring forth weeds. It must be tended with care and with diligence.
It must be disciplined by conscious exercise. The mind must be exercised like the body-thinking on good and wholesome things.
The Bible says in Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." We must cultivate spiritual thinking, and the Scriptures give a list of worthy objects that we ought to be thinking about. The list is recorded in Philippians 4:8.
"Whatever things are true"-that is, reliable, in agreement with fact; the opposite of lying and deception. We must never let our minds dwell on every piece of gossip we hear,
"Whatever things are pure"-that is, free from anything that is tainted. Purity speaks especially about chastity in the realm of sexual relationships. It is very hard to live through a single day in our society without having the mind bombarded with sex in some kind of distorted form. Unclean thinking is stimulated by abbreviated dress, obscene pictures, and dirty stories. For this reason, the follower of Christ does not attend the movies, he carefully censors his reading material, and he avoids participating in a joke that is not noble and pure. Most television programs and television commercials are not acceptable to him. Whatever things are pure, think on these things.
"Whatever things are lovely"-that is, things that are beautiful, winsome, and pleasing. "Lovely things" are the opposite of the ugly and bizarre.
We should think of things that call forth admiration-incidents of faithfulness and courage and loyalty. Paul Harvey, on a news broadcast, sometimes tells of a marriage that lasted 60 or even 70 years. That is a "lovely" kind of report to hear. By way of contrast, television programs and magazine and newspaper articles that emphasize stories about wife-swapping, child abuse, lesbianism, and crude violence-are ugly things that are the opposite of that which is lovely.

THE MIND'S BATTLE FOR THE RIGHT

Living the Christian life involves a daily battle. The Apostle Paul spoke of the great conflict that raged within him. He says in Romans 7:23, "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." On the one hand, his mind was bombarded with solicitations to evil; on the other hand, there was the appeal of the Spirit of God, seeking to bring Paul's mind under God's authority.
One method for defeating evil of any kind, is to run away from it. The Bible says, "Let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Timothy 2:19). And again, "Flee youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:22). When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife, he fled and got away (Genesis 39:12).
One way to conquer evil thoughts, is to stay away from situations that can stimulate wrong thinking and provide easy occasions to sin.
Another means of achieving victory over evil thoughts, is to intentionally occupy the mind with wholesome things in order to drive out the flood of evil that tries to enter. The devil walks about looking for vacancies in our minds and seeks to make entry.
When evil thoughts pop into our minds, we must make it a practice to immediately deal with it. Must be alert to watch and pray. We must over and over again reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.
We cannot keep a bird from flying over our heads, but we can keep it from building a nest in our hair.
(Isa 26:3) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

10 COMMANDMENTS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO CHRISTIANS

The Presidential election is only weeks away…and it’s getting ugly out there. I mean…really ugly.
And before you think I’m just talking about the political process, the political parties, or the respective candidates, I was actually talking about you, me, us, and them…the people. And by people, I’m also especially talking about Christians.

Sometimes, I feel it would be appropriate to label how some Christians engage the Presidential election season as “Christians Gone Wild.“
Since it’s time for another presidential debate and   there’s sure to be drama this week and next, and the following week, and each day leading up to Election Day on November 6 and likely some weeks afterwards, I thought I’d share with you my 10 Commandments of the Election Season for Christians in hopes that it might speak some balance, sense, and perspective to any readers – not just during this election season but thereafter; Not just in this country but in any country.
Why else am I sharing this?
 Eugene Cho: Politics are important, but don't let anything supersede our love for God and our neighbor

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Because I really want you to still respect yourself the morning after the election season.
Because I really want your friends to still respect you, too.

Know what I mean?
So, here are my 10 commandments of the Election Season:

1.Thou shalt believe that Jesus remains King.

Boom.
Saw this and it puts everything in perspective. Whoever becomes President, Jesus remains King. I’m not suggesting that the elections aren’t important. They are. They always are. There is much at stake. But in truth, they’re always advertised as the most important election in human history that will change the trajectory of all things for eternity.
Everyone take a breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Jesus will still remain King.

2. Don’t go to bed with political parties.

Yes, that’s what I wrote. Don’t go to bed.
I don’t believe that followers of Jesus should be in bed with either of the two major parties.  We ought to remain “Independent” with a commitment to collaborate, listen, and engage the political system all while understanding that the political system is not our ultimate Hope or Answer.  In addition, we must never lose the courage or conviction to speak prophetically to a group of people because we are lured by the power associated with politics or a political party.
When people ask if I am a Democrat or Republican, I often respond:
On what issue?
Let the Scriptures and our convictions about Christ inform how we engage the candidates, the political parties, and the election process.

3. No one has a monopoly…

No one. No matter what they say. No matter what the experts, leaders, the Pope, Billy Graham,  Joyce Meyer, Trinity Broadcasting, or whoever say. No party or candidate has a monopoly on morality, spirituality, and certainly, not the Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God cannot be contained by our political parties or religious institutions. Nope. And thanks be to God for that!
Furthermore,  we have to leave room – and plenty of room – to acknowledge that people (including our very own friends) can have differing views so please respect the integrity of other believers as they seek to live out and vote their convictions & conscious.
Enough with the statements and judgments resembling anything like this:
“How can you as a Christian vote for…”
“If you were a true Christian, you would vote for…”
Jesus died and extended grace for the Left, the Right, & everyone in between. So, stop vilifying & demonizing those who disagree with you.

4. Remain in Friendship & Fellowship

Yes. Yes. Yes.
There is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, Republican or Democrat, but we are one in Christ Jesus.
Remain in friendship and fellowship. 
As Christians, we need to agree that the most significant aspects of our relationship are not our politics, our political views, or our political affiliations but that we are connected together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Politics has its role. But Christ is the most significant aspect of our community.
Amen.

5. Thou shalt not be a jerk.

Especially during the election season, please BE HUMAN. Please don’t be a jerk.
For goodness sake, be civil. What do you not understand?
Be civil with one another.
Be civil with those you disagree with.
And please be respectful for the political candidates.
I repeat: Be Human. Don’t be a jerk.

6. Thou shalt respect the candidates.

Read #5 again. I’ll wait for you.
Listen. Speaking about the respective candidates on the interwebs do not give you license to be a Ph.D in Jerk-ism and to be disrespectful. I’m talking about your snide comments, your asinine photo-shops, your comparison to Hitlers, your fill in the blank…
In my book, Obama and Romney, are both good people. They are married to wonderful women. Certainly not perfect. There are things about their positions I agree with and things I disagree with. But regardless, they deserve respect – especially for choosing to serve the country through this political process. And I really do mean this.
Breaking News: The “other” candidate is not an evil person. So, join me in praying for the President Obama and Governor Romney.
Agree or disagree. Like or dislike. Republican or Democrat. Tea Party or Coffee Party. It doesn’t matter. Lift a prayer for President Obama and his family. Lift a prayer for Governor Romney and his family. Pray for strength, conviction, and courage. Pray for safety and peace.
C’mon. Just because you don’t like Romney doesn’t mean he hates 47% of Americans. Just because you don’t like President Obama doesn’t mean that he opposes family, faith, freedom, white dogs, Asians, and human beings.
Pray for them…because one of them will be President.

7. Thou Shalt not get Played & Manipulated

Don’t get played and easily swayed. Be informed and know the issues. Don’t be a simple headline reader. Don’t be someone that just reads the RSS feeds. Be educated. Learn. Go deep.
In others words: Don’t get  manipulated.
Voters (and especially people of faith) have to realize that political parties and candidates (all of them) may distort, manipulate, cajole, emotionalize, tug, and whatever other tactics to “speak” to our faith. And if we’re not careful, we can be dumbed down and influenced in such a way that “religion” becomes the ruling or dominant way we decide to vote. Who cares what a respective candidate’s views are about economics, jobs, immigration, poverty, education, foreign aid, blah blah blah as long as we know that a particular candidate and I are “equally yoked”?

8. Stay engaged in the political process.

Listen: Politics is not the ultimate answer or our ultimate hope. No political candidate should ever be elevated as savior of sorts. But get smart, be informed, and stay engaged.
Don’t get cynical. [I know it's hard...but we need you.]
We have to engage politics because politics involves policies and policies impact people. Last time I checked people are really important to God.

9. Be informed. Be prayerful. Have integrity. Vote your convictions.

Be informed.
Be prayerful.
Have integrity.
Vote your convictions.
Yes.
Repeat.
Worth repeating again:
Be informed.
Be prayerful.
Have integrity.
Vote your convictions.
And respect others. Be informed by our convictions…ultimately, as people of faith in Christ and the Kingdom of God. Rather than being blinded by one issue, be informed on many issues and pray for convictions consistent with biblical foundations and a life ethic that encompasses the whole of life – from womb to tomb.

10. Love God. Love People.

Yes, this might be the most important one so let me make it as simple as possible for you:
May our love for politics, ideology, philosophy, or even theology, never supersede our love for God and neighbor – including neighbors who don’t share our politics.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Alright, it’s your turn.
Any thoughts? What would you add?