DO politics and religion mix ?
CAN politics and religion mix ?

Yes, politics and religion can mix !
Yes, politics and religion do mix !

Politics influences religion.
Religion influences politics.

Facts of history show both,
unmistakably, for good, for bad (evil).

Say whatever you want about avoiding religion and politics,
not mixing politics and religion.
It is a different story—to observe, talk, apply Christianity and politics.

Christians are called, commissioned to “go into all the world with influence, with the gospel.”
“Light not hidden” is not, cannot be, selective in its involvement, its reach, its impact.
Salt as well—presence is felt wherever it is (except inside the salt shaker).

The Christian church, from its beginning, influenced politics, locally and worldwide.
The people of the city (Thessalonica, in Greece) were extremely concerned that “these who have turned the world upside down have come here.”

In a few centuries, when the momentum, the pendulum, of politics swung with the growing church—in favor of the church—the church had the support of the government—with amazing developments.
Politics and religion not only mixed, they merged.
And that was good.
And that was bad.
And that was ugly.

Good—more people heard the gospel, the good news about Jesus, and joined the church.

Bad—the church grew, and grew powerful, and church leaders gained power, and wanted more power.

Ugly—the church, the church leaders with this power got control, absolute control of the people.

“Power corrupts—absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
The church leaders used their power to do anything they wanted to anyone who disagreed with them—ugly—deadly.

The worst, the ugliest, part of this:
This absolute power, this absolute control over the people, included absolute power and control of their spiritual lives.
X – The church prevented the people from reading the Bible in their own language, by limiting it to Latin only, in the church building only.
X – The church made up their own rules about sin and salvation, adding to the Bible, changing the Bible, against the teaching of the Bible.
X – The church made the people poor—deceiving, manipulating, blackmailing them with selling forgiveness for money—and this made the church rich, and the leaders very rich.
X – The church teachings and practices endangered more people’s souls than they saved.

Martin Luther became restless in his soul over the misguided teachings in the church—teachings from the devil, because he could not find peace, until he re-discovered grace alone through faith alone from the Bible alone.
The church does not save anyone.
The church does not set the rules to save anyone.
The church tells what the Bible says to get saved.
The church tells the people to read, study, obey what the Bible says.

Sad to say, much of the dangerous, misguided control over people by the church still runs rampant today.
Teaching and style and ritual and show and emotion and volume and belonging to something big, promise people they are okay with God—outright or implied.

Some churches get it right—they use the Bible for every teaching, every service, every message to their people, in every home, and to the community.
Many churches compromise the Bible—they do not clearly base everything on the Bible, and entertain a little of cultural ideas, and then a little more, until they fit in with the world around them.

So—Politics and Christianity ?

For Christians there is plenty in the Bible to convict us of our sin, for repentance from our sin, to power over our sin, to judging sin around us, to bringing others to Jesus, to “striving against sin” wherever we are, even “resisting to the point of shedding blood.”

“The Christian is to show the prince how to bear the sword.”—–Luther

(Note the date—day before election in America)

Styles—come and go like a pendulum
Faith, Freedom, History—come and go, repeat like a pendulum

Some pendulums swing back quickly, where things we don’t like don’t last, and good returns soon enough that we see it in our lifetime.
Then we exercise wishful thinking that bigger, ‘badder’ things getting bigger and ‘badder’ all around us will automatically get better because “everything always works out eventually.”
NOT ! ! !

What if we die watching evil grow and grow worse and worse—pendulum of life and justice still swinging hard left with no sign or effort to stop it or even slow it down.
[Israel in slavery four hundred years—six million Jews killed in the holocaust—10-7-23]
“Truth forever on the scaffold,
Wrong forever on the throne.”

Is life just a pendulum ?
Is history just a pendulum ?

Good wins—Good people win.
Bad wins—Bad people win.
Repeat.
Repeat.
And that’s all, folks ?

Good and Evil—two forces battling it out forever, and we’re stuck between in the middle of their perpetual fight ?

Some things that are less important that go out of style are just facts of life that don’t cause much trouble (except for businesses that counted on selling something after its prime).

Some things that are more important seem to simply come and go without regard to our effort or well-being.

We want to see things turn out right, and then we have to deal with it when they don’t.

But if we have historical perspective—and not spoiled by ease and comfort we have come to expect—we can consider sacrifice for the future and future generations, for our children and grandchildren.

Throughout history faith-full people have given everything and their lives for better lives for those living after them.

Price of freedom—done deal—handed to us on a silver platter (with a silver spoon, if you will)—price paid by millions before us.

Most of us have not paid much for freedom—some have.
Most do not want to pay to keep freedom.
Many in power seek to steal freedom from us.
Many are willing to surrender freedom.

We were handed freedom on a silver platter.
Now, willingness to surrender freedom is handing it over on a copper platter melted down from what was our means to protect it from evil power.

SACRIFICING ALL, FOR FREEDOM, IS OUT OF STYLE TODAY !

“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood, striving against sin.”—–Jesus Christ

“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. If they have called the master of the house satan, how much more shall they call them of his household?”—–Jesus Christ

“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”—–Jesus Christ

“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“You will be hated by all people for My Name’s sake.”—–Jesus Christ

“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“ Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”—–Jesus Christ

“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”—–Jesus Christ

“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”—–Paul

“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”—–Paul and Barnabas
– – –
Considering the words of George Washington and the words of Jesus Christ, reminds us that we live in two kingdoms at the same time.
The temporary kingdom of this world is opposed to the eternal kingdom of God.
Followers of Jesus will be citizens in heaven forever.
Citizens of the United States have this once-in-history gift of freedom, and the opportunity and responsibility to keep it.

Watching freedom wane and America be destroyed, and accepting that without a fight, is not what God had in mind when He created this continent and inspired the creation of this country.

If we engage in the fight, and if we lose in the fight, and if we are faithful to Jesus and His Word, He will be with us to the end, through persecution and martyrdom.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—–Jesus Christ
“He who kills you will think He is doing God’s service.”—–Jesus Christ

“Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne,—Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.”—–James Russell Lowell

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”—–Jesus Christ

#1- If you died today, what would happen to what you have ?

#2- If you died today, what would happen to you ?
– – –
#1– Without a will, the government decides, and takes what it wants.

#2– Without a spiritual will, the devil decides, and takes what he wants—your soul.

– – –

#1— You probably know about making a will—do it, now !

#2— You need a spiritual will, to cover your soul when you die (and now)—talk to Jesus, tell Him you’re a sinner, ask Him to forgive you and run your life—He will write your name in His Book of Life—and that is your spiritual will—do it, now.