Republican vs Democrat.
Every four years, its a new battle for the ages, and it comes down to a date about 40 days from now. These deceptive emotion manipulators (candidates, media- its all interchangeable) pit brother against brother.
Makes me sick, honestly.
So who are you voting for? Ahh....who cares. It doesn't matter. Whoever will win, will win. Wait, so it's hopeless? We aren't changing each other's minds, that's for sure. I'm voting for the pro-life, pro-family party. You can vote for whoever you justify voting (the pro-peace, pro-humanitarian party I think is how most people (Nicolaitans?) justify the other party these days :-). But in the end, is either candidate really going to follow the partys' ideals? Are they really even going to follow the true will of the people? Most importantly, are they even going to follow Christ and HIS ideals?
Are we?
WAIT, so it IS hopeless??
No. There is one thing we can change- our heart. (Denominational caveat: you may not actually believe you can change your heart- for pity sakes let God do it then)
Last week in church, the message was on Revelations 2. In verse 4 God says "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first."
Of course, I was also encouraged by Revelations 2:6 "Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" (and I couldn't help but interchange the word "Nicolaitans" with Democrats. Nicolaitans- destruction of people- were a sect who cast a stumbling block before the church of God by wrongfully using Christian liberty and committing fornication, so its not that much of a stretch! Okay, at least the liberal philosophy then.)
I was also challenged recently by a dear friend and brother: How much do I care about this election? Well, pretty darn much! How much? Am I going to fast and pray over it? hmmm...no, I was just going to post and re-post a bunch of items showing disgust through hilarity and extremes depicting the other guy's faults and hope that enough people also saw how awful he was. I was also probably going to look up a few featured articles in mainstream media sources (non-partisan of course) that intelligently point out the other candidate's faults to a tee in hopes of persuading the weak-minded and undecided that these are gospel truth as well. But I hadn't really thought of prayer and fasting. That's kind of...old school and antiquated... right?
Depends. What kind of "change" am I REALLY hoping for?? How much have I lost my true love and simply pursued something to hate (even if its the right hate)?
James 5:16b "The effectual (be operative-put forth power) fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." KJV
Mark 9:29: "So He (Jesus) said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." NKJV
Are we qualified to know and fight in the Spirit world and know what forces are at work and what effectual prayer accomplishes in the Spirit world if we don't even take up the weapons in the fight?
Ephesians 6:12 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."NKJV
Major decisions and issues always seem to go hand in hand with prayer and fasting in the Bible, why shouldn't it today?
On September 27th, there will be 40 days until the election. Now, I do not feel called, or able to fast this time without food. However, what else can I 'fast' that I have relied on nearly as much as food?
Facebook.
Wow. When was the last day that I was not on facebook? No, it couldn't have been my honeymoon- three years ago? Whew. no. Was it my anniversary exactly a year ago? I can't remember. That's an issue.
Starting on September 27th, I will be fasting facebook and intentional election news for these 40 days and devoting more of my time to prayer for our government and for my own heart and relationship with the One Who IS in charge of everything. Feel free to join me if you dare- others in my family are doing fasts as well, ranging from a Daniel fast, (for the spiritually intense) to fasts of games, movies, sweets etc.
Matthew 18:20 : "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” And when God is there, things happen.
Do I think this will help the good guy win the election? No. Is there even a good guy running?
But my life won't be the same, and the Lord will reveal Himself to me and show me how much HE is in control, and that will make all the difference.
This will be hard....and who knows? Maybe I won't want to come back....
