From CHURCHLEADERS:
Some American Christians have bought into one of the very temptations Satan presented to Jesus, said pastor and author Andy Stanley at the Global Leadership Summit Friday afternoon. Stanley shared that he deeply loves the United States, but is troubled by behaviors he has seen from certain believers and church leaders over the past few years.
“The reason that I love my nation, but it’s not my ultimate allegiance,” said Stanley, “is that years ago, like many of you, I swore allegiance to a king…A king who came to establish an upside-down, others-first, go-to-the-back-of-the-line kingdom.” More Here
PLEASE VOTE!!! BUT PLEASE PRAY!!! Written By Pastor Leonard Navarre
When Jesus had a very important decision to make, he spent an entire night in prayer before the selection process.
Luke 6:12-13 (NLT). 12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles.
Since we are again entering a season of elections, we have a great opportunity. We will be making decisions as to who will lead us and our country. I pray, that we will give much time to prayer and fasting as we vote on these leaders and in some places amendments.
When Jesus was looking for leaders to take his message not only to Jerusalem but around the world He spent an entire night in prayer before that selection process. When I think about those apostles, I know I probably wouldn’t have voted for them or selected them. They didn’t stand out and they weren’t of the upper class. Some one has suggested they weren’t even very faithful of the Torah.
But Jesus, after spending an entire night in prayer, voted and chose these 12 ordinary men who then went out and changed the world. They took this new message, THE WAY from Jerusalem to Galilee to around the world.
So, friends as we enter this election cycle, may I give you a few suggestions.
- Pray, pray, pray. Maybe spend an entire night praying before entering the voting booth.
- Fast, Fast, fast before you enter that voting booth.
- Evaluate the candidates not by personality, but by character and principles. Do their beliefs line up with God’s Word?
- Think about the long-term outcome of our decisions.
- Get a sample ballot early. Study the candidates and look up their web sites to study their beliefs.
- VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! Maybe, pick up friends to go vote with you. Some people have a hard time getting out to vote.
Every election is important! In our constitutional republic we have been given an awesome responsibility. The opportunity and privilege to vote. There are nations in our world who don’t have the opportunity to vote in an open election. Some are even coerced and forced to vote a certain way.
So, friends, please don’t take this responsibility lightly. EVERY ELECTION IS IMPORTANT! SO PLEASE, GO VOTE!
I am praying for you and your family.
Leonard Navarre
Lubbock, Texas
