Election Day 2024

0:02 Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central. This is it, ladies and gentlemen, this is it. The day has finally arrived, and all I can think is I want it to be over now. I want it to be I wanted it to be over thirty minutes ago. I want it to be over. I wanted to be finished. I want it to be everyone can just move on. My fear is that ten o'clock tonight, eleven o'clock tonight, It's not going to be over tomorrow. It may drag out for a week, two weeks. I'm hoping I'm completely wrong, But that's my fear. And if you don't know what i'm talking about within, you probably don't live in the United States of America or you're not listening to this live.

0:51 If you're listening to this live, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Today is election day here in the United States of America, and I just want it to be over. I want it to be done. I want it to be finished. But my concern is it's is it ever going to end? Is it ever going to end? I don't know, but we're gonna talk about that. We're going to do that here in just a minute, but first let me say good morning everyone. It is Tuesday, November the fifth, twenty twenty four. It is currently nine forty am Central time, and I'm coming to you live from the Theology Central Studio. Please note Theology Central. Theology Central.

1:41 I try to make Theology Central. So yes, Theology Central Studio located right here in Abilene, Texas. And the reason I guess I'm really stressing this is Theology Central is because so many times when I address the fact that the American Church has become so political hijacked and so politically corrupted, people get immediately upset and frustrated with me. And I'm like, well, if we think about things from a philological perspective, you should be just as bothered by the political hijacking of the American Church as I am. You should be just as frustrated with it and sick of it and irritated and discouraged and depressed and bothered.

2:24 And I don't know what other words I can come up with. You get the idea. But for some reason, the church has completely embraced a political ideology. They've tried to merge it with their theology. They try to merge it with scripture. And you know what happens whenever you take your politics and you bring it into Christianity, you merge it with Christianity. You know what gets corrupted, not the politics Christianity. You know what gets lost, not the politics Christianity. You know what gets messed up Christianity. And then what you have left is no longer really Christianity. It's some mutated, infected monster that does not well. All it does is hurt Christianity. And that is what has happened so much here in the United States of America.

3:12 If you are a conservative Christian, really holding to historical biblical truths, and you merge it with Christianity, or even if you don't, or if you merge it with politics, even and even if you don't, the world looks at you and like they don't see you as a follower of Christ. They don't they don't think of you as someone speaking of the of the crucified Christ who died and was buried in rows on the third Day and ascended to the right hand of the Father, coming to judge the living and the Dad. They don't see you as someone holding to Obviously, I'm referencing the Apostles creed there. They don't see you holding to one of these historical creeds. They don't see you being a follower of Christ. They don't they don't see you as someone who preaches salvation by an imputed righteousness. Know what they see you as is well, a Trump supporter. That's almost inevitably. Now if you if you, oh, you support Trump, and like, how in the world did Christians become associated with Donald Trump?

4:06 How did that happen? What happened? Well, what happened is we have been so politically compromised. You say, well, what about the liberal churches. The liberal churches I've said in a million times, I'll say it again, most liberal churches who've bought into a liberal political ideology. Many of those churches already abandon historical Christianity. They begin to question the deity of Christ, the inspiration of Scripture, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, right substitutionary atone and we can go on and on and on. So if they have already left Christianity, then their politics is not even the issue. It would be their theology. But then you look over to the conservative churches. They may have the right theology, but what is concerning is their abandonment of Christianity or their hijacking of Christianity. So it's election day? What do we do?

5:00 What should I do? I'm really I'm like, I'm at a loss for words. I can't even say I'm at a loss for words because I don't even know what to say. I really am. I It's like, do I just turn on the microphone today and just act like, you know what, Let's just let's just ignore what's going on out there. Let's just dig in. We've been working on Isaiah forty through fifty five, let's just do that. We've been working on the Six Secrets of the Christian Let's go back to that. Let's let's let's just do this, or like, there's a million things I could do. But then at the same time, do you just ignore what this day is? And I mean, according to most a historical day that this is going to be in a historical election, I mean, I don't know, but we so I guess what we'll do is well, I don't know how many times I'll broadcast today. It really just depends on I guess what people think I should do. I guess it may depend on feedback because I think most people I don't know what your plan is. I think most even people who are not very political. I think people who don't really care because I hate politics, Even people who don't vote, which I don't vote, I think I think even they are going to have a hard time not keeping up with what's going on tonight.

6:21 Right. I think everyone's going to be glued to their what media of choice, listening, paying attention. So I think everyone's going to be talking about it. So how can we talk about it here? I don't know how much we will. I don't know who knows what this will turn into. I'm just going to kind of take it minute by minute. But here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to be looking more at how Christianity is thinking about it, how Christianity is talking about it, not so much how the world is, but how Christianity is. So so what we may do. If you have dis Sermon's two point oh app and you go to I think Discover and then go down to trending, you'll see that yesterday the two trending topics were America and vote in fact, let me look right now, haven't checked today, but I bet you okay, I'm going to the sermon's two point oh app.

7:15 If I go to the sermon's two point oh app, I go to discover I scrolled down trending. Yes, the two trending things right now is America and vote. America and vote those are the trending things. So even on the sermons two point oh app, you can tell what everyone's talking about. They're talking about things primarily related not only to the United States of America, and of course things related to the election that is happening today. So I guess here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to focus on how Christianity is thinking about it, how Christianity is talking about it, and then hopefully we can be we can move on. Hopefully we can move on after that. So I think that's what I'm going to do today. I think the reason is I was looking at I think the Christian Post and there was an article and the author and the headline and the title of the article said something like I cannot vote for hypocrisy, therefore I'm not voting for Kamala Harris, right, And You're like, what so Kamala Harris is the hypocrite. You can't vote for hypocrisy, So you can't vote for Kamala Harris, but you can vote for Donald Trump because there's no hypocrisy there, none at all, none at all. And of course immediately what happened in the comments. Immediately, what happened in the comments most likely not even Christians the way they started responding, and because some of them even said you Christians, So EU Christians can't vote for Kamala Harris because you can't support hypocrisy, but you can support a man who did

8:46 this and did this and slept with a porn star and tried to cover it up, and then this and this and did this and did this, and a man who said he's never had to ask for forgiveness. I mean, on and on, and I'm like, so what do you call all of that? So just again, just so many things that the Christian Post I think was it twenty four hours ago, maybe they had an article of basically saying that it's going to come down to evangelical support for Donald Trump to if he's going to win. It's the church is going to be the ones that will determine if he wins or not, and I'm like, what in the world is happening? So listening and looking at how Christians are responding to this, that's the thing that's just I just I don't understand. I really just don't understand.

9:32 And I've heard all of the arguments and excuses. We talked about it yesterday. Now many very well known Christian pastors and leaders basically saying, if you don't vote for Donald Trump and you vote for a Democrat, you're basically not saved. So now your salvation is connected to who you vote for. Just the Christian world has lost its collective mind and I don't really know what to do, but I know this. We're going to then keep an eye out and how Christians is responding to this. That's going to be the focal point is how Christianity is. So if we talk, if I do multiple broadcasts today, I'm going to be looking at how Christians are discussing it, what they are saying, and I'm going to be looking to the Christian world, Christian media, Christian websites, sermons. That's what we're going to do. But we will start and Psalm one forty six to see here, where do we want to go. Let's go, Yeah, let's go to Psalm one forty six. Let's go Psalm one forty six. I think that's a good psalm. I think. I think the psalm for election day, the scripture for election Day twenty twenty four is going to be Psalm one forty six.

10:47 You ready tell me if this works for you. Psalm one forty six will start in verse one. Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, oh my soul. That's a good thing to do today, right, instead of yelling, screaming, fighting astead of praising your political party of choice, instead of fighting and arguing with people on social media, Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord, oh my soul. The one thing that has been such a negative thing that's happened within Christianity is that politics has divided so many Christians and divided even many churches. But you know what, our fellowship, what we have in common. People want to talk about fellowship, and they always think of eating together.

11:34 But fellowship is the one thing that we have in common is supposed to be scripture in God not We can't allow our politics to divide us. But okay, praise you the Lord, Praise you the Lord, oh my soul. If you're voting for Donald Trump, you can praise the Lord. If you're voting for Kamala Harris, you can praise the Lord. If you are a Democrat, if you're a Republican, you can praise the Lord. Now I know many you're like, no, no, if they're voting for Kamala Harris, if they're a Democrat, they can't praise the Lord because they're going to hell. If you want to be that way, then by all means, go ahead. But then you don't believe salvation is found in Jesus Christ. You think salvation is somehow connected to who you vote for. But okay, verse two, So I'm gonna read verse one again. Praise you the Lord. Praise you the Lord, oh my soul. While I live, will I praise the Lord. I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. That's where our focus should be. How about verse three? Here we go. Listen to verse three, all right, Psalm one six, Verse three, Listen, put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of Man, and whom there is no help. Put not your trust in princes nor in the son of man, and whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth.

12:50 He returneth to his earth. That very day his thoughts perish. Don't put your trust in people. Don't put your trust and human institutions. Don't put your trust in leaders, political leaders, civil leaders. That's not where your trust is supposed to be. Listen to that text again. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, and whom there is no help, There is no true help. There, his breath go forth. He returneth to his earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish. He's he's not eternal in that sense, on this in this or on this planet, on this earth, in this life. There, he's just he's going to die.

13:44 Whoever that leader is all your trust in them, they're just going to fade. They're going to fall away. They're going to be gone. They're going to enter into the pages of history books. Put your trust in the eternal God, the everlasting God. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, and whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth. He returneth to his earth, and that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that and all that therein is, which keepeth truth forever. Now see, you can put your trust in princes. You're gonna put your trust in men who there is no help. And guess what their breath goeth forth, that returneth to the earth, and that very day their thoughts perish everything. With these people that you put your trust in, all these things you're going to focus on, it's all going to go away. Or you can put your hope and trust in God, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all that is therein which keepeth truth forever. Or you can put your hope and trust and the Creator, which executeth judgment for the oppress, which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners, The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind. The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down.

15:12 The Lord loved the righteous. The Lord preserveth the stranger. He relieveth the fatherless and widow. But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. The Lord shall reign forever, even Thy God, O Zion unto all generations, Praise ye the Lord. Psalm one forty six. Read it and read it, and read it all day while everyone's running around yelling and screaming and fighting, and it's just going to be total chaos. Conspiracy theories, made up lies, misinformation, disinformation, it's gonna be absolute insanity. You go to Psalm one forty six, read it, read it, write it down multiple times, write down all ten verses, write it, rewrite it, put it somewhere, look at it, think about it, sing it, chant it, speak it. Whatever you have to do, keep Psalm one forty six right there, right there in front of you, because I think that is what we need the most today, right, I think we can agree to that.

16:16 All right. So Psalm one forty six is the Psalm I think for for the scripture for Election Day twenty twenty four. That's where I'm going to turn, and that's where I would challenge you. But as I said, what I'm going to do is I'm going to keep my eye and my ear to what's going on in the world of Christianity. So I went to the sermon's two point oh app, I went to the hashtag vote. I did a I pulled down for a refresh and just chose a random sermon. So it's election day, we're going to keep an eye on what's going on in Christianity. So we're going to just start by reviewing the first random sermon that I found.

16:57 As usual, I have not listened to this in advance. I don't know if this is going to be good. I don't know if it's going to be bad. I know it's under the hashtag vote, so we'll see why they chose to put that hashtag as part of the data for this sermon. I don't know if it's I don't know if it's going to be helpful. I don't know if it's going to be beneficial. But one of the reasons we're doing this is, well, you get to hear different perspectives. You'll also get to hear mine because I'll be reviewing, critiquing, and analyzing. But we can kind of just see what the why is Christianity talking about it today? What are Christians doing? All? Right? To me, the most important part of election day or anything dealing with politics is how it impacts the church, how it impacts Christianity. That's because we're looking at it from a theological perspective, that's what we are concerned with.

17:52 And again I've already expressed my concern even today, like on the Christian Post, you can't I can't vote for hypocrisy. Therefore I can't vote for com Mala Harris. And even the lost people looking at it, it's like, wait a minute, let me make sure I understand this. That's the hypocrisy. And so the people underneath it are like, well, so you can vote for a man who's done this, and they list all of these things, the man who said this and all the things he said. But of course then Christians just make an excuse for all of it. Or maybe we can just maybe instead of coming at it like we're so so self righteous, you can just be a lot more instead of trying to use your Christianity to justify it. Maybe you just acknowledge it your own personal preference and you're just using Christianity as an excuse.

18:41 A lot of people don't like when I say that, but I think that's what I see over and over and over, because any rational person looking at it from a biblical perspective would be like, uh, what do I do here? Right? So let's see how Christianity's talking about it today. I don't know when this sermon was public. It was at the very top of the list, I think, so it had to be maybe within the last twenty four hours, may even have been today. So we're just going to jump in. We're going to see how they're talking about it. We'll review until I feel like we get the basic idea, and then we'll stop and then maybe we'll talk. We'll do something else later. I don't know. I don't even know how many times I'm going to broadcast. I'm still trying to figure it out. Today. I will be paying a lot of attention to how things develop, and I just hope it's over soon. So let's listen to how the Christian world is talking about Election Day twenty twenty four.

19:38 Here we go. Well, good morning once again. I was originally going to continue our study in the Book of Genesis, but my mind has been thoroughly engaged in this election cycle, and so I thought I would look deep into the scripture, and my mind has really been moved to give a sermon on voting and who we should vote for. All right, So here's someone whose mind has been thoroughly engaged almost probably very very focused on this election cycle.

20:21 I don't know how if your mind has been that engaged in it. I don't know if you've been that focused on But this is interesting because he's gonna tell us he's been digging into the scriptures to try to determine who we should vote for. Okay, now when I'm just going, I'm going to say this, and I know this puts me again at odds with most of Christendom. You can go from Genesis to Revelation. There is no command for you to vote, all right, there's nothing that says you must vote. Christians will come after you and try to tell you you have a moral responsibility and if you don't do it, you're basically committing a sin.

21:04 And whenever they get in my face with that, I'm like, back off. There's nothing in scripture that tells me I have to vote. There's no clear command. There's nothing because they would not have known anything about the Bible, would not know anything about our our system and how we vote for sit it doesn't have anything to say about that. In fact, Scriptures clearly emphasizes that we are not of this world, that we are pilgrims, we're strangers here. Our citizenship is in heaven. That's our set, our affections on things above love, not the things of this world. I mean, over and over, it so much separates us. Now people say, well, we're supposed to be salt, we're supposed to be light, and then they connect that to voting. And as to say salt and light has anything to do with voting, that's just you. You can try to apply it there, but you cannot make it a command. You can't make it a moral and perative. You can't say someone has to.

21:59 But I am curious how he's going to go to scripture and tell me who I should vote for? Now? Is it going to be this is who you should vote for, and if you don't, you're going against scripture And it'll be interesting with scripture that is shock. So I'm interested to see and who I should supposedly vote for. I won't be taking the advice because I won't be voting, but I do want to hear who I should have voted for. And if I was to vote, well, I would be thrown out of most of Christianity because I wouldn't vote, or most Christians would tell me I have to vote I would completely disagree with it. And I've already said philologically, I think the best thing that can happen to christiandom. This is not about America, this is not about the country, about Christianity and about the Church.

22:49 I've said it, I'll say it again. The best thing that could happen is we wake up tomorrow November sixth, twenty twenty four, and there is not a Republican left in any political office, from city, state to the entire country federal. There's no one left. There's no Republican left. It's everyone who's been elected as a Democrat. There's no Republican left. And you say, why would you say such a crazy thing? Because in the church would have nowhere to look but God. The church would have to get back to being the church. It would have to get out of politics. It would stop looking to politics for the answer. It would have to get back to prayer and defasting and to preaching. It would it would have to put their trust not in horses and cheriots, but in God. There would stop being There would, as the Psalmus says, that would put not their trust in princes nor in the son of man, whom there is no help there would be nowhere to look but up. That would be the best thing for the church ever. It would possibly be purifying to the church to remove the political corruption that is entered in That would from a philological perspective, that would be the best thing that could ever happen. But he's going to look into the scriptures and tell us who we should vote for. All right, Let's see, let's see. Now he may be well, I have some suspicions of what he could be doing, but well, I don't know. But I mean I can I could guess here, I could speculate. But let's just see where this goes.

24:20 What kind of men we should look for to put be put into the position of civil magistrate or the individual that would lead our country? What kind of man should be put in charge of our country as the civil magistrate? What kind of man? Now is this going to come down to? Now? Character? Morality of the individual? Are we going? Are we going? Is he going to tell me that there is a certain morality, a certain character that the person must have in order to be in charge. Is he going to argue that it has to be a man and not a woman. Oh, I'm invested here. I want to know where this is going to.

25:12 Go, or our state or an elected local official. So for some thinkers, I believe that there is a question that arises in the mind that one pursues throughout their time on earth. The question is why did God create the heavens and the earth? God, being perfect in his character and immutable in all his ways, is also completely satisfied in himself. How could he not be? For he has nothing in himself that would cause dissatisfaction. And thus, if we are looking for satisfaction, it can only be found as we abide in Him. There is simply no other way. We may try to find satisfaction in our spouse, our children, our father, mother, our education, our vocation, our activities, our entertainment, and many other things. But if in pursuing these things our minds are not focused on Christ, we will never be content, We will never be satisfied, for only Christ can bring complete satisfaction.

26:27 Okay, I don't know what he's hitting. I don't have the video. He's hitting something there, so I don't know what all that sound is. But okay, I'm a little confused here because this kind of take took a weird turn. So he went into the scriptures to figure out who we should vote for. And now basically he's going into kind of almost a It's almost like you're reading a commentary on maybe the Westminster Confession, right, what is the chief and demand to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever? Or the Westminster Catechism. I think it sounds like it's almost like a commentary on that. All right, But Okay, maybe he's just tried to establish that our focus has to be on God. So maybe that's where this is going. Okay, I'm just trying to see where he's going. We'll find out here.

27:15 I believe this is the way God has designed you and me to function, to work out our lives, to seek Christ for the satisfaction that we so long to have. However, it seems that most never arrive at this point, always looking for something outside of Christ to satisfy their innermost need to be completely content or satisfied. I would propose that this was God's plan before time began, before he created the heavens and the earth. Excuse me, God, being completely satisfied in himself, would create man that man as well could find complete satisfaction in him. Man being created with autonomy to make his own decisions, would find that through many failures that have come from making poorly executed free decisions, man would be led into such a desperate despair that he would look for another to shepherd his life.

28:23 Now we know that sin leads one to despair, but there is a remedy that is found in Christ. The question is has God granted you the desire by his grace to pursue Him above all other pursuits. This is the key question. Are you pursuing God as your primary source of satisfaction or do you have other pursuits that are more important than your pursuit of Him? Today, the church in our country needs Christ desperately, but for some strange reason, we believe that we just need better politicians. And do we see anywhere in scripture that it is our absolute duty to vote for this politician or that politician.

29:11 Of course, no we do not. But the cry before us in this election season from all who are around us, is that it is our duty to vote, And so we lose sight of our prescription for duty. Founding God's word, that duty would be to love the Lord, our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. To partake of the Lord's supper, remembering him until he comes back to pray, to read, study his word, to take the Gospel to all the nations, training the nations to submit to God, and to do as he has commanded. To baptize those who are given faith. To love our neighbor as we love ourselves, for husbands to love their wives, wise, to respect and follow their husbands, to not provoke our children to wrast or in brief, to do all that God has commanded us.

30:06 Now, I love that fact. I love the fact. Now it sounds like he's reading something again. I don't know exactly what he's reading. Maybe he wrote out a manuscript. I don't know, But whatever he's reading, I do like the fact that it's emphasizing that. Nowhere in scripture do I see some duty to vote. What I see is duty to do these other things. What he's referencing there over and over what we would classify theologically as law, the law of God. Love God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. Love your neighborers, yourself, love your enemy, turn the other cheek, pray without ceasing, Rejoice everyone, husbands, love your wives. All these things that he's citing. Those are law passages. These law passes. Passages tell us what God expects, which is perfection. It demonstrates immediately our inability to do so, because we're never going to keep this law anywhere clothes.

30:56 Then that drives us to Christ. And then we realize that Christ is the one who keeps the law for us, and by our faith in him, his obedience passive inactive, is imputed to my account, and that's how I have a right standing before God, and practice I still fall short. All right, Great, So that's wonderful. He's looking at the actual duty laid out in scripture. And so when people start talking about your duty today, the duty is what's found in scripture, not what they impose upon you because they need you to get their favorite politician elected. No, your duty is to get out of my face, because I don't have a duty to vote for your little favorite politician. There's nothing in scripture that tells me that.

31:37 All right, So I'm glad. So I would be one hundred percent in agreement with this, and I'm very glad that he is emphasizing this. So I don't know where he was going. I don't know how he's going to ultimately get to where he said he start. He's going, but it's going to be interesting to see how he gets there. To do. And don't get me wrong, I am not advising anyone not to vote, but I am informing you that if we do as God has commanded, then I believe he would grant us Christian candidates that are worthy of our vote. I myself will vote, but only for those of whom my conscience will let me vote for.

32:18 I want to say that my conscience is captive to the word of God. Yet I will also say that I am open for discussion with those who may disagree with my positions in regard to politics. Okay, so he's not telling us not to vote, but it seems that he's definitely demonstrated that we do. We have no scriptural duty to do so, right, but he's going to vote for whom his conscience will allow him to vote. Now, we've talked about this idea of conscience, right, and this is such what we could get into a lengthy discussion here, Like it's easy when you get into the political thinging rights, and when you get into the political thing, you can say, well, my conscience won't let me vote for that person. Is it really your conscience?

33:06 Because this is where it gets very confusing. When you look at the makeup of a person. Is it just yours? You just got this strong personal preference, You've got this strong personal bias that you're just saying, is now your conscience? Because if you say it's your conscience, then you almost have a scriptural excuse. Well, I have to vote for this person because my conscience won't let me vote for that person. Well, in that convenient that your conscience? Like you know what I'm saying, Like, I understand that in some cases it may be an issue of conscience, but we are so remember we are deceptive and our very nature and our very core. I think when it comes to politics, Christians love to wrap themselves and philological, biblical, spiritual sounding terms in order to justify their political choice and then feel morally and spiritually superior that their vote is somehow the way they're vote is morally or spiritually better.

34:02 And I think in many cases we're just deceive ourselves. It's our own it's based on how we were raised, it's based where we live, it's based off our own little personal preferences. And is it really are you going to vote because your conscience is held captive by the word of God. Again, that's kind of a reference to Luther and what he wrote in reference to the issues surrounding the Reformation when he was facing church discipline from the Roman Catholic Church. So, I mean everyone quotes that. I remember being a young Christian and anytime I would my conscience has held captive by the word of God, and I can't do anything else but stand every cause, that would be my argument. My argument would always be that which would put me then on the right side, Like who can argue with me? He's standing because his conscience is captured by the word of God and he can do nothing else but stan. It sounds so righteous, it sounds so spiritual. Just don't think it's always that simple.

35:00 And if your conscience is really held captive to the word of God, who you going to vote for? Now? What you'll do is you'll say, but on this issue, I can't vote for the other person. But what about this issue and this issue in this issue? So then how do you determine? Do you determine on the It's not as simple as everyone makes it out to be. Let's see how he approaches. This though and voting aw Tozer, who was a firebrand preacher in the mid twentieth century, wrote the following. He said, it is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular. It is why he does it. The motive is everything. Let a man sanctify the Lord in his heart, and he can thereafter do no common act. All he does is good and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And so Tozer says, let a man sanctify the Lord God in his heart. Please turn with me to First Peter three, and we will see where mister Tozer finds this truth. Because we are a tribal people belonging to the Christian community, we look for men who belong to the tribe and who follow the commandments of the tribe leader. More on this later in my sermon. As Christians. There are events in life

36:31 that we are taught to expect, namely the antagonism and persecution from the world by those in the world. Peter has much to say about this. In the third chapter of First Peter. He says, of following it verse eight. Finally, all of you be like minded and sympathetic love as brothers, be tender hearted and humble. Do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult, but with blessing. Because to this you were called, so that you may inherit a blessing. For whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

37:13 He must turn from evil and do good. He must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord, the face of the Lord, is against those who do evil, who can harm you. If you are zealous for what is good verse fourteen. But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear. Do not be shaken, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ. For it is better if it is God's will to suffer for doing good, Then for doing evil, for Christ also suffered for sins once for all the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. And I believe the point is made by Peter in verse fifteen, that we in our hearts must sanctify Christ as Lord.

38:36 Our hearts must be a place of worship where we consider everything that God has commanded, every way that God has directed us in his word, for making the decisions that we make. I will say this about this verse, that our hearts must be a place where Christ has lordship. And if this is true of the Christian, he will always be looking to carry out the Lord's will in the midst of the passions that flow from his heart. And not only this, but he will govern and modify those passions that are not in alignment with his revealed will.

39:19 Okay, now we're going to get into all kinds of theological issues here, and I'm not going to follow it. I think everyone, have you been listening to us to this podcast for any length of time, you know what I'm getting ready to argue. Wait a minute. So, if God is the one controlling and guiding and taking care of the things that come from the heart, and he's the Lord of the heart, but then the heart should basically be well, then where does sin come from? If God is controlling and guiding what's coming out of the heart, and he's Lord over my heart, well, then if he's lord over it, then he's in charge of it. And if he's in charge of my heart, then where in the world does sin come from? Because God would be stopping any sin that comes from the heart. It's just like this just gets to this never ending contradictory thing where Christians basically like, you have a new heart. Well you don't really have a new heart. Well you can say noicein and yes to God. Well, I mean you can't do it perfectly. Well you're a new creature. But I mean, well you still sin. Okay, Well all things are passed away, all things that are coming to well, I mean you still it's this double speak, right, So if God is Lord of my heart, controlling and guiding the passions that come from it, well, then ladies and gentlemen, once the heart is right then and not the center of my being. So then everything I do and everything I say, why is it not perfect? Okay? All kinds of issues that flow from this, but that's not the point here. The point here is he's talking about the election and who we should vote for. So at this point I'm still trying to follow how we're getting there, all right, So I'm going to let him like he's taking us on this kind of long and winding road.

40:47 It's got to end somewhere, right, It's got to get us somewhere. Let's see where it's going. For example, if I am not feeling love for my wife on a certain day, it is sinful if I follow these feelings with sinful acts of omission, or in other words, I neglect my duty of love toward my wife by ignoring those words and actions that I should be attending to her with. Is it only sinful if you do something or fail to do something. Wouldn't it be sinful if you don't have love in your heart, if you don't love God with all your heart, if you don't love your if you don't love your wife, wouldn't it be already sinful?

41:33 Because sin is not just the action or the lack of action. It's well, you're guilty in your heart. You can be guilty in your heart before you ever do or not do anything right. And how we understand it or or are now we going to reduce sin just to action or failed action or failed to do a certain action. No, that's the whole point of what Jesus tried to demonstrate. No, you're guilty internally, have way before action or inaction occurs or doesn't occur. Now, let's bring this into the area of voting. My passions that flow from my heart may inform me that if I do not vote for a certain candidate, well, then things are just going to get worse for me.

42:25 Primarily I will be moved out of my comfort zone and this will happen to others as well. Thus, I vote my feelings and not my conscience. That should be captive to the word of God, or my conscience should overcome my feelings. I should look deep within the Word of God no matter what decision I need to make, and to ensure that my decision is in alignment with the Word of God. If I look, if my conscience is captive to the Word of God, I will look for precedent in the Word of God for my decision in regard to my vote, just as one would look for precedent in God's word for the form of baptism that he embraces, or any other point of theology that he would embrace. So where do we look for precedent in the scriptures in regard to voting, Well, I would say that there is many places that we can look, not a place that distinctly talks about voting. Of course, However, there is a text that speaks to choosing men to judge on civil matters, and that text is found in Exodus eighteen. Please turn there with me. In this chapter, the Israelites have been freed from their captivity in Egypt.

43:57 Moses meets Jethro, who is Moses's wife's father, in the desert, and Jethro is returning his wife as well as his sons to Moses. We will pick up the story of verse seven, which says the following Moses went out to meet his father in law and bowed down and kissed him, and they asked each other of their welfare, and went into the tent. Then Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced all for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, and that he had delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians Verse ten.

45:04 Okay, so his argument seems to be all right, So we can't go with our feelings. We have to go with our conscience. Our conscience must be captured by the word of God. And so we can't really find a scripture that specifically says who we should vote for. So we should go to Exodus eighteen. And Exodus eighteen is the section of scripture that I guess is somehow going to say this is how we make our determination to vote. I'm going to let him continue to read. Let's this I've got I've got lots of questions here, but let's see where this goes. Jethro said, blessed be the Lord who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in the affair they dealt arrogantly with the people. And Jethro, Moses' father in law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God. Now, I want to say, as we launch into this, I can say that this passage is one of the more important passages that we should be examining in regard to the voting process. What kind of men should we be

46:39 looking for to lead our land? And if we find this precedent in this passage, we must find our consciences to it. This must be something that we follow. The question is is it or does this passage somehow contradict other portions of scripture? I say not read on with me. In verse thirteen, the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. He can imagine Moses is probably a wreck at this point, right, He's judging all of the affairs of the people from morning until evening every day. Verse fourteen.

47:27 When moses father in law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, what is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone and all the people stand around you from morning till evening? And Moses said to his father in law, because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a dispute. They come to me, and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his loss. Strong point here, what is Moses doing well? As these two are coming together, two that are that have an issue against one another, Moses is opening up the law and the statutes of God, and he is sharing what God's will would be in the matter. Verse seventeen, Moses' father in law said to him, what you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice.

48:40 I will give you advice, and God be with you. You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God. And you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bride. And place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens, and let them judge the people at all pinmes. So Moses go to the tribes. Look for men that are capable of doing such a job. Look for men that fear God and who will not take a bribe. These are the men to be put in the position or the positions that you are looking for. Every great matter to continue at verse twenty two, they shall bring to you. But any small matter they shall decid themselves, so it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

50:05 If you do this, God will direct you. You will be able to endure and all this people also will go to their place in peace. All right, we have so much going on here, so much going on here. I hate that we reached the fifty minute mark and we just finally got here. But that's okay, we have gotten here. This may lead you to something to think about and discuss all day. His entire thesis. After all, he took a long way to get here, right, But his entire thesis is basically, look, if you need to know who to vote for, go to Exodus chapter eighteen. Start in verse seventeen and go to twenty seven, and this will give you the guideline and who to vote for, ladies and gentlemen. Now, first of all, let's just make it very clear. This is not in Exodus eighteen and following. This is nothing about American democracy, nothing under our system. This is this is operating under a theocracy. Okay, God is literally leading and guiding and directing and speaking. This is a theocratic system, not our kind of democratic democracy, representative republic type system.

51:14 So already there's a problem. But I just want you to do this all right. I want you now, if you've been paying any attention, I mean, Donald Trump has been on the scene for a long time. We know all the things he has said, all the things he has done, all the words he has used, the language he has used, the things he's been found guilty in a court of law. For I mean, it's there is a lot there. It's not like he's some new person and we don't have a lot to go by. Would you look and then say, okay, look at Exodus chapter eighteen, verse twenty one. Moreover, thou shall provide out of all the people able men such as fear God, men of truth, hating coveteousness. If you look, get those descriptions is that, Donald Trump? I mean, if you said that to any reasonable person, they would laugh you in the face and go, are you out of your mind? Are you out of your capable? Men? This is a competence. Leaders should have the skill necessary for their role, able to judge matters wisely and handle responsibilities effectively. Now, well, do we look at all of the bankruptcies? Do we look at that fear of God? Reverence and moral accountability? Leaders should possess a deep respect for God, which brings moral accountability to their actions and decisions. Do you see Donald Trump is a man who fears God and is moral?

52:38 Do I? I can't even read to you the things that he has said. I mean, do you want me to do we go back to the Access Hollywood tape? Oh? Yeah, I would get kicked off, sermonadio if I wish to read those words, right? Like? Do I? If I was to read some of the words he has said, I would literally be kicked off, Sermonadi. I can't even say those words. The thing that he has done, the things he's been found liable for and guilty for in a court of law, Like, does any of that even matter? Trustworthy leaders should be reliable with an established record of honesty and ethical behavior. The number of lies that Donald Trump has said is staggering. Hatred of dishonest gain Liters should reject bribery or self enrichment, prioritizing the good of the people over personal gain. Now, come on, now, is that the direction? Now I'm not seeing that's the direction he's going to go. I'm saying, if you use Exodus chapter eighteen as your like, so someone has to meet this criteria before you vote for them. Really, really, I mean, come on now, come on now, really, I mean, let's just see where he goes.

54:03 So Moses listened to the voice of his father in law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times. Any hard cases they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. Then Moses led his father in law depart, and he went away to his own country. Now in this passage we noticed four things that Moses was instructed by Jethro to do, and they are as follows. Number one, Moses was to choose men among his people, the Israelites.

54:50 The instructions were not to go back to Egypt or any other country for that matter, and began his search for trusted men. He was to look for men within Israel who knew the statutes and the laws as Moses did, and be faithful to judge between the matters of the people, just as we are taught to do today. For example, when we choose elders or deacons in the church, we choose men among us whom we have observed, have experience with, and have proved that they can fill such positions. You know, if there could be a seminarian that is just brilliant, but we do not know his character. We have not spent any time with him. Oh, he's come to our church, he's given a couple sermons. Some people have said good things about him, but we don't know the man. I think this is a recipe for disaster. So Moses choose people within the tribes, people people who are capable, They fear God, they won't accept a bribe. These are men who you should choose. And I have a question for all of you at this point, do we see anything wrong with the advice that Jethro is giving Moses. Of course not. You know, there's nothing in scripture that would

56:25 run against this advice. In fact, everything in scripture would confirm that this is good, strong, godly advice that Moses should be Following number two, in choosing those that we will entrust to lead us and represent us in the civil sphere, we look for men who are capable of filling such a position. In Romans thirteen, when Paul is giving the instruction for a civil servant's says that the civil magistrate is a servant of God for your good.

57:06 And I would say, no matter what the leader position is in society, we look for men who have proven themselves to be servants, servants of God for the good of the people. Now, the Greek word for servant is diaconos diaconos I'm sorry, which can be translated servant or minister. You will notice in the King Game Vergeon that the word minister is used. Paul called Timothy a diaconos or. I'm ah okay. I'm trying to let it play as much as possible because his thesis is basically, we go to Exodus eighteen and this gives us the guidelines on whom we're supposed to vote for. That's really the argument right again, it's taking a THEO system trying to apply it to our system. Here. The people don't vote, Moses makes the determinator. I mean, there's is it truly transferable?

58:09 But even if it's transferable, then they then basically what you're doing. And he basically argued that this is the same type of thing you would do for choosing a pastor or an elder. Well, then so do we only vote for people who meet the requirement basically of a pastor? Like this, the whole thing here becomes very complicated and convoluted. I wish you would not run to Romans thirteen right now. I wish you would stay in Exodus eighteen and articulate this. But I'll let him do his thing. I'm going to come back to Exodus eighteen because while we were listening, well, I had to ask artificial intelligence that, based on Exodus eighteen as the criteria, how would Donald Trump fit this criteria?

58:53 And well, AI cracked me up. So we'll talk about We'll talk about how I answered in a minute. But let's see if he will is he going to name someone what's he going to do. Is he going to wait all the way to the end. I'm hoping he gets us somewhere here. Or a servant of God. People will say when voting that they are not voting for a pastor in chief but a president. However, the civil magistrate, like the pastor, is a servant of God for the good of the people, only in a different capacity.

59:34 Wow, that's a big argument. So he's almost basically saying that When people say, hey, I'm not voting for a pastor, I'm not voting for a past He's like, no, you're voting for someone who's supposed to be a servant of God for our good. So you're still voting for someone who's a servant of God. So then they have to meet that certain criteria, right, That would go after a lot of Christians are like, well, I'm not voting for a pope. I'm not voting for a pastor. If you're gonna if you're going to take a scriptural approach, he's making the argument, no, well then you've got to find someone who meets this criteria. This is about to get very interesting where he's gonna go here. Right now, he's definitely got me. He kind of takes a long and winding way to get there, right, but he's he's definitely I'm invested here. I want to know where this is going.

1:00:26 There is nowhere in Romans thirteen that says that the role of the civil magistrate is somehow diminished before God, or it's not as important as a pastor of a church. He is no less a servant of God to carry out God's will his commands as the pastor of a church. Remember this, he is a servant, a diaconos. Diaconos is used in the New Testament, you know for pastors of receivers, bishops, these men are servants, But so is the civil magistrate.

1:01:10 Wow, he's making a powerful case here that basically the hey that this civil leader is no different than a pastor. It's the same Greek word. Now, while we could get into this could get into a whole host of issues. Hang, I'm going to go to I'm going to go to Romans thirteen because I always have to verify. Obviously, I've told you so many times how pastors will say things about the Greek and it turns out to be well, it turns out to be majorly problematic. Here, okay, hang on, uh see, where's the where's the I don't know what translation he's using. Is it is it? Let's see, let's go.

1:01:50 I'm going to go to verse four. Theos. Okay, yeah, this is the Greek word. All right, here's the Greek word. It's the Greek word diakonos. I think that is how you say it. Strong's g twelve forty nine. Diaconos diaconos. Diaconos is the Greek word to choose thirty one times, all right, so it is used. Diacanos is used to refer to the civil leader in Romans thirteen. But yeah, I choose to refer to uh yeah, Paul and Colossians one twenty five. Wherefore I have made a minister according to the dismissation of God which is given to me.

1:02:34 Y know. So he's right, deacons is diaconos. Obviously it would make sense the word minister. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of things, thou shall be a good minister diaconos. So when people say I'm not he's his argument is don't say, well, I'm not voting for a pastor, You're voting for a diaconos. And if you're voting for a diaconos, Well, then that's the same Greek word used to describe a pastor. So therefore he's still supposed to be a minister, a servant of God, following God's will, serving God. So then he has to meet them the same requirements or at least to some level. That's going to have a profound impact if you follow that through. Now, my concern is is he going to then argue that someone that a candidate in the twenty twenty four election meets the criteria for diacinos like comes even even close to that because even Ai basically laughed at me, even I like me, are you out of your mind?

1:03:35 Right? So I'll go through in a minute what they had to say, But let's see where he takes this. This is an interesting argument. And thus we look for men of impeccable character, not just say well, I'm not voting for a pastor, I'm voting for a president. And why do we compromise he is a servant, a bondservant of God. We look for men with an impeccable character. I mean, come on now, lady, there's no way you can hear this. I'm like, I'm gonna go vote for Donald Trump to impeccable character. Are you out of your ever living mind? Okay, come on now, So he's he is going after the argument that most Christians may, Oh, I am not voting for a pastor. I'm just voting so the president doesn't need impeccable character. Say, this is the weird thing in the nineties. Christians will be like, well, character matters. Character matters.

1:04:33 Bill Clinton as an abomination to God twenty twenty four. Character doesn't matter. I'm not voting for a pastor. At least he's coming along going whoa wall, Wait a minute, Wait a minute, Diakinos, minister, he has to have an impeccable character. And if we say someone needs a good character to lead the church, do you not need good character to lead a nation. That's the argument he's making. All right, this is this is This raises a million questions. Oh, I'm so interested to see where he goes here. Let's see, let's see if he's gonna if he I want him to just go ahead and say, we may have to kind of do some fast forwarding here. We're already over an hour. But that's okay, this is interesting. This is at least if it's not interesting to you, then you go do what you need to do. I'm gonna be sitting here because I've got to have an answer now.

1:05:23 In a different capacity as a pastor, yes, but nonetheless a servant of God. Thirdly, Moses was to look for men who feared God. Once again, Moses was to look for men that he observed two here, men who demonstrated a fear of God. Proverbs one seven informs us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Full fools despise wisdom and instruction. Or can we say this about the leaders that we put in office? There are some that despise wisdom and instruction. Where do we find wisdom and instruction in the word of God? Why would we vote for men who do not fear God?

1:06:14 Why would we vote for men who despise His wisdom and instruction? This is beyond me. I don't understand. Moses was to begin a concentrated effort to look for men who feared God and had the good of the people in mind, and thus would judge in a righteous manner. Fourthly, men were to be chosen who were trustworthy and hated a bribe Exodus twenty three, six to Age says a following about bribery. You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. Keep far from a false charge. Do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. And you shall take no bribe, For a bribe binds the blinds the clear sighted, and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

1:07:18 How many politicians can we even name that don't take money from special interest groups? And this money sways the mind and the resolve of the individual that they are voting for Psalm fifteen, it stoles the one who walks in righteousness. David says the following in Psalm fifteen. Of those who walk in righteousness, Oh Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent, who shall dwell on your holy hill, He who walks blamelessly and does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart, art who does not slander with his tongue, and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend, in whose eyes a vile person is despised, But who honors those who fear the Lord who swears to his own hurt and does not change, who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

1:08:36 Look at your candidates you're voting for today. Do they take bribes against the innocent? Let me ask you something. Who is the most individual, innocent individual in the world. Would you aggrieve with me that this is the individual that is in the womb. It's beyond me that we bring judgments. I'm the most innocent person on earth, the individual in the womb. And we vote for men, we vote for women who embrace abortion or slaughter of these innocent young ones.

1:09:31 Okay, now, okay, a couple of things. First of all, from a thiological perspective, we are sinners at conception, so we're we are we are already sinners, right, We're already So when you say innocent, innocent, maybe an action, but we're But even a child in the womb is has a sinful nature unless you're going to argue against original sin and depravity. Okay, all right, But so he's going to turn this to abortion, where we're going to turn this to abortion. Let's make it very clear. Donald Trump is opposed to a national ban on abortion and said he would veto it. All right, So let's just make that very clear. And Roe v. Wade has already been overturned, it's been handed to the states, So then you should be more concerned who you vote for in state elections, not necessarily the federal And not only that, abortion rates, as I have demonstrated, and I could probably look for the articles right now that I've saved, has actually increased since Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Why Because you don't stop abortion simply by trying to go after it politically.

1:10:35 You got to change hearts and minds. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be I'm not by any means diminishing the attempts and what people are trying to do. But I stated it before it happened. Even if you get rid of Roe v. Wade, you're not going to get rid of abortion because a good portion of this country believes in it, supports it, and they're going to continue to fight for it. And abortion rates will not decrease, they will increase, And they may decrease in one area but they increase in another. Why because people go to the places where they need to go to obtain that particular action. So that's that's I mean, if we're gonna turn if we're gonna reduce it to that issue, if we're going to reduce it to that issue. But please note he said Exodus eighteen is the test. Exodus eighteen does not mention abortion, all right, now, but he's inserted that directly into the text. Right, But just make sure we understand theologically, a child is we are conceived in sin.

1:11:33 We are sinners from conception, so before God, we are sinners. Right. You can't use the term innocent unless you're going to then say innocent, that a sinner is innocent, Like then are are you gonna say innocent until action is done? Well, then that would mean if I never do an action, then I'm innocent because I've never done the Now it gets now philologically that gets a little confusing, all right, But let's see where he's gonna take this. Why do we do this? I can't be sure about any of you, but for me, I would much rather follow the Lord's ways and never be moved. No compromise is what I see in the scripture. We have too many special interest groups or lobbyists who will do everything in their power to bribe politicians for special favors, and whoever gets the most money from these professional briberists most often win. They're races. Let this not be named among you and I. I just read a prescription from God's word in regard to how we choose those who will lead us. But the church as a whole cowards, because well, you know, God's ways just don't work, and we need to do what we see as right in our own eyes.

1:13:00 We need to compromise. This is the recipe for disaster, or the way of the foolish man. And the Lord will not bless us as a church or as a nation as we continue to compromise. Thus says the Lord. But I know, but you know, we have basically two candidates. We're only a two We're only a two party system. We got to vote for one or the other. Right, No, when we step into the realm of life, we have to realize that the scripture says one slaughter of one child is enough. Yeah, but this guy who'll only slaughter five hundred, and this woman she'll slaughter seven hundred. So let's back put all our resources against this man who's going to create this evil and allow five hundred innocent individuals or babies in the womb to be slaughtered. Is this right? Let's go on. I want to dispel some of the myths that we have in our Christian political sphere today, and one of those myths would be the pro life movement. What is the pro life movement? Pro

1:14:32 life would be no life's taken, but that is not so in the pro life movement. Just so that we know, all right, so he's going to go after the pro life movement, but just make sure we understand things are complicated right here in the state of Texas because of our new abortion law. Teenage girl, the fetus, the baby is well basically dying inside of her. She goes to emergency room. After emergency, she goes to three emergency rooms to seek help. They can't help her because they can't do anything that could possibly harm the baby the fetus, depending on how you want to look at it. Okay, I'm not going to get into that never ending argument, but okay, the point is she can't get medical attention, so they just basically put her in a room and she dies. Well, if you're pro live, didn't the teenage girls live matter? Didn't her live matter, or oh, did only the baby in the womb matter? Well, the baby in the womb was basically dying and there was nothing they could do. So what needed to happen is pregnancy needed to be terminated in order to save her life, but because of the new abortion laws in Texas, they couldn't. So a teenage girl dies. This has been national news. It's been over. I was having a conversation about it last night with my daughter. So horrible, horrible story for everyone involved. Now I've read the story of looked at the story, I've talked about the story. It's a horrible situation. But if you're pro life, see, that's

1:16:04 the thing. Sometimes we pass these laws and there's always unintended consequences. Some people will say, well, you shouldn't have done anything. So if you can't terminate the pregnancy because we're against all abortion, I understand that. But then so the mom dies, I mean, that's just horrible. She went for three emergency rooms and they couldn't do anything for me. They basically just set her in a room and let her die. So that things are always complicated. And another thing, if you're going to reduce everything just to abortion, which is what many Christians do. The only thing that matters is abortion. What about all the other issues? Now, abortion obviously is significant because nobody should want to support obviously the killing of a baby. Obviously that should bother all of us. Nobody is minimizing that. But there's more issues than just that right that things are complicated, and if it's already been handed to the states, well, then each state determines. So then you would want to vote for people in the state, and then you would want to hopefully pass some kind of laws within that state. What do you want the federal government to do at this point? Now, if you want a national abortion ban where you're not going to get it. Trump's not going to do it, Kamala is not going to do it. So you're not going to get a national abortion ban. So then what are you going to do? Is that's going to be your fight? Your fight?

1:17:25 Is that it? Well, what about all the other things in scripture? What about all the other things? What about all the characteristics and Exodus eighteen? Do you just throw all of that out? He's now talking about the pro life movement. I think what he's going to do is criticize the pro life movement, I think is what he's getting ready to do. Let's see what he's getting ready to say. When someone says pro life, what exactly is meant by that statement, Well, to most Republicans, it means that we will secure our resources behind the Republicans because they will allow for less slaughter of babies than the Democrats. This is nonsense. There should be no babies killed, and we should hold our civil magistrates, the individuals that we vote for, we should hold them accountable to this. But Larry, you must remember you know that our candidate, he's only going to slaughter in the first trimester, where the other candidate is going to slaughter in the second and third trimester.

1:18:46 We're still taking lives which God does not allow. Show me where he allows us to take lives. Did you know that a recent question was posed to one thousand and fifty eight biologists that asked when life actually began? Ninety six percent said at conception or fertilization. We should clap our hands. Science is finally catching up to God. This one.

1:19:28 I'd like to see that study. I'd like to see that study. I wish I could find it. I wish I could find it. I wish you would cite. The source. Was put out by the National Library of Medicine. This information was given to the public so that they could make informed decisions on reproduction. Wow, at least they're giving us some data. In the church, we said, well, we can't follow this one because this one is going to allow for more deaths of babies than that one. I'm not sure where we get this line of thought. It's not from the Word of God. However, the Word of God has an even higher standard than any biologist, and this standard has been in place for millennia. Levitgos eighteen twenty one says the following about the sacrifice of children.

1:20:30 You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Mullik none zero, goose egg none. But we've got to vote for the lesser of two evils. Right where in the scripture do we see this? I tried to find what he said the library that question in and what I found simply was the question of when life begins, the complex one involving biological, philosophical, ethical, and sometimes religious perspectives. From a biological standpoint, here's a closer look at the argument that life begins at conception and some scientific contexts that can frame questions post biologists who would hold this view. All right, so then this here's some of the questions. What biological markers specifically indicate that life has begun at conception? And how are these distinct from subsequent developmental stages. How do you reconcile the concept of potential life with actualized life when discussing life at conception? Does potential alone make something alive? And the full biological sense? Giving the complexity of human development? And any are there any additional criteria beyond genetic uniqueness that you believe are necessary to define life biologically? How do you address the occurrence of early natural terminations like miscarriages and relation to the view that life begins at conception?

1:21:53 And are there other points in human development, such as implement, implement, implantation, or the onset of detect bring activity that you think should equally or more strongly define the beginning of life? Right, So it goes into a lot of those very much more complex issues. So I don't know exactly which, like, well, ninety eight percent said this, ninety eight percent out of a thousand something, When was this done? Okay? So I don't know. I don't know. We didn't get very far into finding that out, Okay, But he's he's opposed to choosing a candidate, of choosing the lesser evil. He's opposed to that. So it seems like he's basically saying, the standard they have to meet is the standard. If they don't meet that standard, then don't vote. That seems to be the direction he's going.

1:22:41 But the scripture does tell us once again, you shall not give any of your children to offer them to Moloch and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. Well, Larry, you might say he gave that the national Israel. It's okay to slaughter children, now, at least slaughter some. No, it is not perish the thought. We're going to choose between slaughtering some and not the other. How do we choose between the two? Boy, this makes me weep that we would compromise as a church as we are doing. How can one in good conscience vote for an individual who will allow for any abortions. You may say that, well, one candidate will allow for less, but they are still promoting evil. Let's go back earlier in the sermon, I read the following from one Peter three twelve. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are inclined to their prayer.

1:23:58 But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, who can harm you if you are zealous for what is good. It's sounding like he's basically saying at this point you shouldn't vote for anyone. He's basically what he's going to say. So I may try to fast forward here and see if we get to some kind of dogmatic declaration here in the end. But just if we're going to use Exodus eighteen as the standard, right, I would just show you if we're going to use Exodus eighteen, it would be clearly shown that Donald Trump's actions and words would go against these biblical principles. Indeed, some aspects of his behavior appear to contrast significantly with the qualities outline in Exodus eighteen. Fear of God moral accountability. Jethro's advice prioritizes leaders who have a reverent fear of God grounded in their actions in humility and moral accountability. Trump's approach, often mark by self promotion and dismissive language towards opponents, may seem inconsistent with a sense of humility or accountability to God.

1:25:07 A leader who fears God seeks to align with values of compassion, forgiveness, integrity, qualities that are not always evident in Trump's public rhetoric and actions. Trustworthiness. The value of integrity implies a consistent, honest and commitment to truth. Trump's track record includes a substantial number of fact checked statements found to be false or misleading. This has raised concerns about his reliability as a truthful leader, which is integral to trustworthiness. Integrity also involves consistency between words and actions. Discrepancies between Trump's promises and actions may further conflict with this value hatred or dishonest gain. Jethro advises that leaders avoid personal enrichment at the expense of their responsibility to the people. Trump's business dealings, both during and outside of office, have sparked questions about conflicts of interest and where the personal financial gain influenced his decisions. Leaders and leaders in line with the biblical criteria focus on serving the people and the people's good rather than pursuing their own profit or status. And I could continue on even AI's like, wait, there's a conflict here, and ladies and gentlemen everyone would have to admit that there is a conflict here. Everyone would have to admit that there's not even a dispute there.

1:26:22 There's not even a debate. So what he's putting forth basically is a civil leaders. Political leaders are servants, they are ministers, and they are to be men who meet these criteria. And basically they have to be held as to the standard of a servant of God, as a minister of God. That's what they have to be held to the standard of That's basically his approach. And you don't vote for the lesser of two evils. So I don't know if he's going to say vote or don't vote. Let's see what he says here.

1:27:04 Once again, Peter says, the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Would we all agree that the slaughter of children is evil? No matter whether it's done in the first trimester, second trimester, third trimester, or after birth, it's evil. How can we choose an individual who is promoting evil? Well, I you know I'll only allow for it in the first trimester. You're still allowing for it. This slaughter of innocent children is evil. Why don't we hold accountable Mom and Dad or why don't we hear more from the Hope. It's in regard to this young ladies, you need to keep your legs closed until you are married. To be brutally honest, we need to hear this from the pulpit. We need dads moms to rise up and keep their children accountable.

1:28:24 Why was the responsibility put on the woman? I wouldn't men have a responsibility in this as well? Well? I mean that was kind of a very explicit way of telling I mean, why would you state it that way? Why would you just say to everyone involved that, you know, bringing life into the world is a huge thing and a huge responsibility, and there's major implications from it. It takes two like why would why was it? Hey? Women, you you do that? Where's the where's the responsibility for the men? What what just happened there? And why is every it isn't notice that Christianity, everything is always reduced to just one issue, just abortion. Every other issue becomes just ignored. But it's not that simple, like if you reduce it to just one issue, to me, I don't understand how you can just reduce it to one issue.

1:29:19 So well, that issue is the most important. It may be. But it's a very complicated issue, is it not. And I say, well, how is it complicated? It's complicated because, well, we live in a society like as a country, where ultimately the people will make the decision, right, the people. This is what I said about gay marriage. Way years I told everyone it was going to become legal. I told everyone, I said, you can fight it. You can fight it, you can yell, you can scream, it's going to become legal. You know why it's going to become legal, because that's ultimately what the people want, the same thing you, whatever the issue is, you can fight it. You can fight it. You can fight it, and that's great that you fight it, but it's a losing battle if you're not changing the hearts and minds of the people, because the people will ultimately decide. Once the majority and a governmental system that's by the people for the people, the people will ultimately decide. So you can push back on you know, abortion, but if enough people are like, sorry, we disagree with you, then guess what, ladies and gentlemen, Sooner or later, they're going to vote the very thing you're fighting again and to law. They're going to repeal.

1:30:29 They're going to throw off what you're trying to restrict. They're going to push back. You've got to change the hearts and minds of the people. That's why the biblical approach is not about voting. The Biblical approach is evangelize, baptize, and then teach. Then you teach about life, the sanctity of life. You teach that. Now, the more people who acknowledge that and accept that, well then you don't have to even worry about it because the people themselves, well what less people will be engaged in said activity, at least hopefully because I mean obviously even Christians can there's not a sin a Christian can't commit, all right, So but yeah, I I like, I just don't know. And when you look at politics and you look at you vote for, you're just going to be one issue. That's all it's going to matter. Every other issues are relevant. Well, well this is this is a sin, Well what about this, this, this, this, this, there's about fifteen other things. So now this sin Trump's that's all the all the different issues. Let's I think what he's just going to say is we don't vote for anybody. I think is what he's going to say.

1:31:41 Why because they love them personally. I choose to be zealous for what is good, and I think we would all surmise that abortion is evil. If this is true, how can one in good conscience once again vote for one who determines to evil by encouraging the slaughter of babies at any age? This would make me an accomplished to a crime of which I understand would be displeasing to the Lord, and therefore I cannot. I have no desire for the blood of the most innocent individual on the planet to be on my hands. Maybe you do, maybe you yawn, Well, it's just it's just a first trimester.

1:32:33 We should be weeping as a country in regard to what is happening. However, so the narrative goes that the good Christian must vote the Republican ballot because their candidate may be evil in some ways, but that woman, well, she is eviler. She is an evilist. However you want to put it. This is nonsense, but most Christians buy in to this nonsense. I think we can all imagine where this life is not precious kind of thought process is going. Let me explain. Let's flip the birthing process to the end of life dying process. In this scenario, we find that our country is terribly overpopulated, and thus we need to pass laws at all levels to eradicate our overpopulation. You may ask, well, what are our targets?

1:33:35 Who are we going to get rid of? Okay, so now he's going to move to kind of the slippery slope. Where is it going to end. I'm going to fast forward this and see if we can get to the end. I think he's making it very clear that we can't vote for anybody. I'm going to go here about eight minutes left, maybe in the sea, if he offers anything else. And then say, well it's you know, it's not right. But you know we're going to say some rubbish. When will we stop this compromise? The second myth I want to address is a statement, I am not voting for a pastor. I am voting for a president. Thus the pastor must be upstanding in his character, but the civil magistrate not. So you know, he could be a goof.

1:34:27 You know, he could be a sexual man maniac. Who cares. I believe this is a statement with no biblical footing. I heard John MacArthur recently make the statement that he is not voting for a pastor in chief, but he is voting for a president. But as I mentioned earlier in my sermon, pastor and civil magistrate are both servants under God according to scripture, and they both must do as God commands, no difference in my estimation. They both must exercise fear of God and be of impeccable character.

1:35:12 As Moses was commissioned to look for people who are capable, they feared God, they won't accept a bribe. Why should we do any different. Has God's principles changed? It's okay, civil magistrate no longer needs to fear God, kiss the sun. Sam two says, unless he be angry with you. And this is spoken to the rulers, the rulers of every nation on earth.

1:35:53 Yeah, he's making a good argument that you should just not vote, because there's no way you can take these biblical standards and vote in our political climate. There's just no way. So then there's no point in voting, and just live out your Christian life. That seems to be the argument he's making. Now. I never make a philological argument about voting and try to justify my not voting. I just say, look, the whole system is corrupt. I don't like any of it, and I'm just going to live out my Christian life. I'm not a citizen here per se. I'm a citizen in heaven. I'm a pilgrim here. I'm a stranger here. I kind of make it from that argument. He's making a very sound biblical argument that if you truly hold the biblical standards, and if you take Diacinos and the civil leader, and he's a servant of God and has to be impeccable character, then you can't use this argument. I'm not voting for a pastor.

1:36:39 It's just biblically an incoherent argument, and you're not being philologically sound. Well, then at that point, you got no one to vote for. You got no when to vote. For the rulers that Christ is now currently placing under his feet. Why do we compromise? Why do we not follow God? Why do we not exercise what the word of God says? You know, if you think about Paul, he went in Herod's face, confronted him on his sin.

1:37:26 Jesus did the same with Pilot, and Moses did the same with Pharaoh. And you're telling me we can't do that today. Are you telling me that these powers around the world are not under the authority of Christ the King? Rubbish. The third myth is incrementalism will eventually get us to where we want to be. This is severe compromise, for one is not even considering. Thus says the Lord when he makes such a statement. We get our margining orders from the word of God, not from some exterior source.

1:38:16 It says, all, let's just keep moving forward and the same thing that we're doing, we'll get there someday. Yeah. Well, it's been fifty years since Roe v. Wade, and you know when Roe v. Wade was overturned, what did we do. We just took the the authority off the books as far as federal authority is concerned in regard to abortion, we gave it to the states. And now we've got tyrannical leaders doing the same thing as the federal government used to. We have legislation that has been written to enshrine abortion in certain states constitutions. So basically, we've taken the decision from one tyrant to many tyrants and given it to many tyrants.

1:39:30 And just to back up what I said earlier, this is from twenty twenty four, August, abortions continue to rise across the United States due to better access to care via telehealth, even as states push new restrictions and total abortion bands. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade Right, there were more than one hundred thousand abortions in the US and January twenty four, twenty twenty four, the highest monthly rate since the study began. So abortions are going up, not down. Exactly what I told you would happen. I told you would not. I told you Roe Vwaight would not. I told you it would not because people misunderstand things. Right. You can try to regulate and morality as much as you want, but if the people want something, ultimately, they're going to get it no matter how much you fight against it. We fought we all as Christians. When you start trying to fight these battles politically, you're going against the very way the Scriptures tells us to fight against these concepts. Sorry, so, but even he acknowledges that. All right, so this is almost over. I know we're well over, you know, an hour, But you know that's okay. Let's let's see what he has to say here this has been a very interesting discussion.

1:40:43 Hopefully you found it interesting as well. The Lord calls us to follow his ways, not to follow the crowd if we think it is expedient to do so. No compromise of his word is God's way. And if both candidates determined to do evil, then find a different candidate from our camp to vote for. The sorry truth is that if good Christian men were to rise up who held fast to biblical principles they were capable of governing, they wouldn't receive a bride. We as a Christian voting bloc, would not vote for him because he would have no opportunity to win because we are a two party system. But this thinking is so shallow.

1:41:38 Why Well, in regard to incrementalism or being an incrementalist, I would say I am, but in a different fashion. Imagine if in nineteen seventy six, after Roe v. Wade, we supported and voted for a Christian man who held fast to biblical principles. You may say, yeah, so this. Also raises some serious issues, right, Okay, First of all, I mean the way church attendance is declining and we're becoming a less and less Christian nation. If you find some candidate out there is like I will impose basically scripture upon everyone, They're never going to get elected. That's a fact. Number two. This becomes another issue in a country, right, that's pluralistic, right, unless you're trying to create some level of theocracy. See, that's the problem with taking the Exodus eighteen passage and applying it to our political system. Unless you want a theocratic system, unless you want some kind of theocratic monarchy where one person stands up and goes, I am going to impose the scripture upon everyone. Well, then then what do I don't want that? Nobody wants that, right, because guess what happens if you go with that direction.

1:42:58 Then what if a Catholic becomes the president, right, and like, I'm going to impose my understanding of scripture and church on everyone, So we're getting rid of every church that's not Catholic and what So that's the problem. You have to be able to govern and impluralistic society where people then can still maintain freedom. Right, So Baptists can be Baptists, Lutherans can be Lutherans. That like you've got to If you don't do that, then you create a very authoritarian type system where one person is going to impose everything upon everyone else. And that's see, that's I don't think that works from a governmental perspective. I know, it sounds so good Biblically, We're going to get a man in there who's going to do things God's way, and he's going to pass this law and do this, and do this and do this. Okay, well it sounds great. What about the people are not Christians and what if the person becomes who takes over as a Christian that's not in line with your Christianity. So his argument is, we don't vote for we only vote for people who basically or well the kind of Christian I guess that he would support.

1:44:08 Got it. Yeah, it just becomes very problematic. So I don't know how you want to I don't want Look, if you take Exodus eighteen as the standard. Sorry, I'm going to focus on Donald Trump since that's where conservative churches tend to go to, it doesn't work. He goes after either MacArthur's statement, I'm not voting for a pastor, I'm voting for a president, so therefore I don't need to hold them to the same standard. So even MacArthur is saying, I'm going to compromise the standard. He's arguing that that doesn't work scripturally because the word for a civil leader as Minister Diacinos, it's the same Greek word, and that it doesn't work. So therefore they have to be held to the same standard. What if they are held to the same standard, then he's right. If you follow his logic, he's right, then you can only vote for a candidate that meets the biblical standard. Whether we lose every single we do so out of principle. So unless there is a strong Christian candidate. Now my fear though for him that perspective is that he would want them that Christian candidate to basically impose Christianity upon a non Christian world, which is never Yeah, then there's all kinds of problems with that. All right, that's one example of how Christians are looking at today. No, remember the fifth, twenty twenty four election day here in the United States of America.

1:45:36 What do you think about this perspective? All right, I'm not going to wrap it up in any I was going to go back to the song that we started with and all that, but we're well over the time that I thought that this would take, but it was very interesting. You've heard lots of different thoughts, lots of different perspectives. You can well struggle with it, and you can justify your action or any action today, who you're voting for, who you're not voting for, and well, let's just hope it all ends and the church can get back to being the church. Thanks for listening, God bless