Tag Archives: president of the United States

The Most Important 5 minutes of the Presidential Race

In the fog of what has become one of the most bizarre presidential races ever, it is important for Christians to remember what is truly important to God. Sadly, too many Christians have really gotten lost in all the arguments involved in this race, and so hopefully this can be a brief thought to help us re-focus on what is possibly the greatest sin America is committing right now.

I must admit that I am still stuck on the Vice Presidential debate and the discussion of many individuals afterward. This statement has haunted me the last few days spoken by a fellow Christian: “It is disheartening to see people base a decision as important as who you are going to elect to represent you, to a single issue…”

Logically, it makes sense. Why would someone base their decision upon one issue out of dozens of issues? No one should, based on human reasoning, unless you understand what this issue really means. I agree, it is not the only issue. But it is a deal breaker for me, and should be for every Christian. The issue at hand is abortion.

During the Vice Presidential debate, the last several minutes for me were amazing. I wept as I listened to Mike Pence plead the case for the preciousness of life. I am not sure if I had ever been more proud to be a Hoosier. He spoke about how sacred life was in the womb and how we needed to create a culture of life and make it easier for families who want to adopt to connect with women who are thinking about having an abortion. And then Governor Pence looked right into the eyes of Tim Kane and asked him how, being a man who believes in the sanctity of life, could he support partial birth abortion. This is not just abortion at 9 weeks along, but abortion at 30+ weeks. Just think about the name for a moment…the baby is actually part of the way out of the womb, and yet it is somehow still a woman’s right to abort this child? Mr. Kane had just talked about how his faith was important to him, but he kept telling the audience things like: “We have to leave it up to the woman. It is a woman’s right to choose” and “We should not punish women.”

An inner anger burned within me that was ready to burst. Mankind was trying to justify something that is utterly evil to God. As important as the economy and our security is to me, I don’t lose sleep over them. But I had a hard time sleeping that night as I heard two entirely different perspectives from two men who each called themselves Christians. One man’s perspective seemed to align with God’s written word, while the other man’s perspective seemed to align with the self-consumed, wickedness of the world. But somehow, they are both Christians? This type of contradiction has confused me for years; that is, until I came across an often over-looked reality found in the Bible.

Over and over throughout the history of the kings in the Bible, many of the kings would follow God in some areas of their life, but totally miss the mark with certain areas that were incredibly important to Him. Here are six examples:

Asa, who reigned for 41 years in Judah from 910-869 B.C., “did what was right in the sight of the Lord…but the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (1 Kings 15:11-14).

Jehosophat, who reigned for 25 years in Judah from 872-848 B.C., “did right in the sight of the Lord…but the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (1 Kings 22:43).

Joash, who reigned for 40 years in Judah from 835-796 B.C., “did right in the sight of the Lord all his days…only the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (2 Kings 12:2-3).

Amaziah, who reigned for 29 years in Judah from 796-767 B.C., “did right in the sight of the Lord…only the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (2 Kings 14:3-4).

Azariah, who reigned for 52 years in Judah from 792-740 B.C., “did right in the sight of the Lord…only the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (2 Kings 15:3-4).

 Jotham, who reigned for 16 years in Judah from 750-735 B.C., “did what was right in the sight of the Lord…only the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (2 Kings 15:34-35).

What were the HIGH PLACES like? In the high places, people would build monuments to certain gods and then worship them. When the people gathered at these high places, drunkenness, sexually indulgent orgies and self-mutilation were the forms of worship. It was pure evil and abhorrent to the One true God. One of the gods the people worshipped in these high places was called Molech. The people would begin to worship this god Molech by bowing down to a statue of it. This statue was actually a large oven that contained a burning fire within it for the purpose of sacrifices. The out-stretched arms of Molech welcomed the human sacrifice. But it wasn’t just any kind of human, it was a human baby!

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Moms and dads would work themselves up in a frenzy on top of this high place, and at the right moment, would toss their child into the flames of Molech. They called it an act of worship.

Just think about what is going on up on these high places. The men and women were engaging in promiscuous sex and because of those actions, the woman would periodically get pregnant. But this pregnant woman looked at this new addition to her life as inconvenient and decided to get rid of this unwanted baby. What better outlet than giving it as a sacrifice to the god that condones all of this behavior. Do you see the process here? Have sex with whomever you want. Get pregnant every once in a while. Dispose of the unwanted infant before it altars your lifestyle.

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While most of the kings just looked the other way and acted like this horrible evil wasn’t happening, some of the ancient kings of Israel actually participated in this. King Manasseh is one example, as he “sacrificed his own son in the fire [of Molech]” (2 Kings 21:6). Please understand that God has an abhorrent hatred for the “shedding of innocent blood” (Proverbs 6).

Is Molech the modern abortion industry? Is the purpose of Planned Parenthood ultimately the same as this ancient practice of infanticide? The similarities cannot be ignored.

The main reason this evil industry brings in millions upon millions of dollars every year is because abortion is really the worship of the god of self. Our culture is so self-absorbed that it is not willing to do anything that seems inconvenient or takes away from our self-indulgent activities. Let’s face it, most people get abortions because they don’t want “it” to interfere with their career or lifestyle, or they think they can’t afford “it” or they don’t have the support of a partner or family. Even doctors (the great healers) suggest abortion as an option when there might be a suspected flaw in the baby. Many of my friends have been told by doctors to abort because there might be something wrong, and thankfully they didn’t listen to the doctor because these children are now in high school and amazing kids! And some of those kids do have disabilities, but they are still loved all the same! This is the worship of self in the most wicked manner.

Since I am a Christian and follower of the God of the Bible, I cannot and will never (to my knowledge) vote for someone who is “pro-choice.” The politician might be a Christian who is struggling with a high place in his or her life. But that is no excuse. The kings were severely judged for allowing the high places to co-exist in their kingdom. In fact, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were both conquered by other nations because they could not follow the ways of God, which included most importantly the elimination of the high places. In the same way, the politicians of this land will someday be the focus of God’s all-consuming, fiery wrath that will utterly destroy them.

And if you are a Christian, yet you somehow logically conclude that there are other issues more important than this one about the “sanctity of life” and you decide to vote for someone who tramples on the rights of the unborn, then you will have to stand before God someday and answer why you looked the other way when the high places were erected in your neighborhood.

I mentioned the fact that several kings did good in the eyes of God, but allowed the high places to remain. I want to leave you with the hope of one leader’s ability to see into the heart of God and do whatever it takes to please God:

Hezekiah reigned for 29 years from 715-686 B.C., and “he did right in the sight of the Lord…he REMOVED the HIGH PLACES” (18:3-4).

This is my prayer for this election. That a leader, just like King Hezekiah, will arise and take down the high places of abortion so that the value of human life can flourish in the United States of America. I pray that this leader will cultivate a society that takes care of the unplanned child and gives a home to the orphan by making it easier and more affordable for good parents to adopt. I pray that this leader can encourage people to come along side men and women in crisis and show them loving support throughout the entire pregnancy and into the early years of child development.  I pray that we will all see the value of life regardless of limitations and disabilities. I pray that this leader can stare this demonic monster in the face and strike a blow to it by reversing Roe v. Wade. And finally, I pray that every Christian in America opens up their eyes and burns passionately for the protective rights of the unborn, for all men [babies] are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Who will be president in 2164?

who will be president

If you are a Christian, you have probably heard that Jesus fulfilled dozens of prophecies predicted long before He came to this earth. I personally believe that these prophecies prove that He is the Savior of the world. But there have been a few times in my life when those Messianic prophecies were just not enough for the skeptics I was trying to convince. That is why over the years, through research, I have discovered two significant prophecies in the Old Testament which help prove the supernatural aspect of the Bible. These two prophecies help my mind and heart believe that the word of the Bible are truly God-breathed.

Fulfilled prophecy is the greatest reason to believe that the Bible is trustworthy. The Bible contains precise fulfilled prophecies. The Bible has to be reliable about the things of this earth if we are to believe it about the things of heaven. Some biblical prophecies are so specific, so unambiguous, and so accurate that we must conclude that the writers were inspired by God. Biblical prophecy names places, events, and even people in great detail. We might wonder the when and why, but when we read it, it is in plain language. I would like to present two significant prophecies that can be used to help convince any skeptic that the Bible might just be a supernatural book.

Prediction #1: King Cyrus of Persia. How would you like to predict who will be the president of the United States 150 years from now? And at the same time, describe what will be his most important foreign policy decision? Isaiah does so in Isaiah 44. Read the words of Isaiah with me.

It is I who says of Jerusalem, “She shall be inhabited!” And of the cities of Judah, “They shall be built.” And I will raise up her ruins again…It is I who says of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.” (Isaiah 44:26-28)

Cyrus is mentioned as the man who will let the Jews return to their land and rebuild Jerusalem. Isaiah has more to say:

Thus says the Lord to Cyrus His anointed, whom I have taken by the right hand…so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. (Isaiah 45:1-3)

Ezra records the fulfillment of the prediction:

Now in the 1st year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom. (Ezra 1:1)

Understanding the timeline is important here in this passage. Isaiah was written approximately 700 B.C., while Cyrus began his reign in 559 B.C. Also, King Cyrus sent the Jews back to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. Isaiah named Cyrus and predicted that he would send the Jews back to Jerusalem 141 years before he became king! God put His own reputation on the line by naming Cyrus!

This is a big deal. Now, if you don’t believe that the Bible is true, then you can’t really get too much out of this prophecy. But I think that this is one of the greatest prophecies in the entire Bible because God (through Isaiah) names a man/king before he is even born. For me, this deepens my faith.

This would be like predicting that Barack Obama was going to be president, but you predicted it in the 1860s. Just think about how hard it would be to predict who will be the next president in 2016. Maybe it will be a Democrat, but it could be a Republican. Or maybe an independent. And this is only two years away. Or, how would you like to predict who will be the president of the United States 150 years from now? In 2164, you are able to state the name of the next president, and at the same time, describe what will be his most important foreign policy decision.   Very impressive, you might be thinking.

Prediction #2: The four kingdoms. Daniel predicted the rise and fall of the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires in such detail that even honest skeptics must admit that he received his visions from God. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, and Daniel was the only man who knew what it was about. God gave Daniel a vision of the dream. In his first vision, he saw a statue of a man:

The gold head represented Babylon.

The silver breast/arms represented Medo-Persia.

The bronze belly/thighs represented Greece.

The iron legs represented Rome.

After telling the king what he had dreamed, Daniel interpreted it for him:

You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory…You are the head of gold. And after you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron. (Daniel 2:37-40)

If you have any doubt about the kingdoms predicted, they are actually identified in Daniel 8 by name:

The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia (8:20).

The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king (8:21).

Before these kingdoms even existed, they were named by God! What is most startling is that Daniel gave vivid details of the rise of Alexander the Great and that after his death his kingdom would be divided among 4 rulers:

A mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he exercises, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others beside them. (Dan. 11:3-4).

Well over 200 years after Daniel wrote, Alexander, who had no heirs, arose. After his death, Alexander’s kingdom was divided among his four generals.

Next time you are talking with someone who doubts that this ancient book is trustworthy, ask him or her about these two prophecies. A few years back, I sat down with a self-proclaimed skeptic who did not believe that the Bible was worth reading. So I took him through these passages. His eyes lit up when he saw the name Cyrus on the page in the Bible decades before he breathed his first breath and he just shook his head when he saw the Medo-Persian and Greek Empires listed in the Bible before they even existed. But even with that evidence, he still would not believe. It is because head knowledge must become heart knowledge. It is when we believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus Christ from the grave that we are saved. So, while it is great to prove that the Bible is true, we must remember that a skeptic’s mind is blinded to truth and he or she will not experience that “light bulb” moment until he or she surrenders their heart to God. But remember, sharing these two prophecies with them might bring them a step closer to believing someday, and that is exactly what God asks us to do.