Thank you so very much for the United States of America and for the beacon of freedom and opportunity it has ben for millions. We pray that one day soon you will bring us another Great Spiritual Awakening in line with 2 Chron. 7:14. Thank you for those who have given themselves fully to preserve this great country ovr the years, in particular those who have given their lives in our armed forces.
May every eligible voter exercise the precious freedom to vote that they have and fulfill their responsibility as a citizen and honor the sacrifices made for that freedom. May every Christian recognize that part of their calling is to help choose those who will most clearly lead us by godly/Biblical principles, recognizing that to not discern those kind of leaders and supporting them is to, by forfeit, support those who will not or who are even hostile to those principles. We thank you NOW for all those who are elected THIS TUESDAY as, for good or ill, they will represent Your will for us in the years to come. Please be merciful to us, and grant the United States your continued grace. In the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
So then, where do they stand on issues of importance to us as Christians?
Where do they stand on abortion? Where do they stand on same-sex marriage? Where do they stand on religious freedom? These questions are important even for the lower offices. From dogcatcher to the leader of the free world, we should be concerned about where our candidates stand on the issues. And we should vote accordingly.
Bill Federer, noted author and speaker, reminds us that in America, we get the government we deserve.
In his first inaugural address, George Washington said that as a nation we should not expect God’s blessings if we defy His revelation of what is right and wrong: “[W]e ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.”
Taking a stand for Jesus isn’t so hard in a democratic republic. There are some places on the globe where taking a stand for the Lord can cost you your life.The early Church faced much persecution. But it wasn’t because they believed in Jesus per se. Rather, because they believed in Jesus, they couldn’t also worship Caesar, as they were legally required to do. One of the worst persecutions took place under Emperor Decius, (AD 249-251). Historian Paul Maier explains what the Romans did under Decius: "The Roman soldiers went city by city, block by block, street by street, home by home. They’d knock on the door or burst into your home. The Romans would ask, 'Do you have the certificate to prove that you have worshiped the emperor as a god?' If you had the religious certificate—no problem. You’re in good standing. Good-bye. They’d go to the next home.
If you didn’t have the certificate, no problem. “Here’s the bust of Caesar Decius, just worship him.” In effect they would say, “We’ll light a votive candle, you put your little pinch of incense on the candle in front of this bust symbolizing your worship of the emperor, and we’ll write you out a certificate to prove it, no problem, we’ll leave you alone.”
If, however, you as a Christian could not worship the emperor in good conscience, because you worshiped Jesus Christ, you were in big trouble. If the men refused to do this, they were killed, and the women and children were sent off into slavery. This persecution was so brutal and so systematic that the Christians prayed for relief. Decius was soon put out of power.
In modern America, we’re so far removed from such a scenario, it’s hard to picture. Yet in 2010, Cardinal George of Chicago said, “I expect to die in bed; my successor will die in prison; and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”
One of the great treasures we have enjoyed in America—and must hold on to—is the “sacred right of conscience.” Protecting the sacred right of conscience is one of the foundational ideals of the American experiment. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, believed that no one should suffer for his religious convictions. He declared: “Almighty God [is] the only Lord of Conscience… .”
One of our key founding fathers, James Madison, once stated, “The Civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of Conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed.”
There’s a lot at stake in the 2012 American election. Above all, we must see the clear difference between tyranny and freedom of conscience. As Christians, we must vote our biblical values. Otherwise, we will have no one to blame for the mess that will result if too many of us stay home.
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