The Bible: My Politics

 “Should a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?  Amos 3:6

Newton writes, “The Bible is my system of politics.  There I read, that the Lord reigns; that He doth what He pleaseth in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; that no wisdom, understanding, counsel, or power, can prevail without His blessing; that as righteousness exalts a nation, so sin is the reproach, and will even totally be the ruin of any people.  From these, and other maxims of a like import, I am learning to be still, and to know that He is God.”

He continues, “In order to estimate the state of the nation, we must attend to two views, which,  when contrasted, illustrate each other, and, in their combination, constitute our national character, and discriminate it not only from that of every nation around us, but from all the kingdoms recorded in the history of past ages. I mean our national privileges, and our national sins.

If God gives up a people to the way of their own hearts, they will, they must, perish.  When a general corruption of morals takes place, when private interests extinguishes all sense of public virtue, when a profligate and venal spirit has infected every rank and order of the state, when presumptuous security and dissipation increase in proportion as danger approaches, when, after repeated disappointments, contempt of God, and vain confidence in imagined resources of their own, grow bolder and stronger, then there is reason to fear that the sentence is already gone forth, and that the execution of it is at hand.”

God be with us and hear our prayers for His glory.  Pray for the enlightenment of a dark nation.

Trifle Not!

Miller Ferrie compiled a wonderful devotion book of John Newton’s writings, Jewels from John Newton.  On July 16th through July 22nd, the theme of Newton’s writings is “The Guilt and Danger of Such a Nation as This”. (Interesting that the dates ran partly with the RNC) What comfort to know there is truly nothing new under the sun.  It’s just new for us.  And for believers in Jesus Christ, not only new, but increasingly abhorrent!  Apparently, Mr. Newton felt the same.

Using the passage out of Jeremiah 5:29, God asks the prophet: “Shall I not visit for these things?  Shall I not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?”  Newton writes: “The Lord, the Governor of the earth, has provided, in the history of one nation, a lesson of instruction and warning to every nation under the sun.”  That nation was Israel.  God had blessed them, led them out of slavery, protected them, fed them, though they often sinned against Him.  

Newton’s nation, though different from mine, is like Israel and all other nations through history.  He writes, “We are a highly favoured people, and have long enjoyed privileges which excite the admiration and envy of surrounding nations: and we are a sinful, ungrateful people; so that, when we compare the blessings and mercies we have received form the Lord, with our conduct towards Him, it is to be feared we are no less concerned with the question in my text than Israel of old.”

How about the United States?  Are we indeed one nation under God or is that no longer a passion but a trivial phrase that has no meaning.  Charles Spurgeon writes, “Alas, I know men and women who trifle with their souls, and with heaven and hell, and eternity; they trifle with God Himself!…Half the councils of our senators and the debates of our parliaments are worse than child’s play… Big children are worse triflers than the little ones can ever be.  Despise not the children for trifling when the whole world is given to folly.”

More to come…

 

The King of All the Earth

 From Psalm 47 we read: "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.  How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!...For God is the King of all the earth...God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His Holy Throne...the kings of the earth belong to God.  He is greatly exalted."  The clapping and the shouting with cries of joy in this passage comes in the middle of sounding trumpets.  And then the passage tells those who "sincerely" love Him, "Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises...sing to Him a Psalm of praise."

This passage and so many others should and must keep His people bowing at His throne with the prayer, "How awesome is the LORD Most High!"  We don't really understand how majestically and profoundly God reigns over ALL the earth if we have fear of the future, whether that is a fear that comes from poor health or the health of those we love or the health of our government and great nation.  One nation under God, whether people want to leave out that phrase or not, is true.  And one day, everyone living and dead will know that truth.  

"What is truth?"  Even Pilate asked Jesus that question when He was on trial before him.  By the looks of the leaders, whom supposedly represent the people, their truth is already established.  My five minutes a night of the RNC blared out expressly what they view truth to be.  It made me sad more than made me mad.  The truth, as told us by Jesus, is that "He is the Way, the Truth and the Life".  How can we know more?  By seeking God in the only information book He gave us: The Bible.  Everything for life and godliness is in that Book.  Everything for putting to order the disorder of our time is in that Book.  But man's rebel nature keeps them from wanting to submit to that Truth.  

Pilate also asked Jesus, "So, you are a king?"  Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Are we listening?  Christians, people who love God and live to represent him through personal holiness, cannot dread, fret or fear.  This is not new.  The next few posts after this come from a man who lived from 1725 to 1807.  He, too, saw what we are seeing in his own nation.  But in conclusion for today, I'll quote from a king who learned lessons the hard way, "there is nothing new under the sun."