Some Thoughts As A Christ-Follower

I believe that one of the challenges that we face as Christians is figuring out on what issues we should speak up and speak out about, and what issues we just need to more or less "let be." Personally, the older I get, the more I am convinced that Christianity is NOT primarily about restoring this world and the creation to its original state, but rather about seeing people reconciled to the Father through Jesus Christ. I realize that those two things are not mutually exclusive; rather, they are deeply intertwined. However (and I'll admit, I see this differently than do many Christians), we as Christians are not going to right the world's wrongs. This world has been infected and affected by sin since the Fall as recorded in Genesis 3, and it won't be restored until Christ returns. In fact, I see Scripture telling us that not only will the world not be restored until that time, but that it will get worse and worse UNTIL that time. And as long as we are in this world (or until Jesus returns--whichever comes first), our efforts at trying to establish the Kingdom of God in this world through human governments and through laws and decrees will be efforts in futility. We must seek to have people's HEARTS changed through the IMPUTED (not just imparted) holiness of Jesus Christ first and foremost. And then, when enough people experience that gift of Grace from God through surrendering their lives to Him and living as He leads, perhaps we will be able to make efforts at bringing small parts of society more in line with God's ways. But as long as we live in this world infected and affected by sin, our efforts will be akin to what Paul spoke of (albeit in a different context, but nonetheless in a way I believe to be applicable here) of seeing in a mirror dimly, knowing that one day (which I believe won't be until after Christ returns) we shall see fully--even as we are fully known. 

Until then, worldly governments and rulers will come and go--none of whom or which will be anywhere near perfect--and each one of us who has surrendered to Christ must follow as led by the Holy Spirit, knowing that we will ultimately stand or fall not to a denomination, but to Christ. 

May the Peace of Jesus Christ be yours.

I'm Not Rejoicing

My Facebook feed has rarely been filled with more political vitriol from some people, while being filled with what I'd term almost political jubilation by others.  Yes, "elections have consequences" (as President Obama has said in the past).  But not since the Presidential election of 2000 have I seen and heard of so many people trying to see if the results of the election can be overturned.  For the record, the election in 2000 was a totally different story, as only a very small number of votes cast in one state would have changed the outcome of the election in the electoral college.  But this year it's different.  Based on the election rules laid out in the United States Constitution, it certainly appears as though Donald Trump should easily win the vote of the electoral college when the vote is officially taken later this month.

Yet there are people who are now hounding electoral college electors to not vote for Donald Trump, even though they have been chosen to do that very thing.  We have a third (or actually fourth, when based on the number of votes received) party candidate demanding recounts in two states--despite the fact that the candidate has absolutely no chance of winning in either of those states.  In fact, even if the recounts should somehow show the very, very highly unlikely scenario that Hillary Clinton actually had more votes than Donald Trump in each of those states, Donald Trump would still have won more than the majority of electors in the electoral college. 

The bottom line is that there are many, many people in this nation who are just absolutely aghast at the idea of Donald J. Trump becoming the President of the United States.  It is highly likely that his election occurred despite a very large percentage of people having an unfavorable view of him.

But the truth is that despite a very large percentage of people having an unfavorable view of him, he won in large part because in the end, enough people had an unfavorable view of Hillary Clinton.

What seems to have been lost in the aftermath of this election is the fact that the vast majority of the people in this country did not want either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton to be elected President.  However, because of the rules and laws of how the President of the United States is elected, a large percentage of people voted for Donald Trump, not because they wanted him to be the President, but because they did not want Hillary Clinton to be the President (just as there was a large percentage of people who voted for Hillary Clinton primarily because they did not want Donald Trump to be the President).

In one of my previous blog posts (http://peteshodgepodge.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-choice-i-dont-want-to-make.html) I stated that I was in the camp of those people who would reluctantly vote for Donald Trump, because I thought a Hillary Clinton presidency would be even worse.

Make no mistake about it--I own up to having voted for Donald Trump.  But I also am not rejoicing that he won the election.  Instead, I am relieved that Hillary Clinton did not win the election.  However, as I said in the previously alluded to blog post, I voted for Donald Trump "grudgingly," while knowing that a Trump Presidency would be no panacea, but rather the lesser of two negatives.

There are many things that concern me about a Donald Trump presidency; it certainly will not be a panacea.  In some ways, it might be downright bad. But do you know what? Elections have consequences.  Instead of rejoicing that one person lost, or trying to find ways to intimidate electors of the electoral college, or complaining over everything that Donald Trump does that goes against what people who voted against him anyway don't like, I have an idea: Let's pray for Donald Trump.  Let's pray for the United States of America, and let's pray that the world will end up being a better place during Donald Trump's presidency--not because Donald Trump won the election, but because we rely on a Holy, and Merciful God who is truly the one in charge of all people and all governments.