Citizen Rulers - Citizen Servants

God’s Delegated Authority
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Romans 13:1

King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:
“Peace and prosperity to you! I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations.” Daniel 4:1-4 NLT

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. Psalm 33:10-12

If people are virtuous and responsible, America has 300 million policemen on duty. But if we lack virtue, we won’t be able to hire enough policemen.
...Michael Novak

Faith (or lack thereof) forms values

• Values form culture.
  
• Culture defines ethics and forms society.
  
• Society forms government either directly or indirectly.
  
• In a democracy, society forms government in the most direct way.
  
• We vote. We are citizen rulers.

If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14 

Nebuchadnezzar’s Pilgrimage

• In Daniel 2:47, he acknowledged that God revealed mysteries to Daniel.
  
• In Daniel 3:28-29 he praised the God who rescued the three Hebrews.
  
• Despite Nebuchadnezzar’s recognition that God exists and works great miracles, in Daniel 4:30 we see that he still did not acknowledge God as his Lord.

Daniel 4 Principle’s

• God is sovereign in the affairs of men.
  
• When God bring judgment on a nation, the godly are not excluded
  
• God’s people can serve Him under any circumstances.
  
• Repentance is always the right response.
  
• Righteousness is always the right action.
  
• Mercy for the down and out is the heart of God and the responsibility of those in power.

How Would Jesus Have Us Vote?

• Voting Your Values
  
• God & Government
  
• The Christians Litmus Test

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. Psalm 33:10-12

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD

• Every nation has a deity that it honors and recognizes, a national deity
  
• These false gods were drawn from myths surrounding the needs of the people.
  
  • Protection, provision, military success, fertility
    
• Modern nations still have national deities
• When Israel entered the promised land they were warned not to follow the gods of the land.
  
• We know the sad history of Israel’s deception and disobedience.
  
• We now have the same temptation in our nation.

For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us. Isaiah 33:22

If we did not have to live among intolerant, narrow-minded and violent people, I would be the first to discard all nationalism in favor of a universal humanity.
--- Albert Einstein on Oct 8, 1929 to Willy Hellpach (noted psychologist and liberal politician) during the Weimar era.

Voting Your Values

• Not callus and cynical but careful.
  
• Ambrose Pierce – “Politics is defined as strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.”
• It is not such a great concern that our democratic process is moving our expression of corporate government to the right or to the left, from the tenets of a republic to a system of socialism.
• Rather, it is our concern whether we, as a nation of many peoples, are rejecting the foundation of faith in the sovereignty of God in our lives to the exclusion of His truth and the rejection of His people.
• This is resulting in the ridicule of Christians and their faith.
  
• This very faith and its practice that has afforded our nation its privilege, prosperity, success and opportunity.

We Are Citizen Rulers!

• Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Romans 13:1
• Are you ready to cast your ballot?
  
• I strongly believe that voting is both a right and a privilege--the basic form of involvement in our democratic system of government, as well as our duty as Christians.
• When we vote, we help determine who will lead our nation, make our laws and protect our liberties, as well as directly decide on numerous ballot issues.
  
• With this weighty responsibility, it is absolutely critical that we exercise our right to vote this election year--as well as understand where our candidates stand on the issues that matter to values voters.

The Influence of Faith

• Our faith in God should influence our values in life, including the political arena.
• Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

If America is to survive, we must elect more God-centered men and women to public office – individuals who will seek divine guidance in the affairs of state.
--- Billy Graham

The Ministry of Voting

• When we vote, we are directly and indirectly impacting peoples lives.
  
• By the people we select and the ballot measures we support, we are making a practical difference – for good and bad – in the lives of:
  
  • Preborn children with abortion policy
    
  • Impressionable youth with pornography laws and education policy
    
  • Husbands and wives with marriage and divorce laws
    
  • Hurting souls with religious freedom laws
• Imagine the impact that Americans of faith could have on the future of our nation, the character of its leadership, and the moral health of its people if we all applied biblical principles to every aspect of our lives – including our participation in the democratic process!

Single Issue Voting

• In my most recent blog – “The Guilt of the Simple”
  
• Politics defined – Webster’s 1928
  
  • The science of government; that part of ethics which consists in the regulation and government of a nation or state, for the preservation of its safety, peace and prosperity; comprehending the defense of its existence and rights against foreign control or conquest, the augmentation of its strength and resources, and the protection of its citizens in their rights, with the preservation and improvement of their morals. Politics, as a science or an art, is a subject of vast extent and importance.

Morals

• Today’s idea of morals can be boiled down to survival of the fittest.
  
  • Therefore, the one with the biggest weapon, the largest mouth, or the highest poll numbers decides what is right or wrong, what is acceptable or unacceptable, what is moral or immoral.
    
  • This produces a startling and unfortunate reality.
    
• As Voltaire stated:  "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
• Following on the heels of Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) and The Descent of Man (1871), Friedrich Nietzsche proclaimed: “God is dead!”
  
• The result, then, is if you kill God, then you can kill ethics, and this will eventually result in killing man!
  
• There is ONE valid issue to be used as a litmus test for leadership.

The power to change!