I really do not like to write anything involving politics, but I will write this one thing because I believe it is of importance in this season we are living.  On Tuesday, November 8, 2016, the people of the United States of America voted in a manner different from what many analysts expected.  The influence of decision making within our American culture that the news agencies has been able to control for the past many years came to an abrupt end when the TRUMP card was played at the request and cry of the church, and the news reporters still really do not know what to say in response. 

Before I go any further, I need to speak of some clarity so I can try to prohibit misperceptions from being formed in any readers.  Do I believe that President Elect Donald Trump is the one who will save America, or that Hillary Clinton would’ve condemned America?  This is where I have to very kindly say, no.  I am not trying to say that Trump will be a good or bad president, nor am I saying that Clinton would’ve been a good or bad president.  What I am trying to say is what will follow in the reality of having a president that is bold enough to say “no” or “yes” to any issue regardless of any political influence.  Therefore, this president-elect has the potential to be influenced through an outside source.  So there is an opportunity in front of the church universal, and the question to me has become, how will the church respond?

I have been reminded of several passages in Scripture in these past days, especially the book of Deuteronomy.  How many times do we read about the Israelites crying out to God in the midst of their struggle and God gives them the opportunity to return to Him.  Time and time again we see a prophet speak, “love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “obey God and keep His commands and statutes.”  These two statements are hand in hand.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:14, NASB).  Everything about God starts with love (us receiving His love) and ends in love (us loving God and others), for Jesus says, “This I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:17, NASB).  However, instead of seeing the Israelites living out the instruction of loving God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, they return to their own desires of the flesh.  They have no problem doing good things and being good people as long as they are able to do whatever they want.

With this new opportunity, I now pose a question to the church universal in the United States of America, will the church pursue love?  Or will the church pursue pushing conservative biblical laws of being good moral people and punishing those who don’t want to be living to these standards?  What does it mean to live a life of love that is full of grace while still living to the realities of following the commands of Jesus?  It is hard to put into words just how badly I desire conservative views to return to our government in every aspect, but the manner of how is of extreme importance.  I don’t have an answer as to how this is to happen.  All I know is that the Holy Spirit convicts, the Devil condemns, and we as people only love.  This is why we are called to pray for our leaders in the decisions they must make.

The church of today has the opportunity at their fingertips of leading a nation back to God as their King.  We must be in fervent prayer for Donald Trump, our government officials, and all of the personnel that will surround our President, that they will be seeking the face of God and loving Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.  We must be in fervent prayer that our churches are seeking the face of God and loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength as we must live it before we can ask anyone leading us to do it.  When this happens, we will also be found loving those around us who are currently in opposition and love will unite them to God.  Pushing biblical laws will just push these whom we are called to love away from God, because our attempt of convicting people will only be us condemning them for their actions.  Using the disclaimer that we are doing it in love does not mean our actions are full of love.  The difference here is the church being a bunch of CHRISTians living out love, or a group of CHURCHians pushing biblical law.  Of which group are you?

I desire to live a Faith-Full life, in the fullness of His love, as a CHRISTian.    

Instead of asking how our society defines a Christian, maybe the better question is, how do you define a Christian?  Typically in the church you will hear that a Christian is defined as Jesus Christ in one, as meaning Jesus living in the person who believes.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Christian as “a person who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Christian).  What does it mean to “believe” in Jesus’ teachings?  To me, believing in His teachings is living out His teachings.  Jesus taught us many things, but he said of most importance is The Great Command.  The passage from Mark reads:

“One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘What commandment is the foremost of all?’  Jesus answered, ‘The foremost is, “HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD YOUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.” And the second is this, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”  There is no other commandment greater than these’” (Mark 12:28-31, NASB).

One thing I have learned in life is that you cannot give what you do not have.  This love we are called to give to God is a love that is much bigger than we can choose to do on our own.  It is a desperate love of completeness without even a hint of reservation or concern.  The only way to obtain a love so vast is to first receive the fullness of the love of God.  This means we must accept the fact that God loves you just how you are!  God loves you unconditionally!

We must receive the love of God before we could ever think about loving God in return.  One of the greatest withholdings of God’s love is that we believe we have to first clean ourselves up before God can love us.  We read Paul’s writings such as in Colossians as stating, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry” (Col. 3:5, NASB), and believe that we need to try and stop doing these things on our own effort to bring death to the desires of the flesh.  This misconception has come from teaching the need of obedience to Biblical law, which the devil is okay with, because he knows this doesn’t work.  We must come to the understanding that our death to the sinful nature of the flesh starts with receiving the love of God.

To me, one of the greatest teachings in Scripture is found in the gospel John, chapters 13-17, because these teachings are directly from the mouth of Jesus.  In chapter 17, Jesus prayed first for the current disciples and then he prayed for those who would believe through the disciples teachings; us.  Jesus concludes His prayer to God by stating, “and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26, NASB).  The desire of God the Father in sending Jesus to be our sacrificial lamb was for us to receive the love Jesus had from the Father.  God desired for you to receive His love first and foremost, so that Jesus could fully be in you.

This is being a CHRISTian; receiving God’s complete love, so Jesus can be in one.  Simply ask God to help you receive His love in full.  Then ask Him to help you love Him in return with that love He has given you.  Throughout every day ask for more of God’s love; for Him to continually help you receive His love so you can give more love to Him and fulfill The Great Command.  This is when you see your nature change and Paul’s inspired words from God take effect.

I desire to live a Faith-Full life, in the fullness of His love, as a CHRISTian.