Covenant Siblings

There is a controversial discussion taking place on social media right now. I don’t know where it actually started, but Allie Beth Stuckey, a podcast commentator for Blaze Media, weighed in and that is when I became aware of it. It’s actually quite astounding as to what people believe on this subject. 

Now I follow Allie, but I was unaware of exactly what her religious beliefs are, other than that she is a Christian. I don’t follow her that closely, only seeing a quote of hers from time to time. Come to find out, she is a Calvinist, so her beliefs are going to be a bit different than mine.

But the question posed was: “Do the Jews, Muslims and Christians worship the same God?” Now the obvious answer is No, they do not. Certainly, Muslims do not serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Islam is a monotheistic religion that traces its lineage to Abraham via Hagar and her son Ishmael. And we can leave any further connection right there. But this religion didn’t even begin until the 7^th Century in 610 AD. And their person that would be (in their mind), equal to our Third Person of the Trinity, is most certainly not Jesus. So that makes the Triune God not at all the same. Jesus was there from the beginning. Plus, Muslims don’t even read the Bible, they follow the Quran, so we can rule them out from the get-go...It was actually shocking to me that some Christians did not have that understanding, and weren’t able to differentiate that fact. No way, do Muslims worship our God. They don’t even want to think they do. But for the Jewish faith, it is an entirely different story.

Why does it matter? For lots of reasons. But for me, besides not being Scriptural and God’s intentional teaching, to believe the Jew doesn’t worship our God is a complete departure from our nation’s Judeo/Christian values and norms. Even among Calvinists! And that matters. It is sad to see our nation rebuke the value system upon which our nation was founded.

Moreover, to believe otherwise, is a dangerous teaching that will cause Christians to abort the belief that we are to bless Israel and stand by her side.

It matters because these are the voices, that will one day cause our nation and others to leave behind our support for Israel. “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.” (Zechariah 14:3) We are in fact, becoming a part of the world order that fights against her. I don’t want our nation to be a part of that. Genesis 12:3 states, “I will bless those that bless you, and curse those that curse you.” We certainly don’t need more reason for a curse like that from God. We should never allow Israel to be defined as just another nation that doesn't follow the one true God, which is what will happen from those without true understanding of this.

We need to stand by our Judeo/Christians principles for the sake of our nation, for the sake of the Jew, but more importantly for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus would not have been in the temple doing His Father's business if He was not One and the Same. It is vitally important to remember Jesus was a Jew who followed Jewish law. Throughout His life, Jesus quoted Scripture from the Bible which was in fact preserved for us by JEWS!

The discussion went off the rails pretty quickly, so I didn’t hang around long. No sense in arguing as Scripture teaches us. But we are to be prepared to give an answer for the reason for our Hope. So….

Covenant Siblings

As I said, it is a completely different story for the Christian and the Jew, as opposed to what I explained about the Muslim.

The Jews are the Covenant people with whom God gave the promise to Abraham. The Jews are God’s chosen and He is not done with them. Without the Jew and Israel, we would not be in Christ today. There is no Christianity without the Jews. We are the ones who are grafted in to that covenant! Romans 11:17 informs the church – we Christians – that we were grafted in as a wild branch into the Olive Tree of Israel. We are the ones grafted in, not the other way around. Grafted in where? With the Jews! The Jews are, in fact, actually the ones that preserved the Holy Scriptures for us. And the Jews are from whom our Savior came. We owe them our respect and hope...and our witness. They were also the first to share the Gospel message.

One commentator put it this way and I love it: “Christianity and Judaism are covenant siblings with Heavenly Father through Isaac (Abraham and his wife Sarah).”

Yes. “Covenant Siblings”. Perfectly explained.

He further explains that there is “a good reason why Christians have such a natural, innate affinity for Jews and why Muslims hate both. The fact is, the Christian religion spawned from Judaism, through the Highest Jew Jesus Christ Himself.”

Therefore, I believe yes, though it is a different story for Muslims; Christians and Jews, in fact, do worship the same God and here’s why.

• God is referred to as the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” throughout Old and New Testament. ~Genesis 50:24; Exodus 3:15; Acts 7:32

• Jesus was a Jew from the Tribe of Judah, the line of David and He kept all of the Jewish law. Matthew 1:1-16

• God is the Triune God From beginning to end of creation. God has no beginning and end. ~1 John 5:7 ~Revelation 1:8; Revelation 22:13

• God is the Creator of all and in John 1, Jesus also says He is the Creator. Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16; John 1;1

• He is Yahweh. Jehovah. The Great I Am. ~ Exodus 3:14; ~Isaiah 48:12; John 8:58

• God is the same yesterday, today and forever. ~Hebrews 13:8

• No one comes to the Father but by me. ~John 14:6

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Abraham and his offspring were given the Promised Land. God repeated this covenant to three generations. He first made it to Abraham in Genesis 12: 1-3; with Isaac in Genesis 21:12; and again with Jacob in Genesis 28:14-15.¹ We call this the Abrahamic Covenant. The fact that the Bible refers to this so many times is a reminder that these are God’s Chosen ones, by covenant. To claim the Jews don’t worship our God denies the fact that the Jews are God's covenant people...God's covenants are forever. How sad to believe otherwise; or to believe that what He promised to the Jews, He later transferred to the Christians. That would only demonstrate that He doesn't keep His promises.

Throughout the Old and New Testament, God is referred to as the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. That tells us He is the God throughout the generations. This name for God emphasized the covenant that God made with Israel as God’s Chosen People. 

The important lineage is from Abraham and his wife, Sarah, through their son Isaac. This is through whom God gave the Abrahamic Covenant. This is also the line through whom Jesus comes. 

Scripture is very precise and complete in listing the lineage throughout the Bible in order to prove and prophesy that this is the line from whom the Messiah – Jesus – would come. It is intentionally and eternally important. And it is as important to the Jew as it is to the Christian to know and understand this lineage. That listed lineage is something that is very important so that we know Jesus is a Jew, fulfilling prophesy. And also, it is important the Jews know this as they are awaiting a Jewish Messiah. Jesus is of the line of David. The Messianic line the Jews expect their Messiah to be.

Move forward to the New Testament and in Acts 3:13, Peter also makes the point to refer to the "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers". He specifically does this in order to make a point with the Jewish people. Peter purposely linked the miracle Jesus had just finished to the one and only God of their fathers. He did that so they would understand Jesus is one and the same. He is the Messiah, for whom they have been waiting. By pointing out this direct link, many came to Jesus that day.² Their Messiah is Jesus whether they have full understanding or not. By saying Christians and Jews worship different Gods, we take away that connection. Jesus is the God of their fathers, and we are taking away a valuable witnessing tool, by denying their faith. They are still waiting for a Jewish Messiah and they will one day find One.

The reason the Jews have not yet recognized Jesus as their Messiah is very well explained to us in Romans 11. This was God’s plan to bring the Gentile unto Him. Salvation comes first to the Jew, and then to the Gentile - Romans 1:16 Salvation is come to the Gentiles – Romans 11:11-15. Because of the Jew’s transgression, (denial of Jesus) salvation has come to the rest of us! We all know what an effective stimulate jealousy can be.

“I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” ~Romans 11:11-15

The Gentiles have favor in the church age because of their belief, but when God is finished with the Gentiles, He will reinstate Israel who was set aside because of their unbelief. Blindness has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. In finality, God will graft Israel in once again. In other words, when the last of the Gentiles have been saved, God will set his sights on Israel one more time. God cannot do otherwise because of His promise to the fathers. God has set Israel aside temporarily for the sake of the Gentiles, but He has not forgotten, nor changed His promises. They are still His chosen. That requires an understanding of the one true God who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

In the Beginning

The Jews inability to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, doesn’t change who God is. The Object (for lack of better word) does not change. He is the God of the universe. The Great I Am. The one and only true God. He was the Triune God in the beginning, He was the Triune God when Jesus came to earth and died for our sins; and he is the Triune God, now and forever. The Jews’ misunderstanding of who their Messiah is, doesn't negate who God is. Neither can we negate the Old Testament, which we are in effect doing by saying the Jews do not worship the same God. It is the God of the Old Testament that the Jews give their worship.

A poor attempt at a visual.

I'm not saying the Jews are saved. We all know that Jesus is the only way to salvation. But to say that He isn't the same God, the God of all creation, (Genesis 1:1) the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is to negate the Old Testament, as well as John 1:1.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Clearly this verse demonstrates they are one and the same. 

I want to say too, that there are many Jews who have been saved throughout time. Paul, the "sinner in Chief" was the most well known Jew that came to know Jesus. Today those who have come to understand who Jesus is are called "Messianic Jews", otherwise known as "completed Jews". They do not give up their Jewishness. Rather now, they are made complete because they have come to understand Jesus is the Messiah they have been awaiting. They  adhere to the tenants of the Christian faith regarding salvation through Yeshua. They are able to keep many of their Jewish traditions. That is a beautiful thought. Further, not all Jews who come to faith in Jesus are considered "Messianic Jews". There are some that come to Christ and choose to leave the Jewish traditions behind and are simply known as a Jewish Christian. 

The God of the Living!

Jesus made clear that “He didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill it.” The identifying name: "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob," is repeated not only in the Old Testament, but the New!

I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. ~Matthew 22:32

Matthew is using this verse to tell the Sadducees (and us) that He is the God of the living and not the dead! Using present tense, He is purposefully ensuring we know that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are all still very much alive, in the afterlife...Heaven. If this is fact, then the Jews still worship the same God now, as they did then. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living....meaning Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as he explains in these verses.³ The Great I Am. “I Am their God.”

Zeal for God

Romans 10:1-4 is key to understanding that the God the Jews worship is, in fact, the God that we as Christians worship.

“Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.” ~Romans 10:1-4 KJV

In these verses, Paul tells us God wants Israel to be saved...that they are not yet, but that their salvation is His desire. A zeal for God denotes passion. They LOVE God! The same God. They simply are trying to work out their righteousness. Who would do that - going to such great lengths to satisfy the law, if they didn’t love God? He is the Living God repeatedly called in Scripture the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the same One their forefathers served. None of that is accidental.

The Jews at this time simply lack the understanding and knowledge of the Triune God. And they are unaware the Messiah they await, has already come. They do not understand His righteousness has been imparted to us and therefore the salvation that has been given through the Son. They are still trying to make their way into Heaven by works – working out their own righteousness, rather than that which has been imparted to us by Jesus’s death on the cross.

Romans 3: 10-31 is so apropos here. I won’t write out the text, but please read it. These are the verses that tell us, “No one is righteous, no not one.” These verses are in part what is known as “the Roman Road to Salvation”. The verses are also a defense of the law. And for this discussion, I point out verses 29 -31:

“Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

Bold emphasis mine. In this question, Paul is asking “is he the God of the Jews only?” It is basically a statement explained through a question. We know he is explaining to us that God is the God of the Jews...even now. We don’t make void the law by our New Covenant faith. Jesus established the law. It is the law the Jewish people so ardently try to follow, made by the God of Creation. The same God we worship. Christ is the End of that law. The law always pointed to Jesus. The Jew simply does not know they cannot possibly keep that law in perfection.

J. C. Ryle theologian from the 1800’s, has much to say about all of this in his many writings. His biography is entitled “That Man of Granite with the Heart of a Child.” That should tell us everything. I have not read it yet, but I have read a few of his other books and I find him sound in doctrine and faith. Now today, Ryle is thought to be a Calvinist, so I don’t mean for any statement I have made about Calvinists to sound like I am beating up on them. But I do believe, as in most things today, they have changed on some doctrine and are not entirely the same as they once were. Only the Bible remains the same. I truly don’t know if Ryle identified as a Calvinist. I never thought so, until I read somewhere, that he is believed to have been a Calvinist. At least by some people’s definition.

In his book, “Are You Ready for the End of Time?”, he discusses Israel. In chapter 7, And So All Israel Shall Be Saved”, he says this:

“Israel, then, we find, for nearly 1500 years was more favoured and privileged by God than any nation in the world. David might well say, 'What one nation in the earth is like Thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself?’ (2 Samuel 7:23). It was the only nation in the earth to which God was pleased to reveal Himself. 'To them were committed to oracles of God' ( Romans 3:2). While all other nations were suffered to walk in their own ways, and to live in moral and spiritual darkness, the Jews alone enjoyed an immense amount of light and knowledge. The humblest priest in Solomon's Temple was a far better theologian than Homer; Daniel, and Ezra, and Nehemiah knew more about God than Socrates, and Plato, and Pythagoras and Cicero put together."

How cool is that! I just love it! But then we have the audacity and hubris to claim the Jewish people don't worship the same God that we worship?? How prideful and haughty that must appear to our Father. The Jews were God’s Chosen People and they were a part of His plan to bring the Gentile into His Kingdom.

Remember, this was the 1800s, so not to cause conflict with the choice of words "Palestine", this is what Ryle said further:

"The Jews were brought out of Egypt by miraculous interposition, planted in Palestine, one of the choicest corners of the earth, and fenced off and separated from other nations by peculiar customs and ceremonies. They were supplied with a moral law from heaven so perfect, that even to this day nothing can be added to it or taken from it. They were taught to worship God with ceremonial rights and ordinances, which, however burdensome they may seem to us, were admirably adapted to human nature at that early stage of man's history, and calculated to train them for a higher dispensation. [So if a Calvinist, Ryle certainly wasn't a Dominionist* who believed in Replacement Theology**.] They were constantly warned and instructed by prophets, and protected and defended by miracles. In short, if mercies and kindnesses alone could make people good, no nation on Earth should have been so good as Israel. While Egypt, and Babylon, and Greece worshipped the works of their own hands, the Jew alone was a worshiper of the one true God."⁴

That demonstrates true worship of the same God that we worship. Finally, they were allowed to receive the consequences of their own sins, after repeatedly rejecting God's prophets and eventually Jesus. And persecution they have received and will receive further in that dreadful day.

Ryle says, "Never was a people so peculiarly favored and so peculiarly punished."

And yet at the same time, they fulfill every prophecy written about them in the Old Testament. And they hold every characterization now that they held then. The land, the faith, the physical characteristics, the language, the titles; all of it. Persecuted and violently treated, they have remained the same through it all. Why would we believe their faith in the same God, then as now, would change, when nothing else about them has? It wouldn’t. Why would God allow any of this for someone who was not a worshiper of him? They are a distinct and separate people and as Ryle says, they can no more mix with the Gentiles, then can oil mix with water. Never have they been absorbed or assimilated, though they were driven from their homeland. They have remained the Jew. It is all for God's purposes; and all of this comes from the God they worship. It is our Triune God Who is the same now as He was in the beginning.

Ryle tells us we find the answer to the entirety of God’s plan in the Bible, which of course we do.

"They are a people reserved and kept separate by God for a grand and special purpose. That purpose is to make them a means of exhibiting to the world in the latter days God's hatred of sin and unbelief, and God's almighty power and almighty compassion. They are kept separate that they may finally be saved, converted and restored to their own land. They are reserved and preserved, in order that God may show in them, as on a platform, to angels and men, how greatly He hates sin, and yet how greatly He can forgive, and how greatly He can convert. Never will that be realized as it will in that day when ‘All Israel shall be saved’.⁵

This new opinion of Israel, and her people, that we are seeing today is the same mindset that is becoming so common place among Christians which causes many to believe our nation is not (or no longer) a “Christian nation”. Of course we are! Even though we're not all Christian, we were founded on the Holy Bible and Judeo/Christian principles. That alone makes us a Christian nation. Just as Israel is a Jewish nation. A comparison can be made in the same way the Jews worship our God, even though they don't know Jesus. No. Again. They are not saved. But soon...

"I read that when the heart of Israel shall turn to the lord, the veil should be taken away (2nd Corinthians 3:16)."

It's not that they don't worship our God. They have simply not yet been brought to completion through Jesus Christ. But they will be when the fulness of the Gentile has come in, this veil will be removed.

At the end of Chapter 7, Ryle then goes into everything that we owe to the Jew and his words are moving and beautiful; a truth we all need to understand. I won’t include them here, though I am tempted to do just that, because they truly move the heart. But this is already getting so long. I do recommend the book. It is an easy and accurate read for which he is so well known.

I will just close in finality with this suggestion from those final pages as he answers the question of how we can and should repay the Jew:

"On the one hand, we may pay our debt directly, by using every reasonable effort to bring the Gospel to bear on the minds of our Jewish brethren in every part of the globe. No doubt they need to be approached with peculiar wisdom, delicacy, and care. They are not to be treated as heathen but as men who already hold half the truth, who believe the Old Testament like ourselves, although they do not see and receive its full meaning. But all experience proves that there is everything to encourage those who endeavor to lead Israel to the true messiah, the Christ of God with love and patience." ⁶ (Bold emphasis, mine.)

We definitely shouldn’t treat them with such disdain, that we no longer even believe they worship the same God, that we do, and which has been a Christian standard for generations. J.C. Ryle obviously loved the Jews; and his words are a fantastic example to us.

Salvation to the Jews

I believe the misconception that the Jews worship a different God comes out of a result of a fast-growing “Replacement Theology”; which is also often tied to Calvinism, though not all Calvinists belief this. The church has NOT replaced Israel! “Replacement Theology” holds an allegorical view of Scripture rather than literal. This is why people who follow it, can come to the wrong conclusion about the verses concerning God’s promises to Israel. It also leads them to the wrong conclusion of who our God is and how he has been worshipped throughout the ages.

The Jews are God's Chosen People who will one day come to salvation through Jesus, because God keeps His promises. Jews have to know the things they have always believed are true, in order to come to completion through Jesus. If the church has replaced Israel, that can never happen. They are looking for a Jewish Messiah as told by the prophets.

Because of the Trinity, and because Scripture teaches that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, we can know He is the same God for all of time. The God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob worshipped, is still the Triune God from Israel’s very beginning; and He is still the Triune God that died and bled for our sins; and He is the Triune God that will return to us as He promised.

No, Jews are not yet saved. Because yes, it is true as John 14: 6 tells us, that “No man comes to the father but by me.” Jews do not worship in full understanding, and hence are not saved. It is not complicated. But it is rather a matter of God not accepting their worship, because they don't yet recognize Jesus. It isn't that they are worshiping a false god, like the Muslims, or other cults; it's that they are worshiping the one true God falsely. And God does not accept that. But He is very much the same, one, true God.

The Bible takes great pains to list lineage, expressly so we know we worship the same God. That this is true, will be important to the Jews' salvation, when the time has come. The Jews will one day understand. It is important that they know that the God they served all along, has come in the flesh as their Messiah. He came as a lowly servant who died for us all, in the way of Jesus, the Christ.

I want to share a thought someone posted to one of the boards. I’m sorry I didn’t get his name and I don’t really remember which thread it was posted. But it is so accurate and completely the way I think about this discussion. It is this:

“One last thought: We may very well be thinking about this question incorrectly. Instead of asking, “Do Jewish people worship the same God as Christians?”; we might want to turn that question around and acknowledge that Christians worship the God of Israel. When Christians worship the God of the Bible, they are worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christians worship the Holy One of Israel, as Isaiah called Him (for example, Isa. 12:6, one of 29 times this title is used in Isaiah). Instead of portraying Jewish people as worshiping a different false god, Christians should acknowledge that their faith is in the God revealed in the Hebrew Bible, the God of Israel. And if Christians truly appreciated that, it might lead to greater respect for the Jewish people and also a deeper determination to present the Good News to our Jewish friends. Realizing that Gentile Christians are standing on the Rock of Israel (2 Sam. 23:3; Isa. 30:29), they will have greater resolve to proclaim lovingly that the Messiah of Israel has come and His name is Yeshua, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1).”

I believe we owe them that. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Dominionist - Unlike dispensationalism's message of social deterioration that precedes Christ's return, Christian dominionism is postmillennial rather than premillennial. It argues that Christians can and must reform society so that it becomes progressively better. Only then will Christ return.

**Replacement Theology - Replacement theology, also known as supersessionism or fulfillment theology, is a Christian doctrine that states that the Christian Church has replaced the Jewish people.

1  https://www.gotquestions.org/God-of-Abraham-Isaac-Jacob.html

2  Ibid

3   https://www.gotquestions.org/God-of-Abraham-Isaac-Jacob.html

4  Are You Ready for the End of Time? J. C. Ryle © 1863

5  Ibid.

6  Are You Ready for the End of Time? J. C. Ryle © 1863

How Should We Vote?

Vote Biblical principles. What does that mean? It means we should vote for candidates that support what the Bible instructs. It doesn't necessarily mean we have to elect a Christian. But a quality candidate should believe our rights come not from government, but from God. In this nation, almost all politicians claim to be Christian, because they know that's what it takes to win in the United States...yes, even still. Why do you think we hear so much talk about God in campaign years? But we cannot always be the judge of a candidate's heart. Instead, by their fruits we will know them... So...we should elect candidates that have a record of, or believe in Biblical standards. 

I want to list some of the guidelines that I feel are important to maintain directives of the Bible. I have given both partial verses and complete verses, but I have also given the text so that the reader can look them up for himself. 

While there are the obvious social issues that should require a Biblical vote, such as the right to life, traditional marriage, and even support of Israel, I want to cover a few more policies that may seem like something outside of a Biblical command – like whether we should have open borders. Nope. The Bible is very clear on that too. These are not simply my opinions and I hope to demonstrate that by backing all of this with Scripture. I will begin with the obvious, and well-known moral subjects, then move into some topics we may not consider Biblical at first appearance. Here we go:

These are the topics I believe to be a Biblical perspective that requires our candidates support. They are not listed in any particular order.

1. Life

2. Biblical Marriage

3. Support of Israel

4. Free Speech

5. Freedom of Religion

6. 2^nd Amendment (Yep! Please read my explanation)

7. Strong Defense

8. Strong Borders

9. America First!

    10. Economic Freedom and Strong Nation

    11. Work!

    12. Respect for the Constitution

    13. Rule of Law

    14. Role of Government

    15. Good Stewardship (church, family, community, nation, earth)

>Pray first – Ask for God’s guidance and that He will reveal His will to you. There are so many verses about prayer. Every Christian knows we are instructed to pray about everything and constantly. I will choose just a few verses:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. And as well:

• 1Timothy 2:1-2 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."

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

>Understand our rights are God given. – Our Founders believed our rights were given to us not by the government, but by God! From Genesis 1:27, the Founders understood that we are made in the image of God. From that knowledge, they believed that our rights are inherent to our humanity. That is no slight thing. We were the only nation to believe, understand, and enact that concept. The fact that our rights come from God rather than government ensures the freedom that God desired and planned for us! The entire Bible, (but specifically Galatians) demonstrates that freedom, equality, and dignity are bestowed on every human being, expressly by virtue of the fact that we are humans created in His image. Paul reminds us in Galatians (Chapters 3 through 5, really) that our rights are ordained by God and not earned by our own actions. The Founders knew this and based the forming of our union and the Constitution upon this knowledge. If our rights come from God, the Founders knew they could never be taken away – “unalienable rights”.

• Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

• Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

• Romans 13:1 For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

1. Pro-life! – Honor life! That includes from the unborn to the very eldest among us.

• Psalm 139:13 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”

• Jeremiah 1:5-7... “I knew you before you were in your mother's womb.”

• Luke 17:2 “It is better a millstone was around their neck and dropped to the bottom of the sea than to hurt one of these little ones!”

There is no such thing as a “woman’s right to choose”. That is leftist double-speak for allowing murder. If you vote for a pro-abortion candidate, you are voting to allow abortion and God will not accept excuses for the easy way out. 

Too, at one point we believed abortion would never go beyond the first trimester. It is now gone so far beyond, it is incomprehensible! With the former governor of VA stating in the case of a botched abortion, “we will make the baby comfortable until the mother decides”, we are growing desensitized to infanticide. But then, in my view, every stage of abortion is infanticide. Now, with the sliding-into-the toilet slippery slope, some states allow abortion up to the moment of birth. It is always just one step at a time down the slippery slope.

2. Biblical Marriage – We should vote for someone who supports Biblical marriage and will not support a distortion of that union in any form. Male and female he created them. These verses also speak to the transgender issues becoming so prevalent due to media coverage. We should not deviate or mess with what God created. Plus marriage is an example of God’s union with us - His bride! How dare we defile that when His word is so clear on the matter.

• Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

• Genesis 2:18 “Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'"

• Genesis 2:22-24 "And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man....and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh."

• Genesis 5:2 “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.”

• Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination”

• Matthew 19:4-6 – Jesus answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginningmade them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." 

• 1 Corinthians 7:2–5 – One husband and one wife

• Hebrews 13:4 – Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

We must vote for pro-marriage and pro-family candidates. A healthy family is the foundation of a strong nation. God created marriage and designed it to be one man and one woman. Anything else is counterfeit. Satan is the Counterfeit-in-Chief.

3. Support Israel – The Jews are God's chosen people for a reason. God's people were chosen for His purposes. They were not chosen because they were without sin! But we are to support them because they are God's people and His chosen nation. They are a witness to the world and through them the Bible was preserved and the Messiah came. Speaking of Israel:

• Genesis 12:3 God states: "I will bless those that bless you and curse those who curse you." I'd say that's pretty clear. 

As well, Israel is God’s time clock and a powerful witnessing tool! We can know we are in the end times as we watch the prophecy about Israel fulfilled being shared across the headlines of the day. I believe this to be God’s foremost intent. It is about the entire world revealed through the nation of Israel.

• Psalm 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”

4. Freedom of Speech! – Vote for someone who believes in freedom! We need someone that understands the corruption that is endangering our right to say and defend what we believe. We are in danger of the nanny state when our voices are silenced by a biased media or a government that believes they know best and must silence what citizens say.

• Acts 4:18-20 “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard’”.

5. Religious Freedom – Vote for someone who will work to protect our religious freedom and understand that there are threats against it! We must preserve our freedom to fulfill the Great Commission! If we don’t stand for religious freedom, and really all of our freedoms, we risk losing this ability. If we do not protect free speech, we also stand to lose this ability to share this most important of all mandates – the Gospel.

• Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

• Acts 4:18-20 “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard’”.

• Acts 5:28-29...we ought to obey God rather than men.

6. Pro 2nd Amendment Our leaders must support our right to defend ourselves from enemies foreign and domestic. As well, we must maintain the ability to keep our homes safe from intruders.

• Luke 22:35-38 "Then Jesus asked them, 'When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?' “Nothing,” they answered. He said to them, .But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.'” 

You will be hard-pressed to find commentary, today, that explains this verse as Jesus offering a means of protection. People try to distort the meaning of this verse; but it is clear. Older commentaries explain it in its obvious context. These verses were a change of instruction from Luke 9:3 where Jesus told the disciples to bring nothing with them on their travels. But in these verses Jesus clearly makes mention of a sword, which pointed to the trials they were sure to face. Perhaps, it is a picture of "peace through strength". Regardless, there are multiple examples in Scripture where we are shown it is perfectly acceptable to defend ourselves. (See “Strong Defense”, add David against Goliath for another.)

7. Strong Defense – Vote for someone who will defend our nation. That is the job of government! This takes “peace through strength”. We need a strong military for that. This understandably will be controversial, so I will go into a bit more information with this...and there are many examples in Scripture! Soldiers are used and highly respected throughout Scripture as a necessary force. God sent Joshua to battle. Joshua was to fight at Jericho because they were an ungodly nation living within the area God had chosen for His people! Evil cannot be allowed to stand, or the evil will overtake all that is righteous and holy. (think America) Verses about Jericho – Joshua 6. Verses about fighting in Ai – Joshua 8. There are many additional verses that support a strong defense to protect one’s nation and beliefs.

• Deuteronomy 9:5; ...that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

• Deuteronomy 20:17; “But thou shalt utterly destroy them... as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee”

• 2 Samuel 5:17–25 “And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.”

• Joshua 6 and 8 (above)

• John 15:13; Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

• Ecclesiastes 3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

• Deuteronomy 20:1-4 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’

• Psalm 144:1 Of David. Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle

God is definitely not anti-war, as long as it is for a righteous cause.

8. National Security at Home

• Nehemiah 4:8-9 “And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. (think America now) And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night”. 

Wow! Do you think we are seeing that? I surely think so!

• Romans 13:3-4 – In context speaking of governments: “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”

• 1 Timothy 2: 1-2 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

9. Strong Borders! Vote for someone who will defend our boundaries and understand the importance of them. It was God who created the nations for His purposes and intents. All throughout Scripture we see the importance to God of nations and boundaries. Boundaries are clearly outlined in Scripture. God told Abraham he would be the “father of many nations”. Sometimes, as in the case of Paul, God told someone not to cross a boundary.

• Acts 17:24-26 – God that made the world and all things therein...And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

• Genesis 11:1-9 The tower of Babel was to divide the people… “and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”

God is the author of nations. He created the borders. We need to respect that.

10. America First! We are to take care of our own first! Yes we are to care for others, but we are to take care of ourselves first. We can't help the world if we are overburdened and in decline ourselves.

• 1 Timothy 5:8 "But if any man have not care of his own and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel."

• Galatians 4:10 “Be good to all...especially those of the household of faith.”

11. Work! Vote for those who believe in work and will work aggressively to stop unemployment. Welfare may be necessary at times, but it is never the answer for a lifetime. Welfare is actually socialism and the Bible does not support that. God is NOT a socialist regardless of what the left may want to portray! It may sound compassionate, but to keep someone bound to the government is dangerous. Look at how quickly Venezuela declined. We need to understand that can happen here just as quickly

• 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13 If a man doesn't work neither should he eat. He who will not work shall not eat! 

They tried this in Jamestown in 1620. It did NOT work! Work heartily as for the Lord...not asking for handouts.

• Colossians 3:23–24 says, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men".

12. Follow the Rule of Law – We must follow the laws already in place. As one example, no one gets to allow people to cross our border at will. That's breaking the law. And there are plenty of laws in place that are being broken regarding this. Neither is what is taking place at the border compassion – the Democrats' favorite excuse! 

The open border is endangering lives of those in this nation, as well as the lives of those coming illegally! We are to vote for someone who respects the rule of law; not someone who tries to circumvent it. We are to submit to authority not only to avoid punishment, but because of conscience.

• Romans 13:1-4 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

• Romans 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

13. Respect the Constitution – Our Constitution is slowly being questioned and undermined. We will not survive the disrespect for our guiding principles as laid out by our Founding Fathers. This document clearly comes from God written by men that relied on His guidance.

• Romans 13:1-2 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God."

• 1 Peter 2:13 "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them..."

• Titus 3:1 Obey magistrates... 

We are to have and respect a rule if law... there is no way around that. There can be no erosion of that fact without dangerous consequences

14. Role of Government The chief role of government is to protect its citizens. Safety and security are paramount, as well as protecting our freedoms. But we must never forget though we the people are in charge, we are to live respectfully and peaceably with all men and strive to live in accordance with the rule of law. Anything else would be anarchy.

• Romans 13:1-4 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

15. Be good stewards of all God has given us. Church, families, nation, community, and yes earth...but we have dominion over the earth, not the other way around. Genesis 1:26-28

• Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

• Genesis 2:15 “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” 

• Colossians 3:23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"

• 1 Corinthians 4:2 "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

• Titus 1:7 "In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,"

We are living in a very dark time. Corruption and deceit abounds like never before. I won’t sugar coat any of this like so many other articles on the subject have. I cannot pretend one party aligns as equally as the other when it comes to Biblical values. One party voted God out of their platform at their convention in 2012. The parties and candidates have become as different as black and white, night and day, good and evil. It is time to speak up and quit pretending. If someone doesn’t see it, I recommend digging just a bit deeper into the candidate you think you trust. Media cannot be trusted. Go to the source; voting records; statements outside of media; and then base your decision on the Word of God.

In summary, we need to vote for the candidate that most closely aligns with these principles and our own convictions as Christians. And we absolutely must be informed, pray and stay active in the voting process. Stay in the Word of God and use it as the foremost source to find the direction our nation should take. Because we are being intentionally deceived. It is time to strive for leaders that exemplify character and integrity.

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people mourn… Proverbs 29:2

There is a whole lot of mourning going on right now.

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Some current deceptions:

>There is no such thing as global warming. This is a fear tactic of the left. Yes, we need to take care of our earth and environment, but not in fear or to the degree that we are choosing it over people. In Him all things consist and He holds all things together with His hand. This is not the way this earth ends. (See Ezekiel 38 and 39, Daniel 11; and Revelation) 

• Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

>Forgiving Debt. The power of the purse is controlled by Congress; not the President. No single person gets to determine if a debt will be forgiven... that's up to Congress. Biden unconstitutionally acted when he promised to wave student loans. Harris is unconstitutionally promising 25,000 to new home-buyers. They are trying to buy votes. They knew and continue to know it will not happen.

>People use the following verse as a means to justify an open border in the name of compassion, or “the Christian thing to do”: 

• Leviticus 19:33-34 "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God". 

But what is happening at our border is definitely not compassionate. Women and kids are being raped, trafficked and murdered. Death is rampant as illegals make the dangerous journey; and our citizens that live at the border are also put in danger. If you see that as compassionate, I have a bridge to sell you… Wake up!

If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked. Proverbs 29:12 

Just think rather then the leader only listens to the lies, but rather, is actually the one spreading the lies!