11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
13 The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
We cannot separate the political sphere from the practical day-by-day circumstances in which we live - we don't worship government, and we don't worship our country. But, we have to recognize that decisions that are made in the centers of power affect our daily lives - from a simple tax referendum, to a major moral issue, like abortion, gambling, or special rights for those who practice sexual deviancy, to economic policy - these things affect us. So, we need to pray for our leaders and select good leadership who will comport with Biblical truths.
The fruit of righteous leadership is something that is tangible and beneficial. We can pray for God to establish that type of leadership in our communities, states, and nations, and if so, it will be of great advantage to all, as Proverbs 29 says:
2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
3 Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth.
4 The king establishes the land by justice, But he who receives bribes overthrows it.
There really is, I believe, to lump together all Christians who love God, love their country, and to be a voice for Jesus in our culture as "Christian nationalists." Yes, I admit there are some who claim Christianity who have their priorities out of balance. But, by and large, there is an attempt to discredit a wider swath of Biblical Christianity. And, a rather odd proclamation was made by a reporter for Politico the other day, as reported by The Daily Signal, which stated:
Politico reporter Heidi Przybyla, a finalist for journalism’s Pulitzer Prize, thinks she knows the Christian faith better than practicing Christians—and, for that matter, the Declaration of Independence.
In an appearance Friday on MSNBC, Przybyla said “Christian nationalists” aren’t to be trusted because, in her words, they don’t believe their rights come from any human or governmental institution, but from God.
Her exact words, according to the article?
The one thing that unites all of them … as Christian nationalists, not Christians by the way, because Christian nationalists is very different, is that they believe that our rights as Americans, as all human beings, don’t come from any earthy authority, they don’t come from Congress, they don’t come from their Supreme Court, they come from God.
They come from God. That concept was underscored in this quote, which was included in the Daily Signal article:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
According to FoxNews.com, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins co-wrote a letter to Politico's leadership, which "slammed Politico national investigative correspondent Heidi Przybyla's 'disqualifying lack of knowledge of the United States of America’s founding documents and a profoundly prejudicial view toward American religious groups.'"
The letter said, in part: "As a National Investigative Correspondent for Politico, Ms. Przybyla is charged with reporting accurately on American government, politics, and law. It is deeply disturbing, therefore, that she appeared unaware of the opening of the Declaration of Independence or to its references of ‘the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,’" adding, "Equally concerning is Ms. Przybyla’s smearing of the Christian faith reflected in her comments. Her statements constituted an attempt to spread misinformation about Christians by creating the perception that they hold unique beliefs that pose a distinct and, in her words ‘extremist,’ threat to our country."
The letter called for an apology, and just days later, it occurred - well, sort of, even though she doubled down on this concept that those whom she and those who think like her that there is a difference between so-called "Christian nationalists" and "Christians; FoxNews.com stated:
"Due to some clumsy words, I was interpreted by some people as making arguments that are quite different from what I believe," Przybyla wrote on Thursday. "Excerpts of what I said were promoted widely in some political circles by some activists whose primary objection, I feel sure, was not my television appearance but my coverage in POLITICO about the tactics and agenda of political activists who subscribe to a philosophy they call ‘Christian Nationalism.’ Christianity is a religion. Christian Nationalism is a political movement. As I said on air, there is a big difference between the two."
Perkins noted it and called for another try; on Twitter last Thursday, he wrote:
If this is an apology by Ms. Przybyla for slandering Bible-believing Christians for exercising their rights as Americans to be involved in the political process - she needs to try again.
Her words on MSNBC were not "clumsy" they were calculated. Politico needs to come clean on their religious hostility.
He also included a link to a Politico article she wrote in response to the unfortunate incident.
On Friday, FRC posted a petition calling on Politico to apologize. The link is: FRC.org/politico.
Well, it is primary election day in Alabama, and I encourage you, as part of your civic duty and as an act of worship, to go vote today - select candidates that best line up with your deeply held Christian beliefs. By so doing, you are playing a critical role in the governance of our various entities.
The simple fact is, the government we receive is determined by and large by the selections we make. Someone, very simply, will set the agenda. The question is, what kind of nation do we want to live in? If we want to have leaders who support and respect the freedom of religion, as provided for in the Constitution, then those who appreciate that freedom should be forthright and involved. Those who profess Christianity are a sizable potential force in our nation, and it is not something that is wrong or inappropriate for us to vote in accordance with our deeply held beliefs - just look at the progressive trends in our country, and you will see people who are passionately engaged in pushing their point of view; so, it is incumbent on us to act in accordance with our viewpoint, our values.
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