For Scripture Sunday”:
So Mr. Trump is President Elect.
After the U.S. Election, Then What?
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
“We brace ourselves for the coming weeks, months and years as the results of the most divisive presidential election in living memory will come to bear on all the issues facing the country and the world. What can we do to face those challenges?
Karl Fredrickson/Unsplash
After the U.S. elections what matters most is what you personally do.
Fatigue runs deep in the 2016 presidential election campaign. And not just in the United States. The level of discontent—ranging from mild to extreme—over either candidate (or parties) has pushed the limits of decency and discontent beyond bearing.
That level of dissatisfaction casts an ominous shadow over the huge global issues swelling up in nearly every aspect of life on earth. The U.S. President-elect will face an assault from many sectors—from a dangerously aggressive Russia, to anxious instability on every inhabited continent, to a sputtering global economy.
Bankers wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the decaying financial culture and lagging performance that grip institutions in Italy, Germany and around the world. And everyone knows that with economic unrest, political unrest—even to the point of boiling turmoil—cannot be far behind.
What does matter is your direct relationship with God and how you act on that relationship in becoming a changed person. Start today.
What hope is there for us?
First, there are reasons why all of this is happening, but there are pathways that we can positively pursue, both collectively and individually, regardless of who is elected to lead.
Shortly before the presidential election, legendary Democratic pollster Peter Hart went to Charlotte, North Carolina, to sample the attitude of Americans. Hart asked a series of questions, asking those present to raise their hand if it described them.
He first asked how many liked both presidential candidates. Nobody raised their hand. Then he asked whether those present liked one of the candidates. Nobody raised their hand. Finally, he asked for those present to raise their hand if they didn’t like either candidate. Every hand went up.
The conclusion? People want leaders who they can trust and believe in, but they’re not getting them. These same people were asked to describe the America they want. They wrote phrases like nurturing “a culture that improves us as a people,” and most importantly “leading the world in everything, including morals .”
America’s moral compass is malfunctioning and nearly broken. Morals internally govern how we act, both individually and collectively. Morality is the behavioral GPS that drives our individual consciences.
To some it may come as a great surprise to learn that the main cause of our troubles today is spiritual in nature. Sound spiritual principles form the solid foundation upon which morals and subsequent human behavior can be built. Ever hear the phrase “Do unto others as you would have them to do to you”? That’s become known as the “Golden Rule” for a reason.
It was said by none other than Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In Matthew 7:12 He stressed: “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12, emphasis added throughout). Basically the entire Old Testament of the Bible is summed up in that statement!
James, the brother of Jesus, provides this critical detail for us: “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? … You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it … you fight and wage war … you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong” (James 4:1-3, New Living Translation).
Does that sound like what the world is in the midst of?
So what’s the solution? The apostle Paul makes it clear for us: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2, NLT). That represents the starting point for all of us!
Want to change the world? First, surrender your will to God and ask Him to change you. As you become more like God and learn how God thinks, you will change. That positive change will be noticed. Eventually, as God works with you, you will become a light, a spiritual beacon. And people will notice.
Don’t curse the darkness that is all around us. Light a candle. Look for that marvelous light that is the very light of this world, the light that comes from Jesus Christ (John 8:12).
This world, its ways and people are corrupt. But Jesus Christ did not pray to His Father that we would be taken out of the world (John 17:15); He prayed that we would be a strong spiritual light to the world, where our good deeds can appropriately be seen in contrast to this world (Matthew 14:16).
So after the U.S. elections what matters most is what you personally do.
Do you want to make difference? I urgently invite you to request and dig into one of our most popular Bible study guides: Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion, which can be read online as well.
It doesn’t matter to God what political party you belong to. What does matter is your direct relationship with God and how you act on that relationship in becoming a changed person. Start today. Don’t wait for any election, now or in the future. The time is now! The time is now to wake up and change.”
From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/after-the-us-election-then-what
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What Will the Next President Face?
Estimated reading time: 19 minutes
“In the days of biblical Israel, advisers counseled the king on how to lead the nation based on the Word of God. Samuel guided Saul. Nathan counseled David. Isaiah revealed God's will to Hezekiah. These men of God represented the word of God to the king. What might a servant of God say today if he entered the Oval Office with an analysis of the world and America for the president?
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Because of our growing moral corruption, God’s protective presence and blessing will be removed from the land we so dearly love.
It is the first full working day for the new president of the United States. What might he hear if a servant of God gave recommendations from the Bible of how God would expect the president to govern? Let’s imagine.
Good morning, Mr. President. Let me congratulate you on your new responsibilities, and may I offer wishes for your success as you take the helm of the world’s most powerful nation. Your inaugural speech made clear your intent to maintain that position for the nation while at the same time seeking to reach out to both friend and foe to forge a bond of respect and cooperation.
You are coming into office at perhaps the most critical time in America’s existence. The financial crisis of recent months is the most severe in this generation. America’s relative position in the world faces the greatest challenge since the end of World War II. Iran’s nuclear program could soon destabilize the entire Middle East. Many wonder what your administration will do to counter this threat.
God removes rulers and raises up rulers. No world leader holds office without His consent.
Other world problems demand your attention and leadership. The security and prosperity of this nation and the maintenance of the current world order are at stake. Many voices are offering advice on the way forward. Here is an analysis and counsel from God’s Word. The choice is yours as to which way you, and the nation, will go.”
More at: https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/what-will-the-next-president-face
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What’s Beyond America’s Historic Election
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
How can we understand God's role in the affairs of the United States in the aftermath of the election of Donald Trump?
Aaron Burden/Unsplash
Great things are in store for you. The time is now to find out what they are.
The come-from-behind, surprise upset victory of now-President-elect Donald Trump shocked billions of people. He won the electoral yet closely lost the popular vote. Embarrassed pollsters, some who derided the President-elect completely, failed to gauge the level of discontent apparent in the American electorate.
Following the unexpected victory, a heady mix of shocked reaction and defiant jubilation engulfed much of America and the world, with many expressing deep concern about potential instability and upheaval.
God has a purpose for humanity, a purpose for current events, and He will accomplish that purposethrough the leadership that He allows.
In the early morning hours following Trump’s victory speech, violence broke out in California and elsewhere on the West Coast as protestors decried the results. Prior to the election, several commentators warned of divisiveness in the election’s aftermath. The Economist magazine warned in October that Hillary Clinton was “deeply reviled” by many potential voters. Other research showed that neither major candidate was preferred and many thought that voting for one or the other was more a matter of selecting the lesser of two evils. Trump himself was openly regarded by many in the media as boorish and unfit to be the U.S. President.
But was this election outcome the result of “the will of the people?”
More at: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/whats-beyond-americas-historic-election
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We have mostly been working on the plumbing for the guest house. Ran out of parts for the water, and now have run out of parts for the sewer, so a trip into Conroe is needed.
On the Sabbath, we had a great service and then a tasty potluck of two kinds of meatloaf, one made with organic ground beef, and the other a “meatless” meatloaf made with lentils, veggies and walnuts. I took a crockpot of organic ground turkey with organic macaroni and veggies. Lots of different veggies and desserts. One was a pumpkin pie made by Laura who is learning to cook!
The Bible readings were Gen. 12:1-17:27, Isa. 40:27-41:16 and Heb. 7:1-10. The teaching was Bible verses which show that the Messiah was appointed a High Priest.
The weather is definitely cooler than it has been, and it was a great day.
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