Freedom to Proclaim. What Will the Next President Face?

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Freedom to Proclaim

The election is now over, but some still seem to think that it isn’t quite over yet ! 

“The American Presidential election is over—well, almost over. As I write, a clear winner has not yet been called. It appears the result may not be known for several days. It also appears that the results will likely be contested. The current cultural and political divide in the United States is deep. Like Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

Paul did not want a life of retirement and doing nothing. A reading of the book of Acts shows us why he wanted those prayers and why a quiet and peace. It was so he and the Church could boldly be about the Lord’s business preaching the gospel of the Kingdom without hindrance. He did not want interference from government that would limit freedom to do the Work of God. That is why we should pray that whoever is in control of government—in America or elsewhere—exercises authority justly and in a manner that proves maximum liberty.

At Beyond Today we desire freedom to proclaim and publish the gospel with no interference from government or any other body such as big tech. America has laws guaranteeing freedom of speech and religious liberty. We should take every legal and prudent step to protect those liberties. History shows that excessive and abusive authority, whether secular government, religion or business, will restrict free speech and religious worship. While this recent political season has seen some forms of censoring, we are not at a point where this freedom is limited. But we must be vigilant.

God is the giver of freedom. He is the guarantor of freedom: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). I don’t think we appreciate freedom with this perspective. What we have in America is unique in all the world. It always has been. God planted America when He did, at a time in history to take root and grow like a vine over its walls and to go out to world as a blessing of freedom and liberty, and a people willing to defend the rights proclaimed in its Constitution.

In the aftermath of this election season, it is critical to remember that God’s purpose stands. Keep your eye on Him and your faith intact. Be sure and be steady in conviction that Christ rules and He is coming. I was reading in the Psalms this morning and found a perfect thought for the moment: “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 33:11).  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today?source=weeklyupdate .

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What Will the Next President Face? (Part 3)

“The servants God sent to the kings of Israel and Judah had difficult roles. Their message was not popular, and they were often rejected as irrelevant to those who held power. Only a few of the kings of Judah listened to these men of God. But those kings who heeded the warnings—and the nation they led—experienced relative times of peace and prosperity. What did a good and wise ruler need to do to steer his people into a right path? Let's read on and see...

Good morning, Mr. President! Good of you to make room for me in your busy schedule today.

I notice your days are getting hectic and crowded as the economic situation becomes more complicated. As your travel schedule increases, I understand these meetings between you and me may become less frequent. Let me spend time today answering the question you wrote to me after our last meeting.

You asked, "What would be the one thing I could do as America's president and the leader of the free world to ensure peace and prosperity?" It is a good question. It is the right question.

It echoes what King Solomon said when he became king of Israel. He said to God, "You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:7-9).

Mr. President, you are no doubt getting spiritual advice from other counselors. What I am about to tell you will not be found in their counsel. It will be hard for you to grasp and accept. But if you desire the best for the nation and its people, you will listen carefully and consider.

A form of religion

America's fundamental problem is it does not know the true God. Now, it claims to be a Christian nation. The founding fathers believed in God, the Bible and even invoked the Ten Commandments as vital for any nation to prosper. On the American currency is inscribed, "In God We Trust."

The majority faith in the land is Christianity. Forty percent of those asked claim to attend church each week, but actual attendance figures say the total is much lower. I could quote a pile of statistics to you, sir, but you already know that many claim to believe in God, religion, the Bible and many things spiritual. But it is the substance of those beliefs that we are concerned about.

When actual practices and beliefs of professing Christians are examined in the light of what the Bible says, a wide discrepancy is found. Many of their central teachings about God and Jesus Christ are not found in the Bible. The list is long and ranges from the true nature of God to the teachings of Jesus about the Kingdom of God , from the timing of Christ's birth to days on which He died and rose, from the day on which Christ worshipped to the teaching of what happens to a person at death. Confusion reigns when it comes to basic knowledge and understanding about God and His teachings.

The result of this confusion is a nation that has a form of religion but not the whole truth.

This may sound surprising. You may ask how—when all these churches do good works and proclaim God's message—it could be said that America is not following God? The answer lies deep within the story of how God works with His people.”  More at: ttps://www.ucg.org/world-news-and-prophecy/what-will-the-next-president-face-part-3?source=weeklyupdate

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