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For exact contemporary Democrat and Republican positions, please visit their webpages: democrats.org and GOP.com. However, to do so, will get you the ‘Candy Cane’ version, which is the ‘mask’ offered to the public. The authentic ‘face’ of these two parties can be found in a combination of at least four places. Below is the list from least to most important:
4.The people who support the respective parties 3.The authentic history of the parties 2.The adoption of liberalism and/or conservativism 1.The implementation of the Judaeo/Christian ethic First, because everyone has a bias, you must understand mine. I am a Christian, a pastor, an author, and a part-time historian. Therefore, because my desire is to glorify God(Col3:23), my ultimate objective is rooted in the Providence of God. Providence means God working in the past and present to bring about His divine purposes. This means, at a ‘practical’ level, my views will emerge from asking some very simple questions: What does God think? What does God think about what I think? What does God think about a political party position or action? What is God attempting to accomplish in the near, and distant future through a particular person or political party’s position or action? Because political parties are comprised of men who have sin natures, it is impossible for any one party, or group of people, to ever have a monopoly on God’s will and purposes. This means there has been both good and evil coming from all American political parties…from the beginning of this nation! A cursory study of 1Samuel through 2 Chronicles verifies this very point. To be true to the title of these tidbits, and my readers, I must begin somewhere; whether the following is the beginning, middle, or end, only you can decide. The Bible declares: -the “government shall be upon His shoulders” (Is9:6) -“the increase of His government, there shall be no end” (Is9:7) -“of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Lu1:33) -“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Rev11:15) -“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1Tim6:15) These verses teach, God is obviously…what we would call…political! In other words, “every knee…”--in every arena of life, including politics—“shall bow” to Jesus (Phil2:10)…from kings to slaves! No exceptions! In other words, my three previous sentences are not only theological statements, but political! The God who reigns over the universe, by default, reigns over politics!! Therefore, when the Bible declares: -“all the gods of the nations are idols” (Ps96:5) -“Blessed is the nation who God is the Lord” (Ps33:12) …means those in the political arena are subject to the Sovereign God! Now, here is the grand ole question: If it is true that God reigns over politics, and the men and women who are involved--He must have a will for politics or nations. A will that man must use to determine right and wrong; and good and evil! I repeat, some things must be God’s will, while other things are not His will! How do we know God’s will for politics? There are two ways to determine God’s will: 1.God’s word(scripture/Bible). God’s will is His word, and God’s word is His will! (Jn17:17;Ps119:142) 2.The Creation. God wrote His law/ways into the creation (Rom1:20) 1.There are two ways to determine God’s will from scripture: a.Biblical. This could also be called Positive b.UnBiblical. This could also be called Negative “Biblical” means you find a text like John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” If one interprets this verse to mean: ‘God loves the world’, or ‘God loves humanity’; we call these statements ‘Biblical’. It’s also called Positive because it offers something God supports; He’s in favor of; He desires; His will! “Unbiblical” means God does not support it. It is most often identified as sin. For example, God says it’s wrong to lie (Ex20:16; 1Tim1:10). Therefore, it’s negative because it instructs us what God determines wrong, or what not to do. 2.There are two ways to determine God’s will from the Creation: a.Examine how the creation works, and you will discover God’s law. b.Determine the purpose of the created thing, and you will discover God’s will. In the following weeks, I will examine a few of the beliefs, actions, and history of the parties, and those who support those parties, and contrast them to the Bible! Quotebit Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out. -Jim Rohn
1 Comment
Jesseca Watson
6/12/2020 02:28:33 pm
Looking forward to the next Tidbit.
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Derrick JacksonPastor, Author Archives
November 2024
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