Lead Or Join An Election Prayer Movement
This Weekend Lead Or Join An Election Prayer Movement
Dr. Alveda King
Along with voting and observing King Cyrus in relationship to what’s going on today, where are God’s appointed spiritual voices today?
http://mobile.wnd.com/2016/11/source-fbi-has-evidence-hillary-visited-orgy-island/
Where are we who are called to be today’s Daniels, Esther’s, Nehemiahs and Ezra’s? Are we Praying, fasting, rebuilding, evangelizing?
We urgently need to transcend the political frequency where we are praying for specific candidates to be elected or not elected. While this is part of the scenario, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We are facing spiritual corruption at the highest levels.
READ EPHESIANS 6 PLEASE. PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS. BIND THE DEVIL. LOOSE GOD’S HIGH PRAISE!
This weekend lead or join an election prayer movement. There are several already in motion!
http://www.priestsforlife.org/novenas/novena.aspx?id=1
This scourge of evil we are facing is not new. Daniel was in office the first year of King Cyrus’ reign. Daniel and Esther fasted and prayed. Ezra and Nehemiah rebuilt the wall. It all goes together!
Highest Form of Spiritual Warfare
Jezebel and Ahab are breathing fire in this election. Not gender specific in humans. Fasting and praying. Highest form of warfare is breakthrough praise that God inhabits and worship in spirit and truth attained as we fast and pray.
“…the battle is a spiritual battle…the battle is not against flesh and blood…Jezebel is not a person…Jezebel is a spirit…the spirit of Jezebel wants this nation…the nations…even though confronted, remember this spirit resists, accuses, controls, twists, manipulates, intimidates, seduces, destroys…
Remember this….This spirit will come out by prayer and fasting, declare My Word, My authority…stand together, pray, fast…Church, hear Me…My people…you can do this… …”who is on My side?…
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“I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.
“But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.” Revelation 2:19
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“When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from the window. As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Do you come in peace, Zimri,killer of your master?”
He looked up toward the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him, and he said, “Throw her down!”… 2 Kings 9:30-33
We determine our own future by our vote
We as the Church must take this responsibility seriously, if we are to make a decision to cast our vote in favor of anybody, it must be of political affiliation or party. The Christian does not stop being responsible for their actions or beliefs at the voting booth. We must search our hearts and seek those that align themselves with our own beliefs if we are to be responsible representative of the Kingdom of God. Our final vote must mirror who we are and what we stand for. Politics should never cause a compromise of our standing with God!
Believers throughout the ages have lived, and even flourished, under antagonistic, repressive, pagan governments. This was especially true of the first-century believers who, under merciless political regimes, sustained their faith under immense cultural stress. They understood that it was not their governments, but they were the light of the world and the salt of the earth. They adhered to Paul’s teaching to obey their governing authorities, even to honor, respect, and pray for them (Romans 13:1-8).
Submission to government (and higher authority) is important to God, because there is no government in existence that is not ordained by God. Some governments prove to be both cruel and terrible, but each person in authority will give an account of their actions to their Creator come judgment day. Your responsibility is to be in submission to whichever government you find yourself under at the moment. For American Christians, this could change every four years or so.
Americans are governed by the Constitution of the United States and not, necessarily, by whoever sits in the oval office come Election Day. Ours is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Under this political system of democracy, we are granted certain rights and responsibilities.
We have the freedom of speech, the right to assemble, and the right to vote. Therefore, to insist that all Christians should remove themselves from politics altogether is a gross error and, frankly, it goes against God’s revealed will to be submissive to our American government.
If there ever comes a time when you personally find yourself under the rule of a different government, then God’s desire for you is to be submissive to that authority, do what is right, silence ignorant men by nothing more than your superior behavior, respect everyone around you, love other believers, and honor the king.
Submission is God’s revealed will for you.
Christians Must Get Involved!
Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Last I checked, “all the world” and “every creature” includes politicians and those involved in government.
If we’re honest with ourselves, we must admit every person in government do what they do based on some worldview that is influenced by some religion, whether it’s atheism, agnosticism, astrology, Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, Gnosticism, or some other -ism.
Thomas Jefferson knew this and he shuddered to think what would happen if any influence besides the God of the Bible would lay hold on this nation when he stated, “God who gave us life gave us liberty.
Church came before politics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Time for the Church to Arise!
Pastor Michael Edwards
We are headed for a fall!
Edward Gibbon in his classic The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire gives some basic reasons for the fall of Rome: (1) undermining of the sanctity of the home; (2) the rapid increase in divorce; (3) the development of huge armaments and the neglect of the enemy within; (4) the moral degeneracy of the whole society — sexual perversion and homosexuality; and (5) the declension of religious vitality, with formalism supplanting faith and impotence replacing power.
This is a clear picture of USA today. 2 Samuel 8:15 says “So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.”
We need church back in office where it should be, or we are in trouble! We cannot sit and do nothing saints.
Time for the Church to Arise!
Pastor Michael Edwards
The Tenth Commandment – Thou shall not covet
9 Thou shalt not covet (Ex. 20:17; Deut. 5:21; Rom. 7:7; 13:9)
Ex. 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Deut. 5:21 You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
The New testament repeats the prohibition:
Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
Rom 13:9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Covetousness goes to the very root of the fallen state of humanity, as we can see in the story of the temptation of Eve:
Gen 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Various aspects of her desires override her knowledge of the Lord’s commandment not to eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, a commandment Adam had taught her. Yet in the face of the desires, the commandment fades in importance.
In political life, politicians, both those who are lawyers and those who are not, know the law and its limits on their behavior. Yet lobbyists or other types of interest groups approach politicians with a variety of offers and promises ranging from re-election, to personal benefits and perks in the form of trips, gifts, money, etc. These things can blind a politician to the law as easily as the Woman was blinded to God’s one commandment by the enticement of the good looking fruit and its desire for wisdom about good and evil. How many times do people hear some form of Satan’s proposition: “How will you know if it is bad unless you try it?” Usually they are not offering you Brussels sprouts or rutabaga when they say that.
Everyone involved in politics ought to have an image of the temptation of Eve in their offices to remind them of their own susceptibility to covetous temptations. Job was well aware of the temptations to covet, which he asserts he did not give into:
Job 31:1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I look upon a virgin?
2 What would be my portion from God above, and my heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Does not calamity befall the unrighteous, and disaster the workers of iniquity?
4 Does not he see my ways, and number all my steps?
5″If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hastened to deceit;
6 (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!)
7 if my step has turned aside from the way, and my heart has gone after my eyes, and if any spot has cleaved to my hands;
8 then let me sow, and another eat; and let what grows for me be rooted out.
9 If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door;
10 then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a fire which consumes unto Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase.
The prophet Micah, writing in the middle of the 8th century BC, explains the moral evil of coveting in his description of his contemporaries:
Mic 2:1 Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil upon their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. 2 They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.
The covetous consider the things that they desire or covet and then plan out the acquisition of those things while they are in bed. Their activity outside of bed is to take the actions to get what they desire, even if they do not really need them. The opening word, “Woe,” is a term from ancient funerals and in the Lord’s mouth it means that the people who covet other people’s property are already as good as dead in God’s view. Their desires for evil lead them to commit more evil.
Another ramification of the covetous person is that his or her desires become the basis for boastful pride, which is at the core of all other sins:
Ps. 10:3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD.
Greedy desire for other people’s property needs self-justification by the greedy person, and for that reason they curse and spurn the Lord. His laws of justice prohibit the acquisition of other people’s property by any means that amounts to stealing, cheating and violence. As a result, the covetous need to “curse and spurn” the Lord in order to show that he is wrong in giving commandments that set limits to human desires and covetousness.
Isaiah proclaimed God’s just punishment for covetousness:
Isa 57:17 “Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart.
God’s condemnation of covetousness is included among other sins that preclude the possibility of entering the Kingdom of God:
1 Cor. 6: 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
One specific aspect of covetousness concerns sexual relationships. That is why the commandments specify the prohibition of coveting a neighbor’s wife (Ex. 20:17; Deut. 5:21). The rest of Scripture confirms this:
Pro 6:25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her catch you with her eyelids.
Pro 6:24 To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
Jer 5:8 “They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
Ezek. 33:31 “And they come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people, and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.
Mat 5:28 but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Eph 5:3 But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints
Eph 5:5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Col 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
The commandment also prohibits the coveting of various kinds of property, since this lends itself to forms of greed:
Hab 2:9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house To put his nest on high To be delivered from the hand of calamity!
Jer 6:13 “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.
Jer 22:17 “But your eyes and your heart Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, And on shedding innocent blood And on practicing oppression and extortion.”
Ecc 4:8 There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.
Ecc 5:10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. 11 When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?
Ps. 119:36 Incline my heart to Thy testimonies, And not to dishonest gain.
Luke 12:15 And He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
Act 20:33 “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes.”
Phil. 3:18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ.19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
1Ti 3:2 Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money.
Heb 13:5 Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”
The Eighth Commandment – Thou shall not steal
Thou shalt not steal. (Ex. 20:15);
Neither shall you steal. (Deut. 5:19)
This commandment is repeated in the New Testament:
Mat 19:18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Mark 10:19 “You know the commandments, Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother. “
Luke 18:20 “You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.”
Matt. 15:19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.
Rom 13:9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The Old and New Testaments frequently warns believers against theft and other vices, with the knowledge that God will judge each person with the possibility of going to hell for such theft:
Zech. 5:3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the whole land; surely everyone who steals will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears will be purged away according to the writing on the other side.
1 Cor. 6: 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Eph 4:28 Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.
1 Peter 4:15 By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler.
Respect for the goods of others
The underlying value of the prohibition of theft is every person’s right to the ownership of property. Personal ownership of property allows and insures a person’s legitimate independence and self-determination. Theft is therefore usurping another’s property against the reasonable will of the owner. Whether civil law recognizes the action as legal or not, theft includes all forms of unjust acquisition of other people’s property. This would apply to the deliberate retention of goods that have been lent to someone or the refusal to replace objects belonging to another person that were lost inadvertently. Other forms of theft include fraudulent business practices, paying unjust wages to employees or not giving an employer the proper labor for the wages that have been paid to an employee (Lev 19:13 You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.) Poorly done work is another form of theft, as are the forgery of checks and invoices, excessive expenses and unnecessary waste of effort or property. Equally under this commandment would be the unjust increase of the prices of goods or services that takes advantage of the ignorance or hardship of other people. Artificial manipulation of the prices of goods or services is wrong when it seeks to make personal gain to the detriment of other people (Cf. Deut. 25:13 “You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small… 15 You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. ” Deut. 24:14-15; James 5:4; Am 8:4-6).
Another extremely serious form of theft is the kidnaping of other persons in order to sell them into slavery or do other harm to them:
Ex. 21:16 “And he who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.
Deut. 24:7 “If a man is caught kidnaping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently, or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you.
Though slavery is outlawed in all Christian countries today, it still exists in the sex slave trade of girls, boys, and young women and men. More people are enslaved in the sex trade than in agriculture of the 18th or 19th centuries. The difference is that instead of working in the cotton fields they are enslaved between cotton sheets, where they contract the various sexual diseases in addition to the degradation of forced labor and the objectification of the intimacies of their sexuality.
Political corruption that seeks to influence the judgment of civil decision makers is a form of stealing. It is theft if a citizen or politician appropriates and uses public property for private purposes, as is tax evasion, or willful damage to private or public property. (Luke 3:14 And some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”)
All people also have a moral obligation to honor the various aspects of morally just contracts and promises regarding purchase or sale of goods, rental of property, or labor and services. A contract is moral if the tasks, services and good promised in the contract are themselves morally legitimate. For instance, a contract to steal property or kill someone is inherently illegitimate. Further, all contracts must be freely and knowingly agreed to and executed in good faith. (Lev 19:11 You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.)
Legal justice concerns issues of what a citizen owes in fairness and justice to the community. Distributive justice regulates what the community (nation, state, county or town and city) owes its citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs, e.g., the government owes health care to veterans. Commutative justice regulates the exchanges between persons in terms of a strict respect for their mutual rights and legitimate responsibilities. Commutative justice strictly requires the protection of property rights, paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely accepted in contracts. This kind of commutative justice makes other forms of justice is possible.
Because commutative justice is so basic, it requires any person who has stolen another person’s property or defrauded other people in any way to make reparations for the injustices they have committed. This entails the restitution of stolen goods to their owner or reparations for fraud in contracts, for failure to pay just wages or to give a full day’s labor to an employer, or any other type of theft or fraud. This is exemplified by the tax collector Zacchaeus who told Jesus, “If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” (Lk 19:8) At that point Jesus announced that salvation had come to his house because he did restitution for the goods he had taken illegitimately in taxation. Anyone who directly or indirectly stole from another or defrauded another has a moral obligation to make restitution of the stolen goods by returning the equivalent object or pay the money it was worth, along with the profit or advantages the owner would have legitimately obtained from them. Similarly, anyone who took part in a theft or knowingly benefitted from it by receiving stolen goods at a lower price, is obliged to make restitution in proportion to their responsibility and to their share of what was stolen.
Gatekeepers Recommend “No” Vote to HB399 & Mayor Council Act Amendments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Bishop Jim Lowe
Gatekeepers Association of Alabama
205-365-2757
Info@gatekeepersassociation.org
HEADLINE: Gatekeepers Association of Alabama recommends voting “NO” on HB399, or the Birmingham Water Works Bill, and “NO” to the current proposed amendments to the Mayor-Council Act of 1955
Birmingham, Alabama, April 5, 2016
The Gatekeepers Association of Alabama (GAA), a diverse group of pastors united to empower the church to influence the governmental realm, recommends our State Legislators vote “NO” to HB399, or the Birmingham Water Works bill, and “NO” to the current proposed amendments to the Mayor-Council Act of 1955. After multiple meetings with several members of the Birmingham City Council as well as members of the Jefferson County Democratic House delegation, including the latest public forum at the Jefferson County Courthouse on April 4, 2016, it has become increasingly the opinion of the GAA that these two elected entities HAVE NOT had sufficient civil dialogue together discussing these two critical pieces of legislation that will impact hundreds of thousands of current citizens and millions to come in future generations as well as the potential control of billions of tax payer dollars. Therefore, these two pieces of legislation SHOULD NOT hastily be voted upon WITHOUT a thoughtful, transparent, intellectual, thorough process involving ALL PARTIES FROM BOTH ELECTED ENTITIES WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF ALL CITIZENS AFFECTED.
Moreover, GAA urges all citizens, especially the voters who voted these current elected officials into office and will vote again next year for Birmingham city offices and in 2018 for state representatives, to call the members of the House Commerce and Small Business Committee concerning HB 399 immediately. Please begin your calls with the clerk for this committee, Mary Ruth Davis, who can send a message to the entire committee:
Mary Ruth Davis 334-242-7696 maryruth.davis@alhouse.gov
Jack Williams, Chair (Jefferson Co) 334-242-7779 jack@jackwilliams.org
Dimitri Polizos, Vice Chair (Montgomery Co) 334-242-7469 dimitri.polizos@alhouse.gov
Craig Ford, Ranking Minority Leader (Etowah County) 334-242-7690 craig.ford@alhouse.gov
Louise Alexander (Jefferson Co) 334-242-7593 louise.alexander@alhouse.gov
Adline Clarke (Mobile Co) 334-242-7449 adline.clarke@alhouse.gov
Anthony Daniels (Madison Co) 334-242-7494
Danny Garrett (Jefferson Co) 334-242-7535 dannygarrett44@gmail.com
Micky Hammon (Limestone Co, Morgan Co) 334-242-7709 mickyhammon@gmail.com
Nathaniel Ledbetter (Dekalb Co.) 334-242-7492 nathaniel.ledbetter@alhouse.gov
Jimmy Martin (Autauga & Chilton Co) 334-242-7139 jimmy.martin@alhouse.gov
Barry Moore (Coffee Co) 334-242-7773 barry@barrymooreindustries.com
Jim Patterson (Madison Co) 334-242-7531 jimpattersonhd21@gmail.com
Richie Whorton (Jackson & Madison Co) 334-242-7753 ritchiewhorton@gmail.com
Additionally, please contact the Jefferson County House delegation concerning the Mayor-Council Act:
Louise Alexander 334-242-7600 205-425-5700 louise.alexander@alhouse.gov
Jim Carns 334-242-7600 205-314-9808 jim.carns@alhouse.gov
Merika Coleman-Evans 334-242-7755 205-325-5308 merika.colemanevans@alhouse.gov
Dickie Drake 334-242-7727 205-699-7392 dickie.drake@alhouse.gov
Allen Farley 334-242-7767 205-477-5617 allen.farley@alhouse.gov
David Faulkner 334-242-7600 205-870-9577 david.faulkner@alhouse.gov
Juandalynn Givan 334-242-7684 205-326-2466 juandalynn.givan@alhouse.gov
Arnold Mooney 334-242-7600 205-222-8721 arnold.mooney@alhouse.gov
Mary Moore 334-242-7608 205-229-9966 mary.moore@alhouse.gov
Oliver Robinson 334-242-7769 205-849-6765 oliver.robinson@alhouse.gov
John Rogers 334-242-7761 205-925-3522 john.rogers@alhouse.gov
Rod Scott 334-242-7752 205-837-5673 rod.scott@alhouse.gov
Kyle South 334-242-7600 205-393-4496 kyle.south@alhouse.gov
Patricia Todd 334-242-7718 205-324-9822 patricia.todd@alhouse.gov
Allen Treadaway 334-242-7685 205-566-6835 allen.treadaway@alhouse.gov
Tim Wadsworth 334-242-7600 205-712-1792 tim.wadsworth@alhouse.gov
Jack Williams 334-242-7779 205-862-5041 jack.williams@alhouse.gov
This recommendation reflects a collective opinion of the entire group and is not considered the official position by any individual members of GAA or any organizations with which the members are affiliated.
Charles Finney wrote, “If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.” We as the GAA accept and embrace our responsibility to empower the church through education, encouragement, exposure and evaluation.
Moreover, GAA encourages continual prayer for our Mayor, Birmingham City Council members, and all State Legislators involved in this decision-making process as well as all other governmental leaders and those serving in our nation’s armed services protecting the freedoms we hold so dear.
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”- Thomas Jefferson. So “person of good conscience”, let your voice be heard concerning both pieces of legislation.
Godly Politics
What does it mean when a vacant seat on the Supreme Court is filled? And, why would it matter who sits on the United States’ most powerful assembly of magistrates? This group of judges offer speculations surrounding the rule of Law. The individual who will have this position shares power and has influence over what a nation believes to be truth.
We should pray about the Supreme Court nominee because if he or she has a liberal mindset and gets the position, many court decisions may be determined and interpreted from a more contemporary or liberal point of view.
How important is it that we should have a Godly balance in the Supreme Court? God’s prosperity is with a nation when the people are righteous.
While Yeshua (Jesus) will be the King over the earthly Kingdom, His government will have no end.
NLT Isaiah 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6 NLT)
What we do for God can overshadow what we say about God. Every believer knows that their primary call is to build disciples for God’s Kingdom. Therefore, every Christian worker should strive to be the best employee in the company. Every Christian student should study to develop themselves personally and academically. As a Christian neighbor, we should walk alongside the people in our communities and be intently involved. This is done by meeting the needs of our neighbors with love and compassion.
NLT Matthew 19:19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Mat 19:19 NLT)
In the last days, political systems will come under the influence of the Kingdom of darkness. Men will start looking for answers to the world’s chaos from ungodly men. This state of affairs will open the doors for a leader who is a brilliant politician, but he is not Godly. People will be looking for political answers but not for God’s Word. Eventually, the Bible and the religious institution will come under persecution and preachers will be told what they are to teach. I believe that
17 For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled. (Rev 17:17 NLT)
Whenever any nation turn’s it’s back on God, the blessing and prosperity of those will come in the form suffering economy, weather, and national disasters.
23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
24 In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.” (Rev 18:23-24 NLT)
CNN News Reports
“There is a lot at stake here. Depending on who ultimately fills this vacancy, the next Supreme Court justice could change the ideological direction of the court for a generation — and fundamentally reshape American society in the process. As we know from his previous nominees, a court selected by President Obama could impose its views on the people, regardless of the democratic process. The question now before the American people is whether they want to dramatically change the current ideological makeup of the court.” http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/18/opinions/supreme-court-nomination-cornyn/index.html
Each party has specific beliefs:
The Democrats
This website states that the party is focusing on “building an economy that lifts up all Americans, not just those at the top.” Interests of the party include equal pay, job creation, health care, education and clean energy. Democrats.org features more detailed information on the party’s stance on specific issues. Civil rights, education, immigration reform, national security and voting rights are a few of the issues selectable on the bottom of the Democrats.org
The Republicans
Republicanism refers to a loose tradition or family of writers in the history of western political thought, including especially: Machiavelli and his fifteenth-century Italian predecessors; the English republicans Milton, Harrington, Sidney, and others; Montesquieu and Blackstone; the eighteenth-century English commonwealth men; and many Americans of the founding era such as Jefferson and Madison. The writers in this tradition emphasize many common ideas and concerns, such as the importance of civic virtue and political participation, the dangers of corruption, the benefits of a mixed constitution and the rule of law, etc.; and it is characteristic of their rhetorical style to draw heavily on classical examples
The Liberals
A liberal democracy is a form of representative democracy in which elected representatives who hold power are limited by a constitution that emphasizes protecting individual liberties, equality and the rights of minority groups. Among the many liberties that might be protected are freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of religion, the right to private property and privacy as well as equality before the law and due process under the rule of law. Such constitutional rights, also called liberal rights, are guaranteed through various controlled institutions and statutory laws. Additionally, the constitutions of most contemporary liberal democracies prohibits majoritarianism, which is ruled by the will of majority when it harms those in the minority. http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-liberal-democracy.htm
Politics
Activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government. the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy.
God’s Earthly Commonwealth
In the community of faith, God has always divinely placed servants in high positions of government. For example, Josiah was responsible for the great awakening of Judah. His revivals were instrumental in the people’s return to worship Adonai, the G-D of Israel.
יֹאשִׁיָּה Yo’shiyah {yo-shee-yaw’} or יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ {yo-she-yaw’-hoo}
Meaning: Josiah = “whom Jehovah heals” 1) son of Amon by Jedidah who succeeded his father to the throne of Judah and reigned for 31 years; his reign is noteworthy for the great revivals back to the worship of Jehovah which he led 2) a returned exile and son of Zephaniah at whose house took place the solemn and symbolical crowning of Joshua the high priest in the time of Zechariah the prophet.
Another key person God used in the political arena was Joseph. Although he went through a series of betrayals and disappointments, Joseph was divinely placed in a situation where he finally received a high ranking position in Pharaoh’s upper Government. God’s sovereign plan was to rescue the children of Jacob with Joseph’s influence in Pharaoh’s government.
יוֹסֵף Yowceph {yo-safe’}
Meaning: Joseph = “Jehovah has added” 1) the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel
9 So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream first. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a grapevine in front of me.
10 The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes.
11 I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 “This is what the dream means,” Joseph said. “The three branches represent three days.
13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer. (Gen 40:9-13 NLT)
David may have been the most unlikely one of Jesse’s sons that one would have expected to be king. His story reveals to us the importance of repentance, servitude, and worship. Although David made mistakes, he was a seeker of God.
דָּוִד David {daw-veed’} rarely )fullyדָּוִיד ( Daviyd {daw-veed’}
Meaning: David = “beloved” 1) youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel, a man after God’s heart. David moved God’s heart, not because he made no human errors, but because he ruled with compassion and fairness. David sanctioned a more redeeming, softer approach to leadership.
Solomon is known because of desire for wisdom. He could have asked for riches, but his request was that God would give him wisdom to rule his people.
שְׁלֹמֹה Shelomoh {shel-o-mo’}
Meaning: Solomon = “peace” 1) son of David by Bathsheba and 3rd king of Israel; author of Proverbs and Song of Songs
I would be remiss if I did not mention the prophetess and judge, Deborah.
דְּבוֹרָה Debowrah {deb-o-raw’} or )shortenedדְּבֹרָה ( Deborah {deb-o-raw’}
Meaning: Deborah = “bee” 1) the nurse of Rebekah who accompanied her from the house of Bethuel 2) a prophetess who judged Israel
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get ready! This is the day the LORD will give you victory over Sisera, for the LORD is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle.
15 When Barak attacked, the LORD threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot.
16 Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive. (Jdg 4:14-16 NLT)
Deborah was a ruler during the time that Israel needed a military mindset. She had strong leadership skills that brought God’s people out of captivity and led them into a season of prosperity and victory.
Any nation will prosper when they make God the ruler and Kind of their land.
Pastor Demetrics Roscoe
What Makes a Good Candidate?
JUDGING POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
“What Makes a Good Candidate?”
This is the season when we as the public are bombarded with the appeals for various offices in which candidates tout their leadership ability. In some of these cases, the appeals come from a place of demonstrated leadership. In far too many other cases, those requesting the privilege of leading us in public office are thoroughly lacking in the elements that make good political leaders. This is true for political offices at all levels.
Over the past two decades, I have spent many hours examining the attributes of effective and capable leaders. I have looked historically at those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the office they were elected to as well as those who failed horribly as leaders. Unfortunately, in many cases, both the effective leaders and the failed leaders present some of the same characteristics.
My scholarly work in the area of leadership and my experience with leaders have led me to identify five (5) essential characteristics of a good leader who is aspiring political office. They are character, cosmpetence, courage, compassion, and commitment. Interestingly, these characteristics apply in almost every scenario whether in the business, political, educational, or religious arenas. A rigorous examination of any aspiring leader will very likely reveal the quality of the leadership they will provide.
As pastors and spiritual leaders, we are often called upon to advise our members, family, and friends on which candidates have the ability to be effective leaders (and which should, as such, earn our votes). More importantly, we are often asked the more general question, “What characteristics must a candidate possess to merit our support and to be effective in public office?”
As a scholar, I have had the opportunity to study political leaders and read biographies and source materials on histories of great leaders. I have also had the privilege of developing close relationships with some of the well-known leaders in our area over the past twenty (20) years.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Fortunately, many of the individuals who offer themselves for positions of leadership have, in fact, previously held power in other leadership capacities. We must ask ourselves, “How have they used that power?”
To be sure we are selecting the best candidate, we must examine their character. An examination of character is, essentially, a determination of an individual’s faithfulness, integrity and reliability. We consider people who are faithful in meeting their obligations and who are honest and truthful as having good character. Conversely, people who are determined to be dishonest, unreliable and unfaithful in meeting their obligations, we tend to consider as having bad character.
In the political context, we determine a person’s character by how they have behaved themselves in both their public and private lives. Character is the essence of leadership and it can make or break a leader. When a leader has significant character flaws, it erodes the trust in him by his constituents. Once the trust in a leader crumbles, his ability to lead effectively crumbles also. An important component of character is integrity. This means that there is not a gap between what a leaders says and what he does. Those who are seeking political office and requesting our votes and support should be people of impeccable character. This should be a non-negotiable.
Former Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton have been examined as political leaders on the basis of their character. Although both men served as president of the United States, their legacies are not the accomplishments achieved during their administrations but rather the scandals left behind by their character deficiencies that followed them throughout their presidency and beyond.
A rigorous evaluation of an individual’s ability to lead in a political milieu requires us to look beyond character. We know many people in our lives who have exceptional character. That is to say they are honest, truthful and faithful in all of their dealings. The question becomes, for a particular position or office, “Does this person possess the requisite competence to lead?” Competence is primarily a matter of ability, intellect and experience. These variables will determine a person’s ability to address issues as they arise in the most effective possible manner.
There are many people who may possess exceptional character but who lack competence based upon inexperience, lack of intellectual development, or unfamiliarity with the issues that they face. There is little solace to those who are harmed by well-intentioned leaders with good character, but who simply do not know what they are doing. Thus, the first question we must ask is, “Whether a person has the requisite character?” The second must be, “Is this person competent to do the job?”
Competence alone cannot make a leader, but it can undo one. Competence is characterized by both knowledge and skills. In the political arena this does not mean that a leader knows everything or how to do everything but it means he know what to do and how to get it done. Leadership expert John Maxwell states, “Highly competent people always go the extra mile. For them, good enough is never enough.” Competent leaders never settle for mediocrity and half done tasks; they constantly strive for excellence and completion of responsibilities.
The third element of an effective leader is courage. Maya Angelou said that, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage you cannot practice any of the other virtues consistently.” It does not matter if you have the character to understand right from wrong and the competence to make the right decision for your followers if you lack the courage to do so.
Courage is simply the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous, in spite of the dangers or difficulties. Courage is a necessary trait of effective leadership. Courage, like all values, develops and grows with practice. It takes courage to go against the grain, break from the norm, make tough decisions, challenge the status quo, admit when you are wrong, and stay true to your values and convictions in the face of contrary winds.
Our society recognizes the value of courage by honoring people who, in the face of danger to themselves, make difficult choices to help or benefit others. In 1957, John F. Kennedy, won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, Profiles in Courage. The book chronicles eight (8) U. S. Senators who took courageous stands, and in most cases, paid high personal prices for their service to their country and the Senate. In each Senator’s situation, the common thread is the quality of courage that each manifested in choosing to do the right thing in the face of the potential (or actual) loss of political power, influence, or reputation as a consequence of doing the right thing.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather fear that has said its prayers. It is the inner strength and resolve to go forward even when fear presents a clear and present danger. In many ways, the greatest challenge to a leader in a democracy is to do the right thing when it is the unpopular thing to do. For that, courage is an essential trait for a good leader in a democracy.
Another essential trait by which we should measure a good leader is demonstrated compassion. Effective leaders must care for those that they lead, from the least to the greatest. A good leader is one who is compassionate towards others. They have the power of empathizing with all people and seek to know and understand the issues affecting them. However, on the other hand, uncompassionate leaders do not empathize with their people, but instead make decisions based on what they want, what is popular or what is good for them.
Most leaders are trained to lead with their head and not their heart. However, compassionate leaders lead with their heart as well as with their head. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States is a perfect example of leading with his heart as well as his head. He is revered as one of our greatest leaders because of his deep compassion for all people. In the depths of the Great Depression, he felt the pain of the hungry, the anxiety of the unemployed, the disillusionment of the displaced, and being deeply moved with compassion, he devised programs to better their lot in life.
The final trait that a good leader must possess is commitment. Commitment is the act of binding, engaging and dedicating oneself (emotionally or intellectually) to a particular cause, idea or activity. The world has known absolutely zero great leaders who lacked commitment. A leader who lacks commitment is someone walking down an endless and meandering road that leads to nowhere. Authur Gordon summed up commitment best when he said, “Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them day after day.” Leaders must be committed to being in the fray day after day.
The reality is that many leaders fail due to a lack of dedication to the principles that they say they stand for. In order to determine a person’s level of commitment, we need simply examine things that they have done or said or principles that they have stood for in the past and how they have adhered to those things or principles. In making our examination we must be mindful of everyone’s need to evolve to meet changing circumstances. However, real commitment is having non-negotiable core stances, values, principles, and having the strength and tenacity to stand by them undeterred by social and political pressure.
A lack of commitment by a leader weakens his leadership and eventually kills it. No leader can last very long in the political arena without commitment. Commitment is one of those intangibles that you cannot teach a leader; he either has it or he doesn’t have it. When commitment exists, you can see it in the leader’s eyes, actions, and in everything he says and does.
It is difficult to discern an individual’s capacity to lead by applying only the principles herein discussed. Ultimately, we must rely on being led by the unction of Almighty God. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” When all is said and done, and we have assessed an individual’s character, competence, courage, compassion and commitment, we need to ask God for wisdom as to whether any particular person merits our support.
5 Reasons Why You Should Vote
By: Randy W. Williams
- Because you can!Only a handful of countries have the freedom to choose their leaders. Americans enjoy this freedom that has come at a great price to obtain and to maintain. For More Click Here
- Because it makes a difference!You may be tempted to think that your one vote does not count, or that it will be negated by someone else’s opposite vote, but don’t be deceived. When you vote politicians pay attention! Voting not only selects leaders, it also helps determine policy direction and strength. For More Click Here
- Because it secures justice for the future!When a government is truly a representative of the people then all the people can share in the freedoms of society. For More Click Here
- Because it keeps the government accountable to the people!As it says in the Declaration of Independence, government should be by “the consent of the governed.” Politicians fear (respect) votes more than publicity of scandal! For More Click Here
- Because it invests in our children’s future!What type of America are we handing forward? You have a say-so in it by how you vote. Learn the issues and the candidates, go to the poll, encourage others to go as well. “A democracy with ignorant voters becomes a tyranny every time.” Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J. For More Click Here