“Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.” (Matthew 6:28-29)

And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. ” (Revelation 5:9 )

However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”  (1 Corinthians 2:9) 

On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. (Leviticus 23:40 )

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.  (Genesis 1:25 )

Joel 2:23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

Psalm 136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. 4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. 5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. 7 who made the great lights– His love endures forever. 8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. 9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

I began thinking about all this “Political Christianity” stuff with the scandal in the Catholic Church regarding sexual abuse and how it’s been handled, or rather mishandled.  Then there’s the whole politicization of refugees, climate, shootings, etc.  Add on top of that Supreme Court machinations and midterm elections and one thing is crystal clear:  We’re drifting.  We need Reformation.

The battle for the soul of the Christian Church is being waged full-throttle in the spiritual realm, and casualties are the churches.  Those with a cross on the outside and white hair on the inside may still have sound doctrine, but they’re dying off… as people do.  Many younger congregations—in an effort to be relevant—hire pastors with energy and enthusiasm and the ability to speak the language of designer coffees and sports.  I’ve seen plenty–both young and old–hang gay pride flags on their church front signs and a few brazen enough to display them beside or even on the Cross.  Their world experiences have been formed in the public schools and codified in today’s seminaries which have, for decades, been in the cross-hairs.  If only we’d paid attention…

I know I’m making a few of you very uncomfortable but closing our eyes to the spiritual battle doesn’t make it go away.  We need to confront it if we’re going to have a new Reformation bringing the Church back to her high calling.

It’s devastating whether it’s the Catholic seminaries with an undercurrent of homosexuality or so many Protestant seminaries teaching an outright rejection of patriarchy. (Oh, you mean like the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?  Yeah, that patriarchy, the one Jesus acknowledged.)  So, I’ll say it again:  As go the seminaries…so goes the Church and so goes the culture. 

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Chances are good that your Christianity is too political if you refuse to go to church because you’d rather blame God than men.

Think about it: 

• The scandals in the Catholic Church happened because people, the Pope included, looked the other way while priests under their authority sexually abused children, mainly boys.  Politically, the Pope and other clergy don’t want to rock the boat because they don’t want the gay community beating up on the Catholic Church.  No one calls it what it is.  There is “The Elephant in the Sacristy” we’ve known about for decades as the seminaries became a refuge for homosexuality.  Before you think I jump the shark from homosexuality to abuse, please…please, if you get a chance, I’d highly recommend reading, at least skimming this article linked above from 2002 with an editor’s note from 2018.  It’s not from some weirdo publication but the Weekly Standard and is a profound piece of writing–important if we’re going to experience Reformation.  
• Instead of the seminaries teaching what the Bible says about this controversial topic, many normalize it and an increasing number ordain it.  They celebrate it with its own day, week, colors, and Facebook themes, complete with “pride/like” buttons.  Churches hire them to teach the congregation what the culture long ago embraced but the Bible does not teach. Romans 1:32 “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”  What had to go by the wayside in order to do that?
• What is it going to do to the Catholic Church and other churches if we continue on this path? 
• Should it take a sex abuse scandal involving children to move us to action?

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Lord God, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, please reveal our guilt.  Bring us to confession and repentance.  Heal our shame.  Convict us of the need to reclaim and reform the Church so she is a suitable Bride for the Bridegroom.  Help us to elevate purity and to protect our children, the most vulnerable among us.  Help us to see that You cannot be blamed for the sin of man and we can admit that You call it sin.  Help us to see that Church is the best place to be because we’re near to You, not a place to be avoided (or punished) by withholding our presence from the community of saints.  Nor is the Church a place to be accused and punished for our sins, but a place to humbly admit them so that we might find forgiveness.  May we come to the foot of the Cross, grieving for the state of Your Church, and have confidence to draw near to You because of Christ’s sacrifice, and to know there is grace enough to approach You without fear.  Help us to boldly, yet lovingly, address our culture and to comfort those who have lost their way from here to eternity.  Help us to love one another, knowing how deeply You first loved us.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

The midterm election results are being tabulated and soon we will know the various outcomes.  Red or blue?  Political outcomes all, no matter the color.  Some races will be tighter than others, but one thing I hope we can all address:

A sign that your Christianity is too political is if you’ve been more concerned with getting migrants across the border, or voters to the polls, than getting people to the Cross to know the Savior. 

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I’ve been very sad at so many seminaries, theologians, and pastors focused on feminist theology, social justice, liberation theology and all the other flavors of political Christianity that simply refused to accept prior election results as being valid.  I hope tonight’s tabulation will be different and the same Christians resisting, persisting, and every other -isting will finally join hands with those who accepted the results last time and be unified toward the one purpose every Christian should have.

That purpose?  It’s getting people to the eternal finish line of faith in Jesus Christ. 

Because when Christ returns, it’s not to decorate heaven in blue or red or any other color.  He cares far less about your political party than how you’ve treated others, particularly those of the family of faith because that family, His Bride, the Church is who He will bring to be with Him forever.  Those who don’t follow Christ won’t have lost just an election…they’ll have lost everything.  Forever.

Christians ought to agree with each other in honoring Christ our King:  “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)

Think about it: 

If we cannot agree on the very simple thing of accepting that God installs leaders for blessing or judgment as it clearly says in Romans 13:1 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God”…how will we ever agree to the unity that attests to our following Christ?

Today’s prayer is from the lips of our Savior: 

John 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”