Politics or not? Racial shots or not?
I have pondered writing this since last night, but decided to sit on it. I’d like to preface it with these words from the Apostle Paul: “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God…When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness-timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.” (I Cor. 1:18; 2:1-5 NLT)
With those words in mind, please allow me to share my thoughts. While waiting for a delivery late yesterday afternoon, my wife had the TV on and featured was an African American “pastor” ranting and raving and hyperventilating this past Sunday morning from his pulpit. He was using racial slurs that if I had used them would have led to demonstrations and calls for me to be cancelled. It was, in my opinion, a disgusting display from the pulpit- the place where God’s Word and God’s Word only should be preached. I have NEVER in my 72 years and 50+ years of ministry ever preached politics from the pulpit (and I won’t start now), nor have I ever displayed the disgusting speech I heard from Sunday’s “sermon.” I will not give the man’s name since I don’t want to give him any press. I won’t call him a “pastor” because pastors are shepherds who feed sheep, not incite or beat sheep. Now, maybe his people are used to that type of carrying on. But I do not see that as anywhere close to what the Apostle Paul says ought to be our main focus: Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (2:2). How anyone could have walked away from that display and said, “Christ was preached and honored today” would be beyond me. Nor could anyone walk away saying, “I heard the Gospel of Jesus and how much He loves me and I want Him as my Savior and Lord.” All they would walk away with would have been hatred and vitriol and incitement to riot.
I’ll get off my soap box. I’ll close with more words from Paul: “You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.” (2 Cor. 2:17 NLT). I will continue preaching the Word of God and only that. Not politics. Not incendiary garbage. Christ crucified and raised and coming again.
May 13
Tuesday, May 13th, 2025I tire of the news. Am I alone? I don’t think so. Maybe I ought to clarify more of what I mean. I tire of bad news. I tire of mainstream media news. I tell myself I should just quit listening to it. I have one app on my phone where I sometimes read the news. I definitely don’t find myself listening to or reading any of the mainstream media news, and that TV show that has the female talking heads- (who to quote a Tommy James song from the ’60s-“Talk and signify and say nothing)? Not a chance. To be honest, I have better things to do with my time than watch mainstream media news-like watch grass grow or twiddle my thumbs or (here is something novel)-READ!
Part of my problem is I need to know what is going on in the world so I can converse and not act so ignorant when people talk about current events. But there are so many political, cultural, and ecclesiastical events which occur every day. I sometimes feel like an owl with my head spinning in circles. I no longer digest one event that another smacks me in the face. Someone has snarkily said, “If if wasn’t for the bad news there wouldn’t be any news at all.” That’s not totally true but it sure seems like it.
The problem as I see it-and I’m not expert-is that the media has seemed to have already doomed us from the start. Their viewpoint is that the world we live in is an out-of-control mess and there isn’t much we can do about it. No sense in fighting it because there is no chance to change it. And in some ways I agree. Our world will not be changed by a law, a treaty, a tariff/no tariff, a deal/no deal, a ruler/party in power, or any such action. But I am not a doom-and-gloomer type of person. I’m well over a 90+% positive person. But do I think the world will get better? No, not really. It may make progress but humans being who we are-humans-we will eventually revert to our old sinful desires.
There really is only ONE who can change things and there really is only one way it will happen. When we sing the Christmas song “Let there be peace on earth” it all sounds good. But only when Jesus reigns supreme will there be the peace we so desire. I DO KNOW THIS: God has not been and never will be dethroned. It may look like it. But He is still on the throne. All the talking heads can ignore or deny Him, but I will choose to stand with Him. Remember that old song? “He’s got the whole world in His hands”? I still believe that.
Soapbox dismissed.
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Tags: Commentary, God's Plan, Opinion, Politics, Reflection, Worldview