Thursday, October 13, 2016

It's wrong to vote for the "lesser of two evils"....

I was on the phone earlier today with a Facebook friend discussing, among other things, our mutual disgust with the two Presidential candidates, when my friend said something I viewed as profound.  She said (and I’m paraphrasing) that YHWH (who has clearly removed His Mighty Hand from not only our nation but, from the whole world, to allow His end times prophecies to unfold) that America is at a complete standstill right now as far as our leadership goes because Scripture amply reveals that, unless a nation repents and calls on Him, He will continue to allow it to wallow in carnality UNTIL people come to realize that a complete change of heart is necessary. 

Throughout the Tanach (“Old Testament") we see incidences of kings who sought YHWH with all their hearts and thus led their people to victory and prosperity; and that those who rebelled against His Word led their kingdoms astray, and caused their lands to become desolate, barren and useless.  (See, for instance, 1 Kings 12:1-24, 2 Chronicles 10–11:4.) 

This is where America is right now:  For the last two or three decades we have been electing (note - GOD hasn’t “elected” our carnal leaders; WE have!) unqualified, ungodly, carnal and arrogant leaders who have been systematically bringing down our country’s intellect, ethics/ideals/morals and goals  – to the point where we are now backed into a proverbial corner HAVING to choose between Clinton or Trump, neither of whom have the proper qualifications to become President of the United States of America.

The fact is, we have sunken so low that we now have to choose between the proven liar, Clinton (with her adulterous, lying husband who brought shame to the oval office); and a man who is, as evidenced by his every word and deed, a laughingstock on all levels.  HOW these two became our nominees (when we had some perfectly GOOD and QUALIFIED and even GODLY Republicans running for President) is beyond me!  

(By the way, please don’t send me “hate mail” to defend Trump and his actions (because there is NO defense for evil!), or accuse me of being “judgmental against a new believer” (as several did in a couple of other recent Facebook threads I posted about Trump), because REAL and TRUE new believers immediately begin to show the fruit of the spirit.  They don’t continue in the same godlessness as Trump has with his endless bashing of others, which has included women, invalids and veterans who happened to have the misfortune of becoming POWs!)  

Here’s a refresher in case you have forgotten what Scripture says about the “fruit of the Spirit”:

Galatians 5: 16. I say then: you should walk through the Spirit and the lust of the flesh will not subdue you.  17. For flesh desires a thing that is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires a thing that is against the flesh, and both of these are opposed to one another so that you are not able to do as you wish.  18. If, then, you are led by the Spirit, you are not under Torah;{1}  19. For you know the works of the flesh, which are these: adultery, impurity and lasciviousness,  20. idolatry, witchcraft, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, stubbornness, treacheries, heresies,  21. Envy, murder, drunkenness, revelry and all like things.  Those who do things like these, they will not inherit the Kingdom of Elohim. 

22. The fruits then of the Spirit are these: Love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faith,  23. Meekness, self-control.  Against these there is no instruction[2] put in place.  24. And those who are of Mashiyach have put to death their flesh with all its passions and lusts.  25. Let us therefore live by the Spirit and surrender to the Spirit.  26. And let us not be of vacant glories that cause us to ridicule one another and envy one another. (AENT) 

FOOTNOTES:

[1]  The idiomatic expression “under the Torah” refers to a false teaching that has never been true.  The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm that this phrase “under the Torah” refers to strict religious halacha, not obedience to Torah itself.  Torah has not at any time saved anyone! YHWH saves when His people demonstrate a sincere obedience to His Righteous Instructions (Torah).  Blind ritual (or religion) alone without the love of YHWH profits nothing.  YHWH is “the Spirit” of the Renewed Covenant that writes Torah upon the heart.  

[2]  In this context, namusa, the Aramaic cognate for torah, is better understood at its root level, meaning “to instruct,” rather than as a formalized title.  Otherwise, Rav Shaul might be construed as saying that these “Fruits of the Spirit” are not taught in Torah, when (the fact is) they are.  His point is that there is no instruction against fulfilling these fruits of the spirit.

Bottom line, my Facebook friend was absolutely correct in her assessment that America is hobbled and backed into a corner right now – in other words, UNDER JUDGMENT; and only the astute believer will recognize that the reason we are under judgment is because our country has totally turned from YHWH and His Torah.  Whenever leaders  lead people away from God, that nation ALWAYS fails!  

We ARE at a crossroads right now, faced with a choice of two totally ungodly, unqualified candidates, and whoever wins WILL, no doubt, cause our country to shatter into pieces.  Then and ONLY then will we once again realize that we CANNOT do this without God.  We, as a nation (not just the few who belong to YHWH, but EVERYONE), must recognize our need for YHWH/Yeshua, and be willing to “turn from our sins and repent” and genuinely seek Him.

Personally, I believe we are so far gone that ONLY the return of Y’shua will solve our problems.  When he returns, EVERY knee will bow (Isaiah 45:23-24; Philippians 2:10-11; Romans 14:11)!

Isaiah 45: 21 Let them stand and present their case! Indeed, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, announced it in times gone by? Wasn't it I, ADONAI? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides me.  22 Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God; there is no other.  23 In the name of myself I have sworn, from my mouth has rightly gone out, a word that will not return - that to me every knee will bow and every tongue will swear  24 about me that only in ADONAI are justice and strength." All who rage against him will come to him ashamed, 25 but all the descendants of Isra'el will find justice and glory in ADONAI.  (CJB)

Philippians 2: 3. And do nothing in strife or in vain glory; but, with humbleness of mind, let each regard his neighbor as better than himself.  4. And let not each be anxious (only) for himself, but everyone also for his neighbor.  5. And think you so in yourselves, as Y’shua the Mashiyach also thought;  6. who, as he was in the likeness of Elohim, did not regard it sinful to be the coequal of Elohim;  7. yet disinherited himself and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man;  8. and he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the stake.
 
9. Wherefore, also, Elohim has highly exalted him and given him a name[1] which is more excellent than all names;  10.  that at the name of Y’shua every knee should bow, of (beings) in heaven and on earth and under the earth;  11. and that every tongue should confess that Y’shua the Mashiyach is YHWH, to the glory of Elohim his Father.  (AENT)

[1]  More that his literal birth name Y’shua (which was and is a common Hebrew name), and more than the perfect reputation that his name represents. Y’shua bears the Name of YHWH, the “name above all names”!  Y’shua has the Name and reputation of the Father YHWH in him (John 17:11) and the name means “YHWH is Salvation” (Matthew 1:21).

Romans 14: 7. For there is not one of us who lives for himself: and there is not one who dies for himself.  8. Because if we live, to our Master (Y’shua) it is we live; or if we die, to our Master it is we die. Whether we live, therefore, or whether we die, we are our Master’s.  9. Moreover, for this cause Mashiyach died and revived and arose; that he might be Master YHWH of the dead and of the living.[1]  10. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or, why do you despise your brother? For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Mashiyach!  11. As it is written: As I live, says Master YHWH, to me every knee will bow; and to me every tongue will give praise. (AENT)

[1]  By rising from the dead and ascending into heaven, Y’shua becomes the Word that is with Elohim and is Elohim (John 1:1-5).  Y’shua is the exact reflection of YHWH’s nature (Hebrews 1:1-5) and will bear the name, “Word of Elohim” when he comes out of heaven again at the second coming (Revelation 19:13).

Believers truly need to stop being "lukewarm" (Revelation 3:16) and open their eyes to the TRUTH of Scripture.  We CANNOT "straddle the fence" (with one foot in the carnal and one in the spiritual) and expect spiritual results!  

I maintain that voting for either of the two candidates is a vote to continue to promote EVIL in our country.  Evil, no matter how you paint is, is still evil.  And YHWH commands that we ABSTAIN from even the appearance of evil  (1 Thess 5:22-24 ).  Therefore, I highly suggest you either "write in a candidate" if possible, or voice your opinion by NOT voting in this election.

(I've been voting "against" evil for two decades now - and it hasn't worked.  I voted TWICE "against" Clinton and TWICE "against" Obama.  I will not waste my time going to the polls a third time to "vote against" another evil and/or totally unqualified person!  In our Torah observant home, we will from now on, heed the command to FLEE from evil….)

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this and I would love to quote a paragraph or two, with permission. I will bookmark your blog and have been a 'fan' of the Refiner's Fire for some time.

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    1. Thanks for your comments and please go ahead and share whatever you wish. All we ever ask is that people don't change our articles and that they provide the linkback to them...Blessings!

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