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THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / Leave a comment

As Election Day is fast approaching my head is hurting from listening to all the “experts” give their analysis of who will win. Some “experts” say Hillary has it locked up and Trump has no chance. Other “experts” predict Trump will capture a narrow victory. Who is right?

There is only One who knows with certainty how it will all turn out…the Good Lord. No matter who is elected it will not take the Lord by surprise. He is not sitancientdaysting in the heavens wringing His hands wondering who will win. He will not have to tune-in to FOX News or CNN to see who won. I have one vote and I will exercise my right to cast it. After casting my vote, no matter who wins I am confident and I believe as a Christian that whoever is elected President the Lord in His sovereignty has a divine purpose in it all.

From reading the biblical history of Israel the Lord (1) placed (allowed) leaders in power to use them to give the nation a reprieve to repent from their self-destructive ways resulting in spiritual revival, or (2) He allowed the wayward nation to receive the kind of leader they deserved and placed such leaders in power to use them as instruments to bring about just-judgment upon a society that had become saturated in sin as the result of turning their backs on the Moral Lawgiver. There are occasions judgment upon sin is giving a nation or an individual over to more sin. This is clearly seen in Romans chapter one as Paul declares the Lord at times gives man over to his own self-destructive ways. Such judgment is the inevitable consequence and reaction of God’s holiness to the sin which opposes it.

From a Christian perspective judgment upon sin transcends the purpose of vindictiveness, but vindicates the Lord’s nature of holy-love. The ultimate goal of judgment is for the purpose of the destruction of sin (which is self-destructive) and the establishment of God’s holiness and love wherein is found life and liberty. This is clearly seen in the cross, as there the sin of humanity was dealt with in holy-love. And the march of history is the working out of what was accomplished in Christ upon the cross, as there He dealt with sin, His holiness was satisfied and vindicated, and it was made possible for humanity to experience restored communion with the Creator. The cross ever towers over the wrecks of time as a reminder to a forgetful world that there is a holy God who reigns over all creation and lovingly seeks to bring man back (reconciles) into communion with Him.

The fact that God invaded time in the person of Jesus Christ reveals He not only is involved in history, but that He is Lord of history. The cross of Christ and His subsequent resurrection reveals man cannot thwart the ultimate restorative purposes of God for His creation and His creatures. The book of Daniel clearly teaches that God raises monarchs to the throne and He sinks them as He pleases. History has shown kingdoms come and kingdoms go, but He who is called the Ancient of Days ( Daniel 7:22) not only transcends history but invades history with His presence in Jesus Christ.

God is sovereign in his rule over the final outcome of history, but He does not deny the freedom of man to make his own decisions even to his own destruction. Pharaoh thought he was standing against the Lord and stopping His purpose, but he found out in the end he was simply a pawn in the hands of an all-wise and omnipotent Creator. In spite of Pharaoh’s evil ways they were directed by He who is Lord over history to contribute to the deliverance of the Hebrew people from bondage in Egypt. While my desire and prayer is to see this nation avoid being led further away from the Judeo-Christian ethic and sinking deeper into a cesspool of moral self-destruction, I place my trust in a sovereign Lord whose desired ultimate will shall not be thwarted by any person  no matter how powerful or evil they may appear to be. Even though  the Lord often allows nations to walk in their own ways (Acts 14:18), the Lord is above and over history and will have the final say as to its unfolding.

Therein lies the Christian hope that the Lord rules in the affairs of man even when it appears darkness is extinguishing the Light  The Master Chessman is always behind the scenes making moves not always visible to the physical eyes.  If the world is not ruled by a Heavenly Governor, then the affairs of man are left to impersonal laws of relativism…which invariably leads to wholesale materialism and plunges humanity into the darkness and hopelessness of atheism.

So be assured my Christian friend, regardless of who is elected President they will be a vessel in the Hands of a sovereign God who will direct the leader’s ways to bring about the unfolding of His desired purposes. I will tend to my responsibility and vote, and then leave the working out of the results to the One in whom I trust and know holds the past, present and future in His hands.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan

 

THE GREATEST EVENT SINCE CREATION

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / Leave a comment

It was 45 years ago that man first stepped on the moon. I remember as a seventeen year old gathered around the TV with my parents on July 20, 1969, watching the historic moment. As Neil Armstrong made that first step upon the moon by a human being he said, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”  MoonCrossII

Armstrong’s journey to the moon In Apollo 11, along with fellow astronauts Buzz Adlrin and Michael Collins, took four days to reach the 250,000 mile destination. Twenty minutes after Armstrong made his historic step, his crewmate, Buzz Aldrin, joined him on the moon’s surface. Over half-a-billion people around the world watched spell-bound as the two men spent some two hours bounding in the light gravity, hitting a golf ball, and planting an American flag.

Upon the Apollo 11 returning to earth then President Richard Nixon stated of their remarkable accomplishment, “This is the greatest week in the history of the world since the Creation.” While it was truly a historical and remarkable event, I disagree that it was the greatest event in the history of the world since Creation.

The greatest event, the most unique event in human history was when the Creator of the heavens and the earth stepped from eternity into time clothed in human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ’s birth, life, death, and His glorious resurrection have left an impact upon human history that time cannot erase, but time only increases. The cross of Christ towers over history as the eternal plus sign of the universe. Christ is to us just what His historic cross and His resurrection is – hope for sinful humanity. All that Christ was in eternity past and eternity present was put into what He did when he stepped foot upon planet earth.

The crowning chapter of Christ’s earthly ministry and his atoning work on the cross was His resurrection from the dead. What His birth promised, the Resurrection declared fulfilled. Christ forfeited His life on the cross, and arose for the dead to give our forfeited lives new life. His conquering resurrection has opened the door to the possibility of new life for all who will enter and receive Christ as their Savior.

The Christian faith is grounded and built upon the truth that God has acted and continues to act in and through the One who died upon the cross and arose from the dead. Christ’s rising from the cold dark tomb is God’s exclamation point and seal of approval on the work of Christ. The two fold act of the cross and the resurrection is, as P.T. Forsyth says, “Our faith’s center of gravity.”

By Christ’s resurrection, sin and the devil lost their chief servant – death. We have the promise of final victory based on the victory already won by Christ’s resurrection. Sin, death, and the devil will not win at last because they failed to win the only time they ever could have gained the upper hand.

Because Christ arose from the dead all persons by faith in Him are partakers in His victory! His resurrection proves that LIFE, not death, is God’s final word to us.

Oh, let us rejoice – HE IS ALIVE! As a result of the greatest event since Creation, when our Creator in Jesus Christ walked on earth, His resurrection power is ever available to every Christian to empower us as we journey through life.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan