Introduction
Perhaps you have never read my blog posts before. There's a pretty good reason for that: I rarely can find the time to do much blogging.
However, there are some issues that are near and dear to my heart. They will compel me to speak up. This is one of those times.
Now I am just a pastor of a small church in San Diego. I have opinions (as do you) on a myriad of issues. And those opinions are exactly that: opinions, no more, no less.
But as a pastor, I believe that my opinions spring forth from a biblically-based worldview; that is, that the Bible is not only authoritative in my life, it also speaks to every issue, every situation, we face in our world today.
With that in mind, I have to tell you that I think our nation is in trouble. Deep, serious trouble.
The trouble goes deeper than any threat from Russia, Iran, or China. It goes beyond the economic quagmire we find our nation trudging through.
Trouble? Us?
The trouble is found in the moral core of our nation. We used to have a moral compass that always pointed true north, regardless of whether or not we knew how to read that compass; now our nation's compass is like that of Captain Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean--it points to whatever it desires at the moment.
That may not describe you; I pray to God that it doesn't describe me. But it does describe our nation. And while we can see it in a number of areas in our culture, I want to address one area where we not only can see it, but where it is ravaging our nation.
That area: who we elect to represent us in government at every level.
Those whom We the People have elected to represent us today are furiously trying to fundamentally change our entire cultural landscape. At every level of government, we are seeing a systematic attempt on the part of these elected officials--from passing laws to appointing single arbitrary lawmakers posing as judges--to remake how the citizens of this country relate to its government and to each other.
Now I know that this nation has made some serious mistakes, committed some horrific atrocities, in its history. Slavery was one of those atrocities. But I also know that this nation has been--and is--the greatest attempt at protecting the God-given rights and liberties to man that the world has ever seen. Her constitution is the oldest active constitution on the face of the earth. And I don't want to see her citizens fritter away the greatest nation with the greatest constitution. Not on my watch.
Here is something else I know as well...
A Commission
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am compelled, I am commissioned, to be about the task of helping others discover and do God's will so that they can know Him better. God has given us His word--the Bible--whereby we can know Him in a deeper and more personal way. I am convinced that that book--the Bible--speaks to us about the issues of today. And I am convinced that the Bible will lead us and direct us to the kind of people that God wants serving Him in elected office.
(Now before some of my friends run off shouting "Theocracy!" at me, let me point out that everyone has a god. For some of us, it is the God of the Bible; for others, it is a god of another book or another tradition. For those who say there is no god, their god is themselves--their thoughts, their opinions, their desires. So since everyone has a god and is in some fashion serving that god, everyone, in that regard, is seeking a theocracy of some sort.)
This year's elections, like the one two years ago and four years ago, are critical elections. It is important that we vote. And, I believe that it is vital that we as followers of Jesus Christ live out our life in Him in the voting booth as well as in the workplace as well as in school as well as at home.
That is what drives me when it comes to voting. I don't want to vote right or vote left; I want to vote up. I don't want to vote the agenda of the donkey or the elephant; I want to vote the agenda of the Lamb. And if any other agenda is in line with that, then all the better.
Why Now?
Why am I making these points at this particular moment in time? Because this year is an election year--a year where we will in California will be electing a governor, a lieutenant governor, state legislators, and a host of other offices. Including Congressional representatives and a senator.
This year, one of the two main political parties is facing a serious gut-check with regard to their core beliefs.
In one particular congressional race (the 52nd House District in California), the local Republican party has endorsed a candidate that does not embrace two very foundational planks in the statement of the party's core beliefs (called the platform). At the same time, that same local party has refused to endorse another candidate in the same race who is in agreement with all of his party's platform.
That candidate is the one I'm supporting. And in subsequent posts, I am going to explain a few of the reasons why I am supporting Kirk Jorgensen for Congress in
In subsequent posts, I will lay out the reasons why I am supporting Kirk. They will deal with some very foundational issues--issues that are clearly explained in the Bible.
If you are in the 52nd California Congressional district, I hope that in these posts I can provide some assistance to you in your responsibility to elect the one who will represent you in Washington. If you are outside the district, I hope that these blog posts will provide some help in electing your own respective representative.
But if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are to be a witness in every walk of life. Including this one. Ask your pastor or minister or priest to give you guidance as to how to vote biblically; that is part of the responsibility we have: to equip people to bear witness for Jesus in every walk of life. If you don't have a church, then I invite you to check back for the next few posts.
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