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Church, Christians and Politics

I have always described myself as politically aware but not politically active.  I vote and that is about it.  As for being politically aware, I read a great deal about politics and the political situation in America.  I do not watch much political TV because it takes too much time and is very selective in the stories they cover and the way they cover it.  TV news has become TV opinion and commentary.  Yet there are long form political pieces out there.  I also follow political thinkers on Twitter and Facebook and read what they post.

I am politically aware for two reasons.  People will come to me and ask what I think about a political point of view and I want to be well researched.  Also with the problems my church has had with the IRS and the Alameda County Assessor, I want to know what bills are in the hopper, and which bills Governor Brown and President Trump have signed.  I use IFTTT to get alerts when a new bill is signed in my state or nation.  Then I can review them and know what is coming.

According to the Johnson amendment, Churches could not be political without alerting the IRS.  The one visit we had from the IRS was based on reports from people citing the Johnson amendment.  When President Trump took the teeth out of that legislation, a huge weight was taken off the shoulders of every pastor in America.  I do not think that this means pastors need to bash politicians every Sunday in church, but it does mean that if there is obvious sin it can be addressed in expository preaching.

Christians can be as political as they want as long as it does not detract from their witness and testimony.  The goal of every Christian needs to be bring as many people as possible into the Kingdom of God.  So Christians can fight abortion practices, but when the world sees Christians as hateful bigots and not loving servants, perhaps we can change our tactics.

Above all churches are not political organization (as the world would define that) and Christians are not political operatives (as the world would define that).  I think it would be great if every politician fell on their face before almighty God begging for mercy and confessing their sins.  That is what I pray for.  It is a political prayer but it is also a God centered Kingdom prayer.  I believe Christians can change a country, any country, from within and that needs to be our goal.  We need to know the issues, know what is on the ballots, vote our conscious, while praying about everything.  Pray for candidates.  Pray for congress, the senate and the President and his cabinet.  Pray for their salvation and repentance.  God may actually do something some day with the corrupt governments of the world, or he may just wipe them all out when he returns.

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