My letter to the church in the US

I am a pastor of a small and faithful ministry in a small, rural town in southwest part of Michigan.

I am also a husband and father of 6 children. My wife and I raise our kids through the governance of Biblical values all while representing the Gospel in our marriage with how we love one another. This provides enmity as you can imagine because we do not keep our kids from the world that they will one day have to function and be a part of on their own.

My wife and I know that we raise our kids to leave. Our job is to plant seeds in them of Biblical truth through how we live and also teach, so that they will live lives devoted to Christ which validates the individual decision they one day will have to make on their own.

Live a life devoted to God, giving Him glory in anything that they do.

This of course is to love like Christ without conforming to the fallen world that they dwell in.

Pastoring a church through an election season and a pandemic will age you. Pastoring is work regardless, that is why the Bible says a person should have a desire to do it (1 Timothy 3:1). If you think it will be a cake walk, you will find out otherwise. Compromise is always a temptation because you get tired of the fickle nature of people. But I do what I do to please God, not man (Galatians 1:10)– and I need God for that strength every day.

The purpose of my letter is to not point a finger at anyone, but to bring forth a reminder or even a revelation to the church in the US.

There is a heavy influence with evangelicals and an allegiance to Donald Trump, especially in thinking that they are doing “God’s work” for “God’s anointed” in “God’s country”. This mindset, many times encouraged by church leaders, has brought about a division in the church in the past few years never seen before in this country.

The United States has an idolatry issue, which politics is surely one of those idols.

I will not get into theonomy and theocracy, but I do want to focus on the church and keeping “the main thing” the main thing – that is Jesus Christ.

Our focus as a church needs to be that of Christ (Hebrews 12:1-2). In God’s sovereignty, He has allowed people in leadership to be that of leaders (Romans 13:1). For many of us, that may not be the easiest when we see someone from another political party “running the show”.

But, our calling as the church never changes. Our task, is to pray for our leaders, regardless of who they are and out of our reverence to God show respect and honor to the offices. When it comes to serving under governments who have policies that do not align with our values and beliefs, we hold fast and trust in God’s sovereignty (Proverbs 21:1). We are not obligated to do anything against our belief in God Almighty, nor should we want to as Christians. Yes, we should vote for those who do share our values, but our calling is not to change the culture of the world or lead insurrections, but win people for Christ, regardless of where we may be and who is in authority (Matthew 28:19).

We need to do away with this mindset of America being a land that the church fights for. The church is not based on a physical land like the Land of Canaan in the Old Testament. Americans are not the Israelites.

The church Biblically (not based on American tradition) is that of a “called out” people, the holy and saved children of God. Our orders are simple, in everything we do for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) which includes the Great Commission given by our Lord which is making disciples of ALL nations (Matthew 28:19).

The world is not wicked because people are voting wrong, it is wicked because the world is loving evil (John 3:19). This is what the world does so we as Christians should not be surprised because our eyes have been opened. Those of the world are blinded by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).

My questions I put forth to the church, the professed followers of Christ are:

*Church, are you set apart from this world?

*Are you giving in to the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:17-21)?

*Are you waging war as the world does, against flesh and blood (2 Corinthians 10:3)?

*Did you forget that this is a spiritual battle? You were once alienated from God before you were saved, doing the same things the world is doing (Colossians 1:21).

*Are you witnessing to the world Christ with a focus on Christ, where the things of the world grow strangely dim?

You are the aroma of Christ to God. To those who are perishing, it is the aroma of death and to those being saved, you are the aroma of life (2 Corinthians 2:15-17). The name of Christ brings division, period, so acting up and being as the world is does nothing for witnessing for Christ. This is about Him, not YOU. People will hate those who bear the Name, period (Matthew 10:22).

Many who do not know Christ will be judged (that judgment begins with us, the church – 1 Peter 4:17), so an urgency should be in all of us to live lives devoted to God, winning people for Christ. Brothers and sister, our witnessing matters.

If we lived lives devoted to anything but God, we all will be let down. It is God and God alone.

We have already witnessed this truth on a regular basis. Even a great country like the United States that was found on Biblical ideals can let us down. We have witnessed that our perceived Christendom is not as Biblically sound as maybe thought of. Look at the world around you. All earthly kingdoms fall! Political leaders are only human and are not saviors.

There is only one Savior.

God is always working, always doing (John 5:17). We cannot change His mind or make things happen outside of His will (Numbers 23:19). Prayer does change things, but the very thing it changes is us. It aligns our hearts with His will. It brings us peace in the midst of chaos because we are expressing humility and need of God.

The tallest a Christian can ever be is one that is on his/her knees to the Lord, so PRAY without ceasing for those in office and government authority. Pray for the hearts of people to know Christ in a newfound and reverent way where transformation comes.

I ask that you Vote FOR someone, not AGAINST someone. Vote according to policy AND character. As Christians, we need to remember the significance of character, the significance of fruit bearing! This is how we know those who are truly saved which should help dictate our voting (Matthew 7:20).

We easily set aside character for talent even when it comes to preachers and church leaders. They are smooth talkers that tickle our ears (2 Timothy 4:3-4). It is no surprise that we can easily succumb to the same methodology when it comes to politics and the people we vote for.

I pray for the current administration and everyone involved in our government because I am petitioned and ordered to do so in God’s word (1 Timothy 2:1-2) and I trust in His word. Christ is my King, so I do not fear this world or the ploys it may try to carry out. I am not concerned with earthly things but that only of the heavens. I strive to be an ambassador of Christ in any capacity daily, knowing I need Him and His grace daily to be who He calls me to be.

Many of the church in this nation have fallen away from sound doctrine which has led to the clinging to the “Golden Calf” that is politics. Yes, politics are important as they can dictate the societal and moral fabric of a land. But keep your focus on Christ and your calling, holding fast to Him in the midst of chaos and societal and moral breakdown as it will continue. How much brighter the sweet news of the Gospel seems in the darkest of times. We cannot pass up this opportunity church.

Stop listening to the self-proclaimed “prophets” online. They speak what you want to hear and/or speak what they want to say! Many give unbiblical and false teachings on scripture and use improper context. They misalign the word of God to tickle your ears and even theirs. TEST what you hear and (and weigh what I am saying). Does it align with proper scripture understanding and teaching? Is it being used out of context to “fit the narrative” of what they are pushing. I call this “conservative progressive Christianity”.

Pastors and preachers, preach and teach the word of God. That is your calling. Do not preach what the flock wants to hear or what your flesh wants to say, but preach and exposit what God’s word says. That is what your people need to hear, especially in times of chaos and wickedness. Stay in the Spirit. Preach repentance, preach salvation, preach new birth! Preaching only what the flock wants to hear is like giving children the food they only want to eat. They will become malnourished and sick. The same will happen to your flock spiritually and emotionally. Their guards will be down and the enemy will devour them because their focus is no longer on the Prince of Peace.

Our only hope is in God, and it is in Him alone that we as the church trust.

Pastor Josh – Saved from God – by God – for God.