Cyrus, Churchill, & Trump?
How could the name Trump possibly go with those other two? Before you scroll on, let me give you some other names and some food for serious thought.
Surprising and Unlikely
David was thought so ‘out of bounds’ by his family that they left him in the field when Samuel came to Jesse’s house to annoint Israel’s next king. After the kingdom fell, God used an unlkely man named Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. But that happened because God used a pagan king named Artaxerxes to supply Nehemiah and send him back.
Nebuchadnezzar or Trump?
How did God take care of His people when they were in the Babylonian captivity? Four unlikely teenage boys, led by Daniel, took a stand for God. Who was that king? It was Nebuchadnezzar. God used that pagan king to promote those young men and help God’s people through 70 years of captivity. Cyrus was one of the kings Daniel served before Israel left Babylon. What does all this have to do with you, me, our nation, and the 2016 election cycle?
God is in charge and uses whatever means or persons He chooses to accomplish His purposes. The following article was in my email box this morning. I had planned to post something else for today. This article speaks for itself. I do not know the pastor/author. I don’t necessarily agree or disagree with everything said. However, it did spur some thoughts. Maybe it will do that for you.
Whatever else this article causes you to do or think, it should remind us all that prayer is vital as we face the election and its consequences. Perhaps we should be quicker to pray and slower to form opinions. I do know this, God is always at work. And His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.
Soli Deo Gloria!
A Christian Pastor’s Analysis of the U.S. Election Drama
Is Trump good for America? I mentioned Sunday that I would speak on this next week. Unfortunately, I found that I was shoehorning this topic into my planned message. To properly present what I want to speak on Sunday, I may have to leave the Donald out of it! But let me take a minute for those that wonder and give some of my thoughts.
When I first heard that Trump (DT) was entering the race last year, I told my wife that perhaps it was a good thing for the party and America. I knew that he was not a “saint,” but I thought that he would be like a bull in a china shop. He is a disrupter and I believe America could use a fresh thinker especially in the political arena. I didn’t think he would get the nomination, but that he would shake up politics as usual. I was correct on the shaking up!
Lance Wallnau likens him to a biblical Cyrus. Someone who is dynamically used of God even though not perceived by many as a God follower. God has used many people in history that I would probably not like or agree with. I’m not sure I would have liked all the disciples, or David, or Moses. Somehow, God did not seem compelled to consult with me on His choices!
I have always admired Winston Churchill. He is seen as one of the greatest national leaders in the 20th century. Last year, I had the privilege of going through the War Museum in London. Winston is a key feature. His life is controversial. He was not always celebrated as a great leader. He was a bombastic, cigar smoking, at times crude, even misogynistic leader. It is alleged that he told off color stories to his children before bedtime! A woman once told him he was disgustingly drunk. His response was “My dear, you are disgustingly ugly, but tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be ugly!”
There are many websites that discuss the outlandish comments and activities of this great world leader. But, he had exactly what was needed to stop Hitler at the Channel, to rouse a nation to never give up and to partner with America to find final victory in Europe. You probably wouldn’t want him as your pastor, maybe not even your father, but he was the right leader for that moment in England’s history. Such a brazen man that would go up to the roof of his quarters in central London and smoke cigars as Hitler’s air force bombed all around him. I’m not sure I would have voted for him…. but he was the right man!
I think it would be awesome to have a righteous leader, one that understood the intricacies of the economy, health care, defense, immigration, with great sensitivity to religious institutions, a heart for the poor, a vision for the future. If that leader was a praying person, formidable in the word of God and loved the local church, I would rejoice! I do not think that is the choice we will have in November.
Instead….we will look for someone who is imperfect, yet will fit the times we are living in. Particularly, that ‘whoever’ we vote for, will be someone who might possibly have the opportunity to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices. That could radically shape our culture in America for the next 30 years. The America of our grandchildren could be very different….and that may not be good. We cannot stand on the sidelines.
A non-vote is a passive vote for a direction we may very well regret.
So…is Donald Trump good for America? I honestly believe that he has been already. He has shaken the political system. Do his comments offend me? At times! Do I agree with all he says? Not at all! But could he be a “Cyrus” being raised up by God to preserve America? Nobody liked Gen. Patton, but he sure WAS an instrument of the United States for the right things.
This I know. I will vote for the best chance for America. I will pray for our leaders as I have already. In the end – God will continue to be my source and my hope. I do believe that God has had a hand in America’s history. I hope and pray that He will also have a saving hand in America’s future!
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