A friend and I sat around the cafeteria table discussing the never-forgettable 'Bush or Kerry' for the 2004 election. My friend's dad said, "John Kerry is the antichrist." Upon hearing one of our friends, also a follower of Jesus, was going to vote for Kerry, my friend disgustedly spat, "What's going on with him?" Another friend said matter-of-factly, "All Christians vote Republican."
The fact is, Jesus holds no political party. I know that's one of the most-used slogans during presidential election year, but let's look at it a little deeper. Jesus doesn't say, "Vote this way, vote that way." What he does say is, "Give to the government what is the government's." In other words, honor the government. Whether or not you like it, it's been set there by God. Maybe God will allow a brutal dictatory to take the presidency and start committing horrible crimes against Christians; even still, that person was allowed by God to take that place!
This may sound far-fetched, but it's already happened once, and has happened many more times. In the first days of the early church, much of the world was under Roman rule. The Roman Emperors often beat, persecuted, hunted and killed Christians. At the time, the Christian leaders are fervently saying, "Honor the government." They're not saying, "Revolution! Revolt! Uprising! Riot! Protest!" They're saying, "Honor the government. It's been set there by God." The early Christians did honor their government - and the faith of Jesus spread faster than the speed of light!
The fact is, Jesus holds no political party. I know that's one of the most-used slogans during presidential election year, but let's look at it a little deeper. Jesus doesn't say, "Vote this way, vote that way." What he does say is, "Give to the government what is the government's." In other words, honor the government. Whether or not you like it, it's been set there by God. Maybe God will allow a brutal dictatory to take the presidency and start committing horrible crimes against Christians; even still, that person was allowed by God to take that place!
This may sound far-fetched, but it's already happened once, and has happened many more times. In the first days of the early church, much of the world was under Roman rule. The Roman Emperors often beat, persecuted, hunted and killed Christians. At the time, the Christian leaders are fervently saying, "Honor the government." They're not saying, "Revolution! Revolt! Uprising! Riot! Protest!" They're saying, "Honor the government. It's been set there by God." The early Christians did honor their government - and the faith of Jesus spread faster than the speed of light!
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