Rising to the Challenge: Christians in Politics
The church of Christ on earth must come out of hiding and from the place of irrelevance to challenge unbelievers that are in seats of power. Most American Christians in Texas will understand exactly what I am talking about. I read a book by Rick Scarborough, Enough is enough: A call for Christian involvement. In that book, Rick narrated an inspiring story of a Christian’s victory during an election.
He told the story of Steve Stockman, who ran for congress because he believed it was God’s will for him to run. Steve, after seeing the downward spiral of the country he loved so much, decided to contest in 1990. Though he was a Republican, he received no support and very little encouragement from his party. He was defeated in the Republican primary.
Instead of giving up and walking away, he began to plan for the 1992 elections. He mobilized Christians to the polls. In 1992, people began to notice him when his opponent Jack Brooks began to attack him publicly. At the end of the election, Steve managed to garner forty-four percent of the votes in 1992. It was at that point that people suddenly began to believe that the mighty Jack Brooks could be defeated. Jack Brooks had occupied the seat since 1952. He was and still is the most entrenched politician in all of Texas politics and the longest tenured active congressional representative in the United States House of Representatives.
To Jack and the people of the United States, Steve was a total political novice, with no support base, no finances and no endorsements. Rick described Steve as one of the most optimistic men he ever met and a man who held a deep passion for restoring America to her Christian heritage. After Steve’s loss to Jack Brooks in 1992, he persistently turned his focus to 1994 and refused to give up.
On election night in 1994, the impossible suddenly became possible. The run of forty-two consecutive years in Washington finally came to an end for the formidable Jack Brooks. Steve Stockman, a conservative Christian, running as a Republican received fifty-two percent of the vote. He won in one of the strongholds of Union-dominated democratic politics. The Christian people in this district stood with other conservatives and voted Steve Stockman into office and he was sworn in on January 4, 1995 in Washington DC.
Trusting in God’s Timing
With God on our side, we shall win back our country to God. If you are a good person with the interest of this nation at heart, we shall pray for you and stand by your side until you are voted into power. God is searching for excellent leaders.
The prayers in this book are designed to encourage excellent leaders to rise up and equally discourage ungodly leaders. No matter how long and difficult the journey may be, we are sure to get there, in Jesus mighty name we pray, Amen.
You may not have recommendations from anyone or come from favored class, tribe or family. Just keep bearing the fruit, when the time comes, you will shine.
‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law’ (Galatians 5:22-23).
Do you remember the story of Joseph? Imagine what he went through even in the hands of his brothers. But what mattered in the end was that when the appointed time came, he ended up in the palace as the Prime Minister.
‘Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh’ (Genesis 41:14).
‘And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you art: You shalt be over my house, and according unto your word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt’ (Genesis 41: 37-41).
In our days, God is still choosing and electing people for leadership positions. You may be an illiterate or a well-educated person but it does not matter before God. God can still use you the way you are to show forth His glory. Paul closed his law firm to answer to divine call. Later, he used his knowledge of law to appeal against the death verdict pronounced against him.
‘And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you tomorrow, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him’ (Acts 23:12-15).
Standing Firm in Faith and Action
Legal team of PFN, CAN and other Christian legal bodies must not allow any State of Assembly, the Presidency or even the National Assembly to pass any law against the freedom of worship of God. Believers must be presented with choices of where they wish to be tried; whether in a Sharia or civil court. Our legal Christian bodies or individual lawyers like Paul the Apostle can appeal any judgment until we get to the highest court in the land. We must not allow any local Sharia court, one state governor or constituted assembly to take us back to the local courts as was in Jerusalem to be judged.
‘But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as you very well know. For if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast you appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shall you go’ (Acts 25:9-12).
God is calling on all Christians all over the world to network with one another, being brothers’ keepers who use their little strength to serve God well.
God is telling us today,
‘I know your works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for you hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name’ (Revelation 3:8).
This demonstrates that believers have been mandated in the Word of God to use all our strength to preach God’s Word throughout the world (see Mark 16:15-20). God’s Word, which is the divine constitution, has thus given us open doors, which no man can shut. But we must determine to use all our strength to serve the King of kings.