Why Vote?

First, allow me to say that "I" did not author this.  My pastor, Jack Hibbs, wrote this & encouraged us to share it.  I am, however, in full agreement with him and it is my hope that you will take a moment of your time to read this BEFORE voting day, which is fast approaching us.

Why Vote?
by Pastor Jack Hibbs

"Politics are a part of a religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to their country as a part of their duty to God.  God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics."--Charles Finney, 19th century American revivalist and evangelist.

As an American and native Californian, I grew up being taught to honor the flag and to defend my country.  My father grew up on a large farm on the plains of South Dakota and later became a U.S. Marine.  My mother was an orphaned, Hawaiian born Portuguese from Oahu who witnessed her territory become the 50th state in the Union.  That mixture bred within me a deep love and respect for America.  It was instilled within me that, when I turned eighteen, one of the ways I would do my part to protect and preserve my country was by voting.

It was President Abraham Lincoln who said, "The ballot is stronger than the bullet."  I believe that and the world believes this too.  Many nations and peoples desire to achieve what we have made our custom.  Rather than violent overthrows and bloody coups, Americans step into a small unassuming booth, draw a curtain and by casting their vote, fire a shot that can still be heard around the world.  For over two hundred and thirty years, Americans have been engaged in the longest running and most peaceful revolution called 'the American vote'.

My freedoms are the most important things I possess and am willing to fight for.  Freedom is so dear to me that I want to insure that my children and grandchildren have the very same freedoms our Founding Fathers and generations before secured for me.  Voting is how our nation remains secure.  But what concerns me today are not the political pundits, ranting liberals or the media conflagration that saturates our websites and television.  What deeply concerns me is the lack of knowledge, understanding and apathy that describes the Christian today.  This disengagement among Christians from their culture is eerily similar to the time of Hitler's advance.  The church at that time, for the most part, was silent and too polite to stand against tyrannical tendencies.  By doing so, they sacrificed their convictions on the altar of tolerance and manners.  The German church, along with the churches of Europe, kept up their attendance, sang their worship songs and read their Bibles, yet failed terribly to stop one man's satanic march of Nazism.  Keep in mind that while the churches were large and well attended, approximately eleven million people (mostly Jews, many Christians and tens of thousands of homosexuals) were carted off to death camps in the name of political correctness.  The church had become miserably irrelevant by not shining its light nor sounding the trumpet.  Could this same historical apathy be strangling the heart of the church today?

Our nation was founded upon a Judeo-Christian worldview derived from the Bible.  For those who are Christians, the Bible is to be our guide in this upcoming election.  Today, many Christians are saying that they cannot vote for Barak Obama because of his polytheistic leanings, lack of leadership and the fact that the nation has changed for the worse.  Other Christians will say they cannot vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon.  But wait a minute.  Since when did God call us to only vote for a Christian?  Was Nebuchadnezzar Jewish when he helped the Jews in Babylon?  No.  Was Cyrus Jewish when he helped the Jews in Persia?  No.  Jesus Christ is LORD, and He alone is King of Kings.  Have we forgotten that we are to do and act righteously?  Voting is the right thing to do!  Our vote reveals our belief system, but sitting out this election will reveal something more--disobedience.  "Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:17).

Let me first say that I am a monarchist--I believe in a ruling and reigning King and I am awaiting His return any day now.  But until He comes, I am to pray and vote for righteousness.  Thus, I will ask you, fellow Christians, to apply the following litmus test to the two candidates in this election as I am.  I like to call it the "Trinity of Truth" test:
*First, God says that He is the Creator and Inventor of natural marriage between a man and a woman.  Thus, as a Christian, I must vote for the candidate that has a voting record that is the closest to the biblical worldview of defending traditional marriage if I am going to be in agreement with God.
*Second, God says that He is the Creator and Defender of life.  He holds every one of us responsible for protecting defenseless pre-born children.  Thus, as a Christian, I must vote for the candidate that has a voting record that is the closest to the biblical worldview of Pro-Life if I am going to be in agreement with God. 
*Third, God says that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the Jews, Jerusalem and Israel's right to their land.  Thus, as a Christian, I must vote for the candidate that has a voting record that is the closest to the biblical worldview of supporting Israel if I am going to be in agreement with God.

There you have it.  Because I am a Christian and I understand my Bible, I will be voting for Mitt Romney in this election rather than Barak Obama.  This is because Romney's voting record, along wiht the Republican platform, comes closest to the biblical worldview of the Bible.