Jim Martin Ministries/Grace Ministries international
4184 East Patterson Dayton, OHiO 45430
© 2001 - All Rights Reserved
www.jmmgrace.com

Dear Friends,

Rarely ever have I written about elections in my monthly letters. However, several days ago I was praying when the Lord brought to my mind a story in the Bible and used it to illustrate what is happening in the Body of Christ regarding the upcoming presidential election. I urge you to read this very carefully and pray about the message God is bringing forth.

The story of Nehemiah in the Old Testament is very unique. Israel had been in captivity to Babylon for decades. Nehemiah, a Jew, had been made a cupbearer to Artexerxes, the pagan Babylonian king. In Nehemiah chapter two, the king noticed that Nehemiah had a sad countenance and asked what was wrong. Nehemiah explained he had received news that the walls and gates of his home city of Jerusalem were in a terrible state of waste and destruction.

What happened next defies explanation: Artexerxes not only gave Nehemiah permission to go home and repair the damage, he provided official letters approving of the work and gave orders for materials to be supplied for the new construction. A captured, enslaved foreigner receiving that kind of favor from the king of the conquering nation was absolutely unheard of! I have no doubt whatsoever that Nehemiah was in shock over this incredible turn of events.

Why had the Jews been in captivity to Babylon for so long? It was because king after king had turned his back on God and led the people away from keeping the Law. God, out of His mercy, grace and great love for Israel, gave the Jews a final chance to repent. Speaking through Jeremiah, God gave a prophetic warning to Jehoiakim, the Jewish king. Part of the warning was that if Jehoiakim did not repent and lead the people in repentance, they would be taken captive by the Babylonians. The prophecy was written on scrolls and read to Jehoiakim. In pure rebellion and defiance, Jehoikim cut up the scrolls and threw them in a fire, thus sealing Israel's fate. (This is recorded in Jeremiah chapter 36.)

Now Jehoiakim was a Jew and had been taught the Law of Moses as a child growing up. He knew of the covenant God had made with Abraham. He knew of the miracle deliverance when God brought the Jews out of Egyptian captivity. He would have professed that he was one of God's children, a member of God's chosen race. But Jehoiakim's actions demonstrated total disregard for the word of God to the point that it led to the destruction of Israel.

On the other hand, Artexerxes was a king who was part of a very different religious system that recognized several different gods. Though the Babylonians knew of the Jews religion, they did not adhere to it or share it's beliefs. If anything, they would have thought many of the religious practices and beliefs of the Jews to be quite odd. But in spite of all this, Artexerxes, a pagan king, bestowed favor toward the Jews and allowed them to begin the rebuilding process of their nation.

Consider carefully this question. Who do you think the Jews of that time would have preferred: (1) a Jewish king professing his belief in God, but lead the nation into apostasy and destruction; or (2) a pagan king who showed great favor toward the Jews, their homeland and their religion?

The Lord showed me that this amazing story paints a distinct image of what we are facing as a nation this coming November. We have two primary candidates running for president. One of them is running for re-election and the following statements about him can be confirmed by anyone who wishes to do so; everything you are about to read has been recorded in various forms of media:

• He professes to be a Christian, saying he put his faith in Jesus Christ to be born again.
• He has given his full support for the murder of unborn children.
• He has given his support for homosexual behavior.
• He has given his support for special rights to be extended to homosexuals (the first time a president has openly endorsed a specific group of people based on their sexual preferences.)
• He has given his support for homosexual marriage.
• He has declared that the United States is not a Christian nation.
• He has said that the United States is a nation of many different gods and religions.
• He has publicly bowed in reverence to a Muslim leader.
• He openly declared that the United States will defend Islam. (Please note that Islam is not a nation, it is a religion. This is the first time a president has made such a guarantee to defend a specific religion.)

On the other hand, we have a candidate about whom the following information is likewise recorded in various forms of media:

• He opposes the murder of unborn children.
• He opposes special rights and privileges for people based on their sexual preferences.
• He opposes homosexual marriage.
• He still considers the United States to be a Christian nation.
• He still considers the United States to be one nation, under God.
• He has refused to bow before people just because of their religious affiliation.
• He has declared that the United States will defend the freedom of its citizens.
• He has publicly declared that Jesus Christ is his personal Lord and Savior. Even so, he is a member of a religious organization that has developed its own bible to be used in conjunction with the Christian Bible. This religious organization has teachings about other gods. While this candidate has been observed attending the church of his religion, very little has been said about whether or not he is ardently committed to being a steadfast follower of its practices.

All of the above are facts documented by various news agencies and media, completely void of the opinions of any individuals who are conservative, liberal or moderate. What I find interesting is that the entire time God was pointing these things out to me, He never once said anything about skin color, political party affiliation, foreign policy or the economy. The only things He focused on were specific issues that can be identified in His word and the positions of each candidate relative to what He has said. Consider, if you will, the unchangeable standards of God's Holy Truth in the following verses and compare those standards to what each candidate professes:

• Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD... (Psalm 33:12)
• Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. (Leviticus 18:22; for more warnings against homosexual behavior and the judgment for such behavior, see Romans chapter one.)
• Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3); But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth... (Deuteronomy 8:18)
• Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
• Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. (Psalm 127:3) [Note: this is another reason why abortion is so heinous; God's heritage is being murdered before they have a chance to declare His glory.]

With all these things in mind, here is what we are facing in the upcoming election:

• OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT: Though he professes Jesus as his Savior, all of the above facts are proof beyond dispute that he has had disregard for the word of God and the principles God has laid out in scripture.
• THE OTHER CANDIDATE: He professes Jesus as his Savior, yet belongs to a religion that has teachings about many other gods. However, he has repeatedly declared his position on the various issues identified above, and his positions are unquestionably in-line with the standards God has established in scripture. Not only that, he has demonstrated favor toward Christians and Christianity.

What greatly saddens my heart are the vast numbers of Christians and their pastors who have seemingly ignored the holy values of scripture and voted according to race, political party, personally developed standards of sufficiency and prevailing social ideology. If we, as Christians, would ignore all of these things, hold the Bible up next to a candidate's platform, and pray, voting would be easy. This is true for candidates in all elections national, state or local.

The message God was sending as He showed all of this to me is: If you who are reading this are truly born again, professing Jesus as your Savior - and you are registered to vote in the upcoming election - then why would you not vote for someone who has aligned himself with mandates given to humanity directly from God? Why would you exalt the color of a person's skin, affiliation with a political party or a social agenda above what your Heavenly Father has instructed in His word?

We have a choice: a man who professes to be a Christian, yet refuses to abide by the words of God; and a man who may or may not be born again, yet strictly adheres to the standards of morality and values that God has recorded in the Bible. What will you choose, and are you prepared to stand before God in judgment over your choice?

I realize that some reading this letter may become quite angry. The truth is, I debated about making what God has shown me about the election the central theme of this letter. But as I prayed about it, He confirmed that if He felt it was important enough to reveal it to me, then I should value it as important for the Body of Christ. You see, this is NOT about endorsing a specific individual. Rather, it is about comparing the beliefs of a candidate to scripture for our critical evaluation.

Personally, I don't care about the color of a person's skin. I am also not so narrow-minded that I will only vote for a person according to his or her political party. I want to know where a person stands according to scripture, because God's word is the solitary standard by which we will be judged on the day we stand before Him (John 12:48).

We are at a crossroads in the course of human history. Never before has an election been so critical; not just for the United States, but for the entire world. God will move through this nation with incredible power and revival...but it is up to us, the Christians, to do our part. I urge you to pray for God's wisdom and vote strictly according to the principles of our Father's words. Additionally, by all means do not neglect 1 Timothy 2:1-4:

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

May the joy of the Lord be your strength!

Jim

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