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| Sometimes I feel like the little worm. I wanna curl up and hide. |
When Jesus ascended into heaven He left with an agenda to return one day. The things that will take place so that we know when He is coming is way past my understanding so that’s not what I want to talk about.
I want to talk about God's agenda in light of the election that will soon take place from what Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar. It’s Daniel 2:20 – 22…
20 “May God’s name be blessed from now on and forever, for wisdom and understanding belong to Him.
21 He changes times and seasons; He appoints kings and removes them; He gives wisdom to the wise and insight to those who have skill.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things, and He knows what is in the darkness and the light is with Him.
That sets up for us Daniel’s interpretation of some upcoming events that will lead to Jesus’ birth. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and he was perplexed as to its meaning. Daniel came in and told him exactly what it meant and it would happen over the next 600 years or so. Here’s how it goes:
- Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold, the head of a great empire
- After him an inferior king arose and ruled, probably the Persian Empire
- Then another king arose and ruled, probably Alexander the Great
- Then a 4th kingdom as strong as iron rules and that was the Roman Empire
- Then a stone strikes the feet of the Roman empire and it is taken down to the ground and blows away like the dust
- The stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth, which is the Kingdom of God, the Church.
That took about 600 years to happen, but everything that happened went according to God’s plan. There were no setbacks, no hiccups, no timing errors and no surprises–it came off perfectly. Jesus was born according to God’s plan through the “Yes” Mary said to the angel when she was asked to give birth to Jesus. He grew in stature and wisdom and was introduced to the world at His Baptism by John when the Dove landed on Jesus and a voice from heaven announced, “This is my son.” He lived a sinless life, submitted to crucifixion so we could be forgiven and saved, died, was buried but on the third day rose again. He spent some time with His disciples and gave them instructions and then He ascended into heaven saying He would be back.
Each succeeding kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream forwarded God’s plan of salvation for mankind. Today, God’s planned return is also going forward and there will be no surprises with that either. Each world leader rules his/her nation. Some do it well and others not so well. Some people thrive and others don’t. There are billions of pieces in the puzzle and God knows where each one goes and how it will bring about that “His Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.”
When you read the Old Testament something very redundant happens with Israel’s kings. After Solomon, Israel split with the 10 tribes in the north getting mostly bad kings and becoming idol worshippers. In the south, they had a mix of idol worshippers and good kings. When there was a good king in power, the people were happy. When they returned to idol worship, the people became sad and eventually both the north and south went into captivity. In spite of the kings, God kept His plan going forward, so it seems to me we would be far better off with a good king going forward than with a bad king going forward.
Next month we go to the polls and we cast our vote for the man we think would make the best President of the U.S. We should be in prayer about that vote because the next President will rule this nation and I believe he will either bring God’s blessing or God’s judgement. Timothy 2:1-2 says this: “…pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.Since the Bible tells us God “appoints kings and removes them,“ then the next President will be put into power to further God’s plan for the 2nd coming of Jesus. It’s best you are praying and in tune with God’s agenda and we get a president that makes the nation happy instead of sad.
Who should you vote for? Vote for Jesus. You can look at Jesus’ life in the Bible and easily realize what He would be in favor of. When you read the Bible, it’s also quite clear about what exalts a nation and what tears it down. Sadly for us, Jesus isn’t running for President, but you do have the Bible so I encourage you to pray and then in light of what it teaches, figure out which man promotes what the Bible teaches more than the other and vote for him. Regardless of who wins, God's agenda will go forward. We get to decide if we will have blessings or judgement.
