Jesus raises a young girl from the dead (Luke 8:40-42)
“Never let an impossible situation intimidate you. Let it motivate you—to pray more, trust more, expect More.” —Pastor Rick Warren
Have you ever felt like you were in an impossible situation? Maybe it was a scary medical diagnosis. Or perhaps a loved one died. Maybe a job was lost and it took a long time to find the next one. Or perhaps a child was gravely ill. Regardless of the cause, countless people have experienced this feeling. I have certainly been there.
This feeling can be scary and may lead to any number of problems, including sadness, depression, loneliness, and feelings of isolation. Left unchecked, it can lead to thoughts about harming oneself or others, and even suicidal thoughts.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. —Philippians 4:13*
Fortunately, God has the perfect way of dealing with impossible situations. Jesus Christ is the God of the impossible. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “miracle” as, “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” The Gospels have numerous accounts of miracles performed by Jesus. Here are a number of them.
Early in his ministry on Earth, Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2). He calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee (Luke 8) and walked on water (Matthew 14). Following a long day of preaching, Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish (Mark 6). He healed the lame (John 5) and cleansed Lepers of their disease (Luke 17). Jesus cured a woman suffering with a fever (Matthew 8) and he cast out demons (Luke 8). He gave sight to the blind (John 9) and cured a woman with a bleeding disorder (Matthew 9). Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead (Matthew 11). And finally, on the third day following his own death by crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever.
Jesus was and remains the God of the Impossible for those who come to him as their Lord and Savior. I believe this in my heart. Believing is easy when things are going my way. I am trying to learn how to put this into action when the going gets too tough for me to handle. Every morning I meditate on Psalm 143 as part of my daily devotion time. I find verses 8 – 10 to be a great source of encouragement and comfort, especially when I feel overwhelmed by life. I hope you might find them equally useful.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
God can do nothing for me until I recognize the limits of what is humanly possible, allowing Him to do the impossible. —Oswald Chambers
Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His Word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (Psalm 130)
The following people have something in common: Cleopatra, Pontius Pilate, Ernest Hemingway, Adolph Hitler, Marilyn Monroe, Freddy Prinze, Kurt Cobain, Anthony Bourdain, and Naomi Judd. Can you guess what it is? If you said all are famous dead people you would be correct, but you would be omitting a key detail. All died by suicide! The number of celebrities who kill themselves is truly astounding.
Clearly, wealth and fame do not come with a promise of personal peace or happiness. Neither does good looks or talent. Yet many people pursue all these. Some people are attracted to celebrities like flies drawn to a sweaty horse. Whether it is Megan and Harry, the Kardashians, or one of the seemingly countless reality shows that fill the nation’s television screens. Speaker of the Lutheran Hour, the Rev. Dr. Martin Zeiglar, writes, “Some people who bemoan our celebrity culture long for the old days. But were the old days any different? Modern mass media has changed our expectations for knowing others and being known by them. But our core human problem is the same. We expect humans to give us what we need-whether we are delivering ourselves to a celebrity in a crate (as a Burt Reynolds fan purportedly did) or asking for a selfie with them, whether we’re looking to fans and friends for recognition or looking to ourselves for fulfillment, the problem is the same.”
In addition to celebrities, humans are naturally drawn to feel-good experiences; the wealthier one is, the more these experiences are available. How we love to spend money on a fun week at Disney World, or going on a cruise, or basking in the sun and surf on Waikiki Beach, or maybe you would prefer a week of skiing in the Austrian Alps. Maybe your feel-good definition is a big shopping spree with credit card in hand. Perhaps you follow music, television, movie, and sports celebrities in the media and seek vicarious pleasure from following their lives. Unfortunately, many people who take so-called dream vacations experience feelings of sadness or emptiness as soon the vacation ends when they are thrust back into the realities of their daily lives. Shopping sprees may satisfy for the moment, but bring trouble when the bills come due. And following the lives of famous celebrities is as likely to make one sad as happy.
At the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (Luke 9:28-36), Jesus’ disciples Peter, John and James did not want to their experience on the mount to end. They had just seen Jesus’ countenance transfigured, his skin and clothing taking on a radiant glow as He spoke with Moses and Elijah. And they had heard the voice of God proclaim that Jesus is His beloved son. They wanted to extend their own mountaintop experience, saying to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah (verse 33).”
Unlike vacationers depressed and saddened at their end of vacation, the Apostles on the mount of transfiguration understood that God is the true source of happiness, not feel-good experiences, or certain human beings. In 2 Peter 1:16-18 we read, “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.”
To be certain, all people are born with a natural longing that only God can truly satisfy. Putting one’s faith and hope in anything besides God and His son Jesus Christ will ultimately end in disappointment; and it is a form of idolatry. Is your mind focused on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Is it your work? Are you chasing feel-good moments that fade? When one becomes mired in idolatry it impairs their ability to see God, rendering them powerless in the midst of adversity, when their soul most longs for God. Turn to God and find true fulfillment for all your inner longing.
Isaiah 26:9 – “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
Psalm 42:1-2 – “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
Psalm 73:24 – “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”
Psalm 143:6 – “I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.”
Have you ever experienced a wounded spirit? By that I mean something that grieves the very Holy Spirit dwelling inside you, leaving you in despair and feeling hopeless. Personal, unconfessed sin can leave a Christian wounded, as can sins committed against a Christian by a fellow believer. I imagine that Peter felt wounded when Jesus turned and looked him in the face after Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times (Luke 22). This was the same Peter who, at least for a short time, had walked on the water with Jesus (Matthew 14). Imagine what Peter must have thought at that moment he denied Jesus the third time—he had followed the Lord through thick and thin, watching, listening, and learning from Him, only to seemingly throw it all away in a brief, fearful moment. How does one overcome having made such a grave error?
I imagine that King David felt the same way when he sinned with Bathsheba. Filled with lust for Bathsheba after spying her bathing on a rooftop, David arranged to have her husband killed on the battlefield so David could have Bathsheba for himself (2 Samuel 11). David and Bathsheba’s sinful union resulted in the birth of a child (2 Samuel 12). David eventually took Bathsheba for his own wife. Not long afterwards, God struck the child with a serious illness as punishment for David’s sin. Despite his desperate pleas begging God to save the child, it eventually died. Psalm 51, which is attributed to David, clearly reveals his wounded spirit in verses 1-4, as he confessed that he had sinned against God and God alone:
1Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Imagine how wounded Jesus’ disciples must have felt to see him hanging on a cross, naked, bleeding, and slowly dying. They had thought He was the promised Messiah who would free the Jews from Roman oppression and restore the Kingdom of Israel. After Jesus died, they hid themselves out of fear for the Jewish authorities. Juxtapose this scene of death and despair with the joy and relief experienced when the risen Lord appeared to his disciples (John 20).
No matter how wounded your spirit is, you are never too broken to be healed by Jesus Christ. This is clear in the story of Peter’s restoration before Jesus (John 21). After having denied Jesus three times, Peter showed true repentance while declaring his love for Jesus three times; and Jesus gave immediate forgiveness. Peter was fully restored to his ministry by Jesus and just a few weeks later preached an extraordinarily powerful sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Jesus is the Great Physician who can heal any wound, whether it was caused by a personal sin committed by you or by someone committing a grievous sin against you.
Only One can heal the spiritual wounds of mankind, rebuild broken spirits, feed famished souls—Christ, our blessed Savior. He has been down the road we’re traveling; He has experienced what it means to be human. He has “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows”; “He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4a, 5b). Taken from “Christ Solves the Mystery of Our Sorrow,” a sermon by Rev. Dr. Walter A. Maier, the first Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Patience: an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay (source: http://www.dictionary.com).
Followers of this blog have likely heard the adage, “Patience is a virtue.” I would add, “Patience is in short supply.” A close look at modern American society reveals that collectively we are an impatient bunch. We detest delays caused by heavy highway traffic and long stoplights. We hate standing in lines. We love express checkout lanes at the grocery store, next day delivery, and express mail. We like on demand TV programs and complain if a webpage takes a few extra seconds to load on our phones and computers. At this time of year, the Christmas season, even little kids join in anxiously counting the days until Santa arrives with his bag full of presents.
Patience has suffered in the information age, especially since the advent of the Internet. We are bombarded with a flood of information from a multitude of directions and sources. It is impossible to take it all in. Consequently, we are increasingly fed information is small, easily digestible tidbits, whether it be news articles, sports reports, and even those pesky pop-up ads trying to sell us all kinds of stuff.
There are numerous studies indicating the way information is presented in compact form today alters the human brain, making it difficult for people to focus on long articles, books, etc. Many people today, especially younger adults, simply lack the patience to read a long book like the classic War and Peace or a James A. Michener novel, preferring the CliffsNotes version to the full-length one. With patience in short supply, who among us will write the next classic novel or paint the next masterpiece like the Sistine Chapel? Who will perform the long, grueling research projects to cure human diseases? Who will travel to the planets?
My wife and I are perfect examples of patience—she being a good example and me a bad one. She is the type who will write personal notes in each of the many Christmas cards she sends. I, on the other hand, sign them and stuff them in the envelope. She can solve a difficult jigsaw puzzle in record time. I would not dream of even starting one. She is great with handling our grandkids. I quickly slip into the drill sergeant mode when their antics irritate me. She frets about practically nothing. I fret about myriad things. She follows a straight and narrow path while I zig and zag along. She has put up with me for almost 50 years—now that’s patience!
I am blessed with a patient wife, but even more blessed with a patient God. When I consider my personal transgressions and the collective transgressions of our nation, I marvel that God has spared us his wrath thus far. God’s love for us is evident in His only son Jesus Christ. He suffered a cruel death on the cross as a propitiation for our sins. Through his glorious resurrection, Jesus overcame sin and death and opened the door to salvation for all who believe on His holy name. God is patient and gives us second chances, but only through the shed blood of Christ. Oh God, continue to be patient with us I pray!
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. –Colossians 3:12
Wishing all my readers a very blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy 2023. See you next year! Please pray for those of us in the upper Midwest where we are currently experiencing polar-like temperatures, snow, and wind.
Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.
–The Westminster Shorter Catechism, questions 33 and 35
The New Testament is clear on the means of salvation. Salvation from sin and death can be attained through faith alone—in Latin “Sola Fide.” Christ followers attain justification before God through faith in Jesus as their personal savior and no longer live under the condemnation of the Law. Their sins are forgiven and they are restored to a perfect relationship before God. Jesus cruel death was the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. “It is finished!” (John 19:30), were the final words spoken in the redemption of mankind. Through his glorious resurrection, Jesus overcame sin and death and opened the door to salvation for all who believe on His holy name.
No matter how hard one may try to attain salvation through good works, they are destined to fail. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law” (Romans 3:20a). That said, we should not be quick to underemphasize the value of good works. Paul tells us in Philippians 2, to work out our own salvation in fear and trembling. This “working out” is the process of sanctification, that lasts a lifetime, as believers are called to continually strive to become more Christ-like. Sanctification is as much about the process as it is the destination.
Many Bible critics contend that James 2:14-25 is not consistent with the doctrine of salvation through faith alone (sola fide). My understanding of James is that these critics take it out of context. Where James stresses deeds (works), he is speaking in the context of sanctification (striving to be more Christ-like) and not about justification (the forgiveness of sin and restoration into a right relationship with God).
When we consider sanctification, it would be a mistake to overlook the role of good works. One day Jesus overheard several of his disciples arguing. It turned out they were arguing about which of them was the greatest among Jesus’ disciples. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35). Jesus gave his disciples an example of a servant’s heart when He washed their feet, as described in John chapter 13.
Are you a Christ follower? Are you striving to become more Christ-like? I hope you answered yes to both questions. While you may not be able to cast out demons, raise the dead, give sight to the blind, or cleanse lepers, there is an abundance of good works needed in Christ’s kingdom. In Romans chapter 16, Paul’s final greetings to a handful of Christian brothers and sisters provides some clues. He tells them to greet each other with a holy kiss, that is be kind to one another. Paul repeatedly recognizes women who worked very hard for Christ. He recognizes others who have sponsored a church in their home. He cites others who have demonstrated hospitality to fellow believers. Paul even recognizes the mother of a friend who has also been like a mother to him.
Sanctification does not come without a price. Paul’s greeting mentions some friends who risked their lives for Christ, others who have withstood testing of their fidelity to Christ, and yet others who served time in prison with him. Are you ready to accept the risks of becoming more Christ-like? Are you “working out” your own sanctification? Are you willing to let your life become a doormat where others will wipe their feet? Are you ready to become a servant of all?
Sanctification means nothing less than the holiness of Jesus becoming mine and being exhibited in my life. The most wonderful secret of living a holy life does not lie in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfect qualities of Jesus exhibit themselves in my human flesh. –Oswald Chambers
I have hundreds of friends. At least that is what my social media accounts tell me. The concept of friendship has changed significantly over the years, especially since the advent of the internet and social media. Social media friendships are so easy to make—just press the “Add Friend” button. But what is a real friend?
Speaking to his disciples, Jesus explained friendship like this in John 15:13 (NIV), “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Whoa! That rules out most of my social media friends. Real friendships, at least in Jesus’ definition, require personal relationships and a willingness to make sacrifices.
A real friend walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” –Walter Winchell
So, what is real friendship? I do not profess to have all the answers, but here are some things I have discovered about real friends:
They are there for you when others walk away.
They meet you where you are, warts, wrinkles and all.
They will make time for you, even when they cannot spare it.
They expect nothing in return and do not keep score.
They are good listeners.
They respect confidentiality.
They tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
They say, “Wow, you really screwed this up! Now how can I help you fix it?”
They walk beside you in the demon filled valleys.
They are at their best when you are at your worst.
For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God. –St. Teresa of Avila
I am blessed with an abundance of friends. They know who they are. Most are fellow brothers or sisters in Christ. Thinking about what I like most about my friends makes me wonder if it is possible to be a friend of God? I believe it is. In Daniel 3, Daniel was bound and thrown into a fiery furnace because he refused to worship an image of King Nebuchadnezzar. God, presumably a preincarnate Jesus, appeared in the blazing furnace with Daniel. David, despite his many serious flaws, had such a close relationship with God that God called him, “a man after my own heart,” (Acts 13:22). God called Abraham “my friend” (Isaiah 41:8b). And God spoke to Moses face to face, “as a man speaks with a friend” (Exodus 33:11a). The closeness of God to these individuals was not due to their righteousness, as all were flawed. These friendships were a result of God’s grace and mercy.
God is eager to be your friend, but He is unlike your other friends in one important way. God wants you to be his disciple. Jesus, God the Father’s only begotten son, lived up to his own teaching that, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Are you ready to let God mold and shape your life like potter’s clay? Then lay down your life at his feet, pick up your cross and follow Jesus.
He (Jesus) washes us in Baptism and gives us new, clean clothes of goodness and holiness to wear—His own good clothes, to be ours forever. Finally, He gives us life—His own everlasting life, which He won for us when He rose from the dead, never to die again.–Dr. Kari Vo, The Lutheran Hour.
America has entered a post-Christian era. Christians are now a minority with diminishing cultural and political influence. Gallup conducts a poll on American morals and beliefs annually. Polling data over the past decade indicates a significant shift to the left on a number of polarizing social issues, including divorce, abortion, doctor-assisted suicide, gay marriage, human embryonic stem cell research and many others. This shift is, at least in part, a product of the moral relativism that has permeated the American media and many American Christian denominations at least since the free love movement of the 1960’s.
“Post-Christian era” describes a paradigm shift from the completeness of Christian Scripture to so-called progressive revelation. Relativism insists that the Scriptures did not fully provide theological, legal, moral, scientific, medical and other knowledge from the beginning. Instead, God gradually reveals new truths over time. This philosophy is splitting many mainstream Christian denominations today through a continual reinterpretation of the scriptures that increasingly waters down God’s word to the point it becomes socially irrelevant. Moral relativism enables the social justification of anything and everything, from immodest clothing and casual sex to the worst extremes like after-birth abortion, euthanasia and Satan worship.
Advocates of social change in America, on both the left and right, need to recognize that freedom is not the ability to do whatever one pleases. That is the classic definition of anarchy. Freedom is the ability for people to coexist by following a set of rules based upon an accepted moral code—universal truths if you will.
If morals in America are not to be based upon Christian beliefs, then upon whose beliefs will they be based? In this new era, Satan is morally equal to Jesus. Some people will tell you they would prefer to live under a moral code of Satan, rather than under a Christian code. That because Satan’s code eliminates the concepts of sin and universal truths. Under Satan’s code, God goes by the wayside while each individual becomes the god of his or her own world. In these personal worlds, anything goes as long as you’re not hurting somebody else. Live and let live.
The situation in America is dire. As evidence of this, in the past few years, we have even seen the rise of Satan clubs in public schools while clubs focused on traditional American moral values, like scouting groups, are pushed away. Christians who openly profess their faith increasingly risk being subjected to ridicule, criticism and even violence.
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. —Isaiah 59:14-15
Satan isn’t a character in a Christian folktale. He is a spiritual being who rebelled against God and was subsequently cast out of heaven by God. Jesus said in Luke 10:18, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven.” At least three times in the Gospels Jesus refers to Satan as “the prince of this world,” thus acknowledging Satan’s role as the principal purveyor of sin, chaos, sadness, and misery for mankind. Second Corinthians 11:14 says that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light,” highlighting his ability to deceive. Satan has deceived mankind for thousands of years and continues to do so today here in post-Christian America.
Scripture’s message from God is extensive, touching man’s life at every important point. The essence of it is simple. It tells us that we were created by God in His own image—we are fearfully and wonderfully made, but altogether dependent on God. It tells us of God’s living orders for man: man must be perfect. It tells us of man disobedience: man sins. And it tells us of God’s justice: ’the wages of sin is death’—eternal death. And then it tells us of God’s remedy, ‘but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). In this divine gift of love for mankind, God is ready to forgive us all for Jesus’ sake—and for Jesus’ sake alone. —Rev. Dr. Armin Oldsen, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Following Jesus is the only way to curb the moral decay and decline America is experiencing. As Dr. Kari Vo of the Lutheran Hour so clearly explains, “He (Jesus) is the One who saw us groaning under the power of evil, helpless and exploited. He did not leave us that way—He came to us. He shared our life, being born into a world full of hardship and injustice and downright wickedness. He took all of that into His own life, into His own body, being tortured and killed on a cross for us—the innocent for the not-so-innocent, the harmless One for those who harm and those who are harmed alike. And then Jesus rose from the dead, breaking the power of sin, death, and the devil over the whole human race. He has put the powers of evil on notice—things will not stay that way forever. They will not win. He has already struck the decisive blow against all evil powers, and He will bring them all to a complete end when He returns on the Last Day. That goes for human evil and for supernatural evil. God does notice—and He is taking action.”
The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. –Psalm 33:10-12*
The November midterm elections will soon be here and the political theater being played out in the media is growing more intense by the day. We live in an age of great political division. Many national leaders and prominent politicians think that they have all the answers, but they’re wrong. As the above passage from Psalm 33 notes, “The Lord foils the plans of the nations.” God remains in charge. There are no political solutions to America’s woes. What we need is more Jesus!
Here in America, those on the political right condemn the activities of the political left. Those on the left condemn the right. We hear and see it every day. “Our way is best for the American people.” “They’re weak on defense.” “They trample on the Constitution.” “They only know how to tax and spend.” “Their policies are destroying the environment.” “Their policies are destroying the economy.” Politics pits friend against friend, men against women, husbands against wives, parents against children, nation against nation, religion against religion, and Christian against Christian. The latter saddens me deeply—it just shouldn’t be. Christians should be kind to everyone, especially fellow believers. The Apostle Paul tells us:
“There is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, (insert Republican or Democrat), but we are one in Christ Jesus.” –Galatians 3:28
Jesus told Pontius Pilate in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” This wisdom reminds all Christians that we, including politicians, answer to a higher authority than the government or political leaders. In 1 Kings 22, the story is told of the time the King of Israel had to decide whether or not to go to war against Syria. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, advised his fellow ruler, “First seek the counsel of the Lord” before making a decision,” (verse 5). This is sound advice that Christians, and especially Christian politicians, would do well to take to heart. Seek God’s guidance before seeking the guidance of man. We should also note Matthew 5:16, “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Christians should be the living face and hands of Christ to the world.
God “makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them away,” (Job 12:23). Political leaders rule because God allows them to, “for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God,” (Romans 13:1b). God can upset human plans, but no one can thwart His plans or purpose. God loves the world and sent His only begotten Son to suffer and die to atone for the sins of every person of every political ilk.
Pastor Eugene Cho is CEO of Bread for the World, a non-partisan, Christian advocacy organization based in the USA. I highly recommend an article he penned a decade ago titled, “The 10 Commandments of Engaging Politics.” It contains a wealth of sound advice for Christians today as we approach the November elections. His article is available at this safe link:
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him;tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name;let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength;seek his face always. –Psalm 105:1-4
Divine Simplicity 
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