Misrepresentation.

I generally shy away from writing about politics... okay, that's an understatement. I purposefully avoid writing (and sometimes talking, especially with loved ones) about politics. It's not because I'm "anti-Merican" (that was a joke) or because I'm some kind of anarchist.. it's because I can't stand the deceit and corruption that ensues, so I'm better off just not getting worked up over the situation. However, this time is different... this time, I'm riled up, and this time my convictions are stirring so strongly that something must be said. Let me preface this by saying that I will in no way state or even elude to who I will be voting for, nor will I place any specific blame on any one candidate, or any one political race. From local governments to the National government, my deep rooted beliefs are annoyed greatly by one thing...

Misrepresentation.

I'm not talking about misrepresentation of the American people, of the middle class, the upper class, the lower class, the impoverished, blue collar, white collar, race, gender, education.... I'm talking about misrepresentation of the Bible. The Bible is so widely misrepresented on a daily basis it's incredibly hard to preach it to those whose hearts have already hardened towards it. Then you bring the spotlight of a political race into the mix and.. for lack of a better term... all hell breaks loose. This rant has been a long time coming, and I'm sure it's going to upset some people... but I won't apologize for my convictions. This is in no way an attack on anyone's religious beliefs... except for those that claim to be Christ followers. My anger isn't even necessarily caused by their labeling themselves that way-- and that's for two reasons 1. I don't know their personal lives or relationship with Christ 2. I myself do things that aren't characteristic of Christ every day. This is about their use of the Bible, or lack thereof, to try to impart their political agenda on others.

Misrepresentation.

Some of you reading this may be surprised... because a lot of people think I don't educate myself on the current political race/issues. However, I see far too often things about politicians backing their political views with what they deem to be "God's intentions" or "God's command" and yet... absolutely not one bit of Biblical scripture to back up their claims. In fact, if you look at Scripture..  God tells us concretely that "My thoughts are not your thoughts, says the LORD, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine" Isaiah 55:8.  CHRISTIANS we have this book, I'm not sure if you have one... some of you honestly may not, but you've at least heard of it... it's called The Bible! It's God's Word in written form... We are commanded to utilize it to strengthen our resolve and our relationship with God. We are not to twist it to make our lives more comfortable. It's supposed to be convicting. It's supposed to cause a little discomfort because The Word speaks Truth into our lives and keeps us from running from the things we are doing wrong or justifying them. Let me make my point clear here... The Bible = God's Word, God's Word = The Truth which in turn means that The Bible = The Truth.


Misrepresentation.

I understand that things are twisted all the time. I'm not naive to the fact that a lot of people whole-heartedly believe that the Bible is a "story book" or completely "open to interpretation". The undeniable fact is that this is the Word of God... therefore if you are going to claim that your political agenda is due to God's intentions... well, you should be able to find some scripture to back up your claims. Otherwise, while you are lifting up yourself, you are downcasting the Lord. You are intentionally misrepresenting Christ in order to achieve your personal goals for success... which directly damages the public image of Christ and Christ-followers. the enemy uses this to try and dishearten and destroy those that both do and don't have a relationship with Christ. Don't get me wrong, Christians are in no way perfect-- nor is the Church-- and it's not just politicians that cause this negative image to be reflected throughout the world.. but when you are in the spotlight, when all eyes are on you heading towards November, and you are fully aware of what your words and actions will do to people's opinions of Christ... choose your words and actions wisely.

Ephesians 5:1 "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children"

Misrepresentation.

Because I am fully aware that some of my readers are going to work diligently at finding something wrong with this post... let me go ahead and put what I'm preaching into practice-- below you will find scriptures (*New Living Translation) that directly back up what I'm saying...

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." 2 Timothy 3:16

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." Hebrews 4:12

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:10-17


"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God" John 1:1

Grace and Peace