US politics

I am a firm believer that God works all things according to His own will and that He lifts one leader and puts down another (Psalm 75:6-7; Daniel 4:17; Romans 13:1; Ephesians 1:10-11). Even in the case of the charge of alleged voter fraud in the national election, God’s will cannot be thwarted by corrupt men. If He wants a particular person in office, he will get there. This is especially so because of the months of fasting, praying, and repenting that was done by thousands of evangelical Christians who prayed for the will of God to be done.

In light of the possibility that Donald Trump will lose the election, I began pondering what God’s purpose was in all this?

The following are seven reasons the Kingdom will advance irrespective of who the president is.

1. The evangelical Church has depended upon God for its provision and protection.

There are some in the evangelical camp who do not understand how to distinguish between America and the Kingdom of God. Some hyper-fans of the President view Him as a Messianic figure. They see him as one who would protect and provide for the Church. They also believe he will restore the nation to its historic Christian roots. Is that the posture God has called the Church to have?

I believe the Church should always (psychologically) rely upon God for her protection, whether it has to do with her “daily bread,” religious liberty, the economy, etc. The fact is that historically God has always provided, protected, and guided all Christians. This was irrespective of the form of government Christians lived under (democratic republic-USA, imperial-old Roman Empire, communism-China, sharia law-Iran).

2. There may be a window open for greater dialogue between Christians who are divided ethnically and politically.

The majority of the African American and Hispanic churches voted for Joe Biden. That is not because they do not read the same Bible as White evangelical conservatives or because they are predominately pro-choice. Rather, their perspective was that they would have sinned against God, in their conscience, had they voted for Trump. They believe and argue that Democrats will do more to deal with the root issues of systemic racism and poverty, which invariably lead to more abortions. They also posit that since Roe vs. Wade, Republican presidents have not moved the needle away from overturning that law and lowering abortions. Even if abortion was overturned in the Supreme Court, the states would have to vote on its implementation, and illegal abortions would still occur. This is why they would not view voting for a “pro-life” candidate as a top priority.

Thus, although they love the Lord as much as their White evangelical brothers and sisters, their voting priorities have been shaped towards big government intervention because they believe it aids their communities. They point to such examples as President Lincoln’s freeing of the slaves in 1863, the civil rights voting act of 1965, Brown vs. the Board of Education 1954, and the Great Society policies of the 1960’s; all of these emanated from Government mandated law and policy.

When they hear Republicans talk about individual rights instead of big government, they vote against that because they believe the economic playing field is rife with inequities. For the record, I do not agree with a perspective that enables the legalization of abortion which officially endorses bloodletting. This God hates (Exodus 20:17; Proverbs 6:17). I believe many of the Great Society programs perpetuate cycles of generational poverty, which furthers economic inequality. That being said, I understand that a person can still be my family member in Christ despite our differences in political and philosophical priorities.

3. This can be a time of increased maturation in the so-called prophetic movement and the charismatic Church.

As I said in a previous article, many prophetic leaders misspoke for God when they predicted COVID would suddenly lift around Passover. In addition to this, some of them indicated Trump would win in a landslide (I never heard one major prophetic voice say Trump would lose). Despite these two faux pas, it is unusual for any individual or company of prophetic voices to admit they made a mistake. It remains to be seen if President Trump could still win through an arduous legal battles process. If so, it would validate these prophetic voices (except those who predicted that Trump would win in a landslide).

Also, to say that their prophecies were accurate since, in their mind, Trump did win the election, but was stolen by voter fraud, is nonsense. In the context of their prophecies, they predicted Trump would serve for another term, which would mitigate against any force opposed to him.

Irrespective of whether Trump gets re-elected, my point is that the Church has to grow in its understanding of the prophetic nature. Utterances by those identified as prophets are not equal to scripture when it comes to inspiration (1 Corinthians 13:9). This testing season may be the time for the prophetic movement and the Charismatic Church to grow to another level of maturity

4. If Trump loses, masses of people, puzzled over evangelical support for the president, may be reached with the gospel.

Many conservative Evangelicals reason that they do not vote for the person but for the policy. Such a view is puzzling to many whose world view has been shaped by the secular culture. A new generation has emerged that doesn’t understand the evils of socialism, the need for the nuclear family, the biblical view of human sexuality and gender, and the pro-life position (thank God that is now turning within the Gen Z and Millenial groups).

Consequently, they are shocked that Christians can vote for somebody they deem as bombastic, arrogant, racist, immoral, and immature. Whether Evangelicals like it or not, overt support for Trump has alienated half the population from the gospel (especially Gen Z’s and Millenials). The way conservative Christians respond under a possible Biden presidency will determine whether or not they will be able to present the gospel and advance the Kingdom of God to those ignorant of a biblical worldview. The gospel is more attractive when Christ-followers walk in the virtues of the sermon on the Mount and trust in God for ultimate vindication, as taught in Matthew 5-7. If Trump gets re-elected by proving there was voter fraud through the Supreme Court, the conservative evangelical Church still has to discern how to better align with policies they agree with without identifying the gospel with a particular political party.

5. The true remnant Church will always advance, even in persecution.

History and the Word of God teach us that even in persecution, the people of God can flourish. This is because the true Church has always adopted and grown in all circumstances. One can argue that the Church is at its peak during times of persecution. An example of this was when the Church seemed to grow weak after the “edict of Milan” in 312 AD when Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal. Furthermore, Exodus 1:12 states that the more the Jews were persecuted, the more they multiplied. Throughout church history, we have found out that the blood of martyrs is also the seed of the future Church. Look at how the Church has multiplied during the recent reign of Communist China, Islamic Iran, and beyond!

Many believers have fasted and prayed for Trump to win because they deem Biden and Harris a threat to their religious liberty and biblical values. That being said, even if they are correct and a Biden presidency results in a religious liberty contraction, the kingdom of God will continue to advance because the One in us is greater than the one in the world (1 John 4:4).

6. God works all things out for His kingdom purpose.

Although many Christ-followers may be shocked, dismayed, and discouraged about the election results, they must understand that God is smarter than the devil, and His ways transcend human understanding (Proverbs 3:5-7; Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 2:8). Joseph told his biological brothers who sold him into slavery that “what you meant for evil God worked for your good” (Genesis 50:30). Romans 8:28 speaks about how those who love God and are called according to God’s purpose should trust Him to work all things out for good. For those disappointed in the election results, their faith in the sovereignty of God and His providence will now be put to the test. People have two choices: either believe the Word of God, or don’t believe it!

7. Finally, the gates of hell will not be able to conquer the Church.

Thus, irrespective of the outcome of the election, the increase of His government and peace will continue to expand until the final consummation of human history (Matthew 16:16-19; Isaiah 9:7; Ephesians 1:10).