Publication date: November 5, 2012
So Your Guy Didn’t Win the Election?
Kenny Luck
I admit it. I want my guy to win this presidential election.
War, government, and politics are a huge part of my story. I am the son of a WWII prisoner of war (my mother) and naval officer who served his country for 27 years (a Democrat and Republican respectively). In junior high I won a "state Capitol" trip for missing one question out of 200 on a United States Constitution exam. I was also a member of the Harry S. Truman club that year.
Choosing to major in political science at UCLA was a no-brainer and I spent two summers in the former Soviet Union back in the 80s during the Cold War. Over the years my beautiful wife and three kids have all suffered and learned from my passions for history, politics, and cable news late into the night. They have also welcomed Camp Pendleton Marines into the house for Thanksgiving, and my kids have thanked them for saving their grandma. I own a flag and fly it proudly every chance I get. When I hear the national anthem, I tear up. My best friend is a Marine F-18 pilot. When I see a uniformed military men and women in the airport I thank them for their service. Red, white and blue are not colors or stripes to me — they are emotions.
It is no surprise to anyone that my patriotic magma is about to burst forth a bright orange spectacle of either elation or depression on November 7th. By Wednesday morning only one of America’s best hopes for president will remain standing as our president-elect. But here is the kicker: both the men and the results of this election have the capacity to hijack the hopes or ransom the fears of Christians nationwide at the expense of their faith in God. And unlike Barack and Mitt, God does know us and is watching to see what happens to our faith in Him when only one of them wins.
"Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God" (Psalm 146:3-5).
This is strong biblical medicine for God’s people on Election Day. Whether your guy wins or whether he loses, God is concerned with where your faith in him and life for him goes in light of the result. He knows that many followers of Jesus are heavily invested in the outcome of this election and he wants to remind us that all political outcomes pass through God’s filter before man’s ballots and the electoral college. On Wednesday some of us will say, “God allowed this outcome.” Others will say, “God wanted this outcome.” But either way, the outcome must not hijack my hopes or ransom my fears from God’s perspective. Neither the failures nor successes of men suggest failures or successes for God in my life. The failure is if I permit their failure or success to obscure my view of and hope in God.
I admit it. I want my guy to win this presidential election on November 6th. But I want God’s Kingdom in me and through me to win more in the days that follow. Way more. Regardless of who wins the White House, our eyes must be fixed on the man riding the white horse described in Revelation 19. Neither Barack nor Mitt will say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant." Jesus will.
I am backing that horse.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm (Proverbs 20:7-8).
Kenny Luck is the men’s pastor at Saddleback Church and is the founder of Every Man Ministries. Kenny’s 20th book, SLEEPING GIANT: No Movement of God without Men of God, is the proven blueprint for men’s ministries, and was recently released through B&H Books.
Publication date: November 5, 2012
War, government, and politics are a huge part of my story. I am the son of a WWII prisoner of war (my mother) and naval officer who served his country for 27 years (a Democrat and Republican respectively). In junior high I won a "state Capitol" trip for missing one question out of 200 on a United States Constitution exam. I was also a member of the Harry S. Truman club that year.
Choosing to major in political science at UCLA was a no-brainer and I spent two summers in the former Soviet Union back in the 80s during the Cold War. Over the years my beautiful wife and three kids have all suffered and learned from my passions for history, politics, and cable news late into the night. They have also welcomed Camp Pendleton Marines into the house for Thanksgiving, and my kids have thanked them for saving their grandma. I own a flag and fly it proudly every chance I get. When I hear the national anthem, I tear up. My best friend is a Marine F-18 pilot. When I see a uniformed military men and women in the airport I thank them for their service. Red, white and blue are not colors or stripes to me — they are emotions.
It is no surprise to anyone that my patriotic magma is about to burst forth a bright orange spectacle of either elation or depression on November 7th. By Wednesday morning only one of America’s best hopes for president will remain standing as our president-elect. But here is the kicker: both the men and the results of this election have the capacity to hijack the hopes or ransom the fears of Christians nationwide at the expense of their faith in God. And unlike Barack and Mitt, God does know us and is watching to see what happens to our faith in Him when only one of them wins.
"Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God" (Psalm 146:3-5).
This is strong biblical medicine for God’s people on Election Day. Whether your guy wins or whether he loses, God is concerned with where your faith in him and life for him goes in light of the result. He knows that many followers of Jesus are heavily invested in the outcome of this election and he wants to remind us that all political outcomes pass through God’s filter before man’s ballots and the electoral college. On Wednesday some of us will say, “God allowed this outcome.” Others will say, “God wanted this outcome.” But either way, the outcome must not hijack my hopes or ransom my fears from God’s perspective. Neither the failures nor successes of men suggest failures or successes for God in my life. The failure is if I permit their failure or success to obscure my view of and hope in God.
I admit it. I want my guy to win this presidential election on November 6th. But I want God’s Kingdom in me and through me to win more in the days that follow. Way more. Regardless of who wins the White House, our eyes must be fixed on the man riding the white horse described in Revelation 19. Neither Barack nor Mitt will say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant." Jesus will.
I am backing that horse.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm (Proverbs 20:7-8).
Kenny Luck is the men’s pastor at Saddleback Church and is the founder of Every Man Ministries. Kenny’s 20th book, SLEEPING GIANT: No Movement of God without Men of God, is the proven blueprint for men’s ministries, and was recently released through B&H Books.
Publication date: November 5, 2012
Daily Smile: Maybe More than One Is Needed Today... :)
In my job as an electronics salesman, I've seen the rise in popularity of sport-utility vehicles and minivans, which has created a market for rear-seat entertainment. Monitors that keep passengers occupied with movies and television have been selling like crazy.
One day as I was showing a young couple how a monitor could play videos, DVD's, and even pick up local TV stations, the husband asked matter-of-factly, "Does it get cable?"
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When we brought our new-born son to the pediatrician for his first checkup, the doctor said, "You have a cute baby."
Smiling, I said, "I'll bet you say that to all the new parents."
"No," he replied, "just to those whose babies are really cute."
"So what do you say to the others?" I asked.
"He looks just like you."
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Little Johnny was one of those holy terrors and her husband was surprised when his wife suggested that they buy him a bike for his birthday.
"Do you really believe that'll help improve his behavior?" he said.
"Well, no," she admitted, "But it'll spread it over a wider area."
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One afternoon while I was visiting my library, I noticed a group of preschoolers gathered for story time. The book they were reading was THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY.
After the librarian finished the first page, she asked the children, "Do you think she'll die?" "Nope," a little girl in the back said. "I saw this last night on FEAR FACTOR."
In The News:
Traditional Marriage Support Surges in Maryland
A Maryland ballot initiative to legalize same-sex marriage has lost steam, WORLD Magazine reports. For most of the campaign cycle, the initiative looked like it would pass, but in the past week the tide has turned and supporters of traditional marriage now lead by a point. TV ads from the Maryland Marriage Alliance have apparently made a difference in the state, and there has also been a reaction to the suspension of Gallaudet University official Dr. Angela McCaskill over her support of traditional marriage. According to Bishop Harry Jackson, "A lot of people, including the African-American community, are saying, 'Wait a minute, [the same-sex marriage law] is going to have a lot of unintended consequences. The moral issues, and the backlash, and the persecution [of McCaskill] all make folks more engaged."
Flooded Virginia Clinic Kept Doing Abortions After Hurricane Sandy
An abortion center in Falls Church, Va., bragged about not letting Superstorm Sandy shut it down, WORLD Magazine reports. The Falls Church Healthcare Clinic told supporters that in the aftermath of the storm "we got in around 5:30 a.m., [and] there [was] two inches of water in the surgery room, water on the carpets, two offices totally soaked, water leaking in from our large windows. We put out hundreds of towels and started mopping up. ... We started seeing patients at 10 a.m." Pro-life organization Live Action wrote on its blog: "On what planet is it safe to perform surgery under those conditions? Falls Church Healthcare Center does indeed perform first-trimester surgical abortions, presumably in their surgery room, which was flooded with two-plus inches of water." Live Action continued: "Operating rooms generally are supposed to be sterile. But apparently that's not an issue when abortions need to be performed. Time and again, abortionists prove that they aren't interested in the 'safe' part of the 'safe, legal and rare' mantra that they tout so frequently. If it comes between making their blood money and the safety of women, the money will come first each time."
Study: Churchgoing Teens Go Further with School
Sociologists from Brigham Young University and Rice University found religiously-affiliated youth are 40 percent more likely to graduate high school than their unaffiliated peers and 70 percent more likely to enroll in college, Phys.org reports. The study of data from more than 8,379 teens from across the country found that Catholic teens, mainline Protestants and black Protestant congregations are twice as likely as unaffiliated teens to finish high school and about 80 percent more likely to enroll in college, and that Jewish and Mormon youth have the highest odds of graduating high school and enrolling in college. The researchers note that teens' fellow churchgoers are an important factor, serving as mentors who help teens set their sights high. Interestingly, mentors with a religious background have essentially the same effect as educators who mentor students.
Have A Blessed Day...
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