The Providence of God, an Election, and Answered Prayer

Praise the Lord for His providential hand in His execution of His eternal decree!  I am comforted knowing that God works ALL things according to the counsel of His will.  And ALL things includes an election such as took place yesterday.

The Presidential race was between 2 fallen candidates, 2 sinners; how could it be otherwise?  Both have sins charged against their account and both will add to that list over the remaining days of their lives.  No one, except Christ, is perfect.  Apart from the grace of God and the redemption of sin found in Christ, neither of these 2 individuals will spend eternity with the Savior.  

Because of their falleness, their plans are also not perfect.  Neither of them can save this nation.  Only God can do that.  But one candidate has a plan to restore this country to its greatness while the other has a plan merely to maintain the direction of the past 8 (or, perhaps, 24 years), a plan which has proven to be a failure.  The latter plan has led our country to the precipice of bankruptcy and insignificance in the world.  That plan has, at its core, a hatred of nationalism, patriotism, religion, and individual rights.  It seeks to have government, the federal government, serve as the master of each individual.  The income of the people, in this view, belongs to the ruling class in Washington, not to the people themselves.

Surely such a plan is straight from the devil's pen.  I firmly believe Satan has been behind those working to elect Hillary Clinton.  Oh, I doubt any of them believe or even sense that has been the case.  But the deceptions and outright lies attached to her candidacy adds support to this theory.  Satan is the master of lies, the master of deceit; certainly he has been a major contributor to that campaign.

Many prayers were offered up to God that He would intervene and save us from Hillary Clinton for the good of this country and the greatness of His name.  He certainly had no reason to do so.  Our nation has strayed far from Him.  He could have sat back and simply said, "you will reap what you have sowed", pretty much what has happened over the past 2 decades.  But prayers went up before His throne pleading, once more, for His mercy and grace.  I believe, God, in His providence, has answered our prayers.  Donald Trump, a fallen man, is now the President-elect; the certain success of Hillary Clinton has been thwarted, again, by the hand of the Almighty.

Let us give thanks to our God for giving us another opportunity to return to our Savior.  And let us lift up those elected yesterday, praying that each one comes to Christ, if lost, and serves this nation best by serving the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Why Did You Leave Your Pastorate?

Since leaving the pastorate of Bethesda Baptist Church in mid-October, I've had a few queries from friends as to why I did so.  Speculations abound so I want to lay those aside.

I left Bethesda because, for 6 months, I sensed God telling me that was the right thing to do.  He finally convinced me in June that I needed to move on and that Bethesda needed a different pastor.  There was no personal sin in my life leading to this decision.  There was no problem at the church either.  My departure is entirely due to the Lord's prompting just as my coming to that pastorate was solely by His prompting.

The church is in great financial shape.  The people there are some of the most generous Christians I have ever known.  Some of them have grown spiritually over the past few years.  The total membership number has not grown but it is the Lord who gives the harvest.

This is not to say that those of us at Bethesda are perfect.  Far from perfection, we each have sin in our lives which demand our daily wrestling.  Some members there are fighting, suffering, and growing for the Lord.  Others are sliding backwards.  Some, like in most churches, are probably not saved in the first place, despite being members of the church.

Bethesda is a fairly typical Baptist church with good people.  I would have stayed there until the day I died if the Lord had permitted me to do so.  But that is not His will for me at this moment.

So I have left the pastorate by His hand and am now waiting to see what He has for me next.

Nothing more and nothing less!