Let’s Talk Truth:

Choose You This Day

Who You Shall Serve!

By Dr. Melanie Martin Tripp*

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These are the views of this author

This morning I awoke out of a dream in which I was trying to explain to a Presidential running mate ... the fact that we, as Christians, cannot separate Church and State . . . that our Christian tenets** and values should permeate all aspects of our lives. With a very important Presidential election less than two months away [Tuesday, November 4, 2008], let us seriously look at what is really at stake here.

I think you would agree that most people in America, Christian and non-Christian, think of an individual’s life as being about their spiritual life mainly on Sundays and Wednesday evenings and that the rest of our lives are compartmentalized into the remainder of each week. It is further thought that the twain shall not meet. In other words, we are not supposed to intermingle our Christian faith into other aspects of our lives. There is the Church . . . and then there is everything else in society. So we are told. Remember that Christianity is based on the belief that Jesus is the son of God, who came to this earth in human form and born of a virgin (Matt. 1:22-25; Luke, chps. 1 & 2), was sinless (II Cor. 5:21), died on the cross to save us from all sin (I John 3:5), was buried, arose from the dead (Matt. 28:5-7), and now sits at the right hand of God the Father (Heb. 1:3, Rev. 3:21). I ask you then: “As born-again believers, how can we separate ourselves and our relationship with Jesus from all else in our lives other than what we do when we go to a building to get together with other believers on a Sunday or mid-week? How can we do this when Scripture tells us:

Ø Acts 17:28 “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' ”

(The Apostle Paul speaking to “Men of Athens”, Acts 17:22)

Ø I Corinthians 8:6 “yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”

Ø I John 4:15 “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God, God abides

in Him, and he in God.”

Ø I John 5:14 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” ***

* NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture references are from the New King James Version of the Bible.

** Definition of “tenet” -- “a doctrine, principle, belief, or opinion held as true . . .” The World Book Dictionary, 1982.

*** The emphases of underlining and bolding in these passages is that of the author of this article.

Just these four passages above cause us to take pause and ask some questions:

Ø Are we to live and move and have our being only at church?

Ø If we are His offspring, then aren’t we the same everywhere we go?

Ø If all things are of God the Father, then doesn’t that mean that in addition to the church attendance (and what goes with it) aspect, other aspects of our lives are as well?

Ø If for born-again believers there is one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live, how can we live on other days and in regard to other things without Him or denying Him . . . trying to separate Him out of those things? (For example, work, play, education, government, entertainment, business, economics, the media, etc.)

Ø If God is in us and we are in God, how can a separation take place if He’s at the core of our very being?

Ø If we are confident that the Lord hears us if we ask anything that lines up with His will, doesn’t that mean we would want Him to hear us in regard to these various areas of our lives? Are we supposed to be mute [silent] when it comes to, for example, work, play, education, government, entertainment, business, economics, the media, etc.? If we are mute, then God can’t hear us, and if God can’t hear us, He can’t bless us.

I don’t think so !!!

When the world is telling us to separate God out of everything, including

government, we need to listen instead to God’s message as recorded in

I John 2:15 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him.” We now have at least one candidate who is taking a philosophical worldview of things. Here’s what the Lord has to say about that in His Word:

⁶ As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so

walk in Him,

⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith,

as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

⁸ Beware lest anyone cheat you [plunder you or take you

captive] through philosophy and empty deceit, according to

the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:6-8

Friends, I was required to take a philosophy course in college, and I can tell you it was the biggest nothing in which I ever participated. As Christians, we’re not to sit around all day philosophizing. The word of God tells us: “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (I John 2:4). Verses 5 and 6 go on to say:

⁵ But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected

in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

⁶ He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as

He walked. (author’s emphases)

Now I don’t know about you, but I am going to listen to what the Lord says. We are given a warning in Hebrews 10:38 where we are told: “ ‘Now my just one [literal translation] live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul [the LORD’s] has no pleasure in him.’ ” Ouch! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want the Lord displeased with me!! No, saints, we’re not to shrink back – we’re to go take the kingdoms of this world!!!

Dr. Lance Wallnau of Lance Learning Group [you can google him] talks about the fact that it is not us [the Church] against them [the rest of what’s going on out there]. This in fact is a very isolationist view of how we are to conduct ourselves as Christians, and, what’s more, it doesn’t line up with the word of God. The apostle Paul shares -- as recorded in Colossians 1:13-17 –

¹³ He [the Father] has delivered us from the power of

darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the

Son of His love,

¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood,

the forgiveness of sins.

¹⁵ He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the

firstborn [those receiving Christ are the subsequent

children] over all creation.

¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven

and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether

thrones or dominions or principalities [rulers] or

powers [authorities]. All things were created through

Him and for Him.

¹⁷ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

(emphases, the author’s)

Verses 19 and 20 go on to say:

¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in Him [Jesus] all the

fullness should dwell,

²⁰ and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him,

whether things on earth or things in heaven, having

made peace through the blood of His cross.

In other words, Jesus is in charge of everything – and is the answer for everything – both in heaven and here on earth. (see also Ephesians 1:10)

Lance Wallnau talks about seven different mountains here on earth which we are to take dominion over for the Lord. He’s echoing the Lord’s thoughts as posed in II Corinthians 6:1 by Paul to the church at Corinth, which is certainly applicable today – “We then, as workers together with Him [Jesus] also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” These seven mountains are:

Family, Church, Education, Media, Government/Politics, Performing Arts/Entertainment/Sports, and Business/Finance. He calls them the “Seven Mind Molders of Society”, and says they are the seven major realms of influence that shape the way we think and live.

Dr. Wallnau goes on to say, “Those who align with their mountains and realize their purpose attain the ability to profoundly impact and influence society.” He states that the nature of the leadership of each of these mountains is key to how the culture develops. He goes on to say, “Like Caleb of old, God desires that you identify and take your mountain!” Well, my friends, we see that “Government/Politics” is one of those mountains. Therefore, it is reasonable to think that we Christian believers are to take the mountain by hearing from the Lord and ELECTING the LEADERS who also hear from the Lord, in order to be able to take this mountain. Amen.

Johnny Enlow has written a book entitled, The Seven Mountain Prophecy: Unveiling The Coming Elijah Revolution* [see www.faithandworkresources.com], in which he “offers a master strategy to fulfill Christ’s mandate to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ (Matt. 28:19).

In it, insights are given into the nature of the spiritual battles involved in each of the seven mountains.” [quote from advertising for the book] Now I ask you, if there are “spiritual battles involved in each of the seven mountains”, how can one not call on one’s Christian tenets to have victory . . . to take the Government/Politics mountain?! I am reminded of the scripture where Jesus is quoted as saying, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12). [emphases, the author’s] We’re not to sit down and, practicing separation of church and state, allow the enemy [anti-christ] to steam roller over us. “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son” (I John 2:22).

We voters must remember that where there are problems (darkness) that “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (I John 1:5). And the gospel of John reminds us that “In Him [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men”

(John 1:4). I entreat you with the words which Jesus taught his disciples while teaching on the Mount:

¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a

hill cannot be hidden.

¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket,

but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are

in the house.

¹⁶ Let your light [the Jesus in you] so shine before men,

that they may see your good works and glorify your

Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16; emphases, the author’s)

As Luke 11:33 records Jesus, “ ‘ No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light’ ”.

We cannot put the Christ within us under a bushel.

We cannot put the Christ within us under a bed (Mark 4:21).

We cannot be fence sitters (Joshua 24:15).

We cannot be apathetic (Rev. 3:15-16).

We cannot be imitators of what is evil (III John 11).

We cannot call what is evil good, and what is good, evil (Isaiah 5:20).

We cannot be double-minded (II Cor. 13:11).

We cannot despise prophecies (I Thes. 5:20).

We Cannot Despise Prophecies

“We cannot despise prophecies.” What do prophecies have to do with it?!

Well, let me say that, contrary to what non-believers and even many Christians teach/preach, there are true prophets of the Lord in these present times and they are here for a specific reason (Eph. 4:11-16). Apostles and prophets did not die out two thousand years ago. [However, many people today think they are prophets who are not, and that’s another story, which we don’t have time/space to go into here.] Why is this significant? Allow me to relate a personal experience of mine and one that is directly related to an American Presidential race for the office itself.

In the year 2000, I was attending a Christian Conference in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The minister those attending went to hear was and is a true prophet of the Lord. As the meeting was winding down the Holy Spirit began to speak to us through this prophet and told us that George W. Bush was God’s man for the hour . . . for the next eight years. I remember standing there and thinking, “that means he’s supposed to be re-elected in four more years”. The Spirit of the Lord went on to reveal that George Bush was “wearing a martyr’s mantle”. A martyr is one “who is put to death or made to suffer greatly because of his religion or other beliefs”.* My goodness . . . did that statement come to pass!

George W. Bush was, has been, and is being raked over the coals for the Iraqi war. In 2004, down in Florida, people were demanding recounts and “chads” were a problem. Many people have said that Al Gore was robbed of the Presidency then and they’ve disdained this President – the top authority who represents our nation. Well, chads or no chads, because of the prophecy which I had heard in 2004 (from a reputable prophet) I knew that George Bush was to be re-elected and serve as our President for four more years. I have also seen the prophetic words of his wearing a martyr’s mantle come to pass time after time, as people in this nation have complained about one thing or another that he has or has not done.

Friends, it doesn’t matter if one is black or white; it doesn’t matter if one is a democrat, a republican, or an independent; it doesn’t matter which part of the country of these great United States one lives in . . . what does matter is what is God saying? What is God’s heart in the matter? There are those who would say that God doesn’t have anything to do with who is our President. Well, I say that just as God “ordained” certain individuals as recorded in scripture to be the rulers of the land, He does care about who is President – and, yes, even vice president – of the United States of America.

There’s even another prophetic word of which you need to be made aware. After we Americans did, in fact, re-elect George W. Bush to the office of the Presidency back in 2004, another true prophet brought forth the word

* Definition from The World Book Dictionary, 1982. Another definition is, “a person who chooses to die or suffer

rather than renounce his faith or principles.

that, since we had indeed done that, we will have a Christian President in office for twenty-two years. Now I do not know if that means beginning in the year 2000 or if it means beginning in the year 2004. What I do know is that God cares, that God is not a man that He should lie, and that He will make good on what He says (Num. 23:19, Titus 1:2, Isa. 55:11).

I also do not know if that means that whoever goes into the office will be a Christian when they are sworn in or become one after going into the office. Again, I know that God cares and I trust Him (Psalm 118:8). Yes, I am privy to a prophetic word which indicates who the Lord wants in office this time. However, I shall not share it. Each individual needs to seek the Lord and discover what God’s heart is. If you ask Him, He will answer; if you seek Him, you will find Him; and if you knock, it will be opened up to you (Matt. 7:7). We citizens need to PRAY and then we need to VOTE . . . God’s will. He knows the big picture and we don’t (Psalm 92:5).

Enough Is Enough!

During this time of campaigning for the Presidency, there have been so

many negative comments made . . . comments about each of the candidates, comments about President George W. Bush, and comments about the current administration’s handling of things. There are negative comments about how bad things are in our nation. Enough is enough! Just as God made our creation with His word (Gen., chp. 1), our words are powerful, giving us what we say (Proverbs 18:21). What God wants us to do is honor those who are in authority.

Last week, during some televised video awards, a young, British host of the show blasted, among others, our President and the current Republican party’s vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin [current governor of Alaska]. The audience, for the most part, applauded his words. It’s bad enough that we would do it, but it’s deplorable that we would stand for a foreigner’s insulting our leaders! The Lord elaborates on how and why we are to submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7). We are to trust Him in regard to what happens

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Romans 13:1

When the person He has anointed (and prepared) for an office is in the position. Proverbs 21:1 reveals “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes”. Let’s bridle our tongues, prophesying good things about our country, our leaders, and the direction in which they shall go (James 3:3-4). Like our forefathers, who did not take God out of the STATE of affairs, may our lights shine as we take the mountain.

Choose who you will serve, in order to have in office who should serve you!

Dr. Melanie belongs to Jubilee Alliance and relates to Dr. Kluane Spake

218-248-7247