I haven’t said too much about the presidential primary race because, for one, the New York Primary isn’t until April 19th, and by then the nominee could very well have secured the delegates needed, making the New York primary Election meaningless. Secondly, the situation in the Republican Party has been so utterly terrible that it demands comment. The latest egregious act from the Republican establishment was Mitt Romney’s scathing rebuke of Donald Trump. The antics between the competing candidates looks like a race to the bottom, and is an embarrassment to Republicans and citizens who hold decency in high regard, myself being one of them.
I’m particularly dismayed by the actions of those who claim the Name of Christ, namely Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Are they so Biblically illiterate that they don’t know that it is God himself who raises up leaders and puts them down, that promotion comes from The Lord. (Psalm 75:6,7). If God is raising up Donald Trump to be our leader it could be either very good, or very bad. We simply don’t know the future. Neither do we know that God may be raising him up to be a blessing, or a curse. What we do know is that it is God who raises up kings, and if God is raising him up, God forbid we touch His anointed. Yes, we have every right and responsibility to vote for the best candidate that conforms to Biblical values, but after we vote we are not to “attack” those who God is raising up, but rather pray for them that they might lead us in righteousness.
Do you remember when Peter and the apostles came under attack from the religious establishment of the day? (Acts 5:27-38) Gamaliel told them to not touch them because if it was not of God it will come to nothing, but if it was of God, the “establishment” would find itself fighting God himself!
Could it be that it is God who is raising up Trump? Could that be why he is defying all conventional rules? Could the “Teflon” actually be God’s anointing? I don’t know. Yes, we must vote for the one we believe is best qualified to lead this nation, but whoever comes to the fore should be the target of our prayers, not our insults. We may not all be called to be evangelists, but we are all called to be witnesses to an unbelieving world. Let us be good witnesses. And let us never lose sight of the fact that it is God who rules in the affairs of men and of nations. So we must pray like it all depends on God and work like it all depends on us, and never touch God’s anointed or come against what God may be doing. Duty is ours; results are God’s.
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With respect, Rev. Banuchi, that is not what touching God’s anointed means. Yes, God sets up leaders and puts them down, and yes it’s possible that Donald Trump is someone God is setting up. That doesn’t make him God’s “anointed” in the sense of Psalm 105:15 and 1 Chronicles 16:22, where that saying appears. In those passages, God’s “anointed” is not a king or a ruler, but the entire people of Israel.
As you point out, every leader is set up by God. Does “touch not the Lord’s anointed” mean that we should not criticize leaders who do wrong? If that were the case, then Nathan the prophet would have been in the wrong to confront David, and Elijah would have been out of line to rebuke Ahab. In the very passage you cite, Acts 5:27-38, the apostles scold the Sanhedrin, because they killed the Lord’s anointed (in that case, the word referred to Jesus) and because they wanted the apostles to obey men rather than God. Were the apostles out of line for opposing the Sanhedrin? The Sanhedrin were the leaders God put in place for that time. Was Moses out of line for opposing Pharaoh? Your application of that principle cannot withstand the overall story of Scripture.
You say that Cruz and Rubio should know that God raises up leaders and puts them down, and so they shouldn’t oppose Trump, in case he’s one day going to be the President. Really? For Cruz and Rubio to follow the Lord, they need to not run against their opponent in this Presidential race? How does that work, exactly?
Please articulate what a Godly candidate *ought* to do then, in a race where they are behind in the polls, but they still have a chance to win.
May the Lord bless your work on behalf of families in New York State, but your analysis of these Scriptures and how they apply to this race does not hold up.
Author
Thank you Pastor House, for your comment.
When I said that Rubio and Cruz disappointed me for the way they came after Trump I was referring to the attitude a believer ought to have toward leaders who God may be raising up, the same attitude that David had toward Saul when he refused to “attack him personally.” It was the personal attacks that I found disheartening and not in line with the Spirit of the Word. A competing candidate absolutely should do all he can to win the nomination even if it would seem impossible for him to win, but we should never compromise our witness and our integrity by personally insulting or attempting to demean another competitor who God may be raising up.
I could not agree with you more Pastor Bill! So beautifully said…
Author
Thank you Pastor House, for your comment.
When I said that Rubio and Cruz disappointed me for the way they came after Trump I was referring to the attitude a believer ought to have toward leaders who God may be raising up, the same attitude that David had toward Saul when he refused to “attack him personally.” It was the personal attacks that I found disheartening and not in line with the Spirit of the Word. A competing candidate absolutely should do all he can to win the nomination even if it would seem impossible for him to win, but we should never compromise our witness and our integrity by personally insulting or attempting to demean another competitor who God may be raising up.
Amazing,debates now have come to media circuses,controlled yet by the media,hype and keep the pot stirred,
and apparently so important,world news now not even mentioned!Whats going on around the world,anyway,
everything is the elections,polls,adults acting like kids,and no candidate even mentions the real issues
of our country,solutions,games plans,visions to correct and yes a lot of issues to tackle,not even part of the equasion,just name calling,bickering,hype,and America has sunk to a new low over it all too!
Its so far gone now,the only solution is a national day of Prayer,EVEVYBODY,all faiths,to ask forgiveness as a nation,and come back to God as a nation as once was also.
That takes the courage of our religious on top to make it happen,organize it,do it,unify the agenda,but sadly,
thats another story also,and seems not to be also.
The rich have many friends,the poor only have God as the psalms tell us,and so many poor today especially now the middle class too,and certainly not the old rule,next generation lives better then the one before,as America is supposed to be a chicken in every pot,not Top Ramen at 2 for a buck at the dollar store!
Satan alive and well,mass confusion,division,candidates that act like children,not adults,ego’s galore,
I’m rich,more richer than you attitude,who really cares anyway?
World teethering on the brink,terrorism everywhere,wars going on Media does not even mention,stock market teethering on a collapse,and what do candidates talk about?Size of hands,hair,how successful in buissnes they are,who really cares anyway?
What are they going to do for us,as a nation and for the people too?
Sad,really sad,it has now come to this,only solution is ask forgiveness as a nation,national day of prayer,
and come to back to God!
As happened by design:
1.Abortion now legal
2Gay rights now legal(marriage too)
3.2nd Amendment and gun rights and ownership being trashed and tossed too!
4.Now current,here in NYS a bill being worked on to die as a right,called uthenasia too!(right to die with dignity,and maybe 2 relatives usually kids make a decision to put you down like and animal too at the vets)
Yes folks,the master of deception,lies,hidden evil,very much alive and well today,the ultimate deceviour naed Satan alive and well today,and yes taught too now,Satan does not really exist and he loves that too!All part of his plan,even better!
Pray,pray pray,now more than ever!
Bill Conn
3.
My husband & I were throwing our support behing Dr. Ben Carson. When Dr. Ben endorsed Mr. Trump recently, he was bombarded with criticism… and even the news outlet, Western Journalism, began condemning Carson for endorsing Trump.
I left this comment on the Western Journalism website:
Sadly, I didn’t expect that Western Journalism would leave out all of the Positive comments that followed Dr. Ben’s endorsement of Trump.I was a part of the conversation – so I know there were many, many people who understood why Dr. Ben did what he did in throwing his support behind Trump. Dr. Ben looked over the entire situation of POTUS and chose to support the candidate whose politics more closely aligned w/ our Founders. (and the only one who could stand against a Democratic candidate – whether it is Sanders or Clinton) That man was Mr. Trump, and while I personally do not agree w/ much of Trump’s opinions, I do trust Dr. Ben Carson’s insight and wisdom and prayerful considerations. If he says, ‘Trump is the best candidate to right the wrongs of America’ then I stand with him. (p.s. Dr. Ben Carson for President in 2020?) Prayer of my heart. . .
I have prayed and the Holy Spirit has impressed upon my heart that Trump is God’s choice to lead the U.S. as the next President. That is if this nation is still a nation when the time comes.
Pastor Hagee has some sermons with convincing facts leading to the destruction of democracy, and the formation of a socialist society, with Islamic rule and Obama as the permanent leader of the U.S.