Finding Truth in the Chaos -Episode 26

In this episode Gigi tackles one of the top taboo topics- politics!  If you or someone you know is struggling with how to make sense of the political landscape and who to vote for this message is for you!    Wisdom and discernment are the guides and the call to action is now! Understanding that silence and inaction are consent!  

 Resources Mentioned:

 MessengerX app (which is free) 

 Thinqmedia  - https://thinqmedia.com/

 Gabe Lyons- https://www.gabelyons.com/

 Substack.com (I just listened to an interesting video titled Can American Politics be Unbroken.)- https://bit.ly/4evIxcf

 Divine Disclosures- https://www.divinedisclosures.com/

 Americas Digital Shield- https://americasdigitalshield.com

 Scripture(s): 

Galatians 6:7-8

Colossians 2:2-4

John 4:1-6

 Suggested Worship Songs- “Waymaker-See A Victory” by Anthony Evans;  “Psalm 51-Wisdom in the Secret Place” by Shane & Shane 

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Transcript

Aloha Ladies. Welcome Back. 

 Today, I’m going to tackle a very touchy subject. If you've listened to my podcast before, you know that I routinely speak on religious topics, so I guess there shouldn't be any real surprise that God's pressed upon my heart to talk about politics. These are the two very subjects that everybody says we need to stay away from and trust, I’d love to stay silent.  Yet a very dear friend of mine encouraged me to talk about it on this podcast because, frankly, she's been struggling to make heads or tails of this political landscape and needs some guidance and clarity from someone that she trusts. Honestly, I really wish I had the perfect answer. I wish Jesus was on that election ballot, and then the choice would very clear and easy. Unfortunately, we know that that is not the case, and we are all facing the daunting task of choosing this November.

 First, I'm not here to tell you who to vote for. No, I want to encourage you and give you some guidance. We've all been given a voice, and if you are a Christ follower, Scripture tells us that we are called to be salt and light to the world-  so our voice should be a Biblical one, and our actions should match.   It's foolishness for us to pray for righteousness and holiness and then vote for wickedness and evil. Worse yet, there are stats out there that 60% of Evangelical Christians aren't even registered to vote- which means we are allowing the ungodly to determine the direction and future of our country!   

 Folks- silence and inaction are effectively consent!   We cannot be silent and we cannot be inactive!

 Now, we are also called to love- so please hear me… ugliness and divisiveness should not be in our vocabulary. Share your heart yes, but, if others don't agree- then agree to disagree and love anyway!    We genuinely need unity and love in this country but that doesn't mean we compromise our Biblical values and integrity.  

 With all that said, what should we do as Christians as November approaches?   

 First, We need to understand that this isn't about us or our feelings. It’s not about your personal opinions, values, desires, or thoughts—No, rather, it should be about God's!    Scripture tells us: Galatians 6:7-8: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”  We should strive to please God and seek His will in all things.  Above our flesh and our feelings. 

 Therefore, voting should never be about your feelings, especially feelings of dislike or hatred on a personal level.  And I know that that's super hard because we are emotional creatures, and most of the time, emotions dictate and rule us. Voting should be about wisdom and discernment! 

 I'm just gonna be very frank with you: I have never cared for Donald Trump, and when he was up for election in that very first go-round, I didn't like either of the prominent candidates. I wanted to sit that one out and not vote at all, but my aunt challenged me, and I voted for Donald Trump primarily because he wasn't a career politician and he promised change. I hated hearing him speak and I simply waited it out and waited to see what he would do with this country. Much to my surprise, I couldn’t deny that he accomplished some great things. We had a more robust economy and a stronger position in foreign affairs, our borders were not overrun, and we were not sending our military out in unnecessary wars! As much as I disliked him as a person, I could not deny that he is an amazing businessman and he can build empires! 

 So here we are again with two major candidates that illicit strong feelings in both directions. But we need to rise above our feelings and use wisdom and discernment in making our selections. Colossians 2:2-4 says, “I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery -- Christ. In him, all are hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am saying this so no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable.” 

 Secondly, you need to educate yourself, and this one is tricky! Why? Because there are so many falsehoods and deceptions, it is almost impossible to decipher what is true and false. If you are getting information from the media- that's your first mistake. Heck, general internet searching is just as bad. I just recently learned about "ephemeral experiences" this is where Big Tech uses platforms like Google to push content such as search results, video recommendations, etc., all to influence our thinking.   In fact, in 2022, The Digital Shield project was developed and can now not only track this type of content and practices but also can capture and archive it for legal and legislation purposes.   Proof that content is being pushed to influence and manipulate not only voters but our children!   You can check it out for yourself at https://americasdigitalshield.com/.  

 So, where to turn?     

 Some reliable resources are out there, which I've linked in my show notes for the ease of access.  

 Some that I have found are: 

  MessengerX app (which is free)

 “Thinqmedia.com” -the word Think but with a Q at the end.

 GabeLyons.com

 Substack.com (I just listened to an interesting video titled “Can American Politics be Unbroken”- speaking on our tendency to vote based purely on our likes and dislikes and shedding light on the progressive and conservate labels- and it’s not what you would think!) 

 Divinedisclosures.com

 Americas Digital Shield that I mentioned above. 

 I'm sure there are others, so please do your own research but ensure that what you are taking in comes from a reliable source- and I would go so far as to say do NOT listen to any source that refuses to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.   And I say this because Scripture tells us- that we should not unquestioningly accept things without considering the source. 

 1 John 4:1-6 says: 

 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”  (Spirit of Deception.) 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention this..  to date, I have not been able to find anywhere that Kamala Harris professes Jesus is Lord, God in the flesh.   She has a multi-faith background, raised with Hindu and Baptist influences, and is now married to a Jewish man.   Now, just because someone has religious influence and professes or acknowledges that Jesus was a great prophet and may even quote his teachings, this is NOT the same as believing and professing that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.   Because of many of her positions on certain social topics, I must question her moral foundation.  She appears to me to be more of a chameleon – easily changeable to fit the worldly narrative.  Thus, I am inclined to doubt her sentiments of "truth." 

Let's face it, neither of these candidates are perfect. Lord knows Trump has issues as well!   But, deception is real and Jesus tells us to be on guard and careful that no man (or woman) would deceive us.    

 Right about now, I'm sure you feel like throwing your hands up and saying, "Enough! This is all way too complicated."  If that's you, here's my final piece of advice.  Take your top three most important issues and focus and research just those, and then ask yourself these questions: 

 “Where does God stand on this issue?”  

 “What does the Bible have to say on the topic?”  

 “How would Jesus react to this situation?”

 “Would God support this practice?” 

 Then, see which candidate more closely aligns with the answers -God's answers.    

 That's how you can, with a good conscience, say I sought out wisdom, and this is how the Lord leads me in this crucial decision.  Not your feelings, not what some celebrity or news reporter says,  and not even your family's party allegiance.   

 Wisdom and discernment have spoken.   

 Finally, commit to working through the political process to effect change. That means VOTE and vote for the representative who is more aligned with what God has to say on the important matters.   

 I mean how can we affect change? How can we be the salt and light of the world if we sit back and we don’t even cast our vote?   If you are over the age of 18 and you are a citizen of the United States of America, not only do you have a duty, but it's a privilege to be able to vote! So many countries are not afforded this privilege, so don't waste it! 

 I also feel like I need to address one last point.. because our American political system has been dominated for so many years by two prominent parties, we indeed only have two choices. It might make you feel good, but you accomplish nothing by voting for a candidate with no real chance of winning.   I say this with sadness as I would have loved to seen Robert Kennedy Jr. as a real contender.   Oh, the irony of two powerful Democrats now aligning together under the Republican platform.   Who in the world would have ever thought it?   (Little side note: Trump was historically a Democrat and supported the democratic party, he was even a registered Democrat, from August 2001 through September 2009.)  So, my investigative side must question why these two (Trump & RJK Jr.) have decided to switch parties. Hmmm?)    

 Anyway, I digress.  

 Before I close, I want to end with a prayer for discernment, as I believe the most important thing we can do is pray for this nation and pray that every person eligible to vote will have God's wisdom and discernment over them so that they can see clearly who will be best to lead this country in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.   This prayer comes from Divine Disclosures. 

 Gracious Heavenly Father,

 I come to You asking that you would pour out greater discernment over this country. Your Word says that if any of us lacks wisdom, we should ask You, who gives generously to all without finding fault. Lord, life is filled with choices, and I desire wisdom for all voters to make decisions that align with Your will. Give us a discerning heart and mind. Help us to see situations, people, and opportunities through Your eyes.

 Holy Spirit, You know all truth. Reveal any lies or deception meant to distort our understanding. Expose falsehoods masquerading as wisdom. Grant us clarity to know the difference between Your voice and all others. Silence the conflicting opinions of this world so we can hear Your still, small voice more clearly.

 Teach us to test our spirits against the truth of Scripture to recognize what is from You. Guard us from being swayed by flashy appearances or charming words. Give us discernment to know good from evil, right from wrong, helpful from harmful. Show us when to move forward and when to refrain from action.

 Lord, I acknowledge that apart from You and Your Spirit of wisdom, we are prone to misunderstandings and poor judgment. We simply cannot discern rightly on our own. I declare that this country fully depends on Your grace for clear direction. Enable us to walk wisely in Your ways, discerning the path that leads to life and truth and sincerely glorifies You. Help us, Holy Spirit, to select the candidate that you approve, and may that person lead with a humble heart that is bowed to your sovereign grace. 

 I pray for discernment with a humble heart, surrendering our limited vision. Open our eyes to behold wondrous truths from Your Word. We trust you, Lord—you are faithful to all your promises and loving towards your creation. Our hope and future rest securely in you alone. In the beautiful name of Jesus Christ, the living Word and Messiah.  

Amen.

 Ladies- Be salt and light & vote in agreement with God's values and principles.   As for me and my house, well, we've done our due diligence and will be voting for the party that has already successfully demonstrated four years of effective leadership with an economy that was strong, food and gas prices were low, our borders were being fortified, and our rights under the Constitution were better protected. We still don't like them personally but, believe their words and past actions on issues that are important to us have aligned closer to the Lord's.   You know what? Should our candidate not win.   It's gonna be OK because we know our God reigns and He always works everything out for the good of His children.   And if you disagree, may we agree to disagree and love each other anyway!