America's Holy Experiment: A Democratic Republic

In May of 2016, I was invited by Bishop Harry Jackson to come to a meeting of Evangelical Leaders at the Marriott in New York City to meet with, then presidential candidate, Donald Trump.  Like most, I was highly skeptical about his campaign and wondered what on earth was God up to. As I listened and observed I quietly knew in my heart that I was looking at the next President Of The United States. This was a private moment for me personally and not something I was keen to share with others.  I just knew I needed to pray because God was doing something in our midst that had deeper ramifications than an election of a Manhattan Businessman. Shortly afterwards I shared what I believed God had shown me with a personal group of Intercessors who pray for me regularly. They were appalled to say the least that I would even suggest such that Donald Trump would become the President Of The United States, however, they agreed to pray about it. Certainly, what God was doing would be a significantly different focus than the work of President Obama. President Obama shared in a final interview with American Television Journalist Tom Brokaw, that he wanted to be remembered for having started a national conversation on race. This important work is our responsibility and still ongoing. All I can say is I believe that was God's intent to ensure we get the heart of our nation right.

A number of years ago, I had met privately with Reverend Dr. Jeremiah Wright who was President and Mrs. Obama's pastor for over 20+ years.  During my conversation with Dr. Wright he shared with me that one of President Obama's stated goals was to begin to open up a much needed national conversation on race to begin the work of healing the racial divide.  However, he believed that work was hijacked by "money interests" that were behind the President's election. "Just follow the money trail," explained Dr. Wright. He went onto explain to me that while those who had worked so hard to put President Obama in office were off celebrating "the work of healing our national divide" got circumvented by "corporate interests." Dr. Wright went onto to say to me, "Son, you need to understand, before he was elected he was selected." This was the first time I became aware that unseen "powers in high places" were really at work.  The Bible says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in HIGH PLACES..." (Eph. 6:12) But, let me assure you God has given us all the necessary resources to "pull down those strongholds." In this season, God is at work reminding us that we have a democratic-republic that "WE THE PEOPLE" which means "ALL THE PEOPLE" are responsible to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States. We cannot just sit back and hand over our authority and responsibility to an administrative state, oligarchy, elected officials or political party and just trust them to do their jobs. In my own personal perspective "it's not what you expect but what you inspect; which is why we need to hold our duly elected representatives accountable. It's our job to ensure that our government does our bidding not their own agenda.

II Cor. 10:4-6 (TPT) says, "For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide. We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish  any trace of rebellion, as soon as you choose complete obedience.”

Another important scripture that we need to keep in mind is Ephesians 3:10 (DRB) which says that God's intent is "That the manifold wisdom of God may be made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places through the church.  But most of us don't get this or we are so self deluded to think that we have the wisdom to address these principalities and powers on our own. The church is not the wisdom of God but rather is the vehicle God has chosen to reveal His wisdom to the governing authorities.  In order to be a part of this work, we actually need to know what God's perspective is on these matters. We need to be above the "political parties" and not get engulfed in their partisan perspectives. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow comes down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." We need to know God's perspective and not rely on our own or others.

Even though we live in a time of political spite. As "Followers Of Jesus" we have a few more considerations from the scriptures that we need to keep in mind.  Romans 13:1 states, "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." It's important to understand in our form of government The governing authority we have established is a "National Covenant" called the US Constution. "We The People" collectively choose "Leadership" to represent us. The Apostle Paul wrote during the days of the Roman Empire, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” This is good, and pleases God our Savior…” (1 Timothy 2:1-3)  Romans 13:2 goes on to say, “Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”  So, our first responsibility as Christians is to “PRAY” and then “OBEY.” Lest we forget, Paul wrote these words under the reign of King Nero, a fellow historically much more difficult to live under than any president in America’s history.  In my own personal perspective, once an election has been completed and our chosen leadership has taken office we are called as the people of God to pray for our leaders and obey our constitutional agreement, laws and statues and work for the good of our communities (which means to “work to improve” them).

Jeremiah 29:7

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Anyone who has read the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures knows that God’s people are called to live in the community He has placed us (See Acts 17:26) whether it was in Babylon, Persia, Greek or Roman empires.  Our scriptures emerged from these time periods with the same focus outlined above. Rest assured God is still on his throne and watching, judging, and making decisions based on our responses and what He thinks we deserve or need.  As they say, we get what we ask for or deserve. In First Samuel 8:1-4 explains, "So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” Our nation is now at a moment in history that will either preserve our form of government or soon find itself with a completely different type of government. Ultimately, God will determine what we get just as He did in ancient Israel's history whether we are Christians or nones.

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to live in the United States Of America live in a democratic-republic. We do not live in a democracy. We live in a participatory form of government that is filled with tension, disagreement, and was designed for dissent to be honored. We live with three branches of government designed for debate and partisan expressions. This was the form of government that God instituted for us as Americans. As Christians, we need to learn the principals and values that uphold our nation's future in a way that protects, defends and preserves the opportunities our parents, grandparents, and past generations gave us unless we decide together we want to change our form of government. We also have a right to oust the government if necessary when an unelected administrative state attempts to overthrow our constitutional rights and enforce a different form of government on us without our consent. This is why we have a second amendment. However, our first priority as Christians is to align ourselves with God's perspective and priorities which can only be known through much study, prayer and discernment. A revolutionary prophet named Micah exhorted the people that God's demands are clear and simple: “He has told thee, man, what is good, and what God requires of thee: only to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8) which is the opposite spirit of political spite and undermining the constitutional authorities that have governed our lives for the last 240+ years.