By: Dale Weckbacher
Acts 13:22
And when He had
removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave
testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own
heart, who will do all My will.'
NKJV
Acts 13:22 Eternity records King David a man after God’s
own heart. Under David’s leadership,
Israel did indeed prosper and grew into a great nation. Scripture not only mentions David as a man
after god’s own heart but also promises that an heir of David will continually
be on the throne of Israel on the condition that they follow the Word of God (1Kings 2:1-4). This promise to David
ultimately found fulfillment in Jesus Christ the perfect Lamb of God and coming
King. However, David was also human and
an imperfect man. 2 Samuel 11 records
the low point in David’s rein as King of Israel, his sin of adultery with
Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah.
We must ask how God can remember a man capable of such great sin as a
man after His own heart for sin does not dwell in the heart of God. The answer to the question resides in the
grace of God towards sinful men and women and is not a contradiction in
scripture at all, but a source of great hope.
Romans 3:23 reminds us that we all have sinned and if not
for the grace of God, we all, including David would face certain death (Romans 6:23). Fortunately for us all, our
salvation is not dependent on our own works or accomplishments but is a gift
from God (Ephesians 2:8). The total work
of our salvation was accomplished by the eternal heir to David’s throne, Jesus
Christ, through his death, burial, and resurrection and is therefore available
to us all for the asking (Romans 10:9-10).
If you are reading this and have not already done so, I want to invite
you to take a moment and accept this free gift of salvation from your sins by
praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned and know that the
penalty for my sin is death. I ask you
to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John1:9). I believe you died, was buried,
and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.
Elections in the United States provide an opportunity for
citizens to choose those that will lead them.
Even though we seek a standard of excellence in leadership, perfection
is not possible. However, in elections,
candidates for office are quick to point out improprieties and imperfections in
their opponents in an effort to win a majority of votes. The result of this is negative campaigning
which can actually turn off many voters as they begin judging candidates using
a standard of perfection that no candidate can achieve.
God’s standard for calling David a man after His own heart
was not a standard of perfection on David’s part but instead David possessing a
heart desiring to do all the will of God (Acts 13:22). This heart was demonstrated by David’s swift
repentance after the prophet Nathan revealed his sin to him (2 Samuel 12). I therefore urge voters this election to
support candidates with a godly heart that,
1)
Supports Godly values – This does not
necessarily mean the candidate must be a Christian although that is
preferable in my opinion but that they
vow to fulfill their role of protector of religious freedom as stated in the
first amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
2)
Vows to protect people of faith from attack –
This includes attacks from outside the country as well as attacks from
within. As we look at current events, we
are witnessing the martyring of Christians for their faith in foreign countries. (1) We are also witnessing persecution of
Christians in the United States resulting in the loss of businesses and jobs
due to their faith. (2)
(3) We need leadership in the United States
vowing to control the border of the United States to insure those beheading
Christians in other parts of the world do not come across the border. We also need leadership that will allow
Christians, Jews, and people of other faiths to practice their faiths as long
as it does not threaten the safety of other citizens in the country.
I currently support Ted Cruz in the GOP race for the
nomination to run for President of the United States. Ted Cruz, like all of us, is not perfect but
at this point, I view him as the best candidate to protect the religious, as
well as the other liberties of citizens in the United States. However, if Ted Cruz fails to earn the
nomination, I will not pout and stay home and instead give my support to the
candidate left that will best support the religious liberties of citizens of
the country.
These elections, instead of using a standard of perfection,
a standard reserved only for Jesus the Son of God, let us use the standard
or excellence similar to the standard used by God for David.
1. Blair, Leonardo. ISIS 'Systematically
Beheading Children' in Iraq; They Are 'Killing Every Christian They See,' Says
Chaldean Leader. www.christianpost.com. [Online] The Christian Post,
August 10, 2014. [Cited: August 14, 2014.]
http://www.christianpost.com/news/isis-systematically-beheading-children-in-iraq-they-are-killing-every-christian-they-see-says-chaldean-leader-124594/.
2. Smith, Samuel.
Oregon christian Bakers Ordered to Pay $135K After Refusing to Work Gay
Wedding; Told to Stop Speaking About 'ObeyGod, Not Man'. www.christianpost.com.
[Online] The Christian Post, July 3, 2015. [Cited: August 26, 2015.]
www.christianpost.com/news/oregon-christian-bakers-ordered-to-pay-135k-after-refusing-to-work-gay-wedding-told-to-stop-speaking-about-obeying-god-now-man-141137/.
3. Hannity, Sean.
Was Mozilla CEO Ousted For Stance on Gay Marriage. nation.fox.com. [Online]
Fox News, April 8, 2014. [Cited: August 26, 2015.]
http://nation.foxnews.com/2014/04/08/was-mozilla-ceo-ousted-stance-gay-marriage.
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