Blog Post No. 29 - Reading Time: 4:45

With what happened over the weekend I feel I have to respond in some way. Most of my church knows at length my views on Christianity and politics. However, in this instance wrong is wrong, no matter what your political views are. There may be some radicals who would have liked to see Donald Trump dead. I know there are others who would gleefully like to see him in jail, but that’s entirely different than someone trying to assassinate him.

Wallowing in Words

I know this week they will make many posts and news lines about this incident. Also many will pour over every bit of video and news articles they can find to postulate their view and guide their comments. For me, I probably won’t go into that depth. So please refrain from asking. Sadly to say its nothing new in our country, nor in our politics, nor in our society as a whole.

I thank God Donald Trump was not killed. My heart and prayers go out to the innocent bystander and his family who was just attending a peaceful political rally. It cost him his life! I also pray for the recovery of those who were injured.

We Need To Wake Up

In addition to that, I pray that we wake up and realize that hate simply fosters more hate until we descend into violence. Violence and distrust towards those who govern us only leads to rebellion. This was the mode of operation for 400 years when the Israelites took the Promised Land under Joshua. Everyone “did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6 and 21:25).

As a result we have an extremely divided country ripe for revolution. Study history and you will see all the hallmarks of it in our country today. Other countries know this and are watching closely how this will play out among the American population. For me, I refer to what the Bible warns us about:

“If a house is divided against itself,
 that house cannot stand.”

Mark 3:25 (NIV)

It’s Just More Of The Same

However, if we will seek God and pray (and turn from these wicked ways) he will heal our land. God’s eyes today are not on our political system or the man on the street. Nor is he pouring over everything that is being said. His eyes are on the church. Like back in 2001 and the attack on the Twin Towers in Manhattan, many turned to the church to glean their response. Will we give the proper response? Will we provide what people really need? Will we provide compassion, understanding, and love? Or will we even give a unified response?

I feel the church as a whole is just growing numb to it all. Numb and dumb. Not only do we not feel like dealing with it all, we’ve lost our ability to make a difference because we are ignorant of the ways of the Lord. We no longer seem equipped to respond to the hurting in the world, nor the rising violence we see each day. We seem to have forgotten the answer to it all. Instead we have joined the fray and fight with the same weapons the world does—“fine sounding arguments.” (Colossians 2:4)

Deep Divisions, Even In The Church

I imagine the church’s response to all of this will be as divided as the society in which we live. Like in the book of Judges, we will respond with what seems right in our own eyes and gets us what we want. Getting what you want in today’s world seems more important than getting what is right. Why? Because apart from the authority of God’s Word there is no absolute right and wrong anymore.

Other than this mandatory blog response today, I will probably leave the analysis to those who have the time to spend to dig deep into the things surrounding Saturday’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump—adding words to words until none of it has any meaning.

Again, for me, it is much simpler than what others purport it to be. We have a nation that needs Jesus like never before. God save us from ourselves.

There is a song you might listen to. It’s called Honestly, We Just Need Jesus by Terrian.

Note these few lyrics from the song:

“I got a front row seat to the madness,

I pick up my phone every mornin' out of habit,

I've been fiendin' for the drama, yeah, I said it,

I'm addicted to the rush, need a medic.

When I take a step back, I can see it,

All the pain, all the fear we've been feelin’,

Losin' sight of the thing that we're needin’,

That we're needin’.

Honestly, I think we just need Jesus.”

That’s a good response from me too. I think we just need Jesus.

Until next Monday, may the Lord bless you! Pray for us!

Pastor Brian Jenkins

Calvary Assemblies of God

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