ABILENE, Tex. (BNc) — One Texas preacher isn’t afraid to tackle the hard question of citizenship and voting as a part of the Christian faith.
Coach-turned-preacher Chris McCurley, of the Oldham Lane congregation, chose to give weight to the question of morality, specifically, abortion and homosexual marriage, when voting for a presidential candidate.
Though Chris doesn’t name a candidate, he did give specific examples of morality gone bad in America, in an article published today on his weblog, “Life in the Light.”
David and Tonia Parker, Massachusetts residents, share the story of how their child, who had just entered kindergarten, came home one day from school with a “diversity book bag.” In this book bag was a book entitled Who’s in a Family by Robert Scutch, which introduces children to same sex households. Angered by this, the Parkers went to the school and requested that notification be sent out before sending materials like this home. They also requested to be notified when this topic was going to be taught in class so that they could keep their child at home on that day. The Parkers were told, by the administrators, that this was not a parent notification issue and that any adult within the school could talk about same sex marriage at any time with a child.
Why the emphasis on the “weightier matters” of morals? “It is a problem that many Christians are driven by their pocketbooks rather than their faith,” Chris wrote.
From the issue of voting Chris moved to more effective means of national influence, as he shifted from the immediate concern of elections to broader truths about God and the church’s mission.
Ultimately, here is a truth we must cling to and never forget: God is in charge! He is in charge of the rulers of all nations and He establishes their domain and habitation. Therefore, pray for our leaders and pray for our country. The most effective way to influence the direction of our nation is through fervent prayer, the practice of righteousness, and the preaching of the gospel.
After a survey of the Biblical injunctions to obey government authorities and of national leadership from the Old Testament, Chris closed his 3,417-word article with this emphasis.
The more we evangelize and convert sinners to Christ, the more His influence will spread and dominate the communities in which we live. The parable of the leaven teaches this very principle (Mt. 13:33ff).
Pray, practice righteousness and preach the gospel! These are the things that truly make a difference. These are the things that matter most!
The article can be read in its entirety at this link.
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