Saturday, September 13, 2008

Sarah Palin

On August 29, 2008, Senator and Presidential candidate John McCain announced that his choice for Vice Presidential running mate was Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. Amidst a crowd of excited Republicans on September 3, 2008, Mrs. Sarah Palin accepted the nomination for Vice Presidential candidate. The crowd roared with excitement, and by my opinion, she made an excellent speech…perfect for the situation.

I am so glad Sarah Palin is against abortion. I am so glad Sarah Palin knows how to cut an overspending governmental budget. I am so glad Sarah Palin sold the governor’s jet on ebay to cut spending. I am so glad Sarah Palin holds that marriage is only for a man and a woman. I am so glad that Sarah Palin seeks to deny benefits to homosexual couples. I am so glad Sarah Palin encourages small business growth by reducing business taxes. I am so glad Sarah Palin is strong against crime. I am so glad that Sarah Palin desires that public schools teach Creationism along side of evolution. I am so glad Sarah Palin supports private schools and home schooling. I am so glad Sarah Palin believes “Under God” should still be in our pledge of allegiance. I am so glad Sarah Palin seeks that our nation provide more of its own oil resources. I am so glad Sarah Palin seeks to be a friend of special need children. I am so glad Sarah Palin supports the right to bear arms and seeks to protect that right. I am so glad Sarah Palin believes health care should be ‘market and business driven.’ I am so glad Sarah Palin supports our troops and homeland security. I am so glad Sarah Palin said “The Bible has profoundly influenced America.” I am so glad Sarah Palin seeks to cut taxes and not increase them.

Then again, I could say all the same about my wife (except the selling the jet thing)…she stands for the same things. Difference is, she is at home being “discreet, chaste, keeper(s) at home, good, obedient to their (her) own husband(s), that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:5. The “( )” added by me to make the sentence make more sense.

The reason I write this is not to influence anyone on how to vote, but to express my concern for my nation. It is no secret that the “lesser of two evils” mentality was there amongst our stripe when talking about the 2008 election. Now, with the introduction of Sarah Palin, I hear so much excitement about someone who “believes like we do” from folks I love and respect in the ministry. While I do appreciate what she believes in, I find it disheartening where our nation is today. Isaiah 3 speaks about the chastening of the Lord upon a nation that turns it back on Him. Part of that punishment is that the Lord will remove male leadership (vs. 1-3) and according to verse 12 “Children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.”

Then I was thrown the excuse that Deborah was a lady used of God in a leadership position. I would remind friends of the deplorable state Israel was in at that time. Again, we see that as a nation turned its back on God, punishment followed and in this case again a woman was in leadership. Just because things happened in the Bible does not mean that it was what God intends for His people. Israel worshipped Baal, the people threw their children into the fire, David committed adultery, Solomon had many wives, Peter cursed. That doesn’t mean it was right for us to do. The story of Deborah exactly backs up my point.

Again, I am not suggesting who to vote for. I am not saying Sarah Palin is a tool of the Devil. I am just saying that for us as Christians we should be able to look around us and see events like the naming of Sarah Palin and fall to our knees. Our nation is in trouble. Sin is rampant. The God-ordained leadership is being removed. We must, as God’s people, humble ourselves, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways; then God will hear from heaven, and will forgive our sin, and will heal our land.

8 comments:

Sherri said...

My sentiments exactly. I always laugh when people throw the "lesser of two evils" phrase around, too.

Evil is evil.

The standard should always be, not what is basically accepted as "right" in the majority of "decent people's" eyes, but what is acceptable in God's eyes. There is a vast difference between the two. My heart trembles just thinking about it.

Regarding Deborah, I find it interesting how people take the Bible and so conveniently claim that it says what they want it to say. In truth the text makes a big deal out of the fact that the men thought it was a shame to allow a woman to hold such a position of leadership. There is no argument that God did indeed use Deborah, that she did her job extremely well, but that is precisely what brought shame to the nation of Israel. That was the point. Deborah was aware that this was the case and warned the men about it. It's not a question of effectiveness; of course women can do most men's jobs. It's about God having reasons for the standards of leadership He has established, and about us respecting them. The bottom line is that it is contrary to God's plan.

"It is never right to do wrong in order to get a chance to do right."

I'm not trying to tell people how to vote. My job is to pray and follow my husband's lead. That is my role. It is the most and at the same time the least that I can do. God is not limited by man. He can take anything and make something beautiful out of it against everything that we ever thought we knew.

Unknown said...

Thank you Bro. Travis!!!!
This is exactly what I meant the other day when I posted....I AM CONFUSED!!! It amazes me at how many Christians are excited about the direction we are headed as a nation.
I could not have said it better myself(but I wanted to), That is why I am not called to preach. YOU ARE!
PRAISE THE LORD.
I will be sending many viewers to this blog.
Thank you for taking the time to put your thoughts into words. AMEN!

Anonymous said...

So I am confused. I understand the whole "man in authority" issue. However are you saying that Sarah Palin would NEVER be used by the Lord? Isn't she more of a "help meet" as a vice president? While you are not saying who to vote for, you are not giving us another legitimate choice either. Obama is definitely a "no" in my mind and the republican party is the only other party that has a chance to make it. Other parties just steal votes away and let the democrats win usually. My guy Mr Huckabee was out a long time ago. So other than prayer what are you really suggesting?

Travis Burke said...

Thanks for all the comments...
Concerning Anonymous...
I never said Mrs. Palin could never be used of the Lord, as Deborah was definitely used of the Lord. What I am saying is this: when a nation is turning its back on the Lord, a sign of its Divine punishment is that "a woman will lead them."
The only point of this post is to open our eyes as Christians to the state of our nation and that we need to pray and confess the sins of our nation.
Concerning who to vote for: I am a pastor and with all the laws I could get introuble using my "power of persuasion" to get people to vote. I probably could get away with it on a blog, but I don't take chances.
I do not agree that a vote for anyone apart from Democrat and Republican is wasting your vote. At one time, the Republican party was looked upon as a third party to the democrats and whigs. I agree that Huckabee was a tremendous choice. There are others out there that seem to be interesting to look into. Look at Obama, McCain, Chuck Baldwin, Nader, etc.
I believe we ought to vote for the best man no matter what party he belongs to. While we will have to deal with the choice of our nation in this election, I believe we will stand before God on how WE voted. The crowd that says a vote for anyone other than McCain is a wasted vote would then have to vote for McCain if say...Jesus was running. For Jesus would never get enough votes (the whole church state thing). I know it is a silly illustration, but that philosophy does not work. Vote for the best man...you never know...that man may get just enough votes to be able to make a serious run in 2012.
Point of the post...Pray for our nation!!

Anonymous said...

You could also say, I'm so glad Sarah Palin doesn't even know what the Bush Doctrine is, I'm so glad Sarah Palin has less experience than Obama, etc.

I know that homosexuality is wrong, but why does the government have the right to say a marriage is between a man and woman. God can say that, but the state is not ruled by God, we are not a theocracy. Why should homosexuals not get the same tax benefits as heterosexuals? Because they are living in sin? And I'm sure us gluttonous, prideful Baptists (I include myself) are perfect and holy in every way. Maybe we should work on getting rid of fast food restaraunts as well, since those cause gluttony, oh, but no let's focus on the things we feel the most bigoted towards like homosexual's. Yes, they are sinning, but so do I, everyday. This isn't to say they do not need Christ, they most definitely need Christ and to see that what they are doing is wrong. But is it really helping the cause of Christ to say that they ruin the sanctity of marriage but we aren't protesting divorce attorney's or adulterers? It just seems very hypocritical to me.

These are honest questions. I am not trying to argue or anything, just curious.

Anonymous said...

Just want you to know the first Sarah Palin question from "anonymous" (Sept 20th, 8:01)was me, not the same person who did the 2nd anonymous post.
I definitely agree that prayer for the nation is needed!

I am still voting for McCain/Palin.
Before reading your blog I had already considered the woman in power position problem biblically as I am a Ind. Baptist and was taught under Bro Wayne Burke too. I really don't like Obama though.

Pray, Pray, Pray....

Anonymous said...

As the second anonymous poster, I also agree that prayer for the nation is needed, but I find some views of the republican party(as well as some of the democratic party) to be extremely biased and leaning towards a certain belief. Why do Christians always fight for their country to be ran as a Christian nation, and then call it a democracy. God is in control, and if Obama gets in, or Nader or some other random candidate then so be it, God is in control and He has ultimately chosen that candidate to run our nation. If, God forbid, Palin gets anywhere near the oval office, I fear that things are only going to get worse. This isn't to say I think Obama/Biden are going to straighen us out, but what I am saying is that no matter what God is in control and I know he doesn't want me living in fear of muslums, homosexuals, atheists, evolutionists, or terrorists, because He is the deciding factor. It is not my place to condemn, that's God's job, I believe we Christians should be starting a dialouge with these people and lovingly telling them about the Lord not condemning them. Yes we should tell them about hell and about sin, but we shouldn't talk about it from a standpoint of heresay, we need to let them know the to be a Christian isn't to be perfect, but to be forgiven.

I know that was a big mess, sorry, I'm just unraveling from a long day. I do enjoy the blog, and though I don't always agree I find the posts insightful and informative.

Travis Burke said...

We shall move on today...but I will respond for you.
#1...I don't promote "protesting" against homosexuality or divorce lawyers or fast food restaurants and anything else you may have brought up. I do preach what God's Word says about all of those, and how we should live in light of those things around us. I recently preached on sins of addictions "including ho-hos and cupcakes." We are going to challenge our church to care for our temples by losing some weight. You are right that no one is perfect, but that does not release us from the obligation to preach the truth. Peter cursed and then said, "Repent" (Acts 2:38) Paul said that he was (1 Tim. 1:15)chief of sinners. Present tense. But he condemned sin when confronted with it. Here is where the problem is...There is a difference between people who battle sin, see it and seek forgiveness and victory and people who see their sin, and don't want to change, and use the excuse, "Well you are a sinner to" Should we continue in sin that grace should abound...GOD FORBID. Yep, you got me, I see at times, I sin...and I try to fall on my face and ask forgiveness and seek the Lord's help for victory.
#2..."Why do Christians always fight for thier nation to be ran as a Christian nation?" Answer: Because we were founded as a nation under God with Christian principles. That is what our nation was founded upon and those same principles are worth fighting for. Our founding fathers knew that "Blessed is a nation whose God is the Lord." Any study of American history and documents can see that fact.
#3..."I believe we Christians should be starting a dialouge with these people and lovingly telling them about the Lord not condemning them. Yes we should tell them about hell and about sin, but we shouldn't talk about it from a standpoint of heresay, we need to let them know the to be a Christian isn't to be perfect, but to be forgiven." I couldn't agree more about going out and telling people of the love of God...and do it at least twice a week outside my daily walk which I try to do at all times. Now concerning the Muslim and terrorist...its hard to start a dialogue with someone who will shoot you when you tell them you are a Christian outside this nation. I have witnessed to Muslims, Homosexuals, and good ole boys, and prison inmates, and Mormons, etc. Concerning "not condemning them." I would ask you to read my "Grace and Truth" post. You contradict yourself if saying we need to be telling them about being forgiven. How can you be forgiven if you first don't ask forgiveness for what you are doing wrong. I don't condemn the terrorist, homosexual, Muslim, rapist, murderer, drunken glutton, etc. I do tell them about Jesus and His love for them and His holiness which condemns them as it did me. I don't condemn, the Truth condemns and you can't find forgiveness without realizing the truth.
Lastly..you are right in that no matter who will be in office, God is in charge. But that does not release us from our obligation to pray and participate in our government. We should vote for the best man...we should run for office is able...we must pray! Again, the point of the post was and is: a woman in leadership shows God's disapproval of the spiritual state of a nation. We need to pray for our nation. Thats the point of the post.
Thanks for all the participation and I feel we all share the burden for our nation.