Sen. Lankford: If Christians Don’t Vote, ‘We Abdicate’ Leadership to Those Not in the Church
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) (AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) – Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told attendees at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference on Friday that if Christians sit out of the presidential election, they “abdicate” leadership to those who are not in the church.
“It’s amazing to me the number of Christians that step back and say, ‘You know what, it really doesn’t make a difference. It’s one vote. It’s tiring. It’s a long line. I'm mad at this candidate or this candidate, and so I’m just not going to vote.’
“It’s amazing to me the number of Christians that step back and say, ‘You know what, it really doesn’t make a difference. It’s one vote. It’s tiring. It’s a long line. I'm mad at this candidate or this candidate, and so I’m just not going to vote.’
Well I’ll tell you what, that is a sure sign of watching God just be removed from any kind of influence in Washington, D.C.
If we as the church fail to step up and vote, we abdicate all of that leadership to everyone else who’s not in the church,” he said.
“The church has a responsibility to step up and make sure our voices are heard. The church has the responsibility to step up and say our task is our task,” Lankford added.
Lankford said he is concerned that at times the church looks to the government to take care of those in need. He said there are a record number of federal employees working for the federal government, and the federal budget is at a record high.
“You know what, we have 4.1 million federal employees now – the highest number of federal employees in the history of the government. Our federal budget is over $4 trillion – the highest budget that it’s ever been in the history of the government. How’s that working out for us?” he asked.
“You know what would be a simple solution? Maybe a simple solution is to say maybe the church needs to step up and be the church again and to actually do what we are called to do,” Lankford said, and he challenged the church to mentor young families and adopt or foster children.
“Government’s not a great solution for family – churches are. If churches were to lean in and say, ‘I’m going to mentor young families so we don’t see the divorce rate that we have.’
Lankford said he is concerned that at times the church looks to the government to take care of those in need. He said there are a record number of federal employees working for the federal government, and the federal budget is at a record high.
“You know what, we have 4.1 million federal employees now – the highest number of federal employees in the history of the government. Our federal budget is over $4 trillion – the highest budget that it’s ever been in the history of the government. How’s that working out for us?” he asked.
“You know what would be a simple solution? Maybe a simple solution is to say maybe the church needs to step up and be the church again and to actually do what we are called to do,” Lankford said, and he challenged the church to mentor young families and adopt or foster children.
“Government’s not a great solution for family – churches are. If churches were to lean in and say, ‘I’m going to mentor young families so we don’t see the divorce rate that we have.’
We have 400,000 children in the foster care system right now. If every church were to adopt one child or to have one foster family in their church – one foster family – we would solve the foster care issue in our nation,” he said.
“There are very specific ways the church can step up and lead in this, and we are at our best when we actually do that. You see, we don’t believe that government is the final solution.
“There are very specific ways the church can step up and lead in this, and we are at our best when we actually do that. You see, we don’t believe that government is the final solution.
We actually believe in crazy verses like Psalms 121: ‘I look my eyes up towards the mountains.’ There’s a hill higher than Capitol Hill,” Lankford said.
“‘Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.’
We get the bigger picture here.
It’s not Capitol Hill as the pinnacle spot.
We understand that there’s something bigger, but we also understand there’s not only a right thing to do, there’s a right way to do it,” he added.
“Family, let me tell you one of the challenges the church has and what we have as Christians. We get drawn into the siren song of the angry voices, and we assume that’s the way we’re going to make a difference,” Lankford said.
“Peter wrote to a church in a very Pagan society, and he said to them, ‘I challenge you to be aliens and strangers in this world, to live such good lives among the Gentiles that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good works and glorify God on the day that he visits us,’ and then he said, here are five ideas of how you can stand out in the crowd: number one, honor authority,” Lankford said.
“You want to make a difference in our community, we do politics in a different way.
“Family, let me tell you one of the challenges the church has and what we have as Christians. We get drawn into the siren song of the angry voices, and we assume that’s the way we’re going to make a difference,” Lankford said.
“Peter wrote to a church in a very Pagan society, and he said to them, ‘I challenge you to be aliens and strangers in this world, to live such good lives among the Gentiles that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good works and glorify God on the day that he visits us,’ and then he said, here are five ideas of how you can stand out in the crowd: number one, honor authority,” Lankford said.
“You want to make a difference in our community, we do politics in a different way.
We stand up for what’s right, and we honor authority at the same time we’re doing it.
The whole world will look at us and say, ‘Why do you do that?’ And it gives us the opportunity to be able to present truth,” he added.
“We are not consumed with being the angriest.
“We are not consumed with being the angriest.
We’re consumed with being what’s right and doing God’s work God’s way, and at times I believe we pray for revival, because it sounds so much easier than actually doing the work.
You know what we can do? Let’s lean in. Let’s do the work, because there is much to be done in the nation, and the church of all people should lead,” Lankford said.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-hunter/sen-lankford-if-christians-dont-vote-we-abdicate-leadership-those-not
My comments: AMEN!
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