WHERE IS OUR CITIZENSHIP?ByHarold E. CormanyI am writing this article not to say that politically I am a Republican or a Democrat, but rather to say I am living in America. I don’t mean a citizen of the western hemisphere or North America, but of the United States of America. Therefore, I would say I am an American. Yet if we read some of Paul’s writings,. He wrote about his origins to the Church in Philippi in Philippians 3:5 “Circumcised the 8th day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law a Pharisee.” Notice he did not say he was a Jew, rather a Hebrew. We get the name Hebrew from Eber, a patriarch in the Old Testament. He was a Benjamite, of the House of Israel. He repeats this in Romans 11:1- “For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” (Actually, Paul was a Roman citizen. Acts 22:25-29) In a sense we are born citizens of the United States of America, or of the country in which we live, but once we are called of God and accept Jesus Christ as our personal saviour we are not our own. In I Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” In Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law”. So our citizenship changes. Even though I might live in the United States, and another might live in Great Britain or Germany or any other country, our citizenship should be based in heaven with God the Father. In Ephesians 6:20 “For I am an ambassador in bonds”. Then notice in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. V.18- And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation. V. 19- To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath commanded us the Word of reconciliation.” We read in v. 20- “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ.” So if then we are ambassadors for Christ, though we are living in our country of birth, our allegiance should be to Christ and the Father. Notice Christ’s words in Matthew 10:37-38 “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. V. 38- And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” So Christ demands if we are Christians, that He takes first place in our lives. Knowing this, perhaps we should also look at politics in a different light. Before I was called of God, I got mixed up in the politics of our city which had a population of over 40,000. It was a city run by a machine of local merchants and business owners. I was a young zealot, who hated the way the city was being run strictly for them. So I got involved. But if wasn’t long before I began to get threatening telephone calls, one of which threatened my life if I didn’t cease and desist from my political efforts. My wife persuaded me not to become a martyr for a political party. So I removed myself from the politics of that city for her sake, and the sake of my young children. Today after watching and listening to politicians smearing one another, one hates to see election time come. Gone are the days when the person running for office used their time to tell the voters what they would do for their constituents if elected. Millions of dollars are spent trying to demonize and degrade the opponent, who are also doing their best to dig up dirt about their opponents. So dirty politics seem to be a two-way street. Since I am now and have been a minister for Jesus Christ for over 40 years, I do not feel that I can be involved with the politics of this world. This might sound strange when we see the religious right and the political left doing their best to try to champion the cause of certain politicians who are running for an office. Actually, I guess some would consider me as a traitor, guilty of treason, because I am advocating the return of Jesus Messiah as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and the violent overthrow of all human kingdoms on the earth. So in a sense I am living in the United States as an ambassador for Christ, yet subject to obeying this countries laws and ordinances, as long as they don’t require me to disobey God. My efforts are to convince the citizens of various countries the “positives” of the Kingdom of God. If we read in scripture some of the rewards written about the Kingdom of God, it does sound like that is the Kingdom we all should strive to be a part of. Today we see events happening in the Middle East that are making many citizens of the world very nervous. It makes many Christians nervous as well, because they too, will be subjected to what is about to happen in the Middle East if Bible prophecy is correct. One of the major dividing issues in today’s election is the war in Iraq. We read of young soldiers and marines being killed every day in our war with the insurgents. Over 2800 young men and women have been killed and thousands wounded, some severely. And this has been a prime cry for the many reasons to get out of Iraq. And lest we forget there have been perhaps as many as 100.000 plus Iraqi civilians klilled during this madness. One might say as in Viet Nam, we have a ‘tiger by the tail and we don’t dare let loose.’. The United States is looked upon as the great satan and infidels, by the most satanic religion on the face of the earth. When the twin towers fell in New York on that day, Muslim people around the world rejoiced, and Americans stood around wondering why? I can remember the citizens of various countries burning American flags, firing their AK47’s into the air, and rejoicing over the thousands of Americans that were killed. You see, when people in other countries have suffered at the hands of another country, they tend to react like we would. So what do I do in this country when I am an ambassador and a minister for Christ? I pray, I pray that God would intervene on behalf of those people who still worship the only true God. Allah is not the god of our Bible. Read the Koran, then read the Bible and you will see how different the doctrines are. I pray that God’s will be done and not men’s. Notice Paul’s words to Timothy in I Tim. 2:1-4 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. V. 2- For kings and for all that are in authority.” Why? Why should we pray for all men, kings and those in authority, especially when some are acknowledged enemies? Let’s continue reading in v.2 “That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. V. 3- For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. V. 4- Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Our prayers should be that peace will reign at least for a while, so that the Gospel can go out to all peoples, kingdoms and tongues , so God can call those whom He will. (John 6:44) We read in Christ’s Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24:6 “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled. For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” In v. 7- For nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilence, and earthquakes in diverse places. V. 8- All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Notice what we as Christians should be doing in this time of severe crises in v.14- “And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness, unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” How bad will it get before the end? Let’s continue in Matthew 24:21 “For there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. V. 22- And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elects sake those days shall be shortened.” So you see it isn’t going to matter if a Republican or a Democrat or an Independent gets into office, because we are looking at a time so evil and trying, that no nation shall escape this tribulation, unless all of the world repents. Thankfully, Jesus is hearing the prayers of His elect, and the plans for His return are eminent. But notice in Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. V. 37- But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. How bad were those days? Let’s go back to Noah’s time and read in Genesis 6:5- “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (desire) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Notice also in Luke 17:28- “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planned, they builded. V. 29- But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. V. 30- Even thus shall it be in the days when the Son of Man (Jesus Messiah) is revealed.” What was so bad about Sodom and Gomorrah? Read Genesis 18 and 19. Their great sin was homosexuality and perverted sex. Men with men and women with women. In Romans 1:24-31 we read how God feels about this. Notice Rom. 1:32- “Knowing the judgment of God, that they that commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Paul writes that these will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (I Corinthians 6:9; Ephesians 5:5) We are in a time of tribulation where it is not ‘if Jesus must return’, but when. We need to pray that God will ‘intervene’ in the events of the world. We need to pray that there will be those ambassadors for Christ who cry aloud and shew people their sins, praying that they will repent. We need to pray that God holds back evil until His will is complete. Once Jesus takes over the ruler ship of this world there will be no political parties. There will be no evil despotic godless dictators who could care less how many people die as a result of their rule. The Apostle Paul sums it up in I Corinthians 15:24- “Then cometh the end, when He (Christ) shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father: When He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. V.25- For He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. V.26- The last enemy to be destroyed is death. V. 27- For he hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. V. 28- And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” So let the heathen rage, their time of judgment is near. So let it be known that God is God, and there is no other. In closing, let’s turn to I. Corinthians 2:7- “But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God (Father) hath prepared for them that love him.” I’m not advocating that you don’t vote, not at all. I am advocating that you pray first, and ask God to show you who to vote for, that we might have free course to preach the gospel, and the coming of the Son of God to set up the Kingdom of God on this earth, and be assured, God’s government is coming to this earth very soon and with God it’s His way, or no way. To those who overcome Jesus said “I will give you power over the nations.” Is our citizenship with men, or is it with God?
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