Politics from the Pulpit

I was scrolling through the local television channels recently when I stopped where an old Pentecostal woman was preaching. 

This is what she said:

"There’s a woman that’s running for president of the United States of America and that woman condones same sex marriage, she condones abortion, she condones Christianity...she's against Christianity.  She's against everything that's decent.  But she wants your vote.  The great whore.  Government wants the vote." 

MALE VOICE: Thank you for the truth pastor.

"And you can do with it what you want to but I was praying - well I wasn't praying I was (inaudible) when the Lord says Kamala.  Kamala.  We've got a woman running for a government that's made her way to the top by selling herself.  Laying on her back - I'll put it like that.  The great whore is running for election, and she's lied like a lying machine to get your vote.  I'm telling you what - God spoke to me - He said the great whore wants your vote."

Watch the clip here:  

Seriously?  This is "Christian"?

The pulpit is sacred. It should NEVER be a place where someone speaks for or against a political candidate. I don’t care if you are speaking for my candidate. This isn’t right nor is it the place for this nonsense.

Stop telling people who to vote for from the pulpit!

The main focus of the church should be the Gospel, not a political party or candidate.

Politics is dividing believers. We have gotten our eyes off the main thing. Instead of leading people to Christ, we are leading people to follow a person. We need to get our act together and stop this nonsense. No political candidate is going to make our country a Christian pandora. Some Christians need to re-read the Book of Revelation again and realize that things will get worse.

I am so disgusted at people using the pulpit to endorse their political candidate.

Believers need to be united about Christ. The answer to the problems of our society is not found in the politics and policies of men. The answer is found in the Scriptures. The answer to sin comes from God in His revelation of Jesus Christ. As believers, we also have to take care not to align ourselves with a political party, although we must “abhor what is evil and love what is good” (Rom. 12:9). We must also avoid political alliances and remember we are striving for a heavenly kingdom, not an earthly one.

Should pastors speak in the pulpit about contemporary issues? Yes, but only when the texts of Scripture clearly articulate it. They shouldn't bow to any party's talking points. They shouldn't slant their sermons to fit a political profile. They shouldn't become social media influencers in the pulpit. They should preach the Word and let it do its work in the hearts of the people, who will then go influence their communities.

Second Chance Marriage

"God hates divorce."

That’s the verse in the Bible that people like to quote when addressing divorce.

Yes, God does hate divorce but He does not hate divorced people.

I grew up in a church that strictly taught that if a person got a divorce that they could not remarry until their ex-spouse died.

I’m sure there were a lot of divorced people praying for their exes to die.

If you ask 10 Christians about divorce and remarriage, you will likely get 10 different views on it.

I have been divorced and remarried.  I caused the divorce.  I’m not proud of that but I also know that I wasn’t a good husband.  No, I didn’t have a string of affairs but I wasn’t the kind of husband I should have been.  

I will not go into the details but I want to say that you can’t judge this issue point blank unless you have experienced it yourself.

The first advice is to get counseling.  We did and I did. Sometimes there is just no other option.

God forgives.  That’s all I can tell you.

I know people who were directly opposed to divorce until divorce affected them or their family.

Some like to refer to the Apostle Paul and his advice on marriage when there is no evidence that he was even married.  

In John 8, Jesus was asked about a woman who was caught in the act of adultery.  The law at the time was to stone her.  They asked Jesus what He thought about it.  He didn’t engage in a theological debate or argue the law, He simply asked anyone who was without sin to throw the first stone at her.  When they had left, He told the woman to go and sin no more.

When Jesus encountered the woman at the well in John 4, when He asked about her husband she actually had five husbands.  He did not tell her to go back to the first one or leave the fifth one.  He changed her life right there and she became a new person with a new outlook on life.

I find it disappointing that so many believers want to cast stones at me and others who have divorced and remarried. Some like to brag about the number of years they have been married but there isn’t a trophy for that accomplishment and it doesn’t help if you are miserable and living everyday wishing you could die.  

Yep, that’s where I was once.  

I have heard some say, “You’re still married to your ex in God’s eyes” but God ain’t blind.  He sees completely and more clearly that others do.  Just because you remarry doesn’t mean you are “living in adultery”.  It is not a continuous sin.  That’s the church I came from.  It was about law and not much grace.  Jesus forgives.  Period.  None of us are perfect and every marriage isn’t perfect.  Our first option shouldn’t be divorce but if we do, we must honor our second chances.

I’m sure my former church thinks that I have “backslidden” or have left God. I haven’t.  I left the church but I haven’t left God.  Since my divorce, I have spent more time with God than I ever did before.  

I am happier now and I am a better husband.  I often say that I have a second chance to be a better husband.  I’m not perfect but I definitely have a happier life.

So for those of you in a perfect first marriage, I am happy for you but please don’t cast stones at those who didn’t get it right or have made mistakes. 

The Blackberry is Back....

The Blackberry is back….sort of.

I remember when I got my first Blackberry. I loved it! It had an actual physical keyboard.

The newer smartphones eventually made the Blackberry obsolete, evolving to onscreen keyboards.

Clicks Technology has gone retro with their Click Keys attachment which can turn an iPhone back into a Blackberry again with physical keys.

I almost pulled the trigger to purchase one of these for my iPhone 15 Pro Max for $159. I’m a sucker for new gadgets but after watching the reviews on YouTube, I decided to hold onto my money.

The main issue with this new Clicks attachment is that it adds length to the phone which is something that I really don’t need. For me, it would make my phone very top-heavy. It’s already stressing my hands to type on my phone without this attachment.

One of the main sells for Clicks is that it will give you more real estate on your display. Honestly, I have become accustomed to what I have now. If I have a need for a physical keyboard or more real estate, I just use one of my external keyboards.

Some of the pros for using Clicks:

• Slide your iPhone into Clicks to unlock the benefits of buttons for creating on-the-move.
• Clicks opens up screen space for apps and content like chats, browsing the web, engaging on social and creating on the go.
• Keyboard shortcuts and dedicated keys cut down on swipes and steps, giving you ultimate control of your phone.
• Real buttons make typing so natural you don’t need to wait to get back to your computer to write that long note, edit the document or get your ideas out.

So, this attachment MAY be something you want if you absolutely miss a physical “Blackberry-like” keyboard for your phone. Honestly, I think most of us have adapted to life without this and don’t need another accessory to add size to our phones.

For more information: https://www.clicks.tech/