Who Would Jesus Vote For?

Like it or not, the 2024 Presidential election is upon us. Lines have been drawn and sides have been chosen. So it is now time for us to choose.

So who would Jesus vote for?

Would He cast His vote for Donald Trump or would He choose Kamala Harris?

While there are some evangelical leaders who have called one of the candidates the “chosen one”, the truth is that neither candidate in this election before us is the perfect Christian choice.

If you attend a church with a preacher who tells you who to vote for, you need to find another church. If your Bible lifts up a person or a country you need to get another Bible.  Jesus is not American and believe it or not, the United States of America is not his chosen people.  It is not his mission to lift up a country or a political candidate, His mission is the same as it always has been to go into ALL the world to preach the gospel and save those who are lost.

Jesus would not vote for either.

Jesus is not going to tell us who to vote for. This is our free will choice and we will have to live with who wins the election. Jesus didn’t come here to establish an earthly kingdom. He didn’t do it before and He isn’t doing it now. We are repeating the same misinformation as the Jews had when Jesus came.  They assumed that Jesus was coming as an earthly king who would overthrow Rome. Even when pressed about government matters, He told the disciples to render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

Many are under the assumption that a candidate is going to be the one who makes the United States a Christian nation.  Do we really want a government to force everyone to be Christian?  How well has that policy worked out in the past?  You can’t force people to accept Jesus and believe.  Sure, it would be nice if everyone did but we need to be realistic and know that this isn’t going to happen.  Forcing a Christian Nationalism will ultimately backfire.  We can’t vote for a candidate simply because we believe they appear to be pro-Christian.  Let’s not forget that the anti-Christ is going to deceive many in the same way.

So if Jesus wouldn’t vote should we?  Yes, we should absolutely vote.  Some are afraid of what may happen during this election but I continue to tell them that all we can do is vote.  Just do our part.  We can’t control everything else that may or may not happen.  As believers, we have spent too much time distracted by politics and candidates pandering to evangelicals rather than the main thing.

Political candidates will pander to the evangelical vote but let us not be deceived into thinking someone is going to usher in some utopian Christian nation.  Why are we thinking that things are going to get better when we are in the end times and we know that it will only get worse?  We can’t be deceived or distracted here!  God loved the world (not just America) so much that He gave His only begotten Son that anyone (Republican, Democrat or Independent) who believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.  

It has grieved my heart to see how politicians have divided believers.  We judge someone’s faith based on their choice of political party.  What we don’t see is that Satan has successfully entered in to divide us because he knows that this is how he can weaken the effectiveness of believers.  When I see how we have become divided, I go back to an old Christian song which was recorded by the group First Call.  The title of the song was “Undivided” and I will leave you with the lyrics.  You can also listen to the song here: https://youtu.be/-SIeLvSpJrI?si=3yM3EAHiBaJ3guBT

We may worship different ways
We may praise Him
And yet spend all of our days
Living life divided

But when we seek Him with open hearts
He removes the walls we built
That keep us apart
We trust Him to unite us

In our hearts, we're undivided
Worshiping one Savior, one Lord
In our hearts, we're undivided
Bound by His spirit forevermore
Undivided

It doesn't matter if we agree
All He asks is that we serve Him faithfully
And love as He first loved us
He made us in His image

And in His eyes, we are all the same
And though out methods they may be different
Jesus is the bond that will remain

In our hearts, we're undivided
Worshiping one Savior, one Lord
In our hearts, we're undivided
Bound by His spirit forevermore
Undivided

Not All Miltons Are Bad

 

My name is Milton.  I have NOTHING to do with the hurricane.  Thanks Hurricane-naming people.  I really didn't need my name attached to this current storm.

I have had that name all of my life.  I was named after my mother's father - my grandfather - Milton Oscar Sweat.  While I have been proud to be named after him, it has been used in different variations over the course of my life.  This name has been butchered and - at times - a source of irritation.

People have assumed - wrongly - that they could call me "Miltie" or - heaven forbid - "Uncle Miltie".  I worked in an office before when a co-worker would yell "Miltie" down the hall, but I would not respond.  When she came to my door and declared she had been calling me I said, "My name is Milton.  I don't respond to anything else."   She soon got the message.   I have let people slide with calling me "Milt" in the past, but I have always instructed people to call me "Milton".   I mean, that IS my name.  I also had a co-worker who called me "Uncle Miltie" and I stopped and nipped that in the bud immediately and he got mad at me about it.  

My name has been an issue at times, but it has been unique.  I haven't met many Miltons in my life.  The first was one in high school who wasn't very nice.  In fact, we had an exchange which led to him sucker punching me in class.  (Of course, I shouldn't have told him to shut up either.)  The other Milton was a man named Milton Tomlinson who, at the time, was the leader of the Church of God of Prophecy denomination.  The one and only time we met was went my grandfather took me to meet him.  Three Miltons in one place.  I am surprised the world didn't quake at that moment.

There have been some famous Miltons (besides me of course):

Milton Berle - was an American comedian and actor. Berle's career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and television. As the host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater (1948–55), he was the first major American television star and was known to millions of viewers as "Uncle Miltie" and "Mr. Television" during the first Golden Age of Television.

Not my favorite "famous" Milton because of him I had to endure the "Uncle Miltie" tag.

Milton Friedman - was an American economist who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of stabilization policy.

Now this was a pretty smart dude that I don't mind sharing a name with.

Milton Hershey - was an American chocolatier and philanthropist. Trained in the confectionery business, Hershey pioneered the manufacture of caramel, using fresh milk.

Maybe this explains my love for chocolate.  Another Milton I don't mind being associated with.

Milton Bradley - was an American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, credited by many with launching the board game industry, with the Milton Bradley Company.

Not bad to share a name with this game legend and his company.  

Some not so famous Miltons (for me anyway) are these characters in television/movies:

Milton the Monster - was a Saturday morning cartoon character in the 60s which featured a Frankenstein-type monster who was really a big kid.

Milton Waddams - from the movie "Office Space" is a shy, neurotic employee that stutters constantly who works at Initech. He was actually let go from his job, five years prior to the events of the film, but no-one ever told him about it so he kept turning up to work. Due to a glitch in the payroll system, he kept getting a paycheck.

Milton Schlabb - is one from a Hallmark movie called "Love in the Limelight" who is a disgruntled college professor who has petty complaints against another professor.

I'm sure there are others I have missed but Miltons are unique, smart and - sometimes - quite odd.  I won't ever be a "famous" Milton, but I have a name that I share with others who have done a lot with the same name.  

50 Years of Georgia HS Football: Thrills and Agonies

You’ve probably heard the slogan from the classic sports show that featured ‘the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” and in my 50 years of following Georgia High School Football, I have had my share of each. Here are some of the Thrills and Agonies which immediately come to my mind when I think back to the games I have experienced.

Thrills

Clinch County 7, Jeff Davis 6 

November 12, 1976

This is the one that got it started for me.  My dad took me to this game, and it had a thrilling end as the Panthers scored with less than a minute left in the game, converted the extra point and won the game.

Villa Rica 20, Darlington 14 (ot) 

October 19, 1979

Villa Rica trailed most of the game but rallied and won in overtime on a screen pass to Keith Glanton which started a three-game winning streak which put the Wildcats in the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.  

Villa Rica 3, East Rome 0

November 9, 1979

The Wildcats continued their incredible season with dethroning the two-time state champions on a field goal in a downpour in the Region 7AA semifinals.

Warner Robins 21, Northside 14 (ot)

November 8, 1985

This was my first Warner Robins-Northside game.  Warner Robins came from behind to tie the game on a touchdown run by Lane Maddox with 47 seconds left. Maddox completed a pass on fourth-and-10 earlier on the drive, and the Demons controlled overtime. Lester Efford scored the game-winner in overtime with a 17-yard touchdown with 1:01 left in the second overtime. Northside went for a gadget play for the second straight year, but a hook-and-lateral came up short, and Ben Smith recovered the fumble.

Villa Rica 13, Worth County 0

December 20, 1986

For the first time since I left Villa Rica, I returned for the Class AAA championship game.  After a scoreless first half, Villa Rica got on the board with a 74 fumble return for a touchdown by James Bailey.  Later, Santray McCoy tossed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Rodney McCoy to take a 13-0 lead.  Worth County had been favored to win this game, but the Wildcats took the title for the first time in school history.

Northside 31, Tucker 28

December 7, 2007

Tucker jumped out to a 28-7 lead in the first half then Northside quarterback Marques Ivory, who hadn't played due to a broken left fibula earlier in the season, entered the game and engineered an incredible comeback.  He tossed a 69-yard touchdown to Kevyn Cooper in the third quarter, then both connected again on an 82-yard passing score to cut the lead to 28-21 with 9:28 left in the fourth. Northside tied the game at 28 with 2:32 remaining when Ivory threw a 31-yard touchdown to Brandon Jordan. Ivory, who completed 11-of-13 passes, finished with 302 yards passing. The Eagles' defense clamped down and got the ball back as Devon Pike made an 18-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the game. You can watch a replay of the game here: https://youtu.be/HZMGQVcREFc?si=6OQ_7nZ3-V--z_f8

 

Warner Robins 21, Northside 20

October 30, 2009

This was my last Warner Robins-Northside game.  It is known as the "Miracle at the MAC".  Warner Robins trailed 20-0 going into the fourth quarter.  You can see video of the winning score in this report: https://youtu.be/QnNrzfqP8UQ  

Warner Robins 62, Cartersville 28

December 30, 2020

After coming up short in the previous three state title games, Warner Robins finally won the championship.   Although the final score looks lopsided, no one felt completely safe until some late scores put the game away.   You can watch the game here:  https://youtu.be/zu0ACe93rWo?si=EwvZ4HKN652Kgt7A

Agonies

Northside 7, Warner Robins 6  

November 10, 1989

Warner Robins entered the game as USA Today’s top-ranked team in the nation. It left as the second-best team in Warner Robins. The Eagles scored early in the first quarter on a touchdown catch by little used Jo Shuttlesworth. Those points ended up being enough. Eric McDowell connected with Chad Bowen from 22 yards out with a minute to play, but Jeff Meade missed the extra point to end the Demons’ quest for another national championship. 

Lowndes 31, Northside 28

December 10, 1999

In the years when the balance of power shifted to the Northside of town, the Eagles advanced to the Class AAA semifinals with a chance to play in their first state title game.  Northside could do nothing wrong in the first half as they took a 28-3 into the locker room at halftime.  It was a totally different game in the second half as Lowndes rallied for the win.  

Parkview 12, Northside 7

December 22, 2001

This was Northside's first appearance in a state championship game.  Parkview was a dominant team during this span and was seeking to repeat as Class AAAAA champions.  Late in the game Northside was driving to take the lead but then the stadium lights went out for some unknown reason.  After a long delay, the game was resumed and Northside fumbled.  The Eagles' defense held to force the Panthers to punt but the returner fumbled which was recovered by Parkview.  You can watch the game here:  

 

Bainbridge 47, Warner Robins 41

December 11, 2018

This one was perhaps the most agonizing game I have ever witnessed.  It was such an emotional roller coaster.    Warner Robins rallied from a 28 point deficit in the first quarter. The team went back down by 28 with 9:42 left in the third quarter.  Dylan Fromm then engineered a comeback for the ages that came up just short. He led the Demons on multiple scoring drives down the stretch, threw for a pair of touchdowns and caught one from his twin brother Tyler Fromm. Jahlen Rutherford added a touchdown in between. The teams would end up tied at 35 with under two minutes to play. The Demons then intercepted the pass thrown by Quayde Hawksin. This set up Warner Robins with a field goal as time expired but it was blocked, forcing the game into overtime. Warner Robins would play defense first in overtime and forced Bainbridge to kick the field goal. The offense would stall out on the goal for the Demons as they were forced to settle for a field goal to go to a second overtime.  In the second overtime, Warner Robins was once again forced to kick the field goal. The Bearcats tied the game again to go into a third overtime. This time, the Bainbridge offense was up to the task when it closed out the Demons with touchdown in the third overtime despite not getting the mandatory two-point try. The defense would make the stop and clinch the title for the Bearcats.  Watch the game here:  https://youtu.be/qGeQQSlRzbg?si=xDD0rWnERxal4rwQ