Tuesday, October 25, 2016
November 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The month that so many have looked forward to coming and going is finally here. November. And it's 2016 so that means presidential elections. While I don't frequent Facebook all that much, when I do there are many sorts of things posted concerning Secretary Hillary Clinton and Mr. Donald Trump. Many of these posts have had an effect on me – none of them good. I'm not talking about my own viewpoint concerning the candidates. Nothing what people are saying on Facebook has helped me make up my mind one-way or the other. Why? All of it is fear mongering – whether that is the intention or not.
What troubles me are all the posts proclaiming hopelessness and anxiety about the future of our country – as if it is the end of the world as we know it without feeling fine. I've seen so many people exclaim that if one person is elected over the other they are going to move to another country – like anyone else is better off than we are. People are acting as if whoever is elected will define them as a person. People seem to be acting as if there is no hope for our country, and therefore there is no hope for them. They worry what the next president will do that will affect them as if it all matters in the end.
Don't let anyone fool you: it doesn't matter. Your earthly life, while dependent on the government to guard and protect you, is not going to come to an end in the foreseeable future. Now, will there be rough times ahead? Only time will tell. So what? For you see, something even greater than all the earthly authorities and power exists: Christ Jesus. His power and authority "trumps" all the competition. His power and glory are what give you eternal life. This makes the difference in the entire world. Because through His forgiveness, life, and salvation you can live boldly with a good conscience, a peaceful, joyous conscience that the Devil, world, and your sinful nature cannot give.
Remember, if someone gets voted into office as president, you can rest assured that at some point their term will end, be it 4 or 8 years. Christ, on the other hand, His reign is eternal – beyond time and space - and it's all for you. You are a baptized child, and through that baptism you can rest assured that the struggles of this present life are meager compared to the coming age. This is where your life truly rests: in Jesus, the founder and perfecter of your faith, who died and rose for your forgiveness, life, and salvation. Thanks be to God, for you can now live in freedom because of it. Therefore, fear not; for the Church and many people before us have survived worse times in history than anything that results from this next election. Fear not; for you are a redeemed child of God.
The Peace of the Lord be with you always. Amen.
Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor Jonathan Holmes
The full newsletter can be found here:
www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2016/2016-11-Newsletter.pdf
The month that so many have looked forward to coming and going is finally here. November. And it's 2016 so that means presidential elections. While I don't frequent Facebook all that much, when I do there are many sorts of things posted concerning Secretary Hillary Clinton and Mr. Donald Trump. Many of these posts have had an effect on me – none of them good. I'm not talking about my own viewpoint concerning the candidates. Nothing what people are saying on Facebook has helped me make up my mind one-way or the other. Why? All of it is fear mongering – whether that is the intention or not.
What troubles me are all the posts proclaiming hopelessness and anxiety about the future of our country – as if it is the end of the world as we know it without feeling fine. I've seen so many people exclaim that if one person is elected over the other they are going to move to another country – like anyone else is better off than we are. People are acting as if whoever is elected will define them as a person. People seem to be acting as if there is no hope for our country, and therefore there is no hope for them. They worry what the next president will do that will affect them as if it all matters in the end.
Don't let anyone fool you: it doesn't matter. Your earthly life, while dependent on the government to guard and protect you, is not going to come to an end in the foreseeable future. Now, will there be rough times ahead? Only time will tell. So what? For you see, something even greater than all the earthly authorities and power exists: Christ Jesus. His power and authority "trumps" all the competition. His power and glory are what give you eternal life. This makes the difference in the entire world. Because through His forgiveness, life, and salvation you can live boldly with a good conscience, a peaceful, joyous conscience that the Devil, world, and your sinful nature cannot give.
Remember, if someone gets voted into office as president, you can rest assured that at some point their term will end, be it 4 or 8 years. Christ, on the other hand, His reign is eternal – beyond time and space - and it's all for you. You are a baptized child, and through that baptism you can rest assured that the struggles of this present life are meager compared to the coming age. This is where your life truly rests: in Jesus, the founder and perfecter of your faith, who died and rose for your forgiveness, life, and salvation. Thanks be to God, for you can now live in freedom because of it. Therefore, fear not; for the Church and many people before us have survived worse times in history than anything that results from this next election. Fear not; for you are a redeemed child of God.
The Peace of the Lord be with you always. Amen.
Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor Jonathan Holmes
The full newsletter can be found here:
www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2016/2016-11-Newsletter.pdf
posted by Faith Moorpark
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4:27 PM
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