“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”  Patrick Henry 1765, one of The Founding Fathers.  (My favorite quotation).

An American friend and brother in Christ writes me, “I´m thankful that as “ambassadors for Christ” we don´t have to vote, but can pray.  Of the two likely candidates for the Republicans, one is a Mormon and the other has been a very immoral man.  President Obama is a big supporter of the right to abortions.  Thankfully, our citizenship is in heaven, but we do have  a message of reconciliation with God!”

I can´t help thinking in those terms too.  There seems to be no voting alternative at the present juncture.  However, a praying alternative is always there, indeed, and is called for.  So if the thousands of Christian churches in America suspended their usual packed Sunday programs and cheerful platform performances and changed their services into old fashioned prayer meetings in a contrite spirit of prayer, God´s people would have a much more powerful impact on their great nation than all the TV conducted salesmanship of stagey candidates put together.

Obama has said that America is not a Christian nation as if it´s something he was proud of.  Billy Graham has said exactly the same thing but with deep grief.

My American brother is right.  Our citizenship is in heaven, but we, on this earth, have a message of reconciliation, a gospel to “gossip”, I mean to testify, a crucified and risen Savior to point to, a word of life to pass on, on land, at sea and in the air.  Time is short, and soon the ambassadors of Christ will be recalled, - called home “to meet the Lord in the air”  (1 Thess. 4:17).

February 1, 2012 – jn