The President is Not the Commander-In-Chief

Yes, the president of the United States holds in his hands great power and authority.  There is no single human being more powerful than he in the governments of the world.  However, ultimately, it is not the president who is in charge of the world, or even the United States.  Rather, it is God.         

God is the ruler of the United States

The kingdom is the LORD'S and He rules over the nations.  Psalm 22:28
God is not just the ruler of heaven, but he is the ruler of all the nations on earth.  He is the one in charge of all political entities.  On the surface, it may look like that He is not doing a very good job of ruling—things seem chaotic.  However, the Lord’s rule is much like the president’s—if people chose to have an attitude against him, there is little that he would chose to do.  God is rarely in the business of controlling the world, or in sending in the troops to punish a rebel.  Rather, God’s choice is to wait and call people to His ways.God is not only the one in charge of the governments of the world, but he also watches who is ruling every nation in the world, including the United States.  There are some he particularly places in power in order to rule righteously, or to punish the wicked.  There are others he deposes because they have acted in opposition to the Lord, because they were arrogant or because they were excessively violent.  The Lord allows each nation to rule its own affairs, until he sees terrible injustice or oppression—and then he will act swiftly.

God’s purposes are not the president’s purposes

The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. Psalm 38:10-11

Any president, any ruler in the world, sees things differently than God.  Rulers of a nation desires to have their nation succeed, to have their agenda passed and to have their nation be secure.  However, God does not look at the world through the perspective of one nation alone, but he sees all the peoples of the world.  The Lord wants to have his glory be known throughout all the earth—and the Lord can see today that there is much work that needs to be done in this.  God wishes to have all people on the earth live according to his will and his principles of devotion and care for all people—but few wish to live in accord with that.  The Lord desires his chosen people (those faithful to Him) to be secure—but he can see persecution and hatred against his people.

            A ruler’s goal of establishing peace in his nation may in fact be in accord with God’s notion—depending on who the president wishes to punish in order to obtain that peace.  Also depending on how much violence he is willing to use to obtain a peace.  God does not see one nation or one group of people as being unworthy of forgiveness, as long as they repent.  And it is the Lord’s agenda to see that all people have an opportunity to repent.  This plan is rarely in agreement with a president’s idea of security.

God’s plan is not the president’s plan

 “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

The current president has certain plans for Iraq, certain plans for social security and certain plans to boost the economy.  He is sure that he can make the United States a strong country through economic and military might.  God’s plans for the U.S. are completely different, because he is looking at a different perspective.  The Lord knows that ultimately, strength and wealth come only from him, not from a military or economic power of the world.   God’s plans are for making the U.S. more righteous, and so to obtain strength and wealth from Him.  It is the Lord’s plan to see those who despise him repent, so he can offer inner peace to them.  It is God’s plan to personally judge those who oppress the poor who cry out to him.

Knowing this, how are we to respond?

a. Give Honor to the President

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.  I Peter 2:13-17

The president does, in a way, sit in God’s seat, and so we are always to honor him and to submit to him, even if he is an evil man, and especially if he is not.  We are not to be disrespectful, but we are to follow the laws as we can and be good citizens, doing good to everyone.  No matter how bad we consider a president to be, as followers of Jesus we should not insult a president or spread rumors about a president. 

 

b. Depend on God to do justice

Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish. How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God.  Psalm 146:3-5

There are two focuses of justice and law.   One is to fulfill the earthly-focused purposes, and that is done through men’s laws—this is what the president focuses on.  The other is to fulfill God’s desire (divine justice) and that is done through God’s law.  If we really want to gain well-being, security and wealth in our lives, we need to focus on God accomplishing his own justice, and not through frail men.  Humans are weak and they will mess up in numerous ways to create justice.  God sees all and knows all truth and will make sure that justice is done to those who ask him to judge on earth (Luke 18:1-8).

            Even if a president is Christian and he prays a lot, that does not mean that he is necessarily righteous.  Praying to God by itself does not mean that one is focused on the law and justice of God—it just means that they want to have God do what they want.  The only kind of prayer God will answer is the prayer of faith.  This prayer is not just believing enough, but being faithful in God and desiring his desires and being willing to do whatever he says.  The only Christian who is worth focusing on is the one who fully obeys the law of Christ—to love his neighbor as himself, to be humble in his leadership, to be devoted to God before his country. 

            c. Change the President’s mind

The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.    Proverbs 21:1

The Lord can take even the most wicked king, and control decisions he makes—for good or for judgement.  Even as every ruler is weak in some ways, the Lord will assist them at times to make decisions that will ultimately be for God’s glory.  This is an amazing process and God is at work at it all the time.  And he also invites us to participate in this powerful political process.  He invites his faithful people—those who have God’s glory and the good of humanity at the front of their minds—to mediate for decisions that need to be made.  All changes of a ruler’s heart is ultimately determined by the Lord, but he welcomes the input of those who are faithful.

The final result

The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country.  Psalm 110:5-6

Eventually, one president or another will rebel against the Lord.  They will stand against God’s people and persecute them.  They will look at the oppressed and laugh and cause them to die.  And when it happens, the United States will be judged by God.  This is not unique,  God will eventually judge every nation of the world.  He awaits the nations to show their selfish focus by oppressing the poor, either in their own nation or in others.  The U.S. has already oppressed the poor in the past, yet the patience of the Lord is the only thing that has kept Him from judging the U.S.  The Lord showed patience as the U.S. were oppressing the Native Americans and the African Americans.  That patience bore out, for the U.S. is treating those groups much better now. 

But the U.S. is continuing to oppress other nations around the world, and the Lord’s patience is only so long.   Let us pray for God’s glory.  Let us pray for the good of God’s people.  And let us pray for the gospel to be spread so all will have the opportunity to repent before the final day arrives.

The Christian and Government

What to recognize about human governments

v  The government is appointed by God

Every government only gains its authority from God—even evil governments.  Although governments may misuse or even abuse their authority, the authority itself comes from God.  Thus, we need to respect the authority of the government, no matter who is using it. (John 20:11)

v  The government represents God

The government is meant to do some of God’s work on earth—specifically, to punish those who do evil and to reward those who do good.  This does not mean that the government is God’s servant, necessarily.  Satan also punishes the evil at God’s bidding, but he is not an obedient servant of God.  But ideally, the government does God’s will. (Romans 13:1)

v  The government will be judged by God

Men do not have the right to judge governments.  Even as a government’s authority and work has been given to it by God, so it is God who evaluates and determines the fate of governments.  Often, God is patient and willing to wait for change.  But some governments will be destroyed by God immediately: specifically those treat the needy badly and those who do much unnecessary violence. (Psalm 82)

v  There is only one truly godly government

The only government that has been appointed, approved and having passed testing by God is the kingdom of God, led by Jesus.  No other government can call themselves approved by God.  Nor can any other government call itself truly “Christian.”  (John 18:36)

What not to do about human governments

v  Resist them when they do injustice against you

We do not rebel against authorities, but we are supposed to submit to them.  We don’t need to hate them or speak evil against them.  Instead, if a government does us wrong, we pray about it and ask God for justice. (Matthew 5:39)

v  Judge them for not following the laws or principles of God’s kingdom.

Although the governments represent God, they do not understand the principles of God, except in the most general notions.  And so it is not our job to judge them or condemn them for what they do not know.  We can inform them of what God says, but it is God’s right to judge them and to punish them if they were inadequate.  (I Corinthians 5:9-10)

v  Rebel against the authorities

We don’t need to do evil to the government.  If the government is to be fought against, then we can pray for God to judge them, according to his will.   (Romans 13:2)

v  Obey them when they tell you to disobey the principles of Jesus.

We must take care to always place God and God’s will in our lives above the government’s will and desire.  We submit to governments in all things except when they tell us to disregard the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. (Acts 4:19)

What to do with human governments

v  Give honor to whom honor is due

Government officials require that we speak politely to them, with the proper titles.  Whatever honor is expected, we should give it. (Romans 13:7)

v  Pay taxes when you are required to

All governments require us to pay taxes to them.  Even if you feel that the government isn’t representing you or doing what you think is right, you still have to pay the taxes that they demand of you. (Romans 13:7)

v  Pray for the leadership

We need to pray for government officials so that we will show respect for the officials, and also so God will direct the authorities to have wisdom to create a society of peace, so the church can do what God is directing them to do. (I Timothy 2:1-2)

v  Submit to authorities, even when you come to harm

We are to submit to authorities, even if they do evil, even if they irritate us, even if they harm us.  This is how we show that we are fully submitted to God and will do good, even if others do us evil. (I Peter 2:13-24)

v  Obey all laws, unless they tell you to disobey God

Since the governments have the authority of God and act for God, we need to obey them.  Even if you think the law is wrong or unjust, obey it.  The only time we disobey, is if they tell us to disobey God. (Colossians 3:22)

v  Do good to those who do harm to you

When government officials do harm to us, we are to respond with blessings and prayers for their benefit.  We do not curse them or abuse them, but instead do what we can to benefit them. (Romans 12:17-21)

v  Warn them away from God’s judgement by encouraging them to repent

If governmental officials do evil in God’s sight—especially if they are enacting unnecessary violence or harming the needy—they need to be warned that God will judge them unless they repent. (Ezekiel 33:9)

What Christians don’t have to do

v  Participate in the government

Many feel that it is one’s civic duty to vote in governmental elections, sign appropriate petitions or to participate in neighborhood meetings.  However, since we, as Christians, belong to the kingdom of God, we should focus our attention on participating with God’s people, not a secular government. (James 4:4)

v  Agree with any particular politics or politician

Some Christians feel that a certain politics is the only real Christian choice, or that a certain politician is the “godly candidate.”  However, we do not need to support any policy, politics or candidate.  Rather, we need to focus on policies and decisions within the church and among those who represent Jesus. (Ephesians 4:17-19)

v  Call the nation we live in “our country”

The nation of all those who follow Jesus is not the one they were born in or the one they live in—it is the kingdom of God.  And the kingdom of God has no king but God and no lord but Jesus and no realm on the earth.  The non-godly government we live in the midst of is not “our” country.  It is the country we live in .  Our nation is only the kingdom of God. (II Corinthians 6:14-18)

v  Protest injustices

The ungodly governments of this world will do unjust and evil things sometimes.  We do not need to protest them, although we might warn them what God will do in response.  Some might choose to protest, and receive what persecution comes with gladness.  But it is not necessary.  However, when some in the church who represent God does open evil, then we need to respond. (I Corinthians 5:9-11)

Honor government leaders, 

but focus on God’s will among God’s people

The Suicide Politicians

Those who believe in a future kingdom of God to come and reign on earth are clearly dissatisfied with the system as it now exists. The innocent die, the righteous are punished, wars destroy mothers and children and the masses who have power are lulled into sleep—which is probably good as well, for the masses would only enact greater injustices than their leaders do. Yet many leaders of governmental powers are abusive, unjust and concerned only with their own position, not the good of the people or in doing what is right. God is not satisfied with injustice in the governments of the world and he has promised that injustice—especially against the poor and lowly—will be destroyed.

But there is a disagreement as to how God creates justice in the world. Some say that God is working through the wars, the court systems, and the unjust governments of the world. This is certainly true, to a degree, but Jesus was not satisfied with God working his justice through judgement and hated and killing. He established a new way of dealing with injustice, of dealing with corrupt governments.

His way was based on two basic principles:
1. That God destroys rulers and governments that display injustice against the poor and lowly (Psalm 37, 82).
2. God will place in political power those who show themselves to be lowly and righteous before him (I Samuel 2:7-9; Matthew 5:3-12).

Jesus summarizes it like this: Those who exalt themselves will be cast down, while those who lower themselves will be raised up (Luke 14:11). Jesus provided an example of enacting God’s justice through becoming lowly against the world’s injustice—through the cross.

Although Jesus’ example is the greatest, he also invited all of those who followed him to participate in the same upside-down justice. The way of the cross is open to all who wish to follow Jesus. But how does one cause the governments of the world to topple by sacrificing oneself?

Making oneself odious to the ruling class
Jesus made himself unacceptable to those who ruled by doing God’s will publicly, thus displaying the government to be unjust and oppressive. He healed those who were rejected by “acceptable” society—proving that they were accepted by God. He opposed some of the laws and rules placed upon the populace by political wannabes that were unmerciful to the hungry and needy (Mark 7:1-9; Matthew 12:1-13). Jesus also proclaimed that the government of the people of God was soon to pass away, and be replaced by God’s direct rule (Mark 12:1-9). Then Jesus made vague references to the destruction of the temple, the center of the government’s power (John 2:19). All of this together, made Jesus dangerous in the eyes of the government and to the ruling class in general.

Jesus also established his disciples to be people who would be on the government’s “most wanted” list. He told his disciples to go out to every town, declaring that the current government would be replaced by God’s righteous one (Luke 9:2). He taught them to accept those whom the government found unacceptable (Mark 2:17). And he laid out in detail the faults and injustices of the ruling class (Mark 7:1-9; Matthew 23). Jesus sent out his disciples prepared to be rejected by the world.

Response to Persecution

Jesus was hated by all the ruling political parties—Sadducees, priests, Pharisees and the intellegencia of the ruling governments—scribes and lawyers. They spoke publicly against him, attempted to make him look bad in the midst of those who he was teaching and made plots to kill him (Matthew 12:14, 24, 38). He was eventually arrested, tried, tortured, and killed for treason (Mark 14-15). But he knew ahead of time that all of this would happen, and he planned for it, even desired it (Mark 8:31-33; 9:31-32). And when it happened, he did not resist, but allowed the plot against him to unfold just as planned by his enemies.

Even so, Jesus promised his people that they would be hated and persecuted and killed, even as he was (Matthew 10:24-25; John 15:18-20). In the midst of this, he told them, respond as he responded. Don’t be afraid of the persecution or those who can torture you, but rather accept the fact that you will have to possibly die for the message of Jesus (Matthew 10:28; Mark 8:35-38). He told them not to fight against those who punish them unjustly, but to respond to them with good—blessings and prayers (Matthew 5:38-48). If persecuted in a town, the disciples may flee, but there will come a time when each of them will be killed for the message they carry (Matthew 10:23; Mark 10:39). In this way, the disciples remain innocent, and all evil done is on the side of the oppressor.

God’s response
Jesus cried out to God for deliverance from the oppression he was facing (Mark 14:32-39). He was willing to face the death and shame, but he saw it for the evil it was. But rather than taking action himself in vengeance for the crimes done against him, an innocent man, he relied on God, and God’s justice enacted by God’s hand alone (Matthew 26:52-53). And God came through—even though Jesus had to face shame, suffering and a horrendous death, after he was done with all that, God raised Jesus from the dead. This indicated not only Jesus’ innocence, but his authority over those who had oppressed him.

Even so, Jesus told his followers that if they suffer as he suffered, then they too would gain not only resurrection, but political authority over those who had oppressed them (Luke 6:20-26; Mark 8:35; Luke 22:28-30). But for the disciples to gain this justice, they have to cry out to God day and night, asking him for release from oppression (Luke 18:1-8). In this way, the foundation is laid and God is free to respond in his own way against true oppressors of the poor and lowly.

Successful politics
The way of the cross seems naïve and foolish to almost everyone involved in politics, whether Christian or not. But it must be remembered that some of the most successful politicians in the twentieth century accepted this same pattern of political thought—Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Stephen Beko. These followed the pattern of Jesus, and took him as their political guide. The only difference between Jesus and these politicians is that they were looking for deliverance from the world they lived in—their own people, their own governments. Jesus, on the other hand, looked for deliverance only from God—and because of this, he proved to be the most successful politician of all time.

Oppressors shall be cast down by God;
God will exalt those who sacrifice themselves for His sake.

Why Do We Need A Christ?

What is Christ?
“Christ” isn’t the last name of Jesus, but it is a title. It means “anointed one”, just the same as the Hebrew word Messiah. But having some guy with oil on his head isn’t what the world needs. Instead, the “Christ” is actually the emperor of God, the ruler of the world. The Christ is like a Roman Caesar or a Napoleon. Someone who takes over the world by force and then rules over a central part of the world, and, by extension and treaty, provides peace to the rest of the world. Other terms that are used both in the Bible and in the pagan world for an Emperor are: Son of God, Alpha and Omega, Father (or Pope), and Lord.

The New Testament claims that Jesus is the fulfillment of this role, appointed by God at his baptism and approved by God through his resurrection. But the promise becomes crystallized at Jesus’ birth, where the promise of the Son of God, the Christ, is displayed to the poor and lowly of Bethlehem

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7

Why do we need a Christ?
This concept of the kingdom of God is exactly what Jesus was speaking about. But why do we need a ruler like this? Hasn’t it been proven that dictators are a bad idea? Shouldn’t we learn to rule ourselves? Well, anarchy has been attempted and all it does is lead to injustice and chaos. But why a Christ? According to the Old Testament, there are some very good reasons why we should have an Emperor of God:

So the world can acknowledge God as the true ruler
God is the Creator of the world, the King of the universe. Yet most of the world did not acknowledge him as God or properly give God his due. Instead, they saw other gods, who assisted them with their petty lives, as being more worthy of their devotion and sacrifice. But with the Christ ruling the world, then God will be given his proper due and praise and thanks will be offered to Him by all the world.
And He will delight in the fear of the LORD… For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:3,9

To destroy the injustices of secular empires
The rulership of the world has passed on from one empire to another from the ancient days to today. And not a single empire has ruled with justice or with equity. There is always an elite, who reap the benefits of the empire, and a servant class on whose backs the empire is built. The rulers always ignore the rule of God and establish their own rule according to their own principles. But the new kingdom will be built upon justice and righteousness, and set aside the old empires with their injustices.

In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Daniel 2:44 And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. Isaiah 11:5

To take us out of the system of judgment
For all governments of the world, if you do wrong, there is a penalty. Do the crime, pay the time. This is a system of judgment, and it was established by God. However, this is not the only system of dealing with lawbreakers that God had established. Jesus’ system is that of repentance and release. In other words, give a person the opportunity to make their crime right and to turn from their ways and then just welcome them back. Jesus as the Christ does not do away with the system of judgment, but he gives us an opportunity to escape it. This is done through his death, where his new system of dealing with crime is the judicial basis of his kingdom, established by his death and resurrection.
As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:11

For the poor to be heard
In every system of government that has ever existed there is a lower class for whom there is no justice. This group is always assumed to be the criminals, they are feared and hated and accused of the most terrible crimes. Should one of this group do something wrong, then they are all punished. But the Christ will listen to the poor and acknowledge their actions. He will not judge them according to their class, but according to their deeds. And he will love the poor and draw them up to rule with the elite.
With righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth. Isaiah 11:4

For there to be shalom
Only through God’s righteousness and justice will there be an opportunity for the world to run as it should, not only for people, but for all creation. “Shalom” is usually translated “peace”, but it really means a community of well-being, a society where everyone is benefited. The Christ brings this peace to all who can enter into his kingdom.
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them… And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, Isaiah 11:6-9

This is the promise of Christmas, “Peace on earth for those favored.” Christmas isn’t just about the incarnation—God coming to earth—as important as that is. It is about the fulfillment of the hope of the Christ that God’s people have been waiting for. It is the coming of the Emperor of God, who rules today from heaven and will rule on earth when he returns.

Got Christ?
We can participate in his kingdom today. We don’t need to wait until he returns. In fact, he doesn’t want us to. Jesus is ruling at the right hand of God and wants us to turn our lives over to him so we can live in his justice and peace right now. If we commit our lives to his rule and get baptized in his name then we will begin living in a different kingdom, under the best ruler of the world that has ever existed, free from our wrongs and living in peace.

The Overthrow of the World Corporate Structure

This country is filled with injustice. Corporations and the rich receive all the benefits, while the poor are thrown in jail for small offenses. Laws are unfair and you can’t get fair treatment in the courts. And the people don’t care. As long as they have their television, they are subdued and will do nothing to change what has existed since before they were born. The few who actually try to change things either get caught up in the same system themselves or they are rendered impotent by the locked system.

Nothing can be done.

But a revolution is coming.

This revolution is introducing a new government who listens to the cries of the oppressed and looks to make a real change for them. Not just changing those in power, but offering a whole new structure of government. A structure where the poor and just will rule. Where laws are given because they encourage love and justice—not the agenda of the rich. Where there will be enough food and shelter and warmth for everyone, even the poorest and the lowest. No one will have their power cut off, no one will be without light, no one will be without heat, no one will be without food. Those with mental health problems will be listened to, not just dictated to, and they will be healed. The elderly will be cared for as honored citizens, not as outcasts. This government is concerned with everyone—especially the poor and oppressed— not just in keeping their own power and authority.

This new government has already begun in this country. This revolution is an underground movement that has ties to movements in other countries around the world. This movement already has some small facilities that feed the poor, care for the elderly and assist those with mental health problems. This movement is teaching its doctrine to millions. And its time has come.

The movement has many names. Some call it Ekklesia. Some call it The Anawim. Some call it the Way. Some call it the Truth. Some speak of the Martyrs. It is all of this—and more.

When the Anawim take over this country, the rich and powerful will be put down and the corrupt will never take up power again. When Ekklesia rises to power, both the Republicans and the Democrats will be rejected as the greedy, corrupt groups they are. When the Way takes power, every nation in the world will be reshaped and the economic structures will be destroyed. When the Truth is raised, every corruption and hatred will be exposed. When the Martyrs come, the poor themselves will rule—and rule better than the wealthy and powerful ever did.

How can this be? How can a small, poor, movement take over the governments of the world? How can there be a sudden change from the powerful to the oppressed ruling? Who will begin this revolution? Who leads this underground movement? Who started it all in the first place?

All this can be explained by one word: Jesus.

Jesus began this movement 2000 years ago. He announced the coming of a new government that would cause the structures of humanity to falter. And when that new government came, it would establish the poor and merciful as the rulers of the world, while the rich and powerful would be destroyed, receiving nothing. Jesus spoke about the corruption of religion, of rulers and of the church. And all the corrupt would be thrown out of the new nation, and the meek would take over.

Jesus’ movement is not what is commonly called “the Church.” From the early fourth century the establishment church has united themselves with the corrupt governments of the world and participated in partisan politics. Jesus rejected all earthly politics and instead established a community that assists the oppressed and needy and follows his new laws of non-reciprocity, care for those who hate you, equality for all in the community, and open sharing of all wealth. The establishment Church has never followed this ideal—some of them even promoting war, greed, national partisanship, hatred and revenge. There have been smaller movements throughout history that have held these ideals—the early Waldensians, the early Franciscans, the Anabaptists, the early Pentecostals and others. However, these movements have always been a minority, and most of them were corrupted by the establishment Church.

In the end, the establishment Church structures will be destroyed by Jesus himself. All of those who call Jesus “Lord” will be tested, and many of them will be cast out of Jesus’ new government. Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord’ but do not do what I say? When I come, there will be many who say, ‘Lord, didn’t we do this, didn’t we do that? Didn’t we heal people? Didn’t we cast out demons?’ I will tell them ‘Get out of here. I never knew you.’ ”

So forget about what the Church has done to you—Jesus will bring justice. Forget about what this or that “Christian” has done to you—Jesus will only allow those who truly followed his principles to rule. And those who want to see the world become just and loving will turn to Jesus.

Are you tired of your government? Trade it for a new one. Instead of having a corrupt leader guide you, make Jesus your leader. Make Jesus your president, your king, your Lord. Begin to follow his principles of enacting love to everyone—even those who hate you, of giving up your life of this age and begin living for the revolution.