Aliens in America: 40 Days of Refinement Through Political Fire
Election years remind me that ‘the Kingdom of God will not arrive on Air Force One’ (Chuck Colson, never timelier.) I take heart in my alien status. Trump’s toxicity is nothing new to this pilgrim, but the vacuous triumphalism of Kamala? Wow. Thank You, King Jesus, and Your Kingdom, now and to come.
Happy to be a Christian but unclear how to be one in this election. Red and blue idiocy blur into a purple haze that invites me to revisit foundations. Would you join me? We will walk through 40 days of prayer and fasting, enlisting St. Peter’s first letter to ‘chosen sojourners’ (1 Pet. 1:1) as a guide.
Aliens. People living in a strange land. We need a certain detachment from the political noise as to stoke passion for King Jesus and Kingdom advancing through a pilgrim people. That means revealing Jesus in how we regard each candidate and how we treat each other, especially when our fellows bellow opinions loudly and, in our estimation, badly.
The rub? Though our primary citizenship may be heavenly, we live on earth for the purpose of making Him known. That includes our vote. We can’t pretend we are above it all or agree with the world that we are beneath it all, besides the point. I want our point to matter!
But that’s tougher than it seems in the compromised, complicated world of politics. We each prioritize the ‘issues’ that matter most to us and try to find the candidate most aligned with our concerns.
If you are sure that you have found the way in your party or candidate, never mind. This 40-day cycle of prayer, Christian devotion, and limited insight isn’t for you. But if you want to wrestle with God and man as to become responsible aliens in America during this election, then let’s go!
We will start Monday, October 14th, and run through Friday, November 22nd. (Election Day is the 5th of November.) Sign up here. Each day, you will receive encouragement and prayer for the peaceful decency of the leadership transition at hand.
‘Jesus, You are the King and we are first citizens of Your Kingdom. Would you free us for You in this election season, not to hide but to shine? You’ve always asked nothing less from Your elect whom You have made ‘strangers in a strange land’ (Ex. 2:22). Here we are, a people who don’t know what to do but who look and listen to our King.
“Father of all holiness,
guide our hearts to You.
Keep in the light of Your Truth
all those You have freed from the darkness of unbelief.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son.”’
Amen
Join Andrew on Desert Streaming each week as he dives deeper into his blog. Watch here or listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Not too many people really want GOD's KINGDOM to come.
Our Father who art in Heaven HALLOWED, beatified, honored, sanctified,
glorified be THY NAME.
Unless we proclaim the REAL NAME, names of our Father in Heaven, how else can the KINGDOM come. Only ONE KING in Heaven and on earth.
It means giving up our wrong views of WHO GOD IS. Of how GOD's KINGDOM is set up. And welcome wholeheartedly the KINGDOM where the KING of KINGS is the only KING.
And, yes indeed, that makes us aliens - but only this passing side of mankind's history. I rather be an alien here and come home to my FATHER's HOME in Heaven.
Thank you Andy, for your heart that…
The spirit of this age very seducing Andy. Be on guard. i know you know.
You're right, Andy. We have to fast and listen to Jesus, who is eternally throned and reigns over the nations. We also need to guard our hearts and minds from the financially powerful political marketing beast directed at us intentionally to keep us divided and distracted from the important things that destroy, dehumanize, and steal human dignity. Our battle is against the spiritual forces of evil at work behind these figures and their puppeteers. Purple might be the appropriate color of power at play here. May we hold on to truth and the Beloved.
I have to agree with the first commentor, although perhaps that person's emotions took the best of them.
It's obvious you do not have a high regard for former President Trump. But in your post you treat the Vice President with less severity than she deserves, based upon her lifelong adherence and support of the Left's radical agenda. This is surprising, since it is this agenda that unquestionably represents all that you and your ministry have fought against all these years.
It seems insincere when you write, "Red and blue idiocy blur into a purple haze..." Actually, it would be more accurate to say it seems patronizing and condescending. I have difficulty seeing "toxicity" downgraded to "idiocy". And I have…
I suggest reading “People of the Lie” by M. Scott Peck who wrote “”The Road Less Traveled.” He is a psychiatrist who wanted to define evil for the DSM. He presented case studies to suggest that those who lie starting with themselves and then to others is the root of evil. It helped me change my perspective.
Owning our actions, facing truth matters. Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH and the Life.