Editor's Note: Pastor Roger Barrier's "Ask Roger" column regularly appears at Preach It, Teach It. Every week at Crosswalk, Dr. Barrier puts nearly 40 years of experience in the pastorate to work answering questions of doctrine or practice for laypeople, or giving advice on church leadership issues. Email him your questions at [email protected].
Dear Roger,
The chaos in our government is breaking my heart. I wonder if any politician is righteous and honest. It seems like no one tells the truth any more. Hardly anyone will stand up and say, "I was wrong. I did it."
Our present culture reminds me of Aaron's behavior when Moses rebuked him for making the golden calf: "Don't blame me," Aaron said, "All I did is throw some gold in the fire and out jumped this calf." What happens to a nation when their governmental leaders lie and can't be trusted?
Sincerely, Roger
Dear Roger,
Pardon me, but I am losing my faith. Not in my relationship with Jesus. I am losing faith in my government. Perhaps, I should tell the truth. I am not losing it. I have lost it. I don't believe anything they say anymore. Obviously, I am not alone. Congress' approval rating is less than 10%. One survey shows that 60% of Americans no longer believe that Obama tells the truth on most issues.
When a government is just, honest And truthful its citizens are safe, secure and prosper.
When a government Is unjust, dishonest and tells lies, its citizens are insecure, afraid, neglected and suffering. A government that is "wicked" may ultimately lead to rebellion and anarchy.
Predictably, God has a lot to say about Kings and Rulers, their behavior, their integrity and their resulting impact on the people they rule.
Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,
And your hands mete out violence on the earth (Psalm 58:1-2).
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people (Proverb 28:15).
When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order (Proverb 28:2).
By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down (Proverb 29:4).
The US consulate in Benghazi was attacked on September 11, 2012. (Notice 9-11). Several US diplomats were killed as well as the US Ambassador to Libya. Immediately, the US Government told us that the riot was instigated by a YouTube video mocking Islam. Poor Susan Rice knew the truth but was hung out to dry on five Sunday news shows with "talking papers" which were not true. It took five days before the State Department finally confessed that they knew all along that it was a well-planned terrorist attack with rockets and automatic weapons. Both Obama and Hillary feigned any knowledge of the actual truth. It is now known that they were deceiving the American people for political and face saving reasons.
This is called "plausible deniability." The government or politician concocts a story that seems plausible but stretches every smidgen of reason to make you believe that their explanation is true.
Do you really believe that Chris Christie, the republican governor of New Jersey, had no idea that his subordinates closed roads leading to the George Washington Bridge and blocked traffic for four days causing massive traffic jams in apparent retribution for the refusal of a local mayor to endorse Christie's reelection?
The IRS claims that it lost the emails of ex-IRS official Lois Lerner detailing her instructions to slow down the applications for non-profit status for hundreds of tea party and republican candidates and groups. Are you kidding me! When has the IRS lost anything? They are the masters of keeping records on every American.
They explained that it was a hard disk crash and that the backup system malfunctioned as well. This is called implausible deniability. Well, it could have happened that way! But it stretches the incredulity of the most simple of simpletons to believe that story.
By the way, our president denied knowing about the NSA eavesdropping on the phone and emails of millions of American. I have decided that Obama is misleading us, lying to us, demeaning us, a perfectionist who can't admit an error or mistake, or, the worst administrator in US presidential history.
Recently, by unilateral decree Obama's border immigration plan allowed 47,000 undocumented, unaccompanied minors across the border into our country. Obama is right in calling it a humanitarian crisis (even though he created the crisis). Truthfully, I am glad the children are here. They have a better chance at a good future in America than in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Columbia. The crisis is not only humanitarian. The crisis is over the fourth amendment: Free Speech. Journalists were told that they could take no pictures and to keep what they saw to themselves. Since when does the government have the gall to silence the press? When pictures were finally released, I realized why they were hindered. Hundreds of children were housed in untenable living conditions.
The monthly unemployment report is a joke. The numbers go down and it looks as if many more are getting jobs. The truth is that the numbers look good because the numbers don't include the thousands who gave up the previous month and stopped looking for a job.
Lyndon Johnson told America that the North Vietnamese had attacked us in the Gulf of Tonkin. That was an untruth--a lie--and we entered full bore into the Vietnam War. As a result, tens of thousands of Americans and millions of Vietnamese lost their lives in a no-win war.
Bill Clinton told America that he "did not have sexual relations with that woman."
"I experimented with marijuana a time or two and I didn’t like it, and didn’t inhale and never tried it again." Bill said that, too.
"Read my lips: no new taxes," said the first President Bush.
"Iraq has WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction),” said Dick Cheney. Then, he couldn't find any.
"The United States is drawing a line in the sand regarding the use of chemical weapons in Syria," threatened Barak Obama. "If the Syrian government uses them then the US will step in and render those weapons and that government moot." They did and we didn't.
"It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness" (Proverb 16:12).
"If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked" (Proverb 29:12).
"Mercy and truth preserve the king" (Proverbs 20:28).
Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.
The king that faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever" (Proverb 29:14). (By the way, Obama care has engendered much criticism. However one may view it politically, it can be a great benefit to the poor. I watched my two children in their young adult years struggle desperately with medical problems without medical insurance.)
Reading the signs I am afraid for America. I can't think of any valid reason for Homeland Security to buy 1.2 billion bullets, hundreds of tanks and personal carriers and artillery. The official explanation was, "in case of civil unrest." We all know what can happen when the government has all the guns and bullets and the people have neither.
The US Congress has ground to a halt and the president is using executive orders like a despot to get his way (even, it seems to me, outside the Constitution). "We the people" have lost our voice and people get angry when rulers will not listen to their concerns, when governmental leaders often act with impunity.
I used to think that America would be attacked and defeated from the outside. This is how God would judge America. I now know better. God's judgment is even now at work, coming from the inside. God's judgment is that our nation will rot out from within (Romans 1:18-32).
It is time we return to our roots. It is the Lord God Jehovah alone who can bring truth, mercy, justice and peace to our country.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lordare on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you (Psalm 33:12-22).
Hurricane South Carolina caught my attention. That wasn't really its name. I can't remember its name. It was just one of many hurricanes that have devastated parts of South Carolina during my life time.
The television reporter was describing a scene of people lined up waiting to buy gasoline generators at a hardware store in case their power went out. It was obvious that more people were in line than there were generators available.
Suddenly a man from the back of the line walked to the front and pushed a man out of line and took his place. A fight broke out.
I thought to myself, "This is America. We hold together in times of emergency. We don't fight each other. The fight escalated into a near riot. Police were called in to restore order. I reminded myself that in times of need, many people will do whatever it takes to survive--even Americans.
My prayer is that one day, our beloved country will repent and return to Christ. Then we will not need gasoline generators to fight over.
Remember, D.E Sheridan wrote: "The difference between golf and governmentis that in golf you can't improve your lie."
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