You don’t have a soul.  You are a Soul.  You have a body.”
–C.S. Lewis

“At no time, perhaps, since the Reformation have Christians as a body been so unsure, tentative, and confused as to what they should believe and do.  Certainly about the great issues of Christian faith and conduct is lacking all along the line.  The outside observer sees us as staggering on from gimmick to gimmick and stunt to stunt like so many drunks in a fog, not knowing at all where we are or which way we should be going.  Preaching is hazy; heads are muddled; hearts fret; doubts drain our strength; uncertainty paralyses action.”
–J. I. Packer

Only a few more days left.  Are you all in a tizzy over the election?  What will happen?  One thing I can almost guarantee; life will continue, but things will definitely change.  The thing is, are you prepared?  One more thing–don’t fret!
There are a few things to consider.  Jonah went out one day preaching to that evil city Nineveh that represented the most hated people of ancient time–the Assyrians.  They were extremely cruel, ruthless, and inhuman people.  Yet, by the time he finished his preaching the city had repented and God spared them.  Another time, Jeremiah preached hope.  Hope that the nation would repent because there was a coming invasion that would destroy Jerusalem.  There was no repentance, Jerusalem and the Temple was destroyed, but that didn’t stop Jeremiah from preaching hope.  Then there were those taken captive during this invasion to Babylon.  You do remember Daniel and his friends?  Three different situations, but God was involved with them all, and most important God had people involved.
Now you say, that is fine and good but it is Old Testament.  Let’s move to the year 313.  Christians for a couple of centuries had been persecuted by Imperial Rome.  Then in that year at Milan, Constantine made Christianity a legal religion.  Rome indulged in all sorts of decadence, immorality, and wickedness.  One of those things was putting to death Christians as a spectacle in the arena.  Now in the reign of Constantine there was a reprieve.  You may say what you want about Constantine, but there is little doubt that he was an instrument of God in this situation.  True, Rome fell, but it was 150 years later.
No matter who wins the election, Christians continue to have an obligation to serve God.  Obedience to His Word will become more and more paramount, especially as evil may continue to rise and show its uglier face.  When will the end come?  I don’t know, but until that trumpet sounds we are to occupy.  Light, salt, spread the Gospel, live the Gospel, and don’t compromise.  Take some time and review Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.  The testimonies of those who compromised versus those who stood for Christ.  This is not a time to be ashamed of the Gospel!

“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
–Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

Folks are in a dither with the coming election.  Christians are fighting Christians about who they should vote for.  Maybe they should quit looking at the candidates and look at the platforms and the issues.  Lest we forget – the Lord knows what is happening and it fits into His master plan.
There is a reckoning coming, and I believe soon.  How much longer the Father can wait before sending His Son back, I don’t know.  We have to be on the brink of His return.  Yeah, yeah, I know people have been saying that for centuries, but look at the signs.  America has been a great nation; it has been called forth to show the glory of God to the world and has done so.  It has been instrumental in sending the gospel around the world.  It has funded and aided the poor and downcast around the world.  But now…  So many have turned their backs, ridiculed, mocked and scorned the principles set forth in God’s Word.
Now throw this in the kettle as well.  What will happen to American should the rapture take place, say, before the election?  The nation would change rapidly.  How would America view Israel?  Would they join in the globalization of world politics?  Imagine what would happen when believers are no longer influencing America, or any other country?  Elliot Johnson wrote this, “When believers are raptured, America will disintegrate, as the ‘salt and light’ is removed.  Antichrist will have a perfect opening to control the world!”
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Ahhhh, some aroma therapy this morning–the coffee is brewing!  Maybe I’ll get lucky and there will be the added aroma of bacon.  I don’t hold much to aroma therapy, especially as far as the New Agers take it.  There is nothing spiritual about it, or is there?  I know this is not Saturday, so no time for a Perc, but isn’t that a comforting smell in the morning (or anytime)?  It does make you want to sit back and sigh.  Before that can happen those beans have to be roasted and ground.
Perhaps that is true of life as well.  I’ve had to sit by people and smell their aroma.  There is that sweet smell of a lady’s perfume and also that obnoxious smell of someone with body odor.  It’s not wrong to keep the bad odors in check, but some men out there don’t know when to stop perfuming themselves.
One of the Church Fathers, John Chrysostom wrote, “To get the full flavor of an herb, it must be pressed between the fingers, so it is the same with the Scriptures; the more familiar they become, the more they reveal their hidden treasures and yield their indescribable riches.”  Even reading must be roasted with the fire of the Holy Spirit and then ground deep in our heart.  We often say we have favorite verses, but why?  Why is that verse so precious to you?  I have heard of people who have “life verses.”  They chose that verse to guide their life.  Now, I don’t have a real problem with that, but the Holy Spirit should do the choosing.  Many times I have been asked what my “life verse” is.  My answer:  it changes.  There are so many, but the Spirit reveals verses throughout a person’s life to meet the needs of the season.