Wake Up Christians - Silence Is Not An Option (Video)

The message tonight is titled, Wake Up, Christians. Silence is not an option. And let me just give you some kind of backdrop for this. I was at a pastor's conference Monday and Tuesday. People like Greg Laurie were there, Pastor Jack Hibbs. Chino Valley was there. I had a chance to talk with him briefly on some of these issues. And there's some pretty big things coming down the pipe in regard to California, in regard to the direction of the nation. And if we continue to remain silent on certain things, we will get overran just like a steamroller. And what I'm looking toward to is not mainly myself right now. I'm looking to future generations. To my children, to your children, to our grandchildren. What are we leaving them? And a scripture that I wanna focus on is found in First Chronicle. It says, First Chronicle is 1232. The men of Issachar had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. And it was this group of people who they could discern the times. They could understand the times. They could see what's coming and how to respond. They could see where the nation of Israel was going and how they should react. So I pulled in some points from the pastor's conference. About 12 hours, well, it'll be about eight hours of different speakers and different things and where the nation would be had a nation voted differently at the presidential election. It's very scary things. Now on one hand, we're not to be scared. We're not to worry. We're to do battle. We know who's on the throne. But I do believe that we are called to act and not just be passive, passive observers. And I'm gonna condense everything down into this message. Now, I'll just be honest. I was preparing this for Sunday. This is gonna be Sunday's message. But I was so excited to share this with you. And I know there's people here that don't always come on Sundays. And maybe God wants to do something on a Wednesday night during prayer and worship at the end to really spark change. And here's why I'm encouraged as well. I read books. Many of you know I read the Bible like a lot of you. And we see that God often works in small minorities. He's not looking for the super majority. He's looking for the humble minority, if my people. So I truly believe that this church can start a flame, a passion, a desire. Because God, it's just amazing what he does with just few people who wanna do something and make a difference. He told Gideon to get rid of thousands, thousands of armed men. Thousands and thousands and thousands. He said, I'm gonna win with just you and 300. The Methodist with John Wesley, John Calvin, and different parts of our American history. God would work through men and women, surrender to him. So I'm not real worried that we're not talking to 10,000 people out in Lancaster, we need to get them moving. I'm talking to a local body of believers who want God to move and want to trust God for change. So here's what we talked about. In a nutshell, we don't have to compromise our principles to be involved in political things. What good is salt left in the shaker or light that is hidden? What good is that? Now, I don't talk about this often. It's gonna come around every couple years. It's very important during presidential elections and it's very important during governor races that are coming up. This is why. The leadership will affect the direction of our nation. Leadership will affect the direction of our state. Just read the Old Testament. This king did what was good in the sight of God. This king did what was evil in the sight of God and he would judge them. So I'm, here's where this is difficult for me. I'm not a political guy. I'm not like the political pastor and you know it's, but I understand how these are important issues and they have enormous ramifications that affect biblical principles, that affect our children. And you have probably one of the most, I'm not supposed to say this according to IRS rules and regulations on 501c3s, but I'm going to. It's the Johnson Amendment that was passed in the 1950s that says churches can't talk about political issues. Well, they can't talk about political issues, but they can't talk about candidates or different things. The current president is trying to reverse that. But the bottom line is this. We have people running for governor, running for office, Gavin Newsom, who is probably one of the most, thank you, Shaley, one of the most liberal governors that we've had. Now, this is the guy who when the Supreme Court said gay marriage is unconstitutional, he said up in Sacramento or San Francisco, I don't care, we're still going to marry gay people and got away with it. This is who is going to be the next governor. Now, I can tell you with the Holy Spirit in me that I love him, I pray for him, I would love to have lunch with him, I'd be cordial, but we are completely opposite when it comes to this issue. Google his stance on abortion and at what age a child can be murdered. And all we have to do is go register and vote, here's who we want, here's who we don't. And so I have a hard time understanding why anybody wouldn't. This is a big deal. Now, I remember in my 20s, I could care less because all I wanted to do is make money and drink beer. But now you begin to see that these things are very important. And then you have someone like John Cox, who was there at this event as well. He's in San Diego, conservative, against abortion. People used to run to California, they used to move here. Now it has the biggest mass exodus of residents than the history of our nation. I think it's something like 15 people a day are moving to Idaho. So if any of you are thinking that, I'm just saying. My brother, I think, I don't know how many acres, are you here, is it 150 acres? I think he just purchased on the Snake River there out of Boise, Idaho. So it's tempting, okay, I understand. But my calling is to be here and to motivate the troops and not really to be political. I'm not running for office, but we have to make a difference. And how we elect our officials speaks volumes. Just imagine this for a minute. We are allowed to go and mark something, check it off and say, this is who I want to set legislation or set the course of this state or nation for me and for the next generation. Do you know how many silent Christians there are in California that don't vote? Seven million. Let that sink in, 15%. And I think nationally, don't quote me on the exact number, there's 16 million Christians who aren't registered to vote in America and close to 26 to 29 million Christians who don't vote who are registered. See, God has given us this gift called America. We the people. And people who say, why are you getting political? I don't like this, I would throw the back at you. Why aren't you? We're not talking about, well, this guy's from corporations, he wants to pave all the roads, and this guy wants more industrial work. We're talking about issues that have huge moral ramifications. As a matter of fact, God says, when you shed innocent blood, when you call that good and good evil, I will judge you. And I believe that Christians have been on their knees, on their face before God, crying out, saying, God, spare us, save us. And we have an obligation. And personal confession, I am not known over the last 20 years to go and vote a lot. I've been convicted on that lately. And people do say, shame, my vote doesn't really matter. Now, on the presidential races, what they're saying is this, with the electoral college, I don't have time to break it down, but certain districts vote a certain way and then it carries the whole state. So the whole state of California is predominantly liberal, democratic, if you would. And that's why, when they say, well, my vote doesn't really matter, in essence, numbers to numbers, that can be true, but here's why it's a bad thing to say, because we set the course for others to follow. If everybody has that mentality, even though, say, California didn't vote for the current president, many people went and still voted for him as a statement. So if you can create that rolling cycle of people getting out and voicing their values, you will see a difference, because that will streamline, we pass that down. That's why everybody says that my vote doesn't matter. How often have you heard that? Well, if you have 17 million people saying that. So we have to change that whole mentality. I just want my civic responsibility. God, I'm honoring you the best that I can, and I'm going to vote. Now, here's why it matters in California. Every single one is counted. So if there's 500 pastors there, 500 more in San Diego, and we each motivate 30 people, you've got an extra 15,000 votes. What's that? For the governor's race. So that's why these things are important. And again, I'm trying to be careful here. I'm not trying to be mean or vindictive. I pray for Gavin Newsom. I think his heart is good, but as an unbeliever, not his heart is good, his motives are good. He wants to, you know, thinks he knows best, does what's right in his own eyes, and like him, he carries himself well, he's charismatic, so nothing against him. But you can't vote on things like this that are completely against the will of God. Many of you have seen signs out there like McCarthy or Knight, and you have to research your candidates. The person running against Steve Knight in our district, in our area, is an open bisexual, and she supports the LGBT agenda, pushing it in our schools. So you're going to not vote, and those who are gonna vote will put her in office. Now again, wonderful presence, interviewed, website's professional, love her zeal for wanting to truly help our area in this. I love that, I appreciate that, but I disagree thoroughly on, and they'll call it a woman's right to choose, right? Who's gonna call it, I believe in murdering a child and pulling them out limb by limb from the womb. How's that gonna go over? So it's a marketing thing designed to trick people and not have them see the full ramifications. So those people are coming up for election. The election is coming up in November. And I think at some point Christians say, you know what, this isn't, it's about the gospel, it's about Jesus, but when Jesus changed my heart, I care about little children that are murdered. When Jesus changed my heart, I care about the definition of marriage. When Jesus changed my heart, I care about immigration. I care about how we take care of those who's coming to our country. I care about Syrian refugees. I care about the environment. How can we separate, oh, I'm trying to be so careful here. Because there are pastors, and I've even talked to them here locally. Brother, I just talk about the gospel. No, I think you're a coward. I do. I think you don't want to offend people. Because when you have the fire of the Holy Spirit, you have to cry out. You have to cry out for those who cannot have their own voice. You have to speak out. Now I know it's different callings, and some teachers are different, some pastors aren't as active. I'm okay with that. But when you teach the Bible, when you teach the Bible, you have to talk about controversial issues. How do you skip all these controversial issues? Joel seems good at it, but most pastors don't skip controversial issues. You talk about marriage, you talk about abortion, and you talk about these things, and people say, but Shane, I want to talk about that, because so many people in my congregation have had an abortion. So have my congregation. I conceded to abort my child 25 years ago. I know. But you also point them to hope and redemption in Christ, and then you go after the evil that is penetrating our culture. That's how you approach these issues. So let me say this. And you know what? We are so blessed here at West Side Christian Fellowship. I looked at people coming in on Sunday, and we're all on the same page. I do feel for the pastors. I have African-American black pastors that this is a hard topic to talk about in their church, and they will do it, and they will lose members. They will lose givers, because one of them is Abram, who I had speak here before. We share a lot of the same views. We're not political, but we'll talk about those things that are important issues. So politics won't save America, but in order to implement change, honor God, and help others, we must take action. Did you know that God ordained the institution of government? Read Romans 13 this week. God said, I have instituted government. Why? To be a tear to those who do evil. So the primary role of the government is to protect the nation, to protect and to administer justice, and the church is to serve as a conscience of the nation. So I'm hoping to answer some of your questions. If you think I should preach this again on Sunday, let me know. Yes, okay, good. I was hoping for that. I was hoping, I wasn't gonna tell you that it's because I'm preached out, right? I've gotta preach at Grace Fest Saturday. I've got the Tent Revival Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Then we got an October conference coming up Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday I'll be here. And then I've got a speaking engagement in Washington. I'm actually speaking. There's about 600 people coming to a banquet at something like Care Net, but it's in Washington, the state of Washington. They've been asking me for two years, so I finally said, okay, I'll come up there and I'm gonna speak to them about this topic of abortion because I believe God wants us to be that voice. And people have different callings. So I'm gonna go through, I'm gonna try to help you when you talk with people. This is actually an article you should have. I'll also put it on our website. Government as God ordained. We the people are to lead according to God's word. And many people say, I don't wanna get involved. Have you ever heard that? People say that. Well, you need to remind them that you're already involved. I don't like it any more than you do, but every citizen of this nation above the age of 18 who can vote, they are already involved. So when 17, what is it, almost 40 million Christians say nothing, you just said a lot. You just said a lot. Yes. Think about this. And they say, well, God will take care of everything. We don't need to be messing in this. Well, ironically, I've never seen that mindset when it comes to work and income. Do any of you just sit at home and say, God's gonna take care of us, babe, financially. He's got this. No, you'll go right to the welfare system really quick. We work. God blesses diligence and hard work. So I don't remember who said it, probably way back with Spurgeon, but you pray as if it's all up to God and you work as if it's all up to you. You work as if it's all up to you. Now, you know what, I've thought of this twice and I keep, maybe God wants me to encourage you on this. Here's something that we have to remember. People sometimes will get emails or different things. Well, if you have different beliefs than Roman Catholicism or Mormons, but you can still be united and vote for the same person. If on my street, I've got Muslim, Hindu, Catholic, I'm guessing on two of them, but if we're all on Neighborhood Watch, we all have each other's backs. I don't care what religion they are. If you see somebody hopping my fence, call me. Same thing, if you see somebody hopping the wall of the United States, the watchman has got to sound the alarm. So you can link arms with people who might not agree with you on theological issues for certain areas of political things. Not for power, but to have a unified voice saying this is wrong. Muslims can come out and say we're still for freedom of speech. So are we, so we can agree on that topic that we are for freedom of speech in America. God blesses hard work and diligence and financial manners. Why wouldn't he when it comes to leading a nation? Number two, apathy is not biblical. Apathy is not biblical. A believer should be involved in running for office, voting and or monitoring those in office to assure they have performed their duties. So let me just throw this out there. If God has put it on your heart, do not run from it, run to it. I've been asked to run for everything from a state assembly to the hospital board, and I don't feel that God's called me to that arena. I believe he's called me to do what I'm doing and to help motivate the troops. But if you have that calling, they're mobilizing lots of Christians to run for office, run for school board. Do you know how important the school board is? They get to allow what curriculum is being taught to the kids. They can say no, the transgender can't read to our little library group and promote. This is sickening, this is appalling. I love people so much, but I hate the sin. Now they're out in birth certificates, I think it's he or she or we'll choose later. Let the child choose. Let the child choose, that's child abuse. You're a boy, but you can choose to be a girl later. And then I think Facebook has, what, 30, 40 different gender identities. We've lost our moral compass, we've lost our mind. You think God is just wanting us to sit and do nothing and say nothing? I can't fathom that, because he rebukes all of these things in the Bible. If you wear, man, if you wear a woman's clothing, it's a sin. He created them, male and female, joined them together in marriage. Anything outside of that is sin. I created children in the womb. I love them. Don't shed innocent blood. It's so clear on these issues. Number three, we engage the culture or we lose. We engage the culture or we lose. Always remember this. This has helped me tremendously. This is probably the only reason I'm able to do what I do and continue doing what I do. There will always be a fight. I came to realize the enemy will always have the numbers and he always has the noise. You know the noise. The culture's against us. Facebook, Google's against us. Oh, whoa, what are we gonna do? I'm the only one left. God says, shut up, I've got 7,000 who have not bowed their knee to bell, nor they've kissed their image. Elijah, get up and follow me. There's a call there, because the enemy will always, always come after us. The tides of evil will always wash against the shores of hope and peace. Now, I don't like that, but isn't that the reality? There's a fight coming every day. So now you get up like this. Okay, I'm ready. I'm ready, I see it coming. Versus I used to get up like, why me? Oh, life's so hard. I just want a life of peace and comfort. I don't wanna engage anything, but life is a battle. This area is a battle. It's for the very soul of our nation. Can you look at how far we've drifted in 30 years? Think about that. I've said it before, but maybe some of you didn't hear it. I remember I loved Lucy in Leave It to Beaver. I remember when girls went to the beach wearing clothes. I remember that the news would tell the truth. Or report, at least, Walter Cronkite, Vietnam, there's some issues there. I remember when the father was the hero. I remember when the things that, you would never tell somebody they can choose to be a girl. You would help them and understand they have identity issues and why they might have those issues and pray for them, but you would never push the envelope like this. You would never, this is mocking God like I've never seen before. Who's the Hollywood actress just recently on the Emmys? Said, I don't believe in God, but just in case, I thank her. And the next generation. Ah. We have drifted so far and God is our only hope. That's why I'm encouraged. He's our only hope. This is it, God. The Titanic's been hit. Only you can get underwater and repair that with a miracle, and that's what we hope for. That's what we pray for. But I was so encouraged to see that many pastors show up in Irvine, that many pastors in San Diego the week prior, and people are going and we're getting the word out. Listen, enough is enough. Enough is enough. Because this is what is not known to many people. You know, because I've talked about it before, but a lot of people aren't aware of this, that the pulpits used to be the voice of conscience, that they would help direct the people. They would say, here's what this says. Here's what the running for office says. If you go back into the East Coast, colonial America, a lot of the things were centered around what? The church. What does God's word say about these issues? They wouldn't even make legislation until they looked it up according to the Bible. That's why I told you the founding fathers referenced the Bible four times more than any other work. They would reference the Bible when legislating. Now we don't do that. We do anything but that. So remember that. We engage the culture or we lose. The lazy man cave mentality, watching sports and eating pizza and drinking beer is not going to save us. It's not going to get us going in the right direction. We'll stand in line to see a movie, but we won't stand in line to vote and elect leaders who will affect the direction of our country. So that's one of the things I'm going to encourage you. We have voter registrations. Grab one, take it to your 18 year older. Make sure they know what they're voting for. Or if you need to register or you need to vote, it's time to do that. And it's funny, because I'm not normally the type of person that would, you know, because you think, oh, voting, and here we go again. But this is, we're talking about life and death. We're talking about the definition of marriage. We're talking about a governor who will run our economy into the ground if it already isn't. California's economy, go online. California's economy is tanking. Do you know where California rates among all 50 states in regard to education? We are number 47. Used to be number one. You had the Spanish missions up the coast of California. But see, that's why I'm fired up. That's why I'm excited. There's people that say, enough's enough. Mm-mm, mm-mm. You've given me, that's why they call it the bully pulpit. I'm gonna be a bully in this pulpit to brainbash the nation back to what is important. Because the more I read the Bible, the more I get fired up about this. Why shouldn't we say something? Why shouldn't we tell you who's running for office and what they stand for? Because for a lack of knowledge, my people perish. For a lack of knowledge, my people don't vote. For a lack of knowledge, my people don't care. Because I thought that for many years, I'm not gonna vote. It doesn't really matter who cares. I mean, they're all the same, aren't they? Oh, Lord. Maybe 20 years ago, but it is a big, the parties are so different now that we just have to look at these issues. Now, I already know there's questions coming up. Loud mouth guy, orange hair, adultery 12 years ago. How can you even go there with him? Well, I'm gonna get there, hold on. Number four, all laws, every single law in our law book imposes morality onto others. So when they say, don't impose your morality on me, well, you're imposing yours on me. All laws impose a belief system or morality on someone. The question is, whose morality are you embracing? So, for example, LGBT community, of which I love, which I reach out to. I have no friends that struggle with this issue. Some in the church, that some of you aren't aware of. They're friends of mine that say, if you need anything, let me know. So I'm not against that, but when they say, not they say, but when the culture says, you're forcing your morality on me, Shane, about marriage. I don't want you to force your morality on me about marriage. We should be able to do whatever we want. Well, then now you're forcing your morality on us and our children and on others. And actually, it goes against God's word. So all laws are forcing morality. It just depends whose morality, the society's or God's? Whose morality are we enforcing? And people, see, I've got some good arguments here, because I hear these all the time. That's why I have them, because people say that. I'm like, that's a good point. It's gotta be an answer. People would always say this, but you can't legislate morality. That's true, isn't it? You can't change a person's heart, but you can deter wrongdoing. The sheriffs are here. What about if we had stricter penalties? Robbery, you're doing 15 years. California's bringing back the death penalty. You take someone's life, you're going to the chair within six months. You think crime would slow down a little bit? Absolutely, absolutely. When there's no fear or repercussion, then people act out even more. So see, laws won't change your heart, but it will deter wrongdoing. I just talked to my brother a while ago when we saw him. You can just carry your nine millimeter right here into the store. You got the shotguns in the back. You think there's much crime there? No, no, not even close. Why, why? Because the criminal's not even gonna make it out of the store without getting three or four shots in the back by different people. A deterrent. See, you go soft on crime, you remove the deterrent. We have judges now that want to give pedophiles community service or rehabilitation and not jail. Now again, people have confided in me over the years who've struggled with this. I have love for people. We all struggle with something, so we need to get the judgmental spirit out of this place really quick. That one I have a hard time with, though, honestly. But if you remove the penalty, you're gonna open up Pandora's box. So remember that. All laws impose morality. And then number five, the pulpits are not called to be passive. What I'm doing is not called to be passive. And there is a reason why the biggest church in America is passive. Because you tell people what they want to hear. You don't, you could build a bigger church if you were targeting. Okay, I can't upset that group. I can't upset that group. What am I gonna preach about? Oh, darn it. Oh, I know, God is love. I'll just preach about that every week. God is love. Just think positive thoughts. Just be good to one another. And I'll see you next week. I mean, you'll run two Bible-believing Holy Spirit believers out of the room real quick, but you will. See, when God says in the Bible that they look for teachers who will tell them what they want to hear, false teachers are often God's judgment on the people as well. Because we go after, oh, I can't believe that person's a false prophet or not teaching God's word. But what about the hearers? They're running to hear. Tickle my ears, tickle my ears. So we have to remember, God has given pastors a biblical mandate to preach on difficult things, to not be passive. Try this out sometime. Have you ever rented a pastor? Oh, sorry. Have you ever rented a pastor who thinks, would disagree with all this? No, we're not supposed to. Just ask this. Would you have been silent in 1850 when people were on slaves? Oh, well, of course not. Oh. What's the difference? What's the difference? And that's actually what got Nazi Germany into its predicament, is the pastors would not say anything except for some Dietrich Bonhoeffer you know. It was said he was hung naked with a piano cord because he challenged. He challenged. Number six, God's word is very clear on these issues. God's word is very clear on controversial issues. From thou shalt not steal from future generations to thou shalt not murder innocent children. It's very clear. We are robbing future generations. If you don't believe me, go online and look at the debt that you are leaving your children because we don't steward. We don't look to God's word. You think healthcare will be there, social security will be there? People say, oh, shame, we shouldn't talk about these things. We have to. God's word talks about all of these things. Show me one area in politics where God's word does not talk about. It hits all areas. Number seven, this is my favorite of the evening. Is that my phone? People tell me and they tell you, I'm not voting for the lesser of two evils. I'm not voting for the lesser of two evils. This statement is often used by those who want to remain silent, but it's a flawed argument. We are actually voting for principles, not evil, correct? We are actually voting for principles and not people. Here's why, all candidates are sinners. All of them. So until Jesus Christ himself is running, we are going to be given flawed individuals. So when you vote for, I vote for everything they stand for. I vote for the principles of what they're going to leave my children and my grandchildren, and do they honor God? Do they honor God? Listen, I want to be careful here too, but there's a lot of people out there who don't like our current president. Based on what he's up in circumstances, he's doing a good job. I think based on what he's up against, he needs to just not tweet, he needs to just not say anything, just don't say anything. But if you look at what he's doing for the next generation, if you look at the Christian freedoms, if you look at a lot of different areas, and who he's surrounding himself with, I don't agree with a lot of things, but we can look at that and say there is a platform there for us to move forward. So again, we are actually voting for principles, not people. And here's my concern. If we fail to contend for what is right, we may see a time in our history when our children will ask, why didn't somebody do something? Sadly, we will know the answer. So that's what I'm doing. I'm bringing up to you, I'm praying about bringing up Sunday, and voter registration's a big deal in this race, because we're going to actually go out and tell God or tell others who we want to run the state, who we want to run the nation, who we want to run the assembly. So I would encourage you, get involved, because I haven't many times over the years. And I thought it just wasn't that important, but then you start to look at now what we're up against, and we need to pray, we need to register, we need to vote our values, and I would encourage people to run for office if you can make a difference. Do that, make a difference. I think some of you heard me tell this story before. It was of a man who, it was actually Governor Huckabee. In 2008, I was at a conference where he was speaking down by the LAX Hilton, and he said that he took his daughter to the concentration camps when she was 12 or 13, real young, and after they're walking through, and he couldn't, he's like, oh, what have I done? Because the pictures of the bodies, the pictures of the shoes, of the hair. Have you ever been to that? It's life-changing. It's amazing what evil will do when you slaughter six million people in gas chambers. And so he's like, what have I done? I shouldn't have taken her to this, and she was just, she didn't say a word, even on the way home, nothing. And finally, they pulled into the driveway, and she looked at her dad, and she said, Daddy, why didn't somebody do something? How are we gonna answer this question to our kids? I mean, I'm just now explaining abortion to Mike, and they're like, what? How is that, how is that? How is that legal, Dad? How is that right? I don't know. We got seven million in California who don't wanna vote, and 40 million in America who don't wanna vote. That's why I think this is such a big issue, and people minimize it, is because it's so important. Do you think the enemy wants godly leaders? Do you think, that's how he works. He's governmental. He works in legislation, he works in laws, he works in legality, and that's how you change things. That's how things have changed in 30 years. The FCC, the radio, and all that has lowered their standards. The TV ratings have lowered their standards. Look at what used to be PG 30 years ago. They've lowered their standards. Hollywood comes in, they've dumbed down the standards. Everything is just, nobody's standing up for anything, so evil just comes in like a flood. Evil just rushes in. You put down your guard at home, what's gonna happen? What's the difference? So the evil just rushes in like a flood, but what does the Bible say? Then the spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him. It will hold them back. How do you raise up that spirit of the Lord? You get bold. You get filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and you say, Lord, make me a standard. Let me be a bulwark. Let me be that strong tower. I want to be that standard, Lord. He'll use people to counteract this. I mean, there's no way. There is no way that the current president should be president, right? We all thought, people ask me, oh, Hillary's got it. There's just no way around it. It's just numbers, and then this happens. God brings a wrecking ball, uses a wrecking ball, and people say, people forget that God used a pagan king, Cyrus, to accomplish his will, to bring in the calling of prophetic word and bringing in the Messiah. Cyrus. God used Nebuchadnezzar. God used the Babylonian kings. He said, I raised one king up, and I'll pull another one down. I'll put them in there because I'm gonna put somebody in there who doesn't listen to anybody who's gonna get in there and be a wrecking ball. We don't know yet if it's a judgment or a blessing, but God will raise people up to be that. The day of the nice, clean, conservative Christian office, at least at a high level, is over. Sadly, because many in the middle will not vote that direction. It has to be somebody so radical that they're gonna go in there and make a difference. So I have issues with the current, you know, current, the presidency and different things, but I'm not gonna let those issues overcrowd the bigger issues. We're not gonna get perfect all the time, but we have to start voting for principles, not a party. So when Brant comes up, he's gonna close in a little bit of worship. I just want people to focus on this area. And I also know that filling out a voter registration, that's not our answer. What's the answer? It's trusting in Christ, being broken, being humble, saying, Lord, use me. Lord, use me. I mean, look at what he did when I prayed that prayer 20 years ago. I had a sphere of influence was maybe 10 people. And so God starts, okay, I'll use that voice. I'll use someone who surrendered to me. And if we each try to make a difference and just encourage people, hey, go out and vote your values. Go out and vote biblical. Because here's the thing, God gave us a gift. They accomplished here in America what no other nation has ever done. It was all kings, always ruled by kings. The pilgrims come over 1620, the Puritans 1630, fleeing religious persecution. And they said, what's our government gonna be? The Mayflower Compact was signed in Cape Cod Bay. And we're gonna be of the people. We're gonna legislate according to God's word. And from that grew out. And then from that, God allowed us to put people in positions of leadership to rule over us. You realize we're not really a democracy. We are a republic. A republic is governed by godly men or godly women in office who represent the standards of God. They really shouldn't be called politicians. Politicians, what they are, are statesmen or stateswomen. They represent the state. They represent the livelihood of the people. It's not for political gain. It's not for popular opinion. It's not for building a career. They are servants. And we're supposed to elect people that come in. What does God's word say? Let me govern according to that standard. It's a gift from God. So that's why I don't understand the comparison people make. Well, Paul submitted and they lived in Rome under tyranny, under Caesar. We don't. God says, here's this government of the people, by the people, for the people, to put godly leaders in positions of leadership. You choose them. You choose them. So our silence is deafening. Our silence is what is creating a lot of the situation we're in. And I got so mad eight years ago when somebody, when Christians, I talked to them, I didn't vote. I didn't vote. It doesn't really matter. Well, yeah, that'll grow like wildfire. I don't want to depress you anymore, but there was one session where they talked about what America would look like if the other person got elected two years ago. And you don't want to open that can of worms. What was planned, what was on the agenda? To silence Christians, silence churches, silence Romans 1. Conviction, legislation, hate speech. It would be here by now, two years. It's that quick, that quick. Congressmen would tell us, this is what was coming down. This is what was planned. They're gonna silence you. You're on the front lines. This is Nazi Germany in America. They're gonna silence the pulpits. They're gonna silence the pastors. They're gonna silence the churches. That's how they get you to shut your mouth because that's the voice of truth. How does the enemy come in if the voice of truth is calling out and bringing people to repentance? We're walking on a very thin line here. We've got to make a decision again in two more years. But don't ever give up. Don't feel defeated. God's still on the throne. Often he'll use evil and he'll turn it around and he'll bring in the light. The light shines the brightest in the darkness. God will bring revival. He'll bring renewal. That's why I love these topics because if God breaks out, revival, awakening, another third great awakening in America, you can't stop it. That's one fire you cannot put out. Gavin Newsom will be cussing God and then he'll be praising him when revival breaks out. That's what we're praying for. That's what we're contending for. Thank you. God bless America. God bless you.