Hey guys, it's Lee. Thanks for stopping by The Not So Political Protestant, a publication dedicated to correcting the course of the American church in regard to politics and its place in the lives of Christians. The Not So Political Protestant is here to call God's people back to sanity and repentance, because as citizens of another world, we We should live kingdom first, country second.
Now without further ado, let's get into today's podcast.
One of the popular uses of scripture, which political Christians point to in order to bolster their belief President Trump is God's prophesied deliverer of Christianity, is the story of Cyrus. They call this the Cyrus anointing, which is a phrase the charismatic leader, Lance Wallnau coined. The narrative is that President Trump has, in essence, the anointing of Cyrus on him and is freeing the American church today, just as Cyrus did the Israelites in his day.
But let's break that down. Cyrus was a king of Persia and had taken over the kingdom of Babylon, which years prior destroyed Jerusalem, carrying the people of Israel away to be held captive in Babylon. When Cyrus took over the kingdom, the Lord commanded him to build a house for him in Jerusalem, and Cyrus obeyed, allowing the people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it.
Notice King Cyrus's decree did not give the nation power in the land they were currently in in order to influence governmental change. Instead, it gave them permission to leave exile and rebuild God's kingdom outside of that land. President Trump, however, is leading the political Christians in a fight to change the nation we are in currently.
The difference is huge when you look at it through the lens of biblical truth. Paul tells us in Philippians 3:20 Our citizenship is in heaven. While we are American citizens from a worldly viewpoint, our allegiance is only to the kingdom of heaven. Biblically, we are ambassadors to America. If President Trump truly was today's Cyrus, he would not be leading Christians to rule America, but instead to leave America spiritually and return to build the spiritual kingdom.
Paul tells us in Romans 14: 17 that the kingdom of God is obtained by repenting and believing the gospel. And Jesus tells us in Mark 115, the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy. While President Trump might be able to bring us into an era of relative peace, he cannot bring repentance, righteousness, and joy.
What far too many political Christians do not understand is the entirety of the Bible points to the person of Jesus Christ. It is not merely a collection of stories about heroes and epic battles, but instead a collection of stories pointing us to Jesus and showing us who he is. So the question is, what does the story of Cyrus represent?
Paul tells us in Colossians chapter 1 verse 1 that God has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son. Cyrus is not a prophecy of Trump, as Wallnau foolishly claimed. Instead, he is a representation of Christ, who has delivered us from the kingdom of hell and bondage to sin, and brought us into the kingdom of heaven so we can build it by reaching the lost.
As I said earlier, we are ambassadors to America. An ambassador's job is not to change or take over the government they are sent to. Instead, it is to foster and strengthen relationships between their home country and the host country. The political Christian movement, however, is causing division between us and those we have come to reach.
That, my friend, is the biblical truth. And sadly, too many political Christians are so focused on their treasure of political power, they cannot see it. The kingdom of heaven is spiritual, and 1 Corinthians chapter six verses 9 through 10 tell us the unrighteousness will not inherit it. That is why we must take our focus off setting up an earthly kingdom, and instead return it to advancing the kingdom of God.
We do that by proclaiming the gospel. The good news is that while we are desperately depraved and deserve eternal punishment, God, in order to be just in judgment but great in mercy, sent his son to take our sins upon him, die a brutal death, and be raised to new life so we can be reconciled with the Father and delivered from bondage to our sin so we can live free in the kingdom of God.
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