Rick Scarborough says pastors have a higher calling: not only as shepherd of their flocks, but also as political beacons of hope. Their spheres of influence are crucial to understanding how Christianity can and should play a role in our politics, even if it’s the last place that some may propose spiritual beliefs should be.
Join Rick Scarborough on this episode of Mixing Church and State God’s Way on the Charisma Podcast Network to see the political and religious parallels that can be drawn from the time of Senator Lyndon B Johnson in 1954 and the imprisonment of Paul and Silas in the Bible.
Scarborough says it’s a pastor’s duty, as much as they can, “to obey the laws of our land—until those laws are in direct conflict with the Word of God.”
That may seem easier said than done, but Scarborough has a few suggestions. He says, “if we are faithful to proclaim the cross, men and women will be set free. Their lives will be reclaimed, their souls will be redeemed and that culture can be renewed.
“Oh, beloved Christian, if we would just stand and speak the truth to this culture, without fear of reprisal; if we would lovingly offer the repentance that God offers through the blood of Jesus Christ, who knows what God would do?” Though God can do anything, Scarborough says we must realize that we also have a part to play. “Could that not happen in America today if we recognize we are dual citizens?” Scarborough asks. “Our first allegiance is to Almighty God. Our first commitment is to Jesus Christ; we are citizens of heaven. But that should empower us to also stand up and say, ‘I’m an American Christian.'”
Will you stand up in the face of adversity and proclaim your beliefs, unpopular though they may be? For encouragement to do so, listen to the full podcast here. {eoa}
