What happened and where do we go from here?

Many conservative Evangelicals like myself woke up Wednesday morning with a post-election hangover feeling like you'd been punched in the gut.  All the signs from the economy, to voter enthusiasm to scandals over Benghazi pointed to a Conservative Victory at the polls. But when the votes started coming in on Tuesday, we saw that President Obama had been reelected and with his election a new wave of liberalism, particularly on the social issues had been swept in as well.

For the first time in our nation's history, we elected a President who openly campaigned for Gay Marriage and Unrestrained Abortion on Demand.  We saw 3 states approve Gay Marriage Ballot Initiatives, and 1 state elected the first lesbian Senator ever.  How could this be?  How could it happen, when Conservatives seemed so engaged and liberals disinterested?

TO PUT IT SIMPLY, THEY SHOWED UP AND WE DIDN'T!

When you look at the exit polling, it tells the tale.  A good article to read on this is by Joel Rosenberg and can be found by clicking here.

6.4 million self-described Evangelicals voted for the President, which was down from 2008, yet still high considering what Evangelicals traditionally stand for.  Could it be that they went with party affiliation and feeling over reason and carefully considering the issues?

Romney outperformed McCain percentage wise in every category, and Obama underperformed percentage wise in every category from 2008, yet he still won.

How?  The percentage of Evangelical vote stayed the same as 2008, meaning they didn't show up.  We could see long term, if not permanent setbacks and effects both economically and socially as a result of our not showing up.

I guess the real question is, "Why did we not show up again?" The answer, I believe is two-fold.  Politically, Romney has been a moderate at best and liberal at worst.  He has constantly flip-flopped throughout his political career on key issues dear to Evangelicals, particularly Abortion and Gay Marriage.  He was also seen as a Big Government Conservative who authored one of the nation's first Govt. Controlled Health Care Systems. His conversion to conservatism came too little too late. 

Philosophically and Religiously, Romney is a Mormon.  While we applaud Mormons for their commitment to family and morality, we CANNOT call them our brothers and CANNOT call them Christians.  Their core beliefs including but not exclusively of a works based salvation that can ultimately allow you to become a god yourself IS NOT orthodox Christianity.  Their belief that God had 2 sons, Lucifer and Jesus, and he chose Jesus plan of redemption over Lucifer's thus angering Lucifer and causing him to rebel, IS NOT orthodox Christianity.  MANY EVANGELICALS, some that I know personally, in the end COULD NOT vote for a Mormon in good conscience.  Most of us do take our faith seriously and the Bible literally! Therefore, when it tells us not to welcome a false prophet into our home or bid him God speed (2 John 1:10), we believe it, and many felt that they could not vote for him on this account.

AT BEST WE HAD TO VOTE AGAIN FOR "THE LESSER OF 2 EVILS," NOT VOTE, OR VOTE 3RD PARTY!

I, for one, am finding this less and less appealing! I believe that as a Christian, we should vote.  We should be active in all realms of society, and our Christianity cannot be separated from any aspect of our lives, including how we vote!  In other words, it is reaching a point where the GOP needs to decide which side it is on.  Is it on the side of Biblical Morality and Constitutional Limited Govt. or is it on the side of Big Govt. Spending and lax middle of the road morality?

IF THEY WANT EVANGELICALS TO SHOW UP AND VOTE THEY MUST GIVE US SOMEONE WE CAN VOTE FOR INSTEAD OF JUST POINTING OUT REASONS TO VOTE AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE!

We also need to keep in mind that we won't vote in a national revival! We can help hinder the spread of corruption and counteract the darkness by being salt and light, but just b/c we change the laws will not bring revival! WE MUST CHANGE THE HEART OF THE INDIVIDUAL through salvation and regeneration if we are to CHANGE THE HEART OF THE NATION! Simply put, AMERICA WILL ONLY BE SAVED BY AMERICANS BEING SAVED!!!
So, where do we go from here?

I believe it's time for the Church in America to do some soul-searching! We are no doubt in for a rough ride in America! God will not let a nation continue to shake it's fist in his face, try and erase Him from its collective conscience, and openly embrace what He calls an abomination and not bring judgment.  The story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 makes this clear!  Persecution might well be on its way to the Church in America!

WHAT SADDENS ME THE MOST is that as I look around at the Church in America, we are splintered and not hungry for revival!  One group in the Church is resigning from society and stockpiling for the Apocalypse.  Another group is still naive enough to think we can vote in revival by voting in the right candidates.  Actually, we'll vote in the right candidates after we have national revival!  A third group, just doesn't care.  As long as they're economically secure and life is going on as usual, they are satisfied!

THIS ELECTION SHOULD SERVE AS A WAKE-UP CALL TO THE CHURCH!!!

We must return to the basics of prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14), worship (Matthew 22:36-40), evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20) and holiness (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).  Then we must pass the baton of freedom and righteousness to the next generation.  Noah was found righteous in his generation (Genesis 7:1), as a result he was spared in the midst of God's judgment and passed the legacy on to his children (Genesis 9:27).

WE'VE GOT OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US! BUT WITH GOD'S HELP WE CAN STILL SEE IT TURNED AROUND!

If you'd like to hear more about this, please listen to my sermon from last night.  You can access it by clicking on this title: "In This Generation!"

THANKS FOR READING! GOD BLESS!