Thoughts on January 6th and Where We Are as a Nation

As a concerned citizen, I am called to love and serve others well.

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I have been asked how I am processing the current events from the fraudulent election and of Jan. 6 so I thought I would share them publicly. I desire to be truthful and transparent but I am by no means speaking for anyone else but myself as a Christian, conservative woman.

I feel betrayed by my party, my Vice-President, and every member of Congress and Senate that voted to accept/validate a fraudulent election. I feel betrayed that they did not do anything with mountains of evidence available.

I feel betrayed by mainstream news outlets. The fact that they have become political activists and propaganda outlets is just disturbing. Where is their desire to hunt for the truth and break news stories that impact our nation for the good rather than for their personal agenda? Where is their integrity to distort the news rather than report it?

If there is a crime like murder or tax evasion, you would expect an investigation and action based upon the evidence. Therefore, I not only feel betrayed by my elected governing officials (who would not have accepted this outcome for their own race results) but also the courts, DOJ, Attorney General, etc. 

To learn that the checks and balances that I thought our country was founded upon and drafted into the Constitution are not being utilized is devastatingly disappointing. As a person driven by the desire to do what is right, this new reality of my government is contrary not only to my expectations as a citizen but to my own character.

I heard yesterday that John Adams once said that the Constitution was written for a moral, religious people. What he meant by that is that as soon as a nation becomes immoral and irreligious, the Constitution loses its power.

To come to terms that due process was not given and followed truthfully is a betrayal to me as a citizen. The more the evidence mounted from videos, pictures, witnesses, statistics, etc, the more I allowed my confidence to be based upon due process. I had not yet realized how corrupt my country had become.

That is the biggest grief I am bearing right now. 

As a Christian, I feel safe (if that makes sense) when uprightness is followed because I fear God. I fear God even when it is not me doing something wrong but someone else. That is why all my bells and whistles are going off right now. I see us becoming a godless society and it scares me to death. I feel trapped in a vehicle careening toward a cliff and there seems to be nothing I can do about it.

My angst is not that my candidate was cheated but that there was cheating and nothing was done about it. I am supportive of whatever Americans truly vote for even if it is not to my preference. But when cheating is openly done and there is no recourse, why would anyone ever vote again? The stark reality that my vote doesn’t matter is not in keeping with being an American.

Additionally, I am so sick of the labeling-

“conspiracy theorist” when obviously, the amount of scheming needed to pull this off is unparalleled in view of the evidence shown on any reliable news source.

“Trumpism or idolatrous Christian” to be publicly thrown around by other Christians is just appalling. Whether someone has an idol or not is not for others to speculate or publicly accuse. That would be judging others when we do not know their heart, only God does.

As a concerned citizen, I am called to love and serve others well. If I keep quiet over the declining state of my country, of evil and wickedness being promoted and celebrated, of harm being done to my fellow citizens through stealing their votes or denying them the right to work, of a godless agenda being shoved down our throats when this country was founded upon Godly principles and identification, over corruption being condoned, anti-American policies being enacted, from strife and falsehood being driven across this land, and so much more, that does not make me a “nationalist”.

If you have read your Bible, you know how God responds to nations that rebel against Him.

 As a Christian, I am fighting against my country becoming an idolatrous nation, which is not the same as viewing Trump as my savior. 

Is John MacArthur idolatrous for fighting for the right for the church to be deemed essential? Is Wayne Grudem a nationalist just because he supports President Trump’s policies?

Jesus said you judge a tree by its fruit but that is not the same as judging a person’s heart by declaring them idolatrous.

I read where a woman on Twitter was condemning all the “Jesus Saves” signs on Jan. 6. She accused them of using the Lord’s name in vain and more. How dare she?! And sadly a well-known Christian author agreed with her!

Has she not read where Jesus said in Mark 9-

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

Or where Paul said in Philippians 1-

15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this, I rejoice.

Or when Jesus said to John through the disciples he sent in Luke 7-

18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,

  who will prepare your way before you.’

28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

 

John the Baptist was languishing in prison and totally unprepared for Jesus not coming to his aid and bringing about his rescue. Did Jesus call him an idolater for putting his hope in the wrong thing based upon what he understood of Jesus’ role and purpose? No, He did not!! He had compassion on him as He guided John into the harsh reality that Jesus’ ways are not our ways and that He will not always offer the rescue we have in mind. 

He told John, Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me, meaning….. John, don’t give up just because I am not meeting your expectations or coming to the aid that you have in mind.

I have too much fear of God AND sense not to judge the motives of others and condemn them through accusations. That is for Jesus to sort out. Need I remind them that accusations are a tool of our enemy satan.

So to say that someone who supports our President or who is fighting against this fraudulent election is a “nationalist” or worse, an “idolatrous” Christian is totally unbecoming the name of a Christ-follower.

Name-calling or conjecture of “Trumpism” is just as prejudice as any other “ism”.  Stop making blanket assessments when you do not know the heart or character of people.

In regard to the violence seen on January 6th, that is completely unacceptable!! But I am not so naive to think it was purely Trump supporters doing those things. Either way, it is totally wrong. 

In closing, I am processing what has happened one of two ways- either we are like the Israelites facing the Red Sea with the Egyptians closing behind us or worse like Mary and Martha standing outside Lazarus’ tomb, each instance waiting for what only God can do.

Or, we are witnessing the judgment of a Holy God upon a rebellious nation. We will be getting what we deserve as a nation for our idolatry and disobedience. In the Bible, I am sure there were many faithful believers that got up in the consequences of their faithless leaders. It happened time and again in the Old Testament.

Either way, I am looking to Jesus because ultimately, He is the ONE governing HIS people. I am praying for Him to glorify His name one way or the other. My daily goals are not dictated by who is in the White House or the amount of corruption in the land. I am to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love others as myself. Thankfully, that is still my privilege, and within my ability, whether America is free or not.

 

Written by Gretchen Fleming 

 

Following Hard 

Featured Image by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

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