By the time you read this newsletter, there will be a decision about the next president of the United States. I hope there is an acceptable transition of power underway no matter who the winner of the election is, and we can say goodbye to the election anxiety that often comes with a presidential election. We live in what seems to be quite divided times in our nation, and that division seems to always peak during an election cycle. I want to encourage everyone here at St. Paul’s that during times like these, we express our unity as the body of Christ. The body of Christ includes people with all sorts of different beliefs throughout the world, and we are encouraged by Peter and Jesus to submit ourselves to our earthly authorities no matter who is in power.

  When speaking about whether the Jews should pay taxes to Rome, Jesus says, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” When Jesus says this, he is avoiding arrest and a riot, but he is also telling us something important. During the time of Jesus’s ministry, God’s people were living under a governmental authority that was not their own, and there was much discourse about what the Messiah was meant to do. Many thought he would be a military leader who would come and destroy an earthly oppressor. In this case, this oppressor would be Rome; however, instead he came to destroy an even bigger oppressor, and that oppressor is the devil and sin itself. Jesus is telling us that no matter who is ruling on earth, God is ruling in heaven. The money we have may be valuable on earth, but it is useless in heaven. He says to give the money back to Caesar, it has his face on it anyway, and to give your heart to God because that is what matters most.

I am not going to say elections are not important and we should not participate in them. I think the opposite. We should vote in every election; however, Psalm 146 says, “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.  When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.” Our politicians are not deserving of our faith. In the end, they will always fail us. They will die and perish just as we do. They will fail us because they are human and are fallen as much as anyone and they will let us down and will lead us away from salvation.

Instead put your faith in Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. He will bring us salvation and guide us home to heaven. He will not perish, and he will always endure for us. The plans of our earthly authorities are only temporary, but the plans of Jesus are eternal. Submit your heart to Christ; your heart belongs to him anyway.

Revelation 19

¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He [e]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in [f]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a [g]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND

LORD OF LORDS.

 Pastor Jim

The Rev. James FitzGerald