A Changing World- An Unchanging God

A Changing World- An Unchanging God

Nov. 4, 2024

Host: Hon. Sam Rohrer

Guest(s): J. R. McGee

Note: This transcript is taken from a Stand in the Gap Today program aired on 11/4/24. To listen to the podcast, click HERE.

Disclaimer: While reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate transcription, the following is a representation of a mechanical transcription and as such, may not be a word for word transcript. Please listen to the audio version for any questions concerning the following dialogue.

Sam Rohrer:       Hello and welcome to this Monday edition of Stand In the Gap Today, and it’s also the first Monday of November and as we all know, the day before the constitutionally established date for Nationwide US elections, the first Tuesday after the first Monday. And while all America anticipates the official news of who will be our 47th president, frankly so does the entire world. America has enjoyed a dominance in global affairs, unlike perhaps any nation in human history. And as our American citizens, all of us listening here right now divide, it seems along politically partisan lines and sometimes that’s very deep. The rest of the world increasingly is aligning, I’m going to say in hatred against America, seeking it appears every opportunity they can to weaken or throw off. What for us has been a Western led dominance that we’ve enjoyed, but the rest of the world increasingly thinks it’s being done at their expense and with the election results of tomorrow, there’s an interesting point, approximately 60% of the world’s population will have voted for new earthly leaders in 2024 or a couple of the nations voted at the very last month or so of 2023 to take effect in 2024.

Sam Rohrer:       But that many people all electing new leaders of major nations is a real historical first. There’s a lot involved in that. And one thing is for sure we are in a changing world, our nation and people and policies are changing, but some things don’t change. My recurring guest today to discuss some of the highlights of our changing world, but the realities of our unchanging God is JR McGee and you all, if you’ve listening, you know him. Strategic Leadership and Counter-terrorism specialist, Extreme Leadership Group founder and CEO as well as a student of Biblical prophecy and the title I’ve chosen to guide our conversation today is this, A Changing World-An Unchanging God. But before I welcome in JR. Today I would like to welcome officially our new national audience in the nation of Kenya on the powerful Biblia Huma Broadcasting Christian radio station reaching all of Kenya parts of Uganda in Ethiopia and more.

Sam Rohrer:       And I mentioned that on Friday’s program, which was aired today the first day because there are about seven hours ahead of time. So what we do here in America on one day is actually carried there the day after. So I want to welcome all of you who are listening there on a new great station covering an important area of Africa. Thank you for being a part of our growing audience around the world and on behalf of our stand in the Gap today, audience here and Stand in the Gap radio team. We are thrilled to now be communicating headline news from a biblical worldview perspective and to give you here in America and those of you listening now in the continent of Africa, news from key events impacting America, Christians everywhere and our hope, all of us who know the Lord, that’s a coming kingdom and a soon coming king of kings. And with that I welcome right now JR JR. Thanks for being back,

JR McGee:           Sam. It is always a pleasure to be with you and our audience and it’s such a privilege to be able to talk about these events and the impact they’re having on the world and God’s plan.

Sam Rohrer:       Amen. And it is something. So let’s get right into this. We’re going to go Israel in the next segment. We’re going to go to Russia in the third segment. We’re going to go to God doesn’t change in the last segment right now, let’s talk about changing America because from your global military and intelligence perspective, one area of undeniable world change is clearly the marked diminishing role, sad to say, but diminishing role of our nation around the world. In my opinion, there are many areas where we’re seeing this diminished influence, international respect, military strength, moral integrity, financial and economic stability, predictable justice, integrity of existing coalitions with our friends and all of that. These things and changed and more. Now add to this lineup anything you’d like JR but otherwise perhaps identify some examples of events unfolding that would demonstrate how one or more of these areas of influence are in fact weakening.

JR McGee:           Sam. There’s three really big ones that have happened in the last week or so and over time Israel in particular has done precisely the opposite of every single thing that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have demanded every single thing. Netanyahu’s had the backbone to stand up and do the right thing, but they’ve given the appearance of compliance to allow America to save face. But they forbid the Israelis from going into Gaza, they went in, they said they couldn’t do this in Gaza City, they did that. They said you couldn’t go into Rafa, they went into Rafa. They said you couldn’t go out to these people and find them. They found them. They said you couldn’t save the hostages. Well, they’ve saved several. Every single thing that America has demanded, the Israelis have done exactly the opposite and it’s been the right thing for them to do on the world stage.

JR McGee:           On Thursday of last week, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov signed an agreement with Iran, a comprehensive treaty for much closer defense cooperation and after the attack that Israel launched on Iran, I think they’re going to need that. In addition, Russia made it clear that they want to host Iran’s brand new president Massou Peskin in Moscow before the 31st of December of this year. And they’re doing these things and they’re presenting it as a desire for closer cooperation and defense and interaction and interest of peace and security, the regional and global levels. Now that’s their quote. Sounds like something I read in the Bible to be honest with you. And then if that wasn’t enough, Russia and Saudi Arabia have signed a new agreement, another new agreement to develop joint military cooperation between the two countries and the defense minister Khali Ben Solomon, he tweeted, I signed an agreement today with the Russian Deputy Minister of Defense, Colonel General Alexander Fullman between the Kingdom and the Russian Federation aimed at developing joint military cooperation between the two countries. Sam, as much as three years ago I couldn’t comprehend Saudi Arabia not being joined at the hip with the United States and now they’re completely separated and isolated. These things are happening fast, they’re happening all over the place and they’re showing America’s diminished influence on the world stage

Sam Rohrer:       JR. And you could give a whole lot more. I know and I could add to the police and gentlemen, we’re out of time in this first segment, but citing those things, national and international alliances in coalitions, treaties agreements really give a demonstration of do you have friends and they want to be more friends with you or are you losing friends like a Saudi Arabia and others? The world is changing, the world is changing. That’s the point. That’s our theme, A changing world, an unchanging God. Now we come back, we’re going to go and focus for the next segment on Israel and I ran and get an update on what really happened when Israel attacked they ran and what may happen in the days right ahead. One key area of regional and global concern is as we know the Middle East and specifically Israel now the continuing war between the enemies of Israel, which seemed to grow week by week, month by month, and Israel continues to witness the further alignment of nations, which is key, the alignment of nations which are either with Israel or against them, but as all true believers know, the alignment of nations against Israel is ultimately an alignment of nations and their leaders, not always their people but most of the time the people of the nation and their leaders and the nations.

Sam Rohrer:       But it’s an alignment of those against God and ultimately it’s against God’s plan of redemption and that takes you right fundamentally to Jesus Christ who is the focus of God’s plan of redemption, who is our savior and soon returning king of kings and Lord of lords. That’s where it goes. It’s what we think. Ultimately it comes down, what does a person think of Christ? Now it’s at that time in the days ahead when Jesus comes back as Lord of Lord and kings of kings, when God in his breath the scripture tells us, will subdue all the armies of the world gathered together against Israel and there’ll be a physical victory on a battlefield there in the Middle East and leading up to that day, which will be at the end of the seven year tribulation period are these days in which we are living, of which we’ve been talking so much really like days of labor pains where Iran and Russia and other biblically prophesied nations are beginning to move after centuries of just kind of being there.

Sam Rohrer:       They are moving in alignment in coalition against Israel, which makes what’s taking place very significant. JR since you were with me last was a month ago, Israel, as our listeners know, conducted an amazing attack physically right into Iran. It appears that the impacts in my opinion are still coming out. I mean still Revelations are still coming out about this was another part of the attack and something else was happened over here, but in meantime, Israel still waging war in Lebanon against Hezbollah. There’s a lot going on. So first if you could give a summarized overview from your military perspective of Israel’s attack on Iran, what do we know actually happened, how and when then is Iran likely to respond?

JR McGee:           Sam, it was once again a brilliant attack by the Israelis, and they struck a large number of very significant locations. I used to be the lead engineer on the team that acquired and reverse engineered Russian surface to air missiles and air-to-air missile systems. That’s how I began my career and I used that to teach pilots how not to get shot down and the F 30 fives, the joint strike fighters for the Americans that the Israelis fly were able to dominate the airspace. They took out all three of the S 300 systems that Russia gave Iran very capable systems and there’s some information that they have one S 400 system which is even more advanced and that one’s suddenly gone off the air. So that’s all I can say at an unclassified level for that. But they took out military manufacturing facilities in great detail where the Iranians manufacture the solid fuel for their rockets and their missiles.

JR McGee:           They took out the manufacturing facilities for their guidance packages and their electronics. They took out the depots and the support areas to maintain these and work on them. They took out the launch facilities where they are incapable now of launching these large ballistic missiles and in addition, there were several undeclared nuclear facilities that Iran hasn’t admitted exist and the Atomic Energy Commission can’t complain about them being hit because they’ve allowed Iran to get away with not identifying them and Israel made some very bold statements on those. That’s all I’ll say about that. But everywhere they decided to hit Iran, they were able to do it and do it conclusively in a very dominant manner and they didn’t lose a single aircraft, they didn’t lose a single airman. Every target was struck that was intended and they dominated the airspace in a powerful message that I think will be taught in our war colleges for some time to come

Sam Rohrer:       JR, in reality, one take is that they did some of those selected damages, the attacks like you’re talking about, but they took out facilities in Syria and Iraq as well. Effectively some would saying have opened up an airspace corridor where they can go back at Iran again, but this time they’ve taken out all of the missile defenses. Was that a part of the strategy as well?

JR McGee:           It was Sam in Syria and Iraq. They took out the search radars, they took out the reconnaissance radars, they took out the surface to air missile systems. They did. They have cleared out a way for them to go back to Iran almost with impunity and they’ve reduced and almost eliminated Iran and Syria’s ability to protect their airspace. What this does is it gives Israel much more advantage and far more opportunities to do a follow-up attack than they had with this one. That’s pretty significant.

Sam Rohrer:       Alright, let’s go to the question I was asking you about Iran. Iran has not retaliated. They have threatened to retaliate against Israel. They have suggested that they have nuclear capacity and that they will use it tied into that they have threatened directly the United States but they have not yet done. And I read one briefing this morning I was looking at in that individual was making a statement and said that the longer Iran waits, the more difficult it becomes for them to retaliate. Just some thoughts on Iran and their strategy.

JR McGee:           That’s exactly correct. Yesterday the ayatollah made a major statement that he will retaliate against Israel and made the term that he will break Israel’s teeth. Now if you follow Persians and Arab states in general, when they get belligerent, they talk about slapping your face, breaking your teeth, things like this. They have a different way of insulting people and the said that he was going to respond with an attack that was going to break the Israeli teeth. I think a lot of that is staging and showmanship because he’s got to say something, but I do think that they’re going to have to do some kind of retaliation. They cannot appear to be impotent on the world stage or the people that depend on them will lose face and lose confidence in them. So they’re going to do something but they’re desperately trying to walk a fine line so that they don’t trigger another massive Israeli strike because next time I think that they will lose their oil terminals and their oil refineries and their oil pipelines, they will lose a lot of their infrastructure and their nuclear program.

JR McGee:           Israel’s made it very clear that they’re tired of this and they are going to make it stop and America is no longer going to be able to put brakes on them like they’ve been trying to do desperately and not so successfully like we talked about in segment one. The other thing is Iran has made some quantum leaps in their drones and what a lot of people don’t remember back on the 5th of December in 2011, Iran was successful in capturing and commandeering one of Lockheed Martin’s most advanced stealth drones, the RQ one 70 Sentinel, and they forced it to land in cash mar, which is northeastern Iran and they reverse engineered it, which is what I used to do. And they took that technology both for reconnaissance and stealth and capability and began to build that into the drones that they’re supplying Russia and they’re supplying Hezbollah and they’re supplying the Houthis and these things are made out of a lot of plastic.

JR McGee:           They have stealth capabilities that they learned from that drone that they captured. It makes them very difficult to pick up on radar. It makes them difficult to track. It makes them difficult to engage and shoot down. As a result, Israel and Ukraine has suffered a lot of what we call leakers. These are drones that get through unscathed and are able to attack their targets. Israel is beginning to suffer some casualties right now, both fatalities and serious injuries that they haven’t been suffering up until now. And that’s because Iran is bringing into bear some of these advanced drones. These things have got capabilities that they can carry bigger loads, they’ve got better stealth capabilities, longer range, and they’re being effective. Now Israel is working very fast and Israel can work extremely quickly to develop some countermeasures to these drones, but until those are brought online, Iran’s going to be able to have some limited success at intimidating the Israelis on this.

Sam Rohrer:       And it appears, I think as even this morning, if I was looking accurately, there were some attacks by drones in Northern Israel coming down into the Tel Aviv area. Again today what you’re saying is right. The drones are representing a methodology to get into Israel right now where their defenses are for the moment until they get something developed, they are more at risk for sure.

JR McGee:           One more aspect, Sam, and that is Iran is starting to infiltrate weapons and equipment into the West Bank along their long border with Jordan, which is much harder to secure than Hamas’ border with Egypt is. And I don’t think they, they’re going to put the Hamas and Hezbollah back together the same way because Iran, I’m sorry, Israel was too successful at taking them apart. So they’re bringing new weapons, new equipment in through West Bank and I think they’re going to engage the West Bank, which has been neutral up to this point, Sam.

Sam Rohrer:       Interesting. Well ladies and gentlemen, that would be a change. Again, we’re talking change a world of change Middle East, absolutely changing. Next segment, we’re going to come back. JR and I are going to talk about, we’re going to Russia, focus on Russia, bring in Ukraine in areas there that are undergoing big change. Well, if you’re just joining us today, we’re halfway in the middle of the program now. Our theme is a changing world and unchanging God, and we’re going to end on the unchanging part of the next segment. JR McGee is my guest again today. And we’re getting a perspective of the world as we do when we focus on these kinds of things. Talk first in the first segment about for a lot of reasons, which we’re not getting into detail today for a lot of reasons. The influence for good, certainly of our nation, the United States has been diminishing for a lot of reasons.

Sam Rohrer:       We’re talking about how changes in the Middle East about Israel and Iran and the alignment of nations there is always changing and will change in the days ahead. There’s another area of the world where things are happening and that is in the area of, well, Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, and there’s a connection there as we will talk in a minute that involves the nations there but also involves our nation. And there’s also a connection even to Israel as it seems. All of these things are becoming more and more aligned, but as the globalist dominated United Nations World Economic Forum and similar entities are pushing and making their goal for the world, their strategy for the world, more known and trying to bring it about, it’s also creating, as we’ve talked about many times here, an increasing stature, I’m going to say of the eastern axis of China, North Korea, Iran, not officially at Turkey, but it’s moving that way and most noticeably Russia, so JR, let’s go now and talk Russia and it’s increasing stature and we talk about change and then we do it in a segment because the deepening relationship with Russia and North Korea, we’ve touched on that just briefly.

Sam Rohrer:       Russia and Iran touched on that briefly, Russia and China, we haven’t talked about that in this program, but that’s there. And then you mentioned Russia and Saudi Arabia. That’s a big deal. That’s extraordinary I think. But within that, we know prophetically JR that Russia’s role in these end days is greater, not less yet. Western media continues to in many cases downplay Russia’s abilities and capabilities on one hand, but then they also love to call out Russia as the bogeyman. So it’s somewhere in the mix. But again, we’ve been talking about Russia for a number of years. What can you share about Russia’s deepening relationship with the eastern axis? First of all, the alignment of the nations coming together with Russia in the middle of them.

JR McGee:           Sam Russia has been very effective at networking and spreading her influence. There’s a lot of different things that they’re doing to become the protector. When Obama invited Russia to come into the Middle East in the famous Syrian red line for the chemical weapons that gave Russia the platform to reengage with a lot of these countries and they now see Russia is a stronger, more dominant protector than they see the United States and that Russia has begun to ascend. United States is descending. It’s very clear. Now the Russian perspective on this is they want to do two things. They first and foremost want to reestablish the Warsaw Pact, the former Warsaw Pact with the Eastern European nations, but they also want to become the dominant protector and the dominant player in the Middle East because they see the importance on oil, transportation, shipping, commerce, and together with China, they want to control that area.

JR McGee:           The United States has been the protectant there since the early 1970s, and it seems like all the players no longer trust the United States and they’re beginning to trust Russia and China to a lesser degree. They trust China’s money, but they trust Russia’s military, which is ironic because Israel just dominated and decimated Russian military equipment, which they always seem to do. But yet these countries are more comfortable affiliating and aligning with Russia than they are the United States. We’re going to see that continue to grow and escalate and the Bible tells us very clearly that Russia comes out of this on top, even though they may suffer some setbacks, they’re going to be in control of this for quite some time.

Sam Rohrer:       Okay, let’s go a little further here and then I’ll come back on it. The engagement that’s vaulted Russia into this whole thing was Russia, Ukraine, all that you’ve been talking about. But now, and we’ve touched on it briefly, North Korea, some say there’s 8,000, some say there’s 10 whatever soldiers on the ground, more of their elite force. And that is changing the dynamics both immediately and potentially, let’s put it that way in the weeks ahead. Talk about that why they’re there, what that means as the world looks, that area of Ukraine and Russia,

JR McGee:           Sam, Russia has suffered more than a half million casualties in this battle with Ukraine. Nobody in the beginning of this ever remotely dreamed that would be possible. So 8,000 troops doesn’t sound like many, but it’s a big deal because it shows the rest of the world and the Russian people back home that they’re getting support from other people. Now, as Ukraine continues to be involved with this, the United States has stated if the North Koreans actually engage in combat, the Ukraine will be authorized to use the long-term weaponry that the United States and NATO has provided them. And Russia has countered that with, okay, if you use those long range weapons, we will respond and retaliate with nuclear weapons, battlefield tactical nuclear weapons. Russia has been very clear about that from the very beginning. I’ve been trying to tell people now for three years, Russia is serious when they say they will use battlefield tactical nukes.

JR McGee:           It’s coming and it’s coming fast and we’re now in a massive game of chicken to see who backs down first. And I think the Bible once again makes it very clear Russia’s not going to lose this. Like I said earlier, they may suffer some short-term setbacks, but ultimately Russia is going to win this. Now China is also being very aggressive at the same time. Sam, right now in the South China Sea, they’ve got two naval aircraft carriers, the Leon and the Chong, and they’re in joint carrier formation exercises for the first time. That’s a major step forward for the Chinese Navy and it really opens the door for a lot more complex training and operational capability against Taiwan. And that’s where China’s focus is. They want to take Taiwan and Russia wants to help China do that so that China will help Russia. This is all a game of politics.

JR McGee:           It’s a game of transformational influence and trying to see who can put together the right coalition to secure their national security aspects before the United States can. And we seem to be behind the scenes and behind the steps. We’re one or two steps behind in all of this for the last three or four years. And it’s hurting us, it’s hurting our credibility. And the other countries that are looking to the United States for security and support and defense are saying, I don’t think the United States is credible any longer. So it’s completely radically changing the entire structure, the alignment, the influence, the allies, everything now is in flux and it’s rapidly falling out to be exactly what the Bible told us was going to come about. And we’re seeing that happen before our very eyes. I think that what we’re seeing is a direct result of perceived weakness in the United States government.

JR McGee:           They don’t believe that the United States can credibly threaten them. They don’t believe that the United States can credibly deflect them or even defer them. They think that they can now do whatever they want and actually they’re trying to do some of these things before a change in government because it may be too late. But everybody on that side is concerned if Trump comes in, he’s going to change that dynamic one more time. What they don’t know and what they don’t think will happen is it will change. Long term is at best. Trump’s only going to be there for four years, Sam. This has got tremendous implications for Americans, our billfolds, our security, our jobs, everything is on the line right now and it’s all going to depend on what kind of threat that the rest of the world believes that the United States is capable of projecting and executing. And right now we’re pretty much out of credibility

Sam Rohrer:       And tied into all of this. Russia just led the meeting of the BRICKS nations, nine nations officially, but there’s 30 some for a total of 40 some nations that have made application and that undercuts and is there to undercut our dollar, which is our strength. It’s kind of interesting, isn’t it, JR that we have had the strength of the dollar, we’ve had technology, but now when you lose your credibility, the other nations, including a Saudi Arabia, would rather align with Russia. It’s an amazing thing how things can turn, isn’t it?

JR McGee:           It’s and the threat to the United States dollar and the threat to our shipping interests going through the South China Sea, like we’ve said many, many times, one fifth of all the oil and one fifth of all the economic commerce for the entire world comes through that area. And a preponderance of that comes to the United States. It’s all at risk right now and we’re not doing the right things to defend our allies and we’re not doing the right things to defend our home security.

Sam Rohrer:       All right ladies and gentlemen. So change, that’s the point. That’s our program today, A changing world. These things are just demonstrations of kinds of change. The election tomorrow will mean further change the next segment. We come back, we’re going to put on solid ground that which does not change. Well as we go into our final segment again today, thank you for being with us. It’s an important thing. If you’re not there, there’s no reason for us to be here. Thank you also for those who write all of you who take a moment to sit down and write. I know I was one of those. I listened to radio and not very often do I write because I think that well, they don’t really care. Well they do care. We do care. We do want to hear from you. We’d like to know why you listen.

Sam Rohrer:       We would like to know the kinds of things, information that is being shared that God has used to well to edify or to encourage in some way that’s helpful. And then from time to time I’ve taken read those kind of things on the air that’s helpful to other people. For those who pray, it’s good for us to know that you are partnering with us in prayer. So very, very important. And then for those who go beyond that and then choose to partner with us financially, thank you so very much for that. It’s impossible for a work, a ministry of this type to happen without the funds to do it. And that comes from many of you who are listening and just a few percentage of those who have never given would help and would share a bit it would accomplish so very, very much so.

Sam Rohrer:       Just put that thought in your mind as you pray. Pray about partnering with us that way. Alright, JR we’ve talked about change and there’s a lot of that, not hard to prove that and a world of change. It’s God’s intent though for all of us believers, those whose minds are fixed on him not to be moved and not to be changed. Just one verse I was thinking of earlier, one John two 17, it says, and the world is passing away along with its desires. Those things that seem so alluring. It says, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. And then we know that, well what is that the will of God that abides forever? Well, the will of God is found in the word of God. God’s will is always executed according to God’s way and always consistent with God’s word. God’s word never changes.

Sam Rohrer:       We know that God never changes. We know that. So when times of change, ladies and gentlemen, where should we, all of us who are believers put our trust well in the will of God, the way of God and the word of God? Because those things do not change. So if we are doing those things, one John two 17 says, whoever does the will of God abides forever, well, we’re going to disappear from this earth. We will our earthly life only for a moment and then that goes away. But abiding forever means that we have a home in heaven that is certain that God’s presence with us is certain and that he will never leave us nor forsake us. That is certain that is an anchor in a changing world Jr. I just put out a few thoughts there, but the threat of war and destruction, which comes by war, war is always destructive by this very nature. But that means change whenever that happens. How do you respond to this kind of world change that we are seeing that we’ve talked about here today?

JR McGee:           Sam, that’s a great question. And no matter what goes on in the world, no matter what happens today, tomorrow, in the future, God’s at work. God’s always moving chess pieces around and setting up strategy. And you know how much I love strategy and strategic thinking. God’s always preparing the battlefield for his plan and his glory. We don’t need to worry or be fearful, Sam. We need to rejoice and rejoice every day because every single day our redemption’s closer, his plan is becoming clearer, but we still have to work while there’s the light. And I love his description of being light and it’s easier to work in the light than it is in the dark. But we need to work to drive change in the direction of being in closer alignment with God’s word and his glory. Everything we need to do should always be lined up with exactly what God’s word tells us to go do. Sam

Sam Rohrer:       JR. Again, we’re talking hope you have that hope. I have that hope. And I know many of our listeners have that hope too, but there are some there who do not. That relationship with Jesus Christ, trusting in his word, anchoring and believing what he says in his word is what gives us that hope. And those things don’t change, but you know we’re coming up. We talked about it. Everybody’s aware tomorrow is an election. The outcome is not certain. Certainly lots of speculation. That’s what it’s all about. And speculation. Speculation. We may not know for days. We may know by tomorrow night and don’t know, but for many people JR it seems almost that their assurance or their hope lies in the election now of elections are important, but they’re not God. So anyways, how are you approaching the matter of election? Tomorrow obviously important, but in this concept of no change and God, which does not change,

JR McGee:           Sam, I don’t think I have ever put as much thought into trying to figure out what to say on this program as I have for this segment today. And I wanted to study the Bible and see exactly what is the foundation that government’s built on. Because without understanding the foundation, you don’t know whether it’s built correctly or not. And I went first to Isaiah chapter nine, six. It said, for unto us, a child is born unto us, a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder. Romans chapter 13 puts us into even better clarity. Verses one through seven says, let every soul be subject under the higher powers, and that’s government for there’s no power but of God. And the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisted the power, resisted the ordinance of God and they that shall receive to themselves.

JR McGee:           Damnation for rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Would thou then be afraid of the power do that which is good. And now shout out praise the same. If I skip down to verse five says, wherefore, you must need to be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake and for this cause, pay you tribute also for they are God’s minister’s attending continually upon his very thing. Verse seven, brings it all home, render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tributes due, custom to whom? Custom fear, to whom fear and honor to whom honor? Sam, we have a biblical privilege and responsibility to participate in and respect our government no matter who’s the leader. We need to respect the government and to sit out believing that God does not want us to vote or hold our representatives accountable is precisely what the Bible teaches us to avoid.

JR McGee:           Sam, as you’ve seen this week, even the Amish are coming out to vote in record numbers. They’ve seen firsthand what a failure to participate in voting, has resulted in, and that’s the potential loss of their freedom to farm and live by their values. God put into power the kings and leaders that he wants to reign good kings like David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Moses, and even Joshua, and he’s put into place evil leaders like Ahab, Jeroboam, Jehoiakim, and Nebuchadnezzar. The Israelis didn’t want to be under the rule of the judges. They wanted a king like the neighboring countries around them. God tried to dissuade them, but they persisted. So he gave them a king. They wanted a David without knowing who David was, but they got a Jehoiakim and it devastated their people and their culture. Every day. We as Christians have to work with and be in submission to people we work for and around that don’t hold our values or beliefs.

JR McGee:           Every one of us is familiar with this, has to deal with it every day. That’s why we are called to be salt and light in this world. No different for our government leaders. No politician is ever going to hold all of our beliefs or values. But Jesus said he was not called to the righteous, but to work with sinners to bring his kingdom into this world. I don’t want to vote for somebody who’s going to take away our freedom of religion, speech, or assembly, or legislate our values into oblivion. If Jesus said to go do this, how can we do even less? He gave us a special form of government and the privilege of

Sam Rohrer:       Participating and JR. We’re out of time ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being with us today. Obviously, our trust is in God. Make sure your trust is in the Lord. Exercise those privileges like voting tomorrow. Make sure that you vote and vote as biblically as possible.