Worth Repeating - A Better Country

I had thought to repost this article earlier this month, but I didn't get to it. Still it is appropriate to this election year and worth repeating.

Hebrew 11:16 But now they desire a better country,

that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed

to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

The Trouble with Patriotism

There are a lot of people who are very caught up in patriotism. Here in the United States it is often equated with being a "good Christian." That is to say, if you are a "good Christian" you will also be patriotic, you will also "love your country," and your allegiance will be to the "good, ol' USA" (and, "of course," a specific political party). "God and country" is a common theme, though I'd say that "country and God" was a better word order judging by people's speech and actions.

This is an election year [again] in the U.S. and emotions will be running high in many churches. Politics is a BIG subject and many pastors will be openly or covertly plugging for the candidate for whom they want all "their members" to vote. (Too bad more of them don't think of the people as God's heritage, as it really is, and let Him lead the people to vote or not vote as HE sees fit. 1 Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.)

Another common thing we see among American Christians is the "need," even urgency, to "rescue America" and "restore it to it's Christian foundation." These people talk, dream and try to live in the context of "restoring America" or "making it great again." I've even heard people go so far as to say that it is our responsibility to "make the leaders of this country live by the Constitution."  Some even suggest a new revolution to enforce this. (You won't find a chapter and verse to support that one, by the way.)

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