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3 Reasons the Church Will Prosper No Matter Who is President

3 Reasons the Church Will Prosper No Matter Who is President

Last updated on: November 1, 2024 at 11:19 am by Ken Shelton

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3 Reasons the Church Will Prosper No Matter Who is President 2024-11-01T11:19:49-04:00 Ken Shelton

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“3 Reasons the Church Will Prosper, ” Created in Dalle for Patheos

“3 Reasons the Church Will Prosper no Matter Who is President” might initially sound arrogant or presumptuous. Still, it is true. In the first instance, there is the Church (all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ) – a divine institution. Jesus invites us to live in the luxury of his abundant life and to share it with the world. The second is a man-made government. Most Americans will limit their involvement in politics to casting their vote, posting a political sign, or serving as an election worker. Some will run for office, but most of us will vote and go on living our day-to-day lives. Not much will change.

Hard Times Ahead

A friend called me today. He eventually talked about the election and why America needs to know that there are economic hard times ahead. I responded that America experiences a recession every 7 years. Even my financial advisor says so. But after the call, I decided to fact-check my answer. Although I found some support for the 7-year idea, I read this article that goes into more detail: “A recession denotes a significant, persistent, and widespread contraction in economic activity. The U.S. has suffered 14 official recessions since the Great Depression, and other countries experience them as well, making clear such downturns are a recurring feature of the economic landscape” (US Recessions Throughout History: Causes and Effects, Rasure, Courage, https://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/past-recessions.asp).

But There’s More

There is more to the store – Credit – pixabay

The same article researched back further and found the following: “The U.S. has experienced 34 recessions since 1857 according to the NBER, varying in length from two months (February to April 2020) to more than five years (October 1873 to March 1879). The average recession has lasted 17 months, while the six recessions since 1980 have lasted less than 10 months on average (National Bureau of Economic Research” (U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions.”).

Sleight of Hand

Can you see what I just did? By emphasizing the state of the economy for a brief time, my sleight of hand took the attention away from the future viability of the Church. This happens all the time. Christians of every ilk are often more quickly moved by the state of their money than they are by the Church. To make us feel better, we say it’s about stewardship when it is often about fear. Some go so far as to say that Americans usually vote with their wallet, no matter how statistically untrue that may be. See this study by the University of Michigan (“Do People Vote with their Wallet?,” by Sam Siberel, https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2022/01/11/do-people-really-vote-with-their-wallet/).

Image by Dominic from Pixabay

The Church of Jesus Christ is Secure

We all look for elected officials who know how to keep us safe and secure. That is common sense, but it only goes so far. History so clearly reminds us of the fall of kingdoms, empires, governments, and the people who built and ruled them (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_sovereign_states). But what about us? Can the United States of America, the great experiment, really last? That is up to God. Consider these scriptures:

“He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars” (Daniel 2:21 nlt),

“He builds up nations, and he destroys them. He expands nations, and he abandons them. He strips kings of understanding and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland” (Job 12:22-24 nlt).

3 Reasons the Church Will Prosper No Matter Who Is President

1. Because We Are Citizens of Heaven

To encourage early believers, Paul wrote, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:21-22 esv). Mark Roberts, Senior Strategist for the Fuller De Pree Center shares the following 3 things that being a citizen of Heaven means:

That we are to live on this earth according to the values of heaven.
We are committed to the agenda of the one who is sovereign in heaven, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
In all we do, we are to seek God’s justice and mercy for God’s purposes and glory. (“Living as Citizens on Earth as in Heaven” 2020, Roberts, Fuller E Pree Center, https://depree.org/life-for-leaders/living-as-citizens-on-earth-as-in-heaven/).

2. Because We Belong To God

“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family” (Ephesians 2:19 nlt). Paul made clear that belonging to God means that we are his responsibility. In Mark 6:7-13, Jesus called his disciples. Then he sent them out into their more immediate surroundings in pairs, and gave them authority over unclean spirits. Then, in Matthew 28:16-20, He sent them into the entire world, and he promised to be with them. Because they, and we, belong to God, he has promised to be with us too. Acts 2:1-4 provides a record of 120 believers being baptized in the Holy Ghost. During his earthly ministry, Jesus ministered supernaturally. The outpouring of God’s Spirit underscored the truth that is their’s too was a supernatural ministry. Likewise, since we belong to him, we can live and minister in supernatural grace.

3. Because Jesus is Lord

The Bible makes it very clear that God favors no political power, party, or president. The Church will prosper because Jesus is Lord. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36 esv). The last several political cycles in America have to often divided the church. But the true Church cannot be divided. Why? Because we abide “in Christ.” Your local assembly might take exception with another one, but the Church cannot be divided. We might throw barbs at each other and claim some personal moral high ground, but Jesus holds his church safely united in his care. Our purpose must be to share Jesus’s ministry of forgiveness, love, mercy, and justice to the world.

Conclusion

I’ve listed 3 Reasons the Church will prosper no matter who is President. I tend to be optimistic by nature. It’s easy for me to believe that the Church will prosper. Church history tells us so. My own experience does too. I remember the recession of 1980-81 like it was yesterday. My wife and I planted our first church then. Mortgage interest rates were upwards of 16%. Through the years, we’ve faced some severe battles: Divisive members, a fire that destroyed the church we’d built, denominational leaders who could have qualified for Job’s comforters, and more. And through it all the work of God prospered. Not because we’re so special. We were two young adults who heard the Holy Spirit irresistibly call our names, and we said, “Yes!” And over the last 40 years we’ve watched as God’s Church has prospered – at times in spite of us. So, whatever you might be facing, I encourage you to remember that the Church is the Lord’s responsibility. And because we are citizens of Heaven, because we belong to God, and because Jesus is Lord, the Church will prosper no matter who is President of the United States.

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About Ken Shelton

Ken Shelton is a writer, songwriter, and recording artist. His latest album, 'Legacy-Songs For My Family' is his eighth studio album and is available on all music streaming services. In addition, he is an ordained bishop with Evangel Association of Churches and Ministries, and with the Church of God (Cleveland, TN). Ken attended Lee University, Trinity Theological Seminary, and Destiny Christian University and holds a Doctor of Divinity Degree. In 2001, he founded Shelton Covenant Ministries, a church ministry committed to planting churches, and mentoring pastors and church leaders with emphasis on five-fold ministry. He is a frequent conference speaker, worship leader, and soloist. Bishop Shelton has written two books: Covenant Talk - Words That Set Us Free (Author House, 2005) and Discover Your Worship Learning Style (SCM, 2010). In 1974, Ken married the former Kitty Patterson, who since 1997 has been a public-school English and history teacher. They have three daughters and ten grandchildren and reside in Brighton, Michigan. You can read more about the author here.

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