Is There a Biblical Mandate to Be a Single-Issue Voter?

Is there a biblical mandate to be a single issue voter. That is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Adm. Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook or Instagram accounts or you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com. First up, today we have a good news story to share with you elderly patients at a nursing home who can't see their relatives due to coronavirus were overjoyed by a visit from the miniature horse Sarah Fern. The activities coordinator at the Roseville care home in York, England says the residents always benefit greatly from pet therapy, which allows them to interact with animals. She says many residents who normally spend most of their day in their rooms were eagerly interacting with others when they got a chance to pet the horse. Sarah says it brings back memories and allows the residence. 90% of whom suffer from dementia to express themselves in ways they probably wouldn't otherwise is not beautiful. While it is beautiful and and is heartwarming to hear about that happening and glad to hear that they were encouraging.

It's really important for us to remember all the people right now who are isolated men who don't have community and don't have people around them family to pray for them and anything to reach out to them. This is been a very hard time for many peoples I'm glad to hear that even though others have been able to visit them. This miniature horse could stop by and divide some encouragement.

Bethany you know if your church has elderly people and some of them are shut-ins right now because of coronavirus. There are some creative ways to reach out to them safely, so you might want to talk to your pastor about that in and identify some of those people and just express God's love to them. Let's get to our first question.

This is an email that came in from Catherine in the United Kingdom.

She says hello.

I hope you don't mind me asking if we can take communion at home.

Are we meant to do it once a week. I just left the Catholic faith and I haven't yet found a church here in the United Kingdom. God bless Catherine hey Catherine thank you for your question, to say something that is probably going to come as a shock to many people because I know that a lot of people just assume yeah and why could you take communion at home on your own, and I actually used to believe that too is it is a newer believer of the church that I was going to the time really basically said I was okay. There's nothing wrong with that and I think a lot of churches teach the same.

It's about your your personal experience with Jesus. If you want to have this special time with Jesus wherever you are. Go ahead and take a saltine and a glass of milk or whatever you have and take communion. The reality is we can't just take communion on our own at home and again I know that that might sound like what how could you say that why is that the case let me explain to you and it has to do with what communion is.

Communion is not just a common meal.

It's not like you when you sit down with your friends and you have some pizza and in diet Pepsi or whatever and then you give thanks for the food is it's not a meal like that.

It's a meal that Jesus instituted. That is a sign of his sacrificial death for us it's a place where we have special communion with the body and blood of Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul said this in first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 14. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people judge for yourselves what I say.

The cup of blessing that we bless is it not a participation in the blood of Christ, the bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ and get this, verse 17, because there is one bread, we who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread now in the context of first Corinthians. There the apostle Paul is rebuking the Corinthians because of the way in which they were taking communion when they gathered together, they weren't being mindful of one another in the church.

Communion is something that we do together as the body of Christ, not individually and privately because communion one of the things that it signifies is the unity that we have as a corporate body of believers in Jesus Christ, through his blood, and through his body. As I said is not just a common meal in an is that simply bread and wine in the sense that all it is is this this cracker in this whiner, this juice and we just remember no through these signs of bread and wine. Catherine, we have posted there in first Corinthians 1016 communion, fellowship with the true body and blood of Jesus by faith and so is something that should be done in the context of the gathered assembly. The worshiping body when we come together there other things that I could say there meet one of the other reasons why we can't just do it on our own is because if we if we could things like church discipline, which Jesus instituted in Matthew chapter 18 would be virtually impossible when someone is excommunicated from the church there cut off from the table of the Lord is this judgment that comes work where the officers in the church the pastors the elders the church says this person is cut off because they've essentially turned away from Jesus. Well, if anyone can take communion whenever they want wherever they want by themselves. It is just makes church discipline impossible. So this is something that the church does together under the ministry of the word through ordained pastors and elders were helping to govern the body and that's why it's important Catherine that you do get into a good church you get plugged into a place where the word of God is can it be faithfully taught where they are about receiving communion on a regular basis. Now you asked does it have to be every week or should it be every week personally is what what we do in our church. We take that the Lord's supper every week because because that is this special communion that we have with Jesus himself by faith, and so I think it's his gift that God gives to us. We should want to receive it. But that doesn't mean that you know churches that take it less frequently if there's something wrong with them and I think you want to be patient and and just wherever it where it is that the Lord has you where the gospel is being faithfully proclaimed where they are receiving these gifts these ordinances that Jesus gave to the church, whether it's every week or or maybe once a month or something like that get plugged in and receive ministry that Jesus has for you to preach the gospel is body and blood in the Lord's supper and embracing that by faith.

And as you do more and more.

You'll grow and so that was really encouraged by your question. I do hope that you find it a church very soon there in the UK and upright, that the Lord blesses you as you look for one. God bless you. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and Israel. Here's a question is very timely given the current election season. Diana posted this on her Facebook page and she says, is there a biblical mandate to be a single issue voter. It seems that neither political party cares about all image bearers and we end up having to choose between one or the other yeah I like you said Bill a very timely question, Diana.

I'm glad you put it that way.

Is there a biblical mandate to be a single issue voter know there isn't doubt, there may be single issues that are so big and so pressing on our own consciences that they drive us to vote in a particular way.

But the Bible does not mandate what those particular issues are and we did a couple of things I think you during this election season one week. We definitely need wisdom and where does wisdom come from it comes from God.

It's a gift that God gives to us. James even says if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God gives to all liberally and without reproach, but let him ask in faith is the one thing brothers and sisters.

One thing Diana that you should do in this time is pray to the Lord and say God give me wisdom really should do this for everything in life but especially right now with all the tension we need God's wisdom.

Don't let fear or the 5 o'clock news be the primary thing that drives your vote. Let the love of God, the love of your neighbor, and a firm conviction in the Scriptures be what compels you. And that's what we need to.

Here's another thing that we we desperately need. I think right now, especially in the church and we can be such a model for the rest of the world and this we need charity from the Holy Spirit by charity. What I mean is love.

We need to recognize that godly people might think differently than we do. When it comes to how things should be governed.

Some people feel compelled to vote for one candidate over another. Others don't feel comfortable voting for anyone. Each person should be convinced in their own mind. Now, in line with with all of this.

I just want to share with you a really important principle related to pastoral authority because I think this is another part of this whole discussion is you pastors is that you need to vote in this way.

As a minister of the gospel.

I don't have the authority to bind your conscience on an issue that isn't high in the Scriptures.

I have what's called ministerial authority. I minister the word and God's word is ultimate, but I don't have the right to make up rules for other Christians. For example if I said you have to vote for this candidate or you're not a Christian, I would be overstepping my ministerial bounds.

You're right, no candidate is perfect and no party is perfect so I can try to bind your conscience regarding one or another. Here's what I can do preach God's word apply it to the issues of today seek to align myself as closely as I can to the teachings of the Bible and call people to follow Jesus and right now that's all we only can we all need to follow Jesus to dig into his word to pray for wisdom and to let God guide us. Let his word. Guide us as we seek. As I said to love him and to love our neighbors and so may the Lord give you and each and every one of us wisdom as we seek to honor him in the decisions that we make in the way we treat each other and how we act during this election season.

God bless you. You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez if you're a regular listener to this program. We want to know that we are listener supported. So we count on people just like you to make donations to keep us on the air.

One of the ways you can do that is by joining what we call our inner core. Yeah, we long to see people grow in their love for Jesus as they come into a deeper understanding of God's word work were answering questions about the Bible about the Christian life about theology and if you've been blessed by this program. If you feel like you've grown as a result of the answers you've received. Would you consider becoming a part of the inner core with the monthly donation of $25 or more, you can join the team that's making it possible for us to reach new listeners every single day and so head over to core Christianity.com/inner core. To learn more or you can give us a call to learn more about the inner core at 833 the core that's 833-843-2673 Federalist schedule another call that came in. My name is Tony and I'm calling from my question and I know I am and I know why it should have. How do I know why and how do I art is one account when it hey Jody, you know, forgiving someone who is hurt us is one of the most difficult things we will ever do them a really is not easy and I can tell this by listening to your voice there and that call on that.

This is something that you're wrestling with. And so maybe the first thing that I would like to do right now is pray for you that God would give you strength and fill you with his Holy Spirit to give you the grace to forgive. Let's pray father I left Jody up to you, Lord. And when we don't know her situation specifically, we know how difficult it is to forgive people when they've sinned against us when they've heard us of God. I pray that you would fill her with your spirit that you would grant her the ability the grace to be able to forgive those who sinned against her and I pray Jesus that you would comfort her that you would point her to yourself.

Help her Lord to see how gracious you've been to her. Your great love for her. Your great forgiveness over her so that through that Lord she might be able to extend the grace and the love that you give to her to others.

Bless her.

I pray Lord, in Jesus name, amen and Jody CS Lewis is that everyone thinks forgiveness is a good idea until we have someone to forgive. It's really easy to talk about how wonderful how beautiful forgiveness is it so hard for us. Once we've been sinned against. To extend forgiveness, but there was a bar in a study that was done not too long ago that they discovered that one and for practicing Christians has someone in their life who they say they cannot forgive.

In other words, for them it just feels impossible.

And maybe that's how it feels for you, but God calls us to forgive from the heart me there also to passages of Scripture that make this clear in Jesus and the Lord's prayer talked about forgiving others the importance of forgiving others.

Have you think about the discussion that he had with Peter Peterson's Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me up that the seven times and Jesus sort of blows his mind in everyone's mind there at the time. This is a 70�7.

This does this ocean of forgiveness is willingness to forgive others who sinned against is even others who sinned against us repeatedly that this is to minimize their offense, how they've heard us or to brush it under the rug and pretend like everything is all good. That's not forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn't just grip through it and pretend like you're fine. Forgiving someone hurts and forgiveness. We feel pain we recognize the reality of pain, but we choose instead of retaliating or responding in a way that would hurt the other person know why, but maybe you know speaking ill about them were building up walls and cutting ourselves off from them in a way that that is meant to hurt them know we choose instead to cover the debt if you will, because we know that our debts have been covered. How can you forgive I think the only ways by continually looking up to the cross and remembering I was dead in trespasses and sins. I had turned my back and rebellion so many times and to this day I still sin against my heavenly father in thought, in word. Indeed, every single day, and despite his repeated mercy to me.

I still fail. I still struggle and fall and yet the mounting of my sin was carried on Jesus is back to the cross where it was dealt with once and for all and God washed me.

He for gave me, and if Jesus for gave the mounting of my sin. I can forgive people who have sinned against me back and I don't mean to say that there sin against us. A small amine that is not a big deal we can really be hurt by others, and I do wonder if sometimes it does require an extra measure of God's gracious Holy Spirit working in us to give us the strength to forgive and that's why pray for you and that's why I want to encourage you Jody. Also, to pray and say God give me the grace the strength that I need to forgive and sometimes Jody what you're going to feel like is you can feel like I've let this go.

I've I forgiven this person from my heart and I feel better now and then you wake up the next day you wake up with those feelings of unforgiveness of bitterness of anger is one of those things I think that we continually have to bring before the Lord say God help me.

The only way we can do it with the process is. It begins with understanding how much we've been forgiven if our focus is on the other person upon their sin can be really hard to forgive them. But if our focus is on Jesus's mercy, his love, his forgiveness of our sins. In spite of the fact that we've repeatedly failed. From that place were able to extend love and forgiveness to those who have hurt us now again speaking about the process because there is a processor were all called to forgive, to forgive from the heart and sometimes it was like something you do by yourself. Maybe there's not the opportunity to go to another person in extend forgiveness. Maybe they've died or maybe they've moved away or something like that were all called to forgive from the heart.

Reconciliation is the next step after forgiveness, reconciliation requires that someone else, the person who sinned against us realizes what it is that they've done while we can always forgive.

Reconciliation is always possible because it requires two parties.

You might be willing to forgive someone, but if they're still clinging to their standard and and are unwilling to repent. Unwilling to admit how they've hurt you will reconciliation would be very difficult and that instance it in the church in the body of Christ. I think were called, especially to pursue reconciliation with one another to listen to each other to humble ourselves to identify how we hurt each other to say look please forgive me to try to reconcile and restoration is the next step in the process. Restoration means to sort of restoring the relationship to what it was before now were not always called to do that sometimes it's actually unwise to do that limit but I just give you an example. Let's say someone works as a checker you know behind the counter at the cash register and it's been discovered that they've been stealing money the boss comes in he goes to that person is, as you've been stealing money and working have to fire you and the purses I'm I'm so sorry. You know, yes, I've been caught and and in that situation, the boss can extend forgiveness is a okay I know you've been caught the eye. I forgive you. We can still be friends. You know, but there are consequences. Here, there can even be a kind of reconciliation where you know that they're still friends but would it be smart to restore that person to the position of being the checker behind that the cash register, probably not. If the temptation is similarly in life, you know, there are instances where Jody we are always called to forgive the pursue reconciliation but restoration may not be the wisest thing and that's where you need God's wisdom that's where it may be that the Council of the pastor of a group of godly friends can be really helpful, so if you don't have that pursue that. But remember our forgiveness of others is rooted in the forgiveness that we've received from God himself, and only as were resting in and receiving that forgiveness is that's at the forefront of our minds will we be able to extend grace to others, and so may the Lord Jody fill you with a great sense of his love for you of his forgiveness of your sins so that you might forgive others as well.

God bless you.

This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and Pedro suggesting we received another question that deals with forgiveness, this one from Matthew and Singapore Matthew so nice to have you listening overseas.

He says I'm very encouraged by your radio show and enjoyed listening to the podcast on spot. A five. My question is based on Matthew 615 is the forgiveness of our sins conditional on whether we forgive others.

Yeah, thank you for that question we just read him if this in the context of the Lord's prayer and what a great question piggybacking off of Jodi's question. Jesus said that we ought to pray like this in Matthew chapter 6 beginning in verse nine.

Our father in heaven hollow would be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Then Jesus said, for if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses. If my reception of forgiveness is dependent upon how well I forgive others for that I am always good to be questioning whether or not I've ever been forgiven because like I said you know even even when you get to a place in your life where you feel like I forgiven the spread I'm able to let this guy forgive this person. There are still those moments where where all of a sudden you know something happens or something triggers you and the feelings of unforgiveness of anger of bitterness begin to rise up again is the sort of battle this back-and-forth thing that could cause you to question if if my forgiveness of others is what grants me. God's forgiveness.

Boy, I don't know that I could ever be confident in the fact that I have been forgiven and so that's one of the reasons why this this text is so troubling for people.

And yet, I think that we have to be really careful concluding that that's what this is teaching because Jesus makes it very clear elsewhere as an artist and the answer to Jodi that God's forgiveness of us is what grants us the melody even to extend forgiveness to others generously. I think what Jesus is doing here is he's making an argument from Lester to greater.

That is to say that but God's forgiveness of us is dependent upon our forgiveness of others is really contrary to the whole message of the gospel because it's like being able to say God look at what I've done. I forgiven these people. Therefore, you must forgive me. That's antithetical to everything we understand about what the gospel is is not about your performance. It's about Jesus's performance and he gives you his perfect life. He forgives all of your sins so that having received that generous forgiveness that mountain of your sin being removed by the blood of Jesus Christ you would in response be someone who forgives others not to earn God's forgiveness, because you have been forgiven in your resting in that great reality of the gospel. Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu for or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33, the court when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this podcast and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together