Dear Partner,

As I write this letter it has been almost a month since we who live in the United States of America cast our vote for the new president of this nation, yet we still have no firm decision as to who the new "president-elect" will be. In my more than fifty years on planet earth, I have never seen such an event as this when it comes to national elections. Not just in America, but also all over the world people are almost holding his or her breath wondering, "Who will be the next president of the United States?"

It is an important question, yet as Christians we must never forget … we will have different political leaders from time to time … but we will never have a different KING! As citizens of our respective countries around the world, each of us should be diligent to study the political issues, the agendas of the parties, the character of the politicians who are running for office, and then cast our vote according to our convictions. But no matter who comes to power politically, we must never forget that our true citizenship IS NOT OF THIS WORLD! We are citizens of the Kingdom of God. That Kingdom has an eternal King. His name is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Phil 3:20  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ (NIV)

Heb 1:8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

By the time you receive this letter, most likely we will know who the next president of the United States will be. I have a preference and voted accordingly. No doubt many Christians voted for his opponent. We might not agree as to who should occupy the most powerful political office on earth, but regardless of who holds that office … the agenda of the Kingdom of God remains the same. No matter what is going on in the political climate, as Christians we must never become confused about WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE ARE FROM, AND WHY WE ARE HERE! Jesus was very outspoken and very clear concerning His kingdom when He responded to Pilate,

John 18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

As Christians, we are all servants of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When all the smoke clears, when all the dust has settled, the "bottom-line" of the Kingdom of God remains steadfast. Our King has not changed His mind about His agenda for planet earth:

Luke 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

He is still seeking to save that which is lost. He is doing it now through His extended body on the earth … the body of Christ … us! No matter what our individual calling may be in the body of Christ, the "bottom-line" remains the same … to seek and to save the lost. From the janitor in the local church, to the mighty apostle and prophet … the end result of everything we do is … to seek and to save the lost.

From the viewpoint of heaven, it makes little difference whether we, as Christians, live in a free nation or a dictatorship in a third world country. WE ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD! We are servants of the King. We belong to a kingdom that is not of this world! We have instructions from the King, an agenda that the world knows nothing about. When Jesus was praying to the Father for us (not just the twelve, but for all who would believe on Him through their word),

John 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
John 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
John 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Should we care who is elected to political office? Yes! Should we cast our vote in accordance with our convictions? Yes! Should we do all that is within our power to be "salt" and "light" in a lost and dying world? Yes! But we must never forget that we, our King, and the kingdom we serve ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD! We must also never forget:

1 John 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Your friend and co-laborer,

Gary Carpenter

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