Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS!

When I lived in Southern California we went through a period where people were shooting at one another in frustration. Everyone eventually began to be more gracious and polite to one another and the shootings ceased.

Now living in Southern Virginia these same attitudes and activities seem to be starting. One family was driving home from the beach towing their boat behind and the back seat passengers were shot through the door. In other towns, drivers have been shot as well.

I often watch the attitudes and insults heaped upon Christians in media and from those who don't like our opinions about their lifestyles. We are called haters and bigots; the destroyers of rights. Those who want to live as depraved or 'free' lives as they call them are offended by our Biblical stance on life.

There are many things that these same people neglect to mention though.

The Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 say that peacemakers are blessed by God. They say the meek will inherit the earth. Other scriptures say the truth will make us free.

What we see today now that the church has abandoned their belief in the infallibility of scripture is that we no longer live the lives of humility, service, grace and love toward one another. We don't press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Many don't even consider it to be a high calling. Many pastors are as likely to be caught in sin, dishonesty, and degradation as the non-Christian down the road.

Pastors are leaving the ministry in droves; not against the word of God, but because the Word of God says it will happen. There will be a great falling away.

I love God and I love science. I'm not talking about the pseudoscience where those who want to make scripture untrue come up with theories that look good only if you don't look too close. I'd love for someone to prove something to me in a scientific venue that wasn't prostituted to prove an unprovable point.

Museums and schools throughout the world show the ascent of man from a primate to modern man. It's totally false and anthropologists know it is. There are no complete skeletons or examples that they can point to and say, "This proves it." No DNA. No evidence. Nothing.

You ask, what does this have to do with frustration and rage and gunshots on our freeways?

We've stopped teaching our children that they are more than this weak flesh and blood experience. We are a spirit. We've failed to remind them that there is one greater that they must answer to. Parents kill their own children to get even with a spouse they can't stand. They kill themselves thinking, "It's all over. My pain or rage is at an end."

Now kids take guns or knives or rocks and shoot, stab and bash one another's heads in while God weeps for our decisions. He ordered us; not suggested or asked but ordered us to train up our children in the godly way they should go. Yesterday I saw a news story where two children not even teens yet had been strapped with explosives by their own father and sent out to blow themselves and someone else up. The little brother did as he was told. The older one hesitated and was disarmed.

People will say this is because all religion is evil and it was a religion that told them to do this. That is not only a lie but a stupid lie. The truth about Christian murderers is that they refuse to surrender to God as Matthew 5 says. They refuse to love as the gospel of John says. The truth of other non-Christian murderers is that they are angry, put upon and refuse to suffer any wrong to be done to them...ever.

God has promised to bless the peacemaker. God gives a godly and God-fearing husband a blessing for loving and cherishing his wife. God gives blessings to those who obey His scriptures even when obedience is difficult.

I've been cursed, cussed at and lied about by those who should know better. I have been in error myself from time to time. I am thankful that scripture says, "A righteous man falls seven times but gets up again." It lets me know I can arise from my mistakes and be restored in God's eyes.

Beloved, I don't expect you to get it right every time, first time or all the time. I hope you will put God's word first and your petty and not so petty squabbles second most of the time.

Yesterday I got rear ended in a McDonald's drive-through. The driver didn't say anything to me at all; not sorry, excuse me, nothing. Fortunately, neither my car or myself was injured. Her car looked like something out of demolition derby. I looked at her remembering I was wearing my "Live by Faith" T-shirt and said, "We're both blessed today."

For those of you who are struggling to live godly and find yourself under attack more and more; you are not alone. I have seen more and more passive aggressive and not so passive aggressive people where I live. It is easy to let yourself go and give someone a piece of your anger or a piece of your mind. It's better to give them a piece of your peace.

If it really gets bad or you find you just can't bite your tongue; perhaps it's time to fast and pray. It does work. I promise.

Be blessed.

Bishop J

The Redeemer of Israel

Isaiah 54

1.  Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

This goes far beyond a husband and wife who have had no children.  This is speaking of the nation of Israel who did not bear the fruit they were supposed to bear.  They were to be the witness of the entire world and did not fulfill the commandment.  It is apparent God is giving them another opportunity.  He is telling them to sing which a barren woman would not easily do.

2. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

God is saying that they have been barren but it is time to prepare for the challenge of birthing more children.  These will be the children of Israel; the children of the original promise.  Notice God says to enlarge the PLACE, the LAND of their tent and to stretch forth the curtains of their habitations. 

The command to spare not means that they should not hold back in their preparations.  They need to lengthen their cords and strengthen the stakes that hold down a tent against the winds of adversity.  The entire world will be against them.  In the 1800’s early prospectors would ‘stake’ a claim with a legal paper and their guns.  There were always claim jumpers trying to take what others had received by arriving first. 

Israel arrived there thousands of years ago and God strengthened them to drive out the inhabitants who He had declared unworthy to receive His blessing.  This is a point of humility for Israel because they were also unworthy but they were chosen (Romans 11).  God is telling them to strengthen their stakes against all adversity.

3. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Look at a map of current Israel.  On the left, you see the Gaza strip.  On the right the West Bank.  God declares that they will break forth on the right hand and on the left hand.  HE declares that their seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities be inhabited.  Gaza belongs to Israel. The West Bank belongs to Israel.  Either the Palestinians will honor Israel’s rule or be forced to leave.  God has hardened their hearts so they will not accept Jewish rule willingly.

It is a known fact that God drove those nations that served other false gods out of the land known as Israel.  His promise to them was that their land  would go from the Mediterranean sea to as far East as the Euphrates river…not the Jordan.

4. Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

God is telling them to be bold and unafraid.  He will not allow them to be ashamed.  The word ashamed, in this case, means to be confused or delayed.  In spite of some Jews who hate their own inheritance and in spite of all the nations who are turning against Israel; God will not allow them to be confused or delayed.  His plan will go forth.

The land of Israel is His.  It belongs to God and not man. In His anger, He left Israel and removed His Holy Spirit from them.  For all practical purposes, they were widowed from their spiritual husband.  Now He declares that they will be so powerfully restored that they will not even remember those dark days again.

5. For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

In Psalm 24:1 David declares that the Earth is the Lords.  In Acts 17:26 Paul states that God determines the boundaries of all the nations.  They are not determined by war or man, but by God.  This God has declared that He is Israel’s husband.  He is God of all the hosts of heaven and more importantly the Redeemer (one of His names; the one who purchases those lost to sin or poverty), the Holy One (Quadosh, one set apart). 

God Himself declares that He shall be called the God of the whole earth.  He is not Allah the moon god or Shiva, or any other name given to false gods on the earth.  We can not say that Israel and their place on the earth is His experiment; because God, being outside of time, knows the end from the beginning.  Israel is not an experiment but a choice.  Even offering salvation to the gentiles is not an experiment but a choice, a decision on His part. 

6. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

There is nothing more painful than an unfaithful husband or wife.  We are supposed to love one another; give ourselves to and for one another.  We sanctify each other through our connection to God (1 Corinthians 7).  God has been terribly offended by Israel’s lack of faithfulness. 

God was so incensed by Israel’s unfaithfulness that He has the prophet Hosea marry Gomer, a prostitute, and to bear children with her.  She then abandons her husband to ply her trade and when her life and body are used up.  At this dark place in her life, God has Hosea buy her back and restore her to her place as his wife.  This was a hint of God’s great mercy toward His chosen bride.

7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

We might consider two thousand years of exile to be a lengthy time but for God, it is merely a couple of days (2 Peter 3:8-9).  Consider this.  EVERY other nation that has been destroyed in war has simply disappeared from the earth.  You might find occasional references to them in history, but as a people, they are just…gone, absorbed by those nations around them.  Edom was one such nation.  In spite of this; for two thousand years, spread out to every nation on earth, Israel has survived.  They alone have retained their identity and they alone have longed for a return. 

A hundred years ago no nation would have expected to see Israel reborn.  Even the Christians developed a mistaken doctrine that they were the spiritual REPLACEMENT for Israel.  Paul in Romans 11 states that we were never the replacement but merely grafted in; a wild olive branch connected to the promises of the tame olive branch which is Israel. 

Israel, like Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon (Daniel 4), was not destroyed or abandoned by God but was placed on hold until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled.  Nebuchadnezzar was chastened by God for pride and suffered to live like a wild animal in the wilderness for seven years.  Seven is the number of completion, not a specific number of years in Israel’s case.  Now Israel is coming to the completion of their exile where all will be restored.

Can anyone say Israel is not being gathered from the four corners of the earth?  Violence, rage, abuse and threats have driven them from comfortable homes in other nations to their own special home in their own God-given land.  The borders and boundaries of that land will not be chosen by man but by God.  As it says in Psalm 2, God will laugh and mock the nations who attack His tiny bride.  He will mock those so called Christians who mock His bride as well.  God has planted them.  God has given them His blessings.  As it says in scripture, during the battle of God’s wrath there will be enough blood of the heathen and unbelievers to wade through (Revelation 14).

8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

In the world’s demonic hatred of Israel, we have put words in God’s mouth  that were never intended.  This is not the first time.  Even Moses mistakenly let his rage and anger loose when God Himself was not angry with His people.  Moses was to speak to the rock and thereby show an example of God’s mercy and grace to Israel.  In his anger he struck the rock with his staff and that one misguided act kept him from entering the promised land (Numbers 20:6-12).

Notice the importance of God’s statement in verse 8.  He says, “with EVERLASTING KINDNESS I will have mercy on thee…”  His kindness toward Israel is forever.  He will never abandon them.  He will redeem them.  The next verse will make this abundantly clear. 

9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

Consider this…  God will never destroy the earth with a flood again.  This is a promise in spite of all the global warming doomsday people.  He has also sworn that he would not be ‘enraged’ with Israel or even rebuke them again.  This is an astounding statement considering all the hatred and venom being spewed against Israel in the media, the United Nations and our colleges.  We take a real chance rebuking His chosen people when He says He will NEVER rebuke them again. 

10. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

This statement is pretty definitive.  He will NEVER AGAIN remove His kindness, His mercy, from Israel.  No matter if earthquakes and war destroy the rest of mankind, Israel will stand.  No matter if we hate and rage at them as a people; God will be merciful and gracious to them (Jeremiah 29:11; John 14:27).  God has DECLARED peace toward Israel.  No nation will be able to crack that peace.  Even if Nuclear weapons are used against them, ISRAEL WILL PREVAIL!

11. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

How appropriate is this description of the Jews?  Afflicted, tossed with tempest and not comforted.  Because of how badly and shabbily WE have treated Israel; God will lay a beautiful foundation of stones beneath them.  They will not be moved.  He will bless them with wealth, beauty, and plenty.

12. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

In Revelation 21:21 it states that Heaven is paved with streets of transparent gold.  It says in Isaiah 66:1 that Heaven is God’s throne and the earth is His footstool.  Have you ever seen a throne room filled with wealth and riches?  The throne might be carved in stone or ivory or the finest woods and covered in gold and precious gems.  It is unlikely that the footstool which supports the kingly feet would be covered in dirt and dust and made from the cheapest materials. 

God created this world as a beautiful and glorious land of beauty and fruitfulness.  He chose Israel and their land as His particular possession.  Would God fail to pass on those riches and all that beauty to His people?  No…He would not fail to bless them. 

Even today you can tell when you leave the Jewish sections of Jerusalem and travel to the Arab sections.  One is kept up and seems to be appreciated as a gift of God.  The other is musty, dusty and you can see the hatred toward God’s chosen people in the kind of neighbors they have become.  I knew someone who traveled to Israel and she said she could tell when they traveled from the Jewish neighborhoods to the Arab neighborhoods even though all the houses were built the same and had the same styles. 

13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

It says in Proverbs 22:6 to train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it.  Jewish children are learning Hebrew in school and are discovering their history and the promises of God through scripture.  What a wonderful thing to experience this training and see the miracles of God happen daily.  When the parents declare the glory of the Lord, their children will be in peace even if the other nations declare war.

14. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

The operative word here is ‘established.’  You might say ‘nailed down.’  God is establishing the nation by righteousness.  Those who fail to live or embrace righteousness, even Jews, will find that their blessings lag far behind their brethren.  He says they will not live in fear and will be far from terror.

Even today with nations all around them gnashing their teeth at this tiny nation, the Jews live without fear or terror.  They take precautions and are wise when it comes to their  security but there is no terror in their hearts.  They live fully and embrace the challenges of life.  God has blessed them abundantly.  This is a process as the word established declares.  A building is not created in a moment; it must be built.  God is building the nation again.

15. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

This isn’t so much a warning as an admission that those in the world who have embraced hatred will come against Israel.  They will lie and dissemble, accusing Israel of being the purveyors of hatred while gnashing their teeth against God’s chosen. 

God makes it clear that these attacks do not come by Him.  God is for them; who can be against them (Romans 8:30-31)?  That is a promise of God’s protection, not of the world getting a clue.  Those who willingly or unwittingly serve Satan will always hate and seek to injure Israel.  It is also a promise that those who gather together against them will fall because God guards Israel.

16. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

God has allowed Satan to blow coals on the fire of hatred toward Israel.  God has no fear of failure or an inability to protect His people.  He is currently reaching out in love but that season is drawing to a close.  One day God will remove those gentiles who are currently serving Him faithfully, and holding Israel under His wings will begin to reap the grapes of His wrath toward those who set themselves against Him. 

It makes you wonder exactly what instrument of destruction that is being created.  Is it nuclear, biological, something more insidious perhaps?  Whatever this created ‘waster’ is, the world will discover that there is a God and in the middle of their war against God’s people, they will discover they are the ones in defeat.

17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

Not only will God defend Israel against the weapons of others; but even those who open their mouths and wag their tongues against them will be condemned.  God has NEVER failed to uphold Genesis 12:3.  He blesses those who bless His children and curses those who curse them.  He says we are snared by the words of our mouths (Proverbs 6:2-3). 

There is only one hope for those nations who have offended Israel and God’s people.  If they humble themselves and pledge their support for Israel they will redeem themselves in His eyes.  While most nations will not take this road; there are certain verses that make it appear that some nations will. 

Will mine?

Blessings beloved,

Bishop J

Living Under God’s Mercy

Text:  Romans 9:6-18

6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7a Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:

Just being the seed of Abraham is not enough.  Half of the Arab world is the seed of Abraham through Ishmael.  Another large portion is the seed of Abraham through Esau and yet God said in Malachi 1:3 that He hates Esau. 

Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

One might think God means that unless you are of the seed of Jacob (Israel) that you aren’t of the seed of Abraham but that is not completely true either.  Paul declares that having a genetic bond with either Abraham or Jacob is not enough to consider yourself part of the family.  There are some that God has disowned, disinherited and removed.  Jesus called the Pharisees and Sadducees snakes.  It is obvious that a genetic bond with Abraham was not sufficient.

As we read in Malachi, God even hated and disdained some for their lack of faith.  Genesis 25:32-34 says Esau despised his birthright.  He married those of the pagan nations surrounding them.  He made himself even more of a stench to God. 

7b…but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 

Stating that in Isaac the seed will be blessed means that only the son of the promise has any connection to God’s plan (Genesis 21:12, Hebrews 11:18 (faith chapter) and of course Romans 9.)  Obtaining the promise requires faith. 

Romans 4:16  - Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 

Not merely for years; but for decades, Abraham lived with this promise without seeing it.  They were well past the season of child bearing and Sarah had despaired of even having a child which is why Hagar and Ishmael came to be part of the genes though not part of the promise.  The promise came through Sara, not Hagar.

Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” 19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.” 22 When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

The Angel of the Lord Speaks to Hagar

Genesis 16:10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” 11 The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

This is God’s promise to Hagar.  Can you see how it fits with the Arab world today?  God made them strong but wild and argumentative.  When it says that everyone’s hand will be against them and that they will live in hostility toward all his brothers; that perfectly describes the relationship between the Arabs and Israel and the Arabs and their fellow Arab groups.  Even their own Muslim sects don’t get along with one another.  Arabs are a troubled and troubling people.  This is not just a cultural thing; this is a prophetic fulfillment of God’s promise.

10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11a (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand,

Rebecca, bearing Jacob and Esau, was carrying two children who had done no evil or good as yet.  Nevertheless, God had ALREADY called the younger…Jacob and not the elder Esau.  Neither had done good or evil.  Both were as innocent as anyone could be.  Nevertheless; God has declared that His will and His purpose would be done.  He elected Jacob.  He chose Jacob.  He loved Jacob. 

11b… not of works, but of him that calleth;) 

Those who say God is unfair or that God is unreasonable; we should bear in mind that He is the one who created matter, life and all that is seen.  He divided that matter into planets and stars and eco-systems.  He set the rules of this universe and made it to be understandable and observable to mankind, whom He also created. 

When you are the creator of all, you make the rules and do things your way.  Mocking statements by small minded human beings will not affect His will or actions in the least. 

12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 

Rebecca knew in the beginning that Jacob was to be her most important child.  She loved him more than Esau.  Isaac loved Esau more.  People have often asked, “What would have happened if she had not tricked Isaac through Jacob?”  On the one hand, she did trick her husband so he prophesied in Jacob’s favor.  On the other hand; there is no other hand.  God knew what would happen.  God chose Jacob.  Things worked out God’s way.  I’ve heard preachers say that Jacob was wrong and that things should have worked out another way through total honesty and integrity.  In truth, God made things work out…period.

13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

As we noted above in Malachi 1; God actually hated Esau.  It even goes so far as to say he utterly destroyed and wiped out Edom (the descendants of Esau) from their habitations.  This is evidence against those Christians who say we are the replacement of all Israel.  This is nonsense, because if God had replaced the natural seed of Abraham utterly with the purely spiritual seed of Abraham - the church - then He never would have restored Israel in 1948.  Edom is as if they never have been.  Israel is restored. 

Those who curse Israel are cursed; those who bless Israel are blessed.  Consider who hates Israel these days.  They are cursed utterly.  Never forget that.  No matter what country or people or college or group; if they hate and curse Jews they are cursed.

Regarding Israel and Esau, both were chastened for sin.  One fatally so.  What will happen to all those Middle Eastern countries who hate Israel without reservation?  Armageddon perhaps?

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 

It says in Judges 17:6 that without a king or a leader, we do what is right in our own eyes.

We make decisions based on our upbringing, education, desires and abilities.  We judge God with those same attributes and our judgment is flawed because God is further above us as we are above the amoebas.

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 

God calls us and we either answer or not.  It is in His mercy that He takes the time to press harder with some of us and does not simply drown the entire world again.  It was mercy that saved Noah.  It is His mercy that you are reading this.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 

We pollute our world; our minds; our offspring and our cultures and He still takes the time to tenderly reach out and call us.  Matthew 22:14 says, “Many are called but few are chosen.”  Why is that?  Why are we so hard headed; so insistent that we are right.  He reaches out and we choose ignorance.  He gives His Word and we don’t even try to understand it.  A few have taken the time to seriously study the original Hebrew scripture with a computer to see if there are any hidden codes or lessons.  Those who have immediately chose to make drastic changes in their lives to serve God more fully.  God does not lead often by powerful outward supernatural moves.  He generally choses to touch individual hearts.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

How excited should we be about the fact that we are only able to accomplish things for God by His grace.  Very few of noble birth or wise or even honorable are called.  It can take years for God to get us where He wants us.  We have to grow into the place He wants us to be. 

1 Timothy 5:22 says, “Do not lay hands on anyone suddenly.”  This means that we should be slow to promote others in God’s kingdom.  In cases like this someone may be filled with pride over a promotion rather than accepting that it is merely from God’s grace that we have obtained it.  In this country we are currently pressing toward an election.  Scripture says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  Which candidate is most filled with pride?  Which is most honest?  Which has the most integrity?  These are the questions we ought to ask.  Those answers should be the basis of our votes.

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Pharaoh was allowed to become the most powerful ruler on earth so God could cause the nation to utterly fail to keep Hebrew slaves in captivity.  He even moved a non-Egyptian into the role of Pharaoh so that leader would have no positive memories of  Joseph.  God performs macro and micro changes in our lives daily to make his plan come forth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

A lot of mankind’s problems come from attitudes toward God.  We have the idea that we can make our own rules and live our own ways.  God says different. 

Quite often He reaches out in love and when we spurn Him He hardens our hearts until it is too late for us.

A wise man will be gracious and not act rashly.  One never knows who we might affect by our actions.  We shouldn’t treat people with respect merely because they have money or a title.  We should treat people with respect because God has ordained it to be so. If we offend one of His little ones scripture says it would be better that we were never born or that we tied a millstone around our neck and drowned ourselves in the sea. 

Lamentations 3:22-23:

It is of the Lord 's mercies that we are not consumed,

because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness.

Blessings my beloved!