What the Bible Says About Christian Voting at Elections

Just before I was born again in 1983, I served two terms as a state legislator for Georgia’s 28th House District. I was a Democrat. Years later I served as a Republican presidential appointee. Along the way I remember learning that God is greater than politics and that politics can become an idol.

Coming from a Christian family that was very active in the 20th-century civil rights movement, we marched, and some died for equality at the ballot box—the right to vote. So yes, I honor the privilege and responsibility of taking part in our electoral process.

Yet for far too many, the issue of voting is still shrouded in debate. Many are still asking: “Should believers take part in the politics of this world, including elections?”

In 2008 two of my friends experienced startlingly revealing dreams about the soon-to-be “first black president of America.” Please note that America’s president is not the first black president in the world; only in America. For instance, countries on the continent of Africa have been electing black presidents for ages.

So many Americans made an idol of a man’s skin color­—electing him for the color of his skin rather than the content of his character.

Never mind that racism is based upon the lie that we are separate races rather than accepting the truth that we are one human race.

Acts 17:26, “Of one blood God created all people…” YES! One race.

In 2008, amidst the skin color furor of the campaign trail, my radio co-host Emanuel Boose of cycbroadcast.com was a surrogate speaker for the soon-to-be elected black president of the United States. Just before the election, my friend dreamed of a field covered with black garbage bags. As he walked through the maze of bags, he heard a wailing cry from one of the bags. Investigation revealed that the bags were filled with aborted babies. Emanuel woke up crying, sweating and praying. He knew that he couldn’t vote for his candidate. Emanuel now had to raise his voice and his vote for the lives of the babies.

During the same time, the wife of another minister friend had recurring dreams of then Senator Obama in a hospital wearing a medical lab coat and a stethoscope. He appeared to be a doctor or medical professional.

It would later be revealed that as U.S. president, Mr. Obama would support an HHS mandate as a “health-care cloak” for abortion and harmful experimental contraceptives. The medical guise in the dream represented the invasion of deceptive medical reform.

I was angry about what God was revealing at that time. We were going to elect the most abortion-supporting, marriage-threatening president we had ever known, and skin color would be used to do this. Wow!

Yet another minister friend, the Rev. Clennard Childress of LEARN, reminded me to forgive God because God would use this president to expose racism, abortion and the attack on Bible principles for marriage in a way that we had not yet seen.

Since that time, I’ve been praying for the president and his family; and have even visited the White House twice in the last seven years to express God’s love to the president.

Now, voting time is upon us again. Yes, I do vote. When I can’t reconcile my faith to the platforms, I write in names. Yet I vote. People died for my right to do so.

So what do we do now? Let’s start at home base.

What does the Bible say about voting in elections? Surprisingly, nothing specific. Why?

Consider that in the times of Jesus the Jews were under Roman rule and, they were not Roman citizens. Therefore, they were not permitted to vote. In fact, most Roman citizens couldn’t either. Only the very wealthy were allowed to vote.

But we can see in Acts 6:1-5 that an “election” of sorts did take place.

“Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. “But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” And the statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.”

Clearly the seven were to help protect the rights of the people and settle the dispute between the Hellenistic Jews and the native Hebrews.

So it is with our government of today. Once the elected people, “politicians,” are in office, they are expected to safeguard our rights. But one difference is that in the Bible days, the people elected “men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” Today, you would have to question the “good” reputation of many in office and more importantly whether they are even men and women who are “full of the Spirit.”

In the elections of 2012, Billy Graham began a campaign, “Vote Biblical Values,” in which he encouraged people to vote for candidates who espoused biblical values and morality, “men/women full of the Spirit.”

So it should be for this election cycle and all elections as well.

In his recent report on “The Shemitah Prophecy” author Rabbi Jonathan Cahn talks about biblical cycles of blessings, which are sometimes affected by negative forces such as economic depression, death-affirming legislation, 9/11, world wars and the like. These cycles began in the days of Moses and are present today. 
http://youtu.be/F6AXP41mr7Q and
http://youtu.be/W8B14NSIWc8.

Of course the Shemitah is only one among many warnings of judgment. For example, the year 1963 when prayer was voted out of schools wasn’t a Shemitah year, but much harm has impacted our nation from that occurrence.

Still all too many ignore God’s signs and judgments, preferring to consult astrology, psychics and demonology. Foolish and shameful!

“O foolish Galatians,” [and Americans] “who has bewitched you, that you turn away from obeying the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” Gal. 3:1 [annotated].

The rabbi’s words on Shemitah reveal that the 1973 Roe vs Wade Supreme Court decision that made abortion—the killing of babies in the womb—legal is likely and largely connected to many of the problems America is experiencing.

Mother Teresa once said: “The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion, because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between.”

She also said, “If we accept that a mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill each other? Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, rather, to use violence to get what they want.”

As in the days of old, isn’t that what the fear mongers of the world are doing today? Promoting greed and violence over the sanctity of life… Selling birthrights and then shedding innocent blood to wrest erstwhile or unearned or unsecured inheritances by any means?

Yet all is not lost. We can still help shift our world toward a culture of life by voting for those who regard the sanctity of life, marriage, family and the Bible.

So now, as we seek to reconcile everything, what would God have us learn regarding the electorate process?

The heart of God is expressed in the Bible as to His concern for government leaders and leadership by telling us as Christians that we should pray in this vein when we look at the admonition in the following verses:

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

It is our duty as Christians and as citizens to participate in prayer for the elections and those who seek to gain power to lead. But are we to pray only and not vote?

“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” (James 2:17-20, NLT)

Some may say that the Bible doesn’t say vote so I’m not doing it. Well, I haven’t read in the Bible that we are to flush the commode after we use it, but I still do it. Seriously. Is anyone getting this?

So we pray in faith and then go to work­—in this instance, vote.

With our votes we can elect godly men and women who will make laws that conform to biblical values.

Thankfully not all of us are called to be political servants. The majority of us will never hold office, but still we have an important role to play. We must begin with prayer and discernment. We must educate ourselves on the stances of the candidates and vote accordingly.

October is the “Month for Life” and is a critical month every year, especially in an election year. As we continue to pray over the upcoming elections, we ask you to spread your payers far and wide via your social-media networks and email lists, and in your pro-life groups, community and civil-rights meetings, and churches in the coming weeks.

After the elections, no matter what happens, continue to pray. Remember to warn your children and grandchildren about the foundation of Halloween being witchcraft.

Then get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas, always thanking and giving glory to God for His goodness and the gift of His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. His pure, sinless shed blood can never lose its power because it cannot die! Jesus’ blood never died. It was shed into the earth for us. He temporarily gave up his body, but was resurrected. HE LIVES.

Then on to the New Year of 2015, another Shemitah year where a new election cycle begins with voting for a new president the following year. What does God have in store? His will is sure to be revealed.

Meanwhile, continue to pray and vote for candidates who agree with and follow the Bible, who support life, marriage and family according to God’s way—as if your quality of life is impacted by it. Because it is.

Alveda C. King is the daughter of the late civil-rights activist, the Rev. A.D. King, and a niece of Martin Luther King Jr. She is also a civil-rights and pro-life activist, as well as director of the African-American outreach for Priests for Life. Click here to visit her blog.