Persecution & Victory

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
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• S: He said, "Watch out for the doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, 'I'm the One,' or, 'The end is near.' Don't fall for any of that. When you hear of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history and no sign of the end." He went on, "Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Huge earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. You'll think at times that the very sky is falling. "But before any of this happens, they'll arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You'll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. I'll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters. "You'll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There's no telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved. Luke 21:8-19 [MSG]
  
• O: God will be with us to the end.
  
• A: Times are tough: hurricanes, tsunamis, flooding, famine, war. God tells us that all of these things will happen, but are not necessarily signs of the end. Before the end is upon us, God's people will see persecution like they've not seen before. Arrested, shackled, and put on trial for carrying the name of Christ. Turned in by friends and relatives for our beliefs, we will be put to the test for our faith. But God will be with us. Taking a stand for our faith, refusing to back down from doing God's will, we will persevere. God will bring us through to see victory in the end.
  
• P: Thank You, God, for the wonders You have promised and delivered, and for the certainty that You will always provide and protect us.
  

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Hoosiers, Vote May 6!

As the sun rises on the American Midwest tomorrow, so will it rise upon the Indiana Presidential Primary -- a primary that is essentially a formality for Republicans across the state (though there are several state and local reasons to vote).

As Senator John McCain is the "presumptive" nominee (as if Congressman Ron Paul even stands a chance of mounting a real challenge), and most of the early Republican candidates (including those which I felt more strongly about supporting) have long since dropped out of the race, voting in the Presidential Primary portion of tomorrow's election might seem useless.

You could go to the polls and throw away your vote on Congressman Ron Paul. You could toe the party line and support our eventual nominee by casting your vote for John McCain. You could fall victim to the Rush Limbaugh crowd and (because Indiana is an open primary state) cast your vote for the Democrat candidate whom you feel would be most likely to lose in November. Or, you could just sit at home and not vote at all.

Having a hard time making up your mind? Allow me to help.

First, I frankly don't care how you vote in the Indiana Presidential primary tomorrow. If you're voting Republican, it really doesn't matter for whom you vote, as Senator McCain already has it locked up. If you're throwing away your vote on a Democrat in hopes of making a Republican victory in November easier, shame on you. Do you really want to be responsible for helping the worst Democrat win the White House should something happen between now and election day that makes John McCain unable to run? Really, a Democrat is bad enough, but the worst Democrat, well, that's just unbearable (remember Bill Clinton, or Jimmy Carter?).

How you vote tomorrow in the Presidential Primary is not important at all. That you vote is of paramount importance! The very act of going to the poll and casting a ballot for the candidate of your choice without fear of reprisal is what makes this country America. It is not a right that was given to us. It is a right that red-blooded Americans throughout history have fought and died for. It is a right that we can defend in one of two ways: 1) defend it by exercising it -- vote every time the polls are open; 2) lose it by not using it, then risk your life fighting to get it back.

Not only is voting your blood-earned right, it is your patriotic duty! Just as those who have died to establish and defend the freedom that we enjoy in this country did so in answer to the call of duty, as an American, it is your duty to make the trip to the polls and cast a ballot on election day. It is what freedom is all about.

"But don't I have the freedom not to vote?" you might ask. Of course you do. You have the freedom not to vote. You have the freedom not to serve. You have the freedom not to defend. You have the freedom to sit back and watch while the strong prevail and the weak fail. You have the freedom to have your say, cast your vote, and be one of the strong. Or you have the freedom to sit back, uninvolved, uninterested, and be one of the weak.

You have the freedom to succeed, or fail. What will you choose?

Joe

Read more at RedState.com.

For more on the Indiana candidates, visit VictoryBloggers