29 January 2025, El Paso, Texas, Steven Zimmerman –
Please note, this is my opinion and my may not be the opinion of this publication, or my readers.
God appoints leaders according to His divine purposes.
I was told, “As a Christian, you need to support those who come to America, no matter how they come.”
I have a problem with that statement.
Yes, I am a Christian. I worship God and do my best to live what Jesus taught. There is a crucial lesson that Jesus taught that many seem to miss. From Matthew 22:
The Question about Paying Taxes
15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Hero′di-ans, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the money for the tax.” And they brought him a coin. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.
There are two views of the above scripture. The first, as the heading says, concerns paying taxes. When the Pharisees pressed Jesus, He said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” There is another view of this passage of scripture.
In Jesus’ statement, the phrase can also be interpreted as a command to respect the state’s authority or the rule of law.
In Acts 13:1, Saint Luke wrote, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”
Saint Peter, in 1 Peter 2:13-17, wrote, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
Need one more? Psalm 75:6-7: “For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up; but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.”
God appoints leaders according to His divine purposes. Yes, even Joe Biden was appointed by God for a purpose. Under Biden, we’ve witnessed what happens when a nation’s leaders go against God’s Word and Will. Whether we like it or not, God had a plan with Biden. God has a plan under Donald Trump, as well.
We have seen what disregard for the law gets us. We’ve seen what happens when people are set upon committing criminal acts and are set free in society. We may not have liked it, but there was no choice but to follow the law of the land. In the case of immigration, everyone was let in and allowed into society.
Under the last Administration, we witnessed unspeakable criminal acts: rape, murder, armed robbery. These crimes were perpetrated by both citizens and noncitizens alike. The criminal justice system had a revolving door that allowed these bad actors back into our streets.
Today, we have an Administration that enforces the rule of law. The law states that you’ve committed a crime if you enter the country illegally.
Let’s look at the law of asylum. This law says you must apply for asylum within one year of your arrival in the U.S. If you entered the country illegally, this deadline still applies. Missing the one-year deadline could make you ineligible for asylum unless you can show extraordinary circumstances that caused the delay.
The law says you may claim asylum, even if you came into the United States illegally. I disagree with that law and believe it needs to be changed. However, I will support this law until it is changed. Now, allow me to get to my point.
Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit, the Apostles have said we must a) follow the leaders who have been appointed by God- we may not like those leaders, may never know why God saw fit to appoint them, we must follow them; and b) even if we don’t like the person in office, we must still follow the law of the land.
Since this last election, I’ve seen America move closer to God and embrace the rule of law. This noticeable shift within America is palpable. Sadly, there are Americans who would rather ignore the law, remove God and Faith from the equation, and sell our country off to the highest bidder. Still, at the end of the day, I would defend their right to disagree. What I won’t do is allow anyone to break the law or mock the Christian faith.
When I explained this to my “friend,” I wasn’t surprised by his answer: “F*^k off!” We are no longer friends.