Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
Voting is a lot like religious ceremonies; it is what men do when they haven't heard from God. A marriage ceremony, for example, is performed to make it appear that God is joining two people together; but, whether or not God really has joined those two people together is an entirely different issue. He may have, or He may not have; the ceremony is irrelevant to the truth in either case. All ceremonies are earthly substitutes for a real connection with Jesus.
Voting is one way that men make decisions when they have not heard from God as to what to believe, or what things to do next, or who should be leader. It is of the world, and obedient and wise children of God have no more part with voting than they do with performing ceremonies.
Preacher Clark said to the saints in Louisville, "God forbid that we should ever vote on anything. Anytime you vote, it shows you have lost direction." For believers, "losing direction" means losing contact with God. Those who have "lost their direction" usually become entangled in the affairs of this world, political, ceremonial, and otherwise. It means that they, like pathetic King Saul of old, can no longer reach God and, so, have turned to other means of finding answers. King Saul began his career by cleansing the land of witchcraft, but when he lost his direction, he found himself pleading with a witch for help. If we lose our direction, we, too, may well find ourselves going places we never thought we would go and doing things we never dreamed we would do.
The holy Ghost was sent from our heavenly Father to guide us. It is our compass; it gives us our direction. It enables us to commune intimately with our Creator, and it is of the very highest importance that we do that. As Preacher Clark said to the saints in a sermon on May 29, 1972, "You had better be on speaking terms with God." If we are not, we have no direction at all, and the vain methods that men employ to find answers will then begin to attract our longing hearts toward death. Pray "with the understanding" and pray "with the Spirit"; be on speaking terms with God. If we do that, then the direction we will receive from God will be the one we want; it will be the way toward eternal rest with Him.