“The Presidential Election in Light of Endtime Realities” Rodney Lensch
John Havener October 19th, 2008
AMERICA: WHITHER GOEST THOU?(The Presidential Election In Light Of Endtime Realities)
Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a disgrace to any people (Prov. 14:34). Blessed is the nation whose
God is the Lord (Ps. 33:12). He rules forever by His power; His eyes watch the nations. Let not the rebellious
rise up against Him (Ps. 66:7). The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to any-
one he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men (Dan. 4:17). God silences the lips of trusted advisers and
takes away the discernment of elders. He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty (Job 12:20,21).
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all men, for kings
and for all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way
(I Tim. 2:1,2).
Be careful what you preach or teach because a
divine test is apt to be coming! Allow me to speak out
of recent experience. In the summer issue of Rod &
Staff I declared “I Won’t Be Shaken” as God judges
the whole creation and the whole church. Within six
weeks after mailing that newsletter, I was severely
tested on three different occasions. The first occurred
in a hotel in Seal Beach, California on May 17. Joyce
and I had just begun a week long visit with her moth-
er and family. At about 11 p.m. I was suddenly awak-
ened out of a dead sleep with an acid reflux attack.
By the time I realized what was happening, the acid
had gone down into my lungs and I was coughing for
clear life. I really thought I was going to choke to
death. But God in His mercy saved me even though
my throat and lungs have suffered as a result.
The next two tests were in the form of 80 mph
winds that struck Omaha on June 7 and 27. The first
storm hit at 2:30 a.m. and knocked down a large tree
in my front yard. My backyard looked like a war zone.
The second storm struck on 4:30 p.m. on the Friday
of our 50th wedding celebration weekend. The wind
and hail came with hurricane force and devoured
trees, flowers and vegetables. These two storms
were the worst I have ever experienced in my life.
But again the Lord spared our home and our lives.
Was I shaken? Yes indeed, but not to the point of
despair or having anger towards God. These trials
were reality checks to see how prepared I was to face
unexpected tribulation – and so far away from home.
The truth is I need to pray for more faith, endurance
and watchfulness. To get the attention of all
Americans, both saint and sinner, the Lord is pouring
out tribulations of increasing frequency and intensity.with the theme of this issue of Rod & Staff: America:
Wither Goest Thou? May the Holy Spirit increase
our discernment and broaden our understanding as
we prepare to participate in the November presiden-
tial election. May God’s will be done – however painful
that may turn out to be!I. GOD IS SHAKING AMERICA TODAY WITH MER-
CIFUL JUDGMENTS
A. The biblical basis for such a claim
When your judgments come upon the earth, the
people of the world learn righteousness. Though
grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn right-
eousness. Even in a land of uprightness they go on
doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord (Is.
26:9,10).
When terror comes, they will seek peace but there.
will be none. Calamity upon calamity will come, rumor
upon rumor. They will try to get a vision from the
prophet. The teaching of the law by the priest will be
lost, as well as the counsel of the elders. The king will
mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and
the hands of the people will tremble. I will deal with
them according to their conduct, and by their own
standards I will judge them. Then they will know that
I am the Lord (Ez. 7:25-27).
At God’s direction the clouds swirl over the face of
the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.
He brings the clouds to punish men or to water the
earth and show his love (Job 37:12,13).
If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would
follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their
enemies and turn my hand against their foes (Ps.
81:13,14).
Commentary: The obvious truth from the above
texts is that God judges mankind in a variety of ways
with the goal of turning human hearts back to Himself. Call them “severe mercies” because His desire is to bring redemption and restoration both to
individuals and to nations (Ps. 33:13, Prov. 14:34).
Only when his judgments are persistently spurned do
they become punitive and result in disaster.
B. Indisputable evidence that God is shaking
America
Recently on the Glenn Beck TV show, a former
U.S. budget comptroller drew a parallel between the
fall of the Roman empire and present day America.
He listed five things that caused the demise of Rome:
(1. corrupt government officials, (2. a grossly immoral
citizenry (sexual immorality and sodomy), (3. a total
economic meltdown, (4. an over-extended military
and (5. an inability to secure its own borders. Then
came the shocker! He concluded that if there is no
siQnificant reversal of these trends in America. she
This clear prophetic Insight, seen on secular tele-
vision, was a confirmation to thoughts I had been jot-
ting down in preparation for this newsletter. My
observation is that our nation is devolving on nearly
all fronts, gradually but relentlessly. Our military is in
shambles. We do not have sufficient soldiers to fight
on two fronts and few leaders have a stomach for
reinstating the draft. Meanwhile, our men and women
in uniform are denied necessary furloughs and are
being stretched to the breaking point (suicides are on
the rise).
Economically, we are skating on thin ice as finan-
cial conditions are now the worst since the 1929
stock market crash. Our nation is 9 trillion dollars in
debt with another trillion added due to the Iraq war.
The value of the dollar is steadily declining on the
world financial market. Like its people, the govern-
ment is refusing to live within its means. A day of
reckoning is at hand.
Governmentally, the nation is in great peril. Lou
Dobbs of CNN forever says, “Doesn’t anyone
deserve a government that works?” Bureaucratic in-
eptitude and political gridlock continue to paralyze
Washington as partisan wrangling and personal
ambition rule the day. Has no one thought of serving
the common good of the nation above all else? The
president’s approval rating is roughly 30% while the
congress languishes at 13%. Where are the
statesmen of the past who got things done? No won-
der that most Americans feel the country is going in
the wrong direction. (Contrast that with 84% of the
Chinese who feel their nation is going in the ngfl.t
direction!) And why doesn’t our leadership insist that
our borders be secured as a matter of national secu-
rity? Who, pray tell, is manning the store?
Culturally. as well, the nation is on the skids. For
the past 40 years the secular/liberal establishment
has dominated the land with its politically correct non-
sense and morally bankrupt philosophies. As a result,
family disintegration is rampant and white collar
crime is fashionable. Our prisons are crowded and
our judicial system soft on crime. Our educational
system is failing to prepare the next generation as
students harass teachers and often drop out of
school before graduating.
Spiritually, the nation is also in retreat. A recent
Pew Research poll found that 75% of the people con-
fess to be Christians and plan to go to heaven. If so,
why do we have such horrific moral problems such as
drug and alcohol abuse, sexual immorality, divorce, gay marriage, child abuse, abortion on demand,
witchcraft (ala Harry Potter), homicide, theft and
lying? If people “in Christ” are supposedly new crea-
tures, why is the sin nature fully in control of millions
of professing Christians? (Rom. 8:1-17, II Cor. 5:17,
Eph. 5:19-26). The Pew poll was correct in its con-
clusion: American Christianity is an inch deep and a
mile wide. George Barna would agree. He estimates
that only 10% of the population is truly born again
and on the way to heaven. He that hath ears to hear,
let him hear!
C. The spiritual reasons for America’s demise
1. The Christian salt has lost its savor
Jesus said of His true disciples, “You are the salt
of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how
can it be made salty again? It is no longer good
for anything except to be thrown out and be tram-
pled by men” (Matt. 5:13). It is a fact that America
was founded as a Christian nation. Our founding
fathers said that if true Christians did not comprise
the majority, this experiment with democracy would
fail. The late Dr. Francis Schaeffer echoed the same
conviction. He often spoke of the necessity of a
Christian consensus in the culture. Today, however,
unbelievers are in the majority which does not bode
well for our country’s future.
2. We hold the form of godliness but deny its
power (II Tim. 3:5)
The Christian emblems on our coins and currency,
the mention of God in our Pledge to the flag, the
Scriptures etched on our national buildings and our
patriotic songs are relics of a bygone day. We pay lip
service to them; even worse, we seek their removal
by court order.
3. We substitute the god of self for the God of the
Bible
In Judges 21:25 we read, “In those days there
was no king in Israel. Every one did what was
right in his own eyes.” Sadly, Jesus is no longer
King in our culture, except for a godly remnant. But
self-rule (moral anarchy) inevitably leads to civil anar-
chy. If one does not for conscience’ sake obey God’s
laws, why obey the law of the land? This is why crime
is on the rise and why we have a higher percentage
of citizens in prison than any other country. As God’s
Word says, “He who sows to his own flesh shall of
the flesh reap corruption” (Gal. 6:8). An apostate
nation can only reproduce after its kind. Of such a
society Jesus said, “It is good for nothing but to be
thrown out and be trampled by men.” Western
Europe is a good example with its empty churches
and its growing Muslim immigrant populations.
4. Concluding thoughts
Because America has redefined God as all love
and no judgment our leaders and people are for the
most part unable to connect the dots when God
brings upon us repetitive redemptive judgments. We
tend to attribute the destructive weather patterns to
“mother nature” rather than to Father God. And when
some brave pastors dare to tell us the truth, they are
immediately vilified by the news media and public
officials. Worse yet, many of these pastors cave
under pressure and apologize for making such “polit-
ically incorrect” statements.
What America needs today is about ten Elijahs in
every state of the union to speak in every church and
on every talk show and declare with biblical authority
and Holy Spirit conviction the correlation between severe
weather and the spiritual condition of the
nation. Let me ask you, “Does your pastor or priest
on any consistent basis sound like a modern day
Elijah or John the Baptist? If not, why not? The house
is burning and no one is sounding the alarm. Such
negligence is spiritually criminal! Is this not proof that
the salt has lost its savor even at the pastoral level?
And when was the last time your congregation
sang as a fervent prayer and a confession of faith the
great hymns of Christian patriotism such as God
Bless Our Native Land or America The Beautiful or
God Bless America? Wouldn’t this please God more
than cacophonous contemporary music? And what
about born again elected officials at all levels of gov-
ernment following the example of Washington and
Lincoln who publicly quoted Scripture and prayed for
God’s blessing on the country. The Christian remnant
may be small but that is no excuse for it not heeding
Jeremiah’s word, “He who has My Word let him
declare it faithfully” (Jer. 23:28).
II. GOD GIVES AND REMOVES LEADERS
ACCORDING TO HIS SOVEREIGN WILL
A. The scriptural basis for this assertion
Promotion comes neither from the east nor from
the west but God is the judge. He puts down one and
exalts another (Ps. 75:6.7).
The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of
men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets
over them the lowliest of men (Dan. 4:17).
God overthrows men long established. He
silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away
the discernment of elders. He pours contempt on
nobles and disarms the mighty (Job 12:19-21).
The Lord Almighty is about to take from Jerusalem
and Judah the hero and the warrior, the judge and the
prophet, the captain of fifty and the man of rank. Lwlll
make boys their officials; mere children will govern
t!j.~rn (Is. 3:1,2,4).
The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts
the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord
stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through
all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is
the Lord (Ps. 33:10-12).
The Lord works out everything for his own ends -
even the wicked for a day of disaster (Prov. 16:4).
B. Commentary
Because God has given man dominion over the
earth and free will in decision making, one might con-
clude that the rise and fall of leaders and nations is
largely, if not exclusively, man’s doing. However,
Scripture teaches us that ultimately God is the Lord
of history and that His will prevails in every genera-
tion (Ps. 33:10-12). Paul expressed it like this:
“From one man God made every nation of men,
that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he
determined the times set for them and the exact
places they should live” (Acts 17:26). In Daniel,
chapter seven, the Lord in a vision showed the
prophet four world kingdoms that would emerge in
succession: the Babylonians, the Medo-Persians, the
Greeks and the Romans – and at the end of history,
the Antichrist kingdom.
As King of kings and Lord of lords, the Most High
God raises up and deposes world leaders at His own
pleasure, giving good or bad leaders as He deems
appropriate. As a judgment upon apostate nations He
may take away good leaders and replace them with
“the lowliest of men” or “boys and mere children”
-suggesting incompetence and
inexperience. In American history God has given us good and
not-so-good presidents. We like to think of
Washington, Lincoln, FDR and Reagan – men who
arose at critical junctures to save the nation.
The questions we are faced with this November
are these: Where is America in God’s sovereign
plan? Have we fulfilled our divine mission? Are we on
the upside or the downside of our national destiny? Is
America, the greatest nation in human history, at all
mentioned in Scripture? What kind of president dowe deserve given our present spiritual state – a greatsavior or a “little boy”, a blessing or a judgment? Irrespective of your political affiliation, how would you
answer these critical questions?
If indeed we are living in the days of Noah and Lot
and Jesus’ visible return is nigh at hand, all of us
must prepare for radical change that neither John
McCain nor Barack Obama have in mind!
Let us then not be unduly caught up in all the polit-
ical hoopla from now until November. Rather, let it be
a time for seeing beyond empty rhetoric and media
hype. May each of us seek God for His guidance
because neither candidate, however sincere and
well-intentioned, can fix America apart from a sover-
eign spiritual revival that touches every level of soci-
ety. Unless either of the two presidential candidates
has a “Saul of Tarsus” visitation, I cannot envision a
national restoration occurring!
III. ESCHATOLOGICAL REALITIES THAT UNDER-
SCORE THE HIGH STAKES IN THE UPCOMING
ELECTION
A. Could America’s demise result in the
Antichrist’s rise?
Many students of Bible prophecy have concluded
that America is nowhere to be found in the endtime
drama. However, I believe there is a mysterious but
important text that is commonly overlooked and that
is II Thessalonians 2:1-8. To make my point, allow
me to paraphrase Paul’s words using the RSV trans-
lation as my guide. You may wish to compare other
versions to get a fuller sense.
1. My paraphrase
Verse 3: Let no man deceive you in any way for
that day (the day of the Lord’s coming and our being
gathered together to meet him, vs 1,2) will not come
unless the falling away (apostasy, rebellion) comes
first and the man of lawlessness (Antichrist) is
revealed…
Verse 5: Do you not remember that when I was
still with you I told you this? (Paul is simply repeating
his standard teaching on the subject.)
Verse 6: And you know WHAT (?) is restraining
him (the Antichrist) now so that he may be revealed
in his time (God’s sovereign moment in world histo-
ry).
Verse 7: For the mystery of lawlessness(the spir-
it of Antichrist) is already at work; only HE (?) who
now restrains (the emergence of the Antichrist) will
continue to restrain until he (the restrainer) is taken
out of way.
Verse 8: And then the lawless one (the Antichrist)
will be revealed, and then the Lord Jesus will slay him
with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the
glorious splendor of his coming (Jesus’ visible
return).
2. My interpretation
Two key issues need to be addressed to distill the
prophetic gist of Paul’s words. The first is the identi
ty of the restrainer. In verse 6 he is referred to with
the neuter “what” and in verse 7 with the masculine
“he”. In his NT Commentary, R. C. Lenski maintains
that the “what” and the “he” are a unit referring to a
certain power or person exercising this power. At
God’s appointed moment this restraining power will
be removed so as to allow the Antichrist to be
revealed. The popular dispensational view is that the
restrainer is the church which when raptured will pro-
vide a spiritual vacuum in the world that the Antichrist
will fill immediately.
However, such an interpretation flies in the face of
the order of endtime events that Paul clearly sets
forth in this text. The fj~t thing that must happen is a
worldwide apostasy, a falling away from God, (verse
3). I believe this can be observed right now, both in
America and throughout the world just as in the days
of Noah. The second thing to occur is the removal of
the restrainer (verses 6 and 7). Thirdly, the revelation
of the Antichrist breaks forth for all to see (verse 8).
Fourthly, the revelation of the Lord in glory takes
place at which time the Antichrist is destroyed (verse
8). And fifthly and finally, the church is raptured, taken
up to meet the Lord in the air. This is indisputable
because Paul’s reason for dealing with this issue was
the fear of the Thessalonians that the rapture had
already taken place and they were left behind. Paul
says, “No way. I never taught you such a doctrine.”
So he begins to set them straight with his intro-
ductory remarks in verses I and 2, “Now concern-
ing the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
being gathered together to meet him (the rap-
ture), we beg you not to be shaken… as if the day
of the Lord has already come.” As I have stated,
four events must happen first: (1. rebellion, (2.
removal of the restrainer, (3. revelation of the
Antichrist, (4. revelation of Jesus Christ in the clouds
and then (5, the rapture of the church. How much
more clear can it be? As I have said on numerous
occasions, there is only one second coming of the
Lord Jesus, not two.
Since the Antichrist is going to be a political figure
and establish a global empire (the last world kingdom
according to Daniel, chapter 7) the best interpretation
of “the restrainer” is a political power that must be
taken out of the way by divine sovereignty so that the
world would welcome the Antichrist with all his
deceptions and promises(lI Thes. 2:9,10). Presently.
the United States of America could well represent
that restraining power. Its sovereignty and super
power status, both economically and militarily, would
have to be drastically diminished on the world stage
which in some measure is happening right now. If we
are this close to the end of the age, America is in the
crosshairs of history. He who has ears to hear, let him
hear!
B. Is the deceptive North American Union a
sign of the times?
in 2005 the presidents of Canada, America and
Mexico announced “The Security and Prosperity
Partnership of North America.”This seemingly benign
plan has no congressional approval and poses a seri-
ous threat to our Constitution and national sovereign-
ty. It is a brazen globalist scheme to create open bor-
ders for the free movement of cheap labor. It is being advocated by powerful forces, including the Council
on Foreign Relations, which desire North America to
be reshaped after the European Union. This eco-
nomic integration would in time result in a new cur-
rency called the “amero” like unto the European euro.
What is so disturbing about such a realignment is
the full support given it by the Bush Administration,
which explains why no sincere effort has been made
to secure our borders and stop the flow of illegals into
our country. Are John McCain and Barack Obama in
favor of this secretive plan? Have they been asked
about it on the campaign trail and in public debates?
I don’t think so. If either of them is in favor (and I sus-
pect they both are) the globalist elites have their foot
in the door, which would only contribute to the demise
of our beloved country.
IV. PRACTICAL COUNSEL AS THIS HISTORIC
ELECTION UNFOLDS
A. Don’t be deceived
Jesus warned that in the last days sophisticated
deceivers and deceptions would abound (Matt.
24:4,24). Barack Obama presents himself as the
change agent, promising “change we can believe in.”
As a professing Christian, he should be defining
change in biblical terms, namely, changing your mind
from unrighteousness to righteousness. This is the
root meaning of repentance (metanoia) as Paul told
King Agrippa:”… that men should repent and turn
to God and prove their repentance by their
deeds” (Acts 26:20).
What are Obama’s proposed changes regarding
abortion? As a senator he has already voted against
the ban on partial birth abortion, a barbaric procedure
that grieves the heart of the Heavenly Father. But
now he is co-sponsoring a bill that will annihilate
every state law regulating and restricting abortion.
This bill is called FOCA or Freedom of Choice Act. jfl
a July speech before abortion advocates he said his
first act as president would be to sign this piece of
legislation which would make abortion on demand a
fundamental right beyond legal chaUeng.~.
As an unbeliever he might get by with such views
on abortion but not as a professing Christian. Has he
ever read why Judah and Jerusalem were
destroyed? Here’s the answer: “God removed them
from his presence because of the sins of
Manasseh and all he had done, including shed-
ding innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem
with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing
to forgive” (II Kings 24:3,4).
What is innocent blood? The Bible defines it as fol-
lows: “They shed innocent blood, the blood of
their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to
the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated
by their blood” (Ps. 106:38-42). Senator Obama
needs to realize (and all those who vote for him) that
abortion is not a fundamental right but a terrible sin
which brings God’s severe judgment upon the land
and especially on nations with a Christian heritage.
How true then the saying: the nation that kills its chil-
dren is a nation without hope.
B. Remember to pray
Paul’s exhortation to pray for civil authorities, even
ungodly ones like the Romans of his day, applies to
us in the 21st century. He says: “I urge that prayers
be made for all men, for kings and for all who are
in authority that we may lead a quiet and peace-
able life, godly and respectful in every way” (I
Tim. 2:1,2). Since civil government is a divine institu-
tion it is incumbent upon all citizens to pray for good
leaders, good laws and national tranquility and bless-
ing. In this sense we get the government we deserve.
Prayer does change things for the better – even pres-
idents!
C. Remember to vote
As believers we ought to vote according to our
conscience informed by the Holy Spirit and the Word
of God – and not just along party lines. Two basic cri-
teria should guide us: (1. who will best serve the
common good, and (2. who will work for change that
is good and godly and resist every thing to the con-
trary. These two traits marked the great statesmen of
the past. I intend to vote for John McCain chiefly
because he is prolife and will put prolife justices on
the Supreme Court. I also favor him because he suf-
fered greatly in defense of his country, is a man of
experience and thus possesses wisdom born of
experience which brings restraint; something George
W. Bush lacked.
D. Don’t be discouraged if your candidate
loses
Remember that God exalts and deposes leaders
according to His sovereign will (Ps. 33:10,11, Prov.
19:21). Even if an ungodly leader is elected, the Lord
is able to convert such an one in the harness and
make him a great leader (Dan. 4:28-37). And if He
chooses not to, the Lord remains on the Throne as
our Savior, Friend and Brother as Paul reminds us:
“Our citizenship is in heaven from whence we
await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).
Nothing shall be able to separate us from God and
His love – not even the Antichrist system and the
great tribulation. As David Wilkerson says, “God’s got
everything under control!”
thought. And it makes no difference if such a condi-
tion is forced upon the people or is willingly accepted.
The end result is the same. When everybody accepts
what everybody else is doing or believing, a new
society appears and all reference points determining
right and wrong disappear … Only the true and dis-
cerning Christian refuses the herd mentality. This is
the way it was in the Roman Empire when the early
Christians were called idiots (after the word “idiotes”
which means private or one’s own) because they
would not assimilate or blend with the Roman way of
life. Paul was willing to be a fool for Christ, are we?
V. CONCLUSION
The American myth of perpetual economic superi-
ority and military invincibility is being challenged and
exposed like never before. It is my humble discern-
ment that we are on the downside of our national
destiny. Our best years are behind us barring a sov-
ereign restoration of extraordinary proportions. W~
~re in the early stages of the sinking of the Titanic.
Few realize there is a gaping hole in our hull which
threatens our “unsinkable” ship of state.
Most
Americans are mentally on the ~ decksinging,
dancing and laughing; totally oblivious to the impend-
ing danger. If they were to be told, they would not
believe it as was true in the days of Jeremiah (Jer.
36:1-3,23,24).
How then shall we live? With eyes wide open!
With faith towards God! And with hope that Jesus will
save and protect us no matter what comes for He is
our unsinkable lifeboat. His promise stands: “I will
never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5,6).
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus! Amen.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
When the government does not enforce the law
(immigration laws, for example) and does not itself
obey the law, we have a formula for anarchy and
social chaos. This is the reality in America today.
This article was written by Rodney G. Lensch, Director of Rod and Staff Ministries,2625 N. 100th Avenue, Omaha, Neb 68134 and was the lead article of the fall2008 Rod and Staff newsletter-used with permission