Op-Ed: Historic Pro-Life Milestone Should Remind Christians Why Elections Matter
I’m writing these words on the first anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned, June 24, 2023. Today, as I reflect on this historic milestone, I want to emphasize that elections do matter.
“What’s the big deal?” you may be saying. “The elections aren’t until 2024.”
But I am convinced that we need to be involved in politics now.
It’s high time for every citizen — especially conservative believers — to register to vote, be an active voter, and do your part to turn our nation back to our Judeo-Christian values.
The historic reversal of Roe hit home for me, as I have been involved in the pro-life movement for the last 50 years, and I served as president of TheCall, a youth prayer movement, from 2000 to 2003.
Many people don’t realize that the visionary founder of TheCall, Lou Engle, wanted to mobilize young people not just to intercede for our nation in general, but specifically to pray and fast for the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Part and parcel of this call to prayer was a pledge to vote for life in perpetuity. We saw thousands of America’s youth wear life bands as outward signs of their inner conviction — daily reminders to pray a simple but potent prayer: “Jesus, I plead Your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation. God, end abortion and send revival to America.”
Across the entire body of Christ, I really believe our prayers made a difference. At the same time, I feel that elections are the counterpart of prayer. When we combine prayer with action, we will see a profound impact on our nation.
Every election matters. Just consider Donald Trump’s presidential victory in 2016. As a direct result, three constitutionalists received nominations as Supreme Court justices — Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett — and helped turn the tide of history in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Why is that personal for me? These justices also ruled in our favor in 2021 when our case (Harvest Rock Church, et al. v. Newsom) went before the Supreme Court to contest the unconstitutional lockdown of churches in California.
After nearly a yearlong battle, our lawsuit reached a landmark settlement that reversed the last discriminatory restrictions against churches in our state and imposed a permanent injunction against our governor from locking down the church in any future situation, whether a pandemic or another crisis.
In the end, it took multiple rebukes from the Supreme Court and a recall process before Gavin Newsom relented and gave the church what should have been our First Amendment rights from the beginning.
This is why we need to be political activists now and not wait until 2024 to have our voices heard.
So many of our elected officials, who swear to uphold the Constitution, are abusing their authority and doing everything in their power to violate our constitutional rights. We have come to an Isaiah 5:20 period in time when government leaders are calling evil good and good evil.
Egregious bills are continually being passed — for example, Assembly Bill 665 currently in the California Senate — and we must act decisively if we want to stop this madness. (If you live in California, I urge you to contact your state senator and voice your strong opposition to this bill, which would amount to state-sanctioned kidnapping.)
In my 50 years of walking with the Lord, and in 44 years as a pastor, I have learned the paramount importance of being involved in politics and in our government.
As Christians, we have been praying for 2,000 years, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus is not just king over the church; He is king over every institution in society.
We are asking God to rule not just over the church, but over the spheres of family, education, business, media, arts and entertainment — and, yes, the government, too. We are welcoming the loving lordship of Jesus Christ to bring wholesale change and transformation to society.
The good news, the Bible assures us, is that eventually the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord (Revelation 11:15). At the end of the day, we win.
But until then, we are to occupy the territory that God has given us, and we are to disciple nations (Matthew 28:18-20). In order to see this Great Commission fulfilled, we need to transform nations and transform our society.
Each one of us can take part in transforming our own communities. No matter your background or level of experience, steward your citizenship well and vote according to your values.
To all pastors and leaders reading this, I especially urge you to mobilize those in your sphere of influence to get out and vote. Use your voice and your platform to encourage people to vote biblically.
As we can poignantly see in this post-Roe world, the next generation is at stake.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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