Madison Taylor

Sing to the Lord a New Song!

June 2, 2023

The offertory this Sunday morning will be Christ Is Mine Forevermore, by CityAlight. The Worship Team is introducing this song as an offertory with a plan to begin singing it as a congregational song in the coming weeks. This is a rich song centered on the certainty we have in the finished work of Christ.

Each verse reminds us of our own frailty and the brokenness around us, but then points us to Christ as the answer to all our longings. We continually forsake the God who designed us to enjoy Him, but Christ has redeemed us and is eternally faithful to us. We will endure difficulties and sadness in this life that we cannot understand, but we have peace through Jesus who works all things together for good for those who belong to Him. We will endure persecution for Jesus’ sake, but He has equipped us for it and will deliver us through it.

The song ends with a refrain that invites us to exhort our own souls to rejoice that Christ’s love is our reward, that we have hope that leaves us with no reason to fear because we belong to Christ and are co-heirs with Him.

You can listen to the song by 
clicking here.

Mine are days that God has numbered, I was made to walk with Him
Yet I look for worldly treasure and forsake the King of kings.
But mine is hope in my Redeemer, though I fall, his love is sure.
For Christ has paid for every failing, I am His forevermore.

Mine are tears in times of sorrow. Darkness not yet understood.
Through the valley I must travel where I see no earthly good
But mine is peace that flows from heaven and the strength in times of need
I know my pain will not be wasted, Christ completes his work in me

Mine are days here as a stranger, pilgrim on a narrow way.
One with Christ I will encounter harm and hatred for his name.
But mine is armor for this battle strong enough to last the war
And he has said he will deliver safely to the golden shore

Come rejoice now, O my soul, for his love is my reward.
Fear is gone and hope is sure, Christ is mine forevermore!

And mine are keys to Zion city where beside the King I walk.
For there my heart has found its treasure, Christ is mine forevermore.

Jonny Robinson and Rich Thompson, © CityAlight Music

- Madison Taylor

How Should a Christian Think About a New President?

The 2016 presidential election has come and gone. Unfortunately – but predictably – the partisan acrimony leading up to the election did not depart with it. This time around, presidential power was transferred from one party to the other. When this happens, partisans on opposing sides swap postures. Those whose party gained power rejoice, having spent the prior administration wringing their collective hands and decrying the prior administration’s policies. Conversely, those whose party lost out will take up handwringing and decry the grave danger the incoming administration poses. This remains the status quo until presidential power changes hands again and another cycle is completed.

It is easy to fall into the partisan mindset, seeing one party as righteous and the other as profane. To be sure, elections have consequences, and these consequences are often significant. The vacancy on the United States Supreme Court that was created by the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia, and the issue of who would receive the lifetime appointment to replace him, brought into focus just how consequential a single election can be. In this case the “balance” of the Supreme Court remains, for the most part, where it was before, whereas a different appointment to that position could have dramatically shifted the court on a number of important issues. As Christians, we should care about and for our governments – and that requires vigilance and involvement in the process. But in doing so, we must keep local, national, and even global politics in the proper perspective. There are several ways Christians can think about these issues from a Biblical perspective.

First, we can rejoice in God’s sovereignty over all aspects of our lives. The Bible is clear that God is sovereign over nations. We are told that God “rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28) and “reigns over the nations” (Psalm 47:8). More specifically, “God changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21). While it is right to care about our nation and our civil authorities, we can rest in the assurance that God is sovereign over all.

Second, the Bible has much to say about how we should think about and relate to the civil authorities. Submitting to civil authorities is an easier task when the civil authorities are doing what is right; less so when they are acting contrary to God’s word. The original audience for I Peter was Christians who were under intense persecution from their civil authorities. Nevertheless, the admonition was, “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 evil and to praise those who do good… Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (I Peter 2:13-14, 17). This strikes me as a corollary to God’s sovereignty – we can submit to civil authorities, even those who might overtly persecute us, because we know that God is sovereign.

Third, no elected official can “save us.” A great hopefulness can follow when a politician of your choosing replaces someone you disfavor. But these expectations should be tempered by the fact that all civil authorities are merely human and are therefore broken. We are told in the Psalms: “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation” (Psalm 146:3). Elections and political decisions are important, but even when we feel that the “right person” is in office, we err when we rest our hope in that person.  

Fourth, we should remember that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). We categorize ourselves into many different groups: nationality, political party, ethnicity, occupation, hometown, school, favorite sports teams, et al. We often identify ourselves by “membership” in these groups, and which one we emphasize depends on context. In the office or in the courtroom, I am generally identified by my vocation as an “attorney.” While these categories are not necessarily bad in and of themselves, they are bad when they become distractions. Our ultimate and overriding identity is as citizens of heaven, as co-heirs with Christ. When we get caught up in partisan-political frenzy, we emphasize our worldly “memberships” and minimize our identity in Christ (John 3:30).

Ultimately, our hope should rest in God’s sovereignty over human affairs. Keeping this perspective allows us to rise above partisan politics and neither trust our authorities to deliver us from evil nor despair that they will deliver us to evil.