This morning we’re going to talk about a forbidden and controversial  subject in the minds of many Seventh-day Adventists, especially those who are no longer attending conference churches, and that is ”Voting; should we or shouldn’t we?” As we all know, there’s a Presidential election coming up in November along with many congressional seats that are up for grabs, and we should know what inspiration says about this subject, don’t you think? There’s actually quite a bit of information in the Spirit of Prophecy about voting, and because the prophet was inspired to write about it, don’t you think it would be a good idea to know what it says? I believe everything written by a prophet is important and is given for a reason, and therefore should be studied. I think many of us, and I include myself here, have been ignorant about this subject, and ignorance is no excuse when we have inspired information that would help us become informed and intelligent about it. So I hope this topic today will be of interest to you and that we will all gain something from our study.

Not long ago I was criticized by someone who asked to be taken off my mailing list because I mentioned some of the things going on in the political arena and how that fits into Bible prophecy, and that as a minister I had no business doing that because the Spirit of Prophecy forbids it. But as I have delved into this subject, not only should we be aware of what’s going on in the world, but we are given guiding principles about casting our vote, and we should know what they are.

If you have ever read about what some of our Advent pioneers wrote about political questions and how they fit into current events, you know that Bible prophecy has something to do with all that, and that we should be aware of what’s going on in what I believe to be the greatest country that has ever existed on this planet, and that’s America. And if you are listening and come from another country, I make no apologies for saying that, because God’s last day prophet says so, and we’ll be reading that in just a few minutes.

It’s absolutely clear that God had His hand in the formation of America, and although we know that in the end it speaks as a dragon, and we can already see this beginning to happen, it’s still true that our form of government with its Declaration of Independence and it’s Constitution are inspired documents. Listen to the well-known words that were written on July 4, 1776 by our founding fathers, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” And I’m sure there are many abortionists, evolutionists, atheists, agnostics, white supremacist, and socialists that are not too happy with that statement, and if you’ve never read the Declaration of Independence you should. And the first Amendment to the Constitution that was passed by Congress 13 years later says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

There are battles going on in the courts right now about churches not being able to meet because of the Coronavirus, and the first amendment is being challenged by government officials to “keep us safe” while they turn their heads to large crowds that are not social distancing or wearing face masks and causing anarchy in the streets in many of our large cities.

Friends, we need to understand that there is a war against Christianity in America, and what we see going on right now are Satanic plans to do away with religious freedom, and we already know where this will eventually lead. The freedoms we enjoy  because of our Constitution are unheard of freedoms that didn’t exist to the extent that we have them, until America came along, and there are those today in high government positions that are trying to tear it down; that’s very evident, and according to Bible prophecy this evil plot will eventually succeed, but until it does, what, if anything can we do about it?

George Washington, our first President, on January 9, 1790 wrote the following words, “The establishment of our new Government seemed to be the last great experiment for promoting human happiness”, and he was right! When America as we know it goes away, there will be nowhere else to go to escape the tyranny that will follow, and it’s looking more and more like that will happen in our life time, which if it does, would also mean that Jesus will come in our life time as well, and for that reason we should be preparing ourselves for that great advent like never before.

This great experiment our first President mentioned has been in operation for only 244 years, only a short time compared to some other countries and governments, and it’s too bad to see it going in a direction that is destroying itself. Regarding the church, we’re told that we have more to fear from within than from without, and it looks like this is also the case for America, and the question is, do we have a duty and an obligation to do what we can to see it preserved a little longer, or should we just sit back and watch the destruction take place and think we won’t be held accountable in some way for doing nothing?

I want you to notice what it says in a Review and Herald article written in 1888, but before we do let’s pray for God’s wisdom to rightly divide the word of truth.

Review and Herald, December 18, 1888. This is speaking of the time when an amendment to the Constitution was being urged in congress regarding a Sunday law and when A.T. Jones was chosen as the spokesperson for the church to argue against it. Ellen White writes the following, “And now this nation,—the greatest nation of earth,—under whose government we are blessed with every religious and temporal advantage; which has been the recipient of unrivaled mercies; which Providence has watched over and shielded; by which the standard of liberty and religious freedom has been lifted,—will it follow the course of the papacy, and make void God’s law? And shall we sit with folded hands, and do nothing in this crisis? Shall we let this Religious Amendment movement come in, and shut us away from our privileges and rights, because we keep the commandments of God? God help us to arouse from the stupor that has hung over us for years!”

Now it’s true, that there is not now a Sunday Law being urged in Congress today like there was in 1888, but there is a crisis that is developing right now in America that could very well lead to that, and it seems to me that it would not be right to sit with folded hands and do nothing. Is it our only duty to present the third angel’s message during this time, or should we do more than that?

There’s no question, if we are citizens of the United States, that we have an obligation by inspiration to cast our vote in matters of temperance and virtue, we’re told, and I’ll be reading that to you in just a few minutes, but what about voting for people? Most of the time when this subject comes up, it seems that the prevailing thought is that we can vote on temperance issues, but when it comes to voting for people, we shouldn’t do that, because we’ll be held accountable for what those people might do wrong while in office. But let me tell you something, it’s people who make the laws in our nation, and if we don’t vote for people, how are we going to help make changes for the good and help preserve religious liberty and the things that are right?

This morning I’m going to be reading quite a bit, and as I do, we want to really think about what’s being said and not just gloss over certain words or draw conclusions based upon preconceived ideas, or perhaps camp out on one particular statement and ignore all the rest. We’re told when we study a certain subject that we are to base our conclusions upon what? The weight of evidence, and I’d like to read that to you from Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 675. “Satan has ability to suggest doubts and to devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them, to be unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence. God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe; but he who turns from the weight of evidence because there are a few things which he cannot make plain to his finite understanding will be left in the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and questioning doubts, and will make shipwreck of faith.” And so, humble and teachable is what we need to be in order to come to right conclusions and to avoid making shipwreck of faith.

Let’s see what inspiration says about the founding of America in The Great Controversy, page 441 “The Christian exiles who first fled to America, sought an asylum from royal oppression and priestly intolerance, and they determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty. The Declaration of Independence sets forth the great truth that ‘all men are created equal,’ and endowed with the inalienable right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ And the Constitution guarantees to the people the right of self-government, (now listen carefully) providing that representatives elected by the popular vote shall enact and administer the laws (that’s the definition of a Republic, by the way). Freedom of religious faith was also granted; every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity.”

Ok, a couple things here. Number one, America is a great and powerful country, and God worked upon the hearts of men and women that raised up this country, and number two, the Constitution guarantees the right of the people to vote into office those people that would enact and administer laws that would preserve things the way they were founded, or to amend things that would improve those founding principles, and this has been done several times since our founding, and so far so good.

Now, it’s very clear today that many people would like to see America abandon the fundamental principle of our nation for socialism and/or Communism. And so, the question is, should we, by casting our vote, do our part to help preserve religious freedom and be permitted to continue to worship God according to the dictates of conscience, or should we not vote and run the risk of America becoming like China or North Korea where a dictator tells the people what they can and can’t do? By the way, every country that has tried Socialism or Communism has become a poor country where the few at the top are well cared for and the masses have a very difficult time. And the reason why so many people want to come to America is because they have experienced socialism or Communism in their home country, and they know it doesn’t work.

I remember back in the 70s listening to an evangelist by the name of Fordyce Detamore, and if you’re old enough you may remember him as well. I went to a series of his meetings some 40 plus years ago, and I remember him talking about Communism and that it is worse than anything you can imagine. He talked about some of the tactics used to control the populace and what the results would be should America ever go in that direction, and it wasn’t very pretty. And as I consider the climate in America right now with the rioting and looting and calls to defund the police, I have to wonder, is it my obligation to do what I can to prevent a violent takeover of this country by declared socialists, or should I just keep silent and mind my own business and let God deal with it? Pray yes, but does God expect us to act in accordance with our prayers? The answer is yes! In the Spirit of Prophecy Sister White told the youth of her day that “if you are sincere in your prayers, you will act in accordance with them.” (The Youth Instructor, February 9, 1893) And so again, is preaching a present truth message my only obligation during a time of crisis, or is more required of me as a citizen of the United States?

As I have looked into the subject of voting, I have found that there was an evolution in the thinking of Adventists during the years between the 1850s through the early 1900s. At the beginning there was mostly opposition to voting, but then as time progressed and different situations arose and the prophet weighed in on the subject, things began to change.

For instance, notice this quote from James White in the Review and Herald, August 12, 1862, “Those of our people who voted at all at the last Presidential election, to a man voted for Abraham Lincoln. We know of not one man among Seventh-day Adventists who has the least sympathy for secession.” And of course, this was during the time of the Civil War.

Then three years later there was a General Conference Session at Battle Creek that started on May 17, 1865. The delegates included nearly all the prominent Adventist leaders such as J. N. Andrews, Uriah Smith, M. E. Cornell, J. N. Loughborough, J. H. Waggoner, Joseph Bates, and I. D. Van Horn. James and Ellen White were also there, and both of them spoke to the assembled delegates, and during that time a significant resolution regarding voting was adopted. Now remember, James and Ellen White were both present and actively participated in the work of the conference. Here’s what the resolution says, and this was written 6 days into the General Conference Session on May 23, 1865. “Resolved, That in our judgment, the act of voting when exercised in behalf of justice, humanity and right, is in itself blameless, and may be at sometimes highly proper (Note the words “may be at sometimes highly proper”); but that the casting of any vote that shall strengthen the cause of such crimes as intemperance, insurrection, and slavery, we regard as highly criminal in the sight of Heaven. But we would deprecate (disapprove of) any participation in the spirit of party strife.”

“The spirit of party strife” means that if a political party becomes violent and contentious, which they are very much that way right now, as Christians we should not be involved in that; but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t vote. And so, the question is, is this one of those times when it would be “highly proper” to cast our vote this November like many did for Abraham Lincoln? And also did you notice the word “insurrection” in the resolution? Our pioneers considered “insurrection” as “highly criminal in the sight of Heaven.” This is particularly significant right now especially, because what we are seeing in America at this time is the beginning of an “insurrection”, or “a violent uprising against the fundamental principles of our government.”

In the Review and Herald, November 8, 1881 Ellen White writes, “There is a cause for the moral paralysis upon society. Our laws sustain an evil which is sapping their very foundations. Many deplore the wrongs which they know exist, but consider themselves free from all responsibility in the matter. This cannot be. Every individual exerts an influence in society. In our favored land, every voter has some voice in determining what laws shall control the nation. Should not that influence and that vote be cast on the side of temperance and virtue?”

Now, I already briefly mentioned this, but how are the laws of the land made in this Republic? They are made by individuals voting for people who then become legislators to enact our laws. That’s how it works! And so it’s very clear that our vote is to be cast on the side of men and women who stand for temperance and virtue, because that’s the only way our vote can count.

Now we know what temperance is, don’t we? In Patriarchs and Prophets, page 562 the Spirit of Prophecy says, “True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful.” But what about “virtue?” What’s that? Virtue is, “moral excellence”, or “moral goodness”, or “abstaining from vice”, and vice, being the opposite of virtue, would be sinful conduct.

So, if a person decides that they’re going to vote, they should vote in favor of temperance and things that are morally good. But here’s the problem, if one is going to vote for a person, they might be hard pressed to find an individual that is temperate and morally excellent, right? And so, if we’re looking for a perfect candidate, we’re probably not going to find one, because we are all flawed human beings. But if the issues are right, and to the best of our ability we have researched where candidates stand, then we will be voting intelligently. If we vote for a person that promotes things that are temperate and morally excellent, then we are voting for the issues upon which that person stands rather than the person themselves. Does that make sense?

Now oftentimes people are voted into office and they don’t keep their promises, right? But we can’t know that ahead of time, can we? All we can do is go by what they say and their past track record. And so, we have to do some investigating and research so we can, to the best of our ability, vote for the right person, and in some cases we may not be able to vote for either candidate if both espouse an intemperate and immoral platform. The Bible says, “To him that knows to do good and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.” In other words, we are held accountable for what we know, or have had the opportunity to know but fail to inform ourselves. And so, if the representative we voted for changes their mind after they are elected, then that’s on them, not us, and we’ll talk more about that in a little while.

There are many people today that vote for the person who they think looks presidential, or someone who speaks well, or someone who is of the right gender or of the race they identify with and allow these kind of things to determine who they’re going to vote for, rather than where candidates stand on issues that are virtuous and morally good.

Is our Constitution a virtuous document? Absolutely, as is The Declaration of Independence. So there’s nothing wrong with voting for people who want to keep these things in place, but there is something wrong with voting for someone who wants to fundamentally change our country, and there’s also something wrong with not voting at all when we have opportunity to maintain our founding documents, because our country was founded upon divine principles.

It is our exclusive right and privilege as citizens of this republic to have a voice in who represents us in making laws, because the vast majority of laws in this country are not voted on by us as individuals, they are voted on by the legislators we elect, that’s their role in government. And so, it’s critical that we vote in legislators who believe in the Constitution, because it’s the Constitution, as written, that guarantees our freedom of religion.

In Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 451 we’re told very clearly that under the influence of the threefold union of Catholicism, apostate Protestantism, and spiritualism, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and just because we know that, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to stop it from happening by casting our vote for men and women who want to preserve it rather than tear it down. For example, we all know we’re going to die someday if the Lord doesn’t come first, don’t we? But just because we know that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care to prolong our lives, and it’s the same principle with our Constitution. When we have the opportunity to help preserve our Republic, why wouldn’t we try to do that? If we have the choice of voting for two different people and one thinks abortion and smoking marijuana and defunding the police, and socialism are the issues they promote, and the other is opposed to these things, then the choice is clear, we vote on the side of temperance and virtue, it’s just that simple.

In Signs of the Times, July 8, 1880 it says, “Intemperate men should not by vote of the people be placed in positions of trust.” And so, by implication that would mean that temperate men should “by vote of the people be placed in positions of trust.”

Here’s another interesting quote from Messages to Young people, page 36, “Dear youth, what is the aim and purpose of your life? Are you ambitious for education that you may have a name and position in the world? Have you thoughts that you dare not express, that you may one day stand upon the summit of intellectual greatness; that you may sit in deliberative and legislative councils, and help to enact laws for the nation? (And this next sentence may shock you when she says) There is nothing wrong in these aspirations. You may every one of you make your mark.”

So, how can it be wrong for Seventh-day Adventist youth to grow up and sit in deliberative and legislative councils, and help to enact laws for the nation, and yet at the same time Ellen White be teaching that it’s wrong to vote for people? If that were the case, then you would have to conclude that these youth, who would become adults, would be going out trying to get people to vote for them, which they themselves and all Seventh-day Adventists were forbidden to do. That doesn’t make sense. That’s why we must draw our conclusions based upon, what? the weight of evidence.

As you probably know, women didn’t have the right to vote during Ellen Whites lifetime. There may have been some states that allowed it earlier than others, but that wasn’t the case nationally. Ellen White died in 1915 and women weren’t able to vote country wide until an amendment to the Constitution in 1920. Voting was being discussed in her day and it looked like it might happen in the near future but had not yet come to fruition. Anticipating that that might soon take place she made comments about it, that women, for the most part, were not prepared to vote intelligently. And so she wrote the following in Testimonies for the Church, volume 3, page 565, “There are speculations as to woman’s rights and duties in regard to voting. Many are in no way disciplined to understand the bearing of important questions. They have lived lives of present gratification because it was the fashion. Women who might develop good intellects and have true moral worth are now mere slaves to fashion. They have not breadth of thought nor cultivated intellect. They can talk understandingly of the latest fashion, the styles of dress, this or that party or delightful ball. Such women are not prepared to intelligently take a prominent position in political matters. They are mere creatures of fashion and circumstance. (Then she says) Let this order of things be changed.”

From this statement we can conclude that it’s inappropriate for women, as well as men for that matter, to perform their “duties in regard to voting” or “taking a prominent position in political matters” unless they have been “disciplined to understand the bearing of important questions”, and that such understanding should be acquired before they vote. She said, “Let this order of things be changed”, meaning what? What should be changed? The fact that women were not prepared to make intelligent choices in regards to political matters. So, if it were wrong to vote, then what need would there be of changing anything? When it comes to affecting change, we can’t just sit back and do nothing, expecting God to do it for us. This is true of individual character development and it’s true for societal change as well.

In the book Gospel Workers there’s a whole chapter beginning on page 391 dealing with the subject of politics, and it’s many of the quotes in this chapter that are used most often to try to show that we should not vote for people, or just not vote at all. But as we’ve already seen, there are statement that would contradict this idea. And so, how do we harmonize all these various statements that seem contrary to each other, because God doesn’t contradict Himself, does He? No! That’s why I read the statement at the beginning about deciding from the weight of evidence. Obviously, I can’t take the time to read the entire chapter this morning, so what I’m going to have to do is read excepts about the most important points and you’ll have to read it yourself and draw your own conclusions.

I’ll be reading excerpts from Gospel Workers, pages 391-395, “Those who have charge of our institutions and our schools should guard themselves diligently, lest by their words and sentiments they lead the students into false paths. Those who teach the Bible in our churches and our schools are not at liberty to unite in making apparent their prejudices for or against political men or measures, because by so doing they stir up the minds of others, leading each to advocate his favorite theory (And so, stirring up others is the context here). There are among those professing to believe present truth, some who will thus be stirred up to express their sentiments and political preferences, so that division will be brought into the church.  (Notice: the reason she told Bible teachers and ministers not to talk politics is to keep from causing division.)

“The Lord would have His people bury political questions. On these themes silence is eloquence. Christ calls upon His followers to come into unity on the pure gospel principles which are plainly revealed in the word of God. We cannot with safety vote for political parties; for we do not know whom we are voting for. (Now you may understand this differently, but I understand this to mean that if we are a registered Republican, for instance, we are not supposed to vote on a purely Republican ticket, and the same goes for the Democrat. When we do that we really don’t know who we are voting for, because we’re just voting so the other party won’t win any elections. That is voting for “political parties.”) We cannot with safety take part in any political scheme. (A “scheme” is a designed plan, and they can be good or bad. In this case it was an evil scheme she was referring to, because there was a Sunday law movement going on at the time and the scheme was to enact a Sunday Law) We cannot labor to please men who will use their influence to repress religious liberty, and to set in operation oppressive measures to lead or compel their fellow-men to keep Sunday as the Sabbath. (To repress religious liberty and push for a Sunday Law was the “political scheme” that bad men were campaigning on, and she says, don’t vote for them) The first day of the week is not a day to be reverenced. It is a spurious sabbath, and the members of the Lord’s family (who? The members of the Lord’s family) cannot participate with the men who exalt this day, and violate the law of God by trampling upon His Sabbath. The people of God (who? “the people of God, the Lord’s family) are not to vote to place such men in office; for when they do this, they are partakers with them of the sins which they commit while in office. . .” (Now that’s a scary thought, isn’t it? But notice: she doesn’t say we should not vote. She’s very specific when she says, “The people of God are not to vote to place such men in office.” The obvious deduction would be that we should vote for men who are opposed to enacting a Sunday law, or vote for men or women who would preserve “religious liberty” and not “repress” it. When she says “we are partakers with them of the sins which they commit while in office”, she’s saying that when we know where candidates stand on issues important to us as Christians, as in this instance, like promoting Sunday, or intemperance, or abortion, or other moral issues, and we vote for them anyway, then we are partakers with them of the sins which they commit while in office. God knows we can’t read people’s minds, and we aren’t accountable for that, but when we know, then we are held accountable if we vote to place them in office and while there they actually accomplish what they said they would do)

“Those who are Christians . . will not wear political badges, but the badge of Christ.

“What are we to do, then? (and remember who she’s talking to here; it’s teachers and ministers) What are we to do, then?—Let political questions alone (In other words, don’t push your political views in the class room or from the pulpit). . .

“Those teachers in the church or in the school who distinguish themselves by their zeal in politics, should be relieved of their work and responsibilities without delay; for the Lord will not co-operate with them. The tithe should not be used to pay any one for speechifying on political questions. Every teacher, minister, or leader in our ranks who is stirred with a desire to ventilate his opinions on political questions, should be converted by a belief in the truth, or give up his work. His influence must tell as a laborer together with God in winning souls to Christ, or his credentials must be taken from him. If he does not change, he will do harm, and only harm. I call upon my brethren who are appointed to educate, to change their course of action. It is a mistake for you to link your interests with any political party to cast your vote with them or for them. (again, we’re not to promote or vote a straight Republican or Democrat ticket for reasons I already mentioned, and I think this would include helping out with a political campaign)

“Those who stand as educators, as ministers, as laborers together with God in any line, have no battles to fight in the political world. Their citizenship is in heaven. . .

“They are not to spend their time talking politics or acting politics; for by so doing they give the enemy opportunity to come in and cause variance and discord. (Here it is again. By ministers and teachers teaching politics and promoting a political party in the class room or from the pulpit will “cause variance and discord.”) Those in the ministry who desire to stand as politicians, should have their credentials taken from them; . .

“Do not take part in political strife. Separate from the world, and refrain from bringing into the church or school ideas that will lead to contention and disorder (That’s the fourth time she mentions things that would cause “Contention and discord”). . .

“‘None of us liveth to himself.’ [Romans 14:7.] Let those who are tempted to take part in politics, remember that every move they make has its influence upon others. When ministers or others in responsible positions make remarks in regard to these matters, they cannot gather up the thoughts they have planted in human minds.”

This is exactly why, in Letter 4, 1898 she told those in prominent positions in the church to “Keep your voting to yourself. Do not feel it your duty to urge everyone to do as you do.”

Now let me mention wearing political badges for a minute, what did she mean by that? A badge is a device people wear to show who they are and what group they belong to. I think of wearing “Trump 2020” hats or face masks, or having a bumper sticker on your car that says “Biden, Harris”, or putting out  yard signs or a flag with your favorite candidates name written on it as many are doing. That, I think, is something we should not do, because that’s wearing a political badge; that’s not keeping your voting to yourself as we’ve been counseled to do.

Now I want you to notice that I am not telling anyone who or what to vote for or why they should vote except as the principles from inspiration instructs us. It is not my God-given duty to urge anyone to do as I do. Everyone is to make up their own mind about this and follow their conscience that has been educated by all the inspired statements we’ve read this morning. My goal is just to help you understand that you can and should vote and that you are not restricted as a Sabbathkeeper, except as things are laid out for us in the Spirit of Prophecy.

In Selected Messages, book 2, page 337 Sister White writes something interesting in her diary on Sunday, March 6, 1859, “Attended meeting in the eve. Had quite a free, interesting meeting. After it was time to close, the subject of voting was considered and dwelt upon. James first talked, then Brother [J. N.] Andrews talked, and it was thought by them best to give their influence in favor of right and against wrong. They think it right to vote in favor of temperance men being in office in our city instead of by their silence running the risk of having intemperate men put in office. (Notice: James White and J. N. Andrews both felt, based upon the issues where men stood, that they would cast their votes for men who were in line with what they believed to be right) Brother [David] Hewitt tells his experience of a few days [since] and is settled that [it] is right to cast his vote. Brother [Josiah] Hart talks well. Brother [Henry] Lyon opposes. No others object to voting, but Brother [J.P.] Kellogg begins to feel that it is right. Pleasant feelings exist among all the brethren. O that they may all act in the fear of God.” And I would second that sentiment especially during this time of unrest in our Nation.

On the very same day she also wrote the following in her diary, and remember, this was in 1859, which was early on in the Advent movement. She writes, “Men of intemperance have been in the office today in a flattering manner expressing their approbation of the course of the Sabbathkeepers not voting and expressed hopes that they will stick to their course and like the Quakers, not cast their vote. (So up till this time, evidently Sabbathkeepers, like the Quakers, did not cast their vote, but we just read in her previous diary entry that they were beginning to think that they should start doing so) Satan and his evil angels are busy at this time, and he has workers upon the earth. May Satan be disappointed, is my prayer.”

How could Satan be disappointed unless Sabbathkeepers voted for temperance men rather than intemperance men? The point that seems clear here is that it is evil men and Satan who are hoping that God’s people will not vote when it comes to issues of temperance and virtue, and therefore would be a deception of Satan to think that we are doing the right thing by not voting for the right when we have the opportunity.

We read this quote earlier, but I think it bears repeating at this point. “There is a cause for the moral paralysis upon society. Our laws sustain an evil which is sapping their very foundations. Many deplore the wrongs which they know exist, but consider themselves free from all responsibility in the matter. This cannot be. Every individual exerts an influence in society. In our favored land, every voter has some voice in determining what laws shall control the nation. Should not that influence and that vote be cast on the side of temperance and virtue?” Gospel Workers, page 387.

Now you may have noticed that I have not read any verses of Scripture regarding casting our vote, and that’s because the Bible never uses the word, however, the principles of choosing right over wrong are all over in God’s word. Let’s read just a few before we run out of time, but we’ll have to hurry.

Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Rejoicing is much better than mourning, isn’t it? But the righteous won’t be in authority unless people help put them there.

Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” But we have an ever increasing number who want God out of the nation, don’t we? and if that happens our nation will be cursed, not blessed.

2 Chronicles 7:14  “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and  will (do what?) heal their land.”

Exodus 18:21, “Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.” Moses was instructed to choose men who fear God and hate sin to rule over the people, and that same mandate is given to each one of us today.

Deuteronomy 1:13, “Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.” Just before Israel had the opportunity to enter the land of Canaan, the Lord instructed Moses to have the people choose their leaders, that’s what voting is, and those who were known to be good men were to be chosen, but Israel failed as you read the story; will we?

Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” America has been exalted above every other nation on earth because our founding principles are righteous. In many ways our nation has failed to live up to righteousness, but it’s still the last best hope for the world, and we should hope and pray and act if we want to see it preserved a little longer.

Well, I’ve probably kept you long enough, and I hope I have given you something to think about this morning. What I have shared with you today are inspired voting principles, and it seems clear enough that it’s our duty as citizens of the United States of America, or whatever country you may be a citizen of for that matter, if you have the right to vote, to cast your vote on the side of temperance and virtue and liberty and justice and right, and if you are not informed about the issues and the people who promote those issues at election time, then you should become informed so you can vote intelligently, and not be like the silly women in Ellen Whites day we read about.

I believe from what we have read this morning that it’s also clear that we are held accountable for doing nothing to promote the right in a time of crisis, and we are also held accountable if we help people get elected to office when we know they don’t stand for the founding principles of our nation. If we are for temperance and virtue and justice and right and liberty, then are we not on God’s side when we stand for these things and vote for these principles and for the people who promote them?

John Adams, one of our founding fathers and second President wrote: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” You see, the reason why there are so many people today who are trying to tear down our country as founded, is because they don’t want Christ in their lives, plain and simple. This is Satan’s doing, and he’s working on the same principles he had before he was cast out of heaven. When he felt he had enough support to overthrow God’s government, he began his open rebellion. And soon, none know who soon, the devil and his agents will feel that they have enough support to openly push their evil scheme of bringing in a National Sunday Law, and we want to be on the right side of the issues that will soon face the entire world, and we know from other inspired statements that it will begin in America and spread to every other nation on the globe. So it’s of paramount importance that we do what we can to delay that spread as long as we can. Evil is like the Coronavirus and Jesus is the vaccine that will kill it if we allow the Holy Spirit to inject us with His presence; that’s what we so desperately need.

In closing I’d like to read two inspired quotes, both from The Great Controversy; that book the devil did his best to stop by nearly killing its author. The first is on page 197, “One of the noblest testimonies ever uttered for the Reformation was the Protest offered by the Christian princes of Germany at the Diet of Spires in 1529. The courage, faith, and firmness of those men of God gained for succeeding ages (that’s us) liberty of thought and of conscience. Their Protest gave to the reformed church the name of Protestant; its principles are ‘the very essence of Protestantism.’”

And the second is from page 293, “It was the desire for liberty of conscience that inspired the Pilgrims to brave the perils of the long journey across the sea, to endure the hardships and dangers of the wilderness, and with God’s blessing to lay, on the shores of America, the foundation of a mighty nation.”

So you see dear friends, the freedoms we enjoy in America have been a long time coming. Through the reformation and then through the men who came to a new land and framed our Constitution, all of whom pledged their very lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor so we could have civil and religious liberty in this country, and all we have to do is teach people the principles upon which righteousness stands and then vote to preserve it.

When we do this, we would be sacrificing very little comparatively speaking, and yet many Sabbathkeepers are fearful or find it a hard thing to cast their vote in favor of temperance and virtue and justice and liberty and right. As I think about all the sacrifices that have been made so we can live free, it seems to me to be almost criminal not to help preserve it. I don’t know about you, but I’m not looking forward to the experience of those who are going to have to go through the time of trouble that’s coming upon this world, because it’s going to be worse than anything we can even anticipate or imagine, and it wouldn’t be a bad thing to see our constitutional freedoms last a little longer, would it?

Do we want Jesus to come? Of course we do, but at the same time there are many souls perishing out of Christ. And how many would be lost if He were to come today? One of these days the last person is going to be saved and the last person lost for all eternity when human probation closes, and it’s God’s business when that happens, but until then, let’s do what’s right and do what we can to preserve religious freedom in America.

Sermon Notes in pdf  Voting Should We Or Shouldn’t We