The REAL Steve Holt

31 “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

The end is the key. A Rock cut out "not by human hands" crushes the statue and becomes a mountain that fills the whole earth. In summary: The different layers of the statue are the various kingdoms of man. The Rock cut out "not by human hands" is a little infant born in a manger, and the mountain that fills the earth is a New Kingdom… one that is unstoppable and rules not by power, but by love. This New Kingdom is to be ushered in by the Bride of Christ.

On this day of turmoil and vitriol after the election, I am so reminded of this passage, and its significance. Friends, God did not choose the nations of man to bring about his Kingdom. He chose the Church [the bride of Christ!]. He did not choose the rulers of the day: not Rome, not Babylon, not Persia, not England, not Israel, not America… he chose the Church.

If you're excited because your guy won and you think his social programs are the solution, shame on you. If you're furious because your guy lost and you think his anti-abortion stance is the solution, shame on you.

If God wanted Government to care for "the least of these", he would have sent His Spirit on Casesar, not Peter and Paul.

What's the point? In short: Do Something. Quit talking. Your rhetoric is not helpful. Your sensationalism does not bring about the New Kingdom. Your bitter jabs are not Christlike. If Paul showed up and hung out in this community for a few weeks and then left us with a letter to help us move forward, it would make Galatians and Corinthians seem mild. Ask yourself some simple questions: "Am I being helpful." "Am I being Christlike". "Am I living proof, or just typing rhetoric?"

If you're angry about people who are "depending on others to bail them out", do something about it. My suggestion: go volunteer at a brand new organization in Cincinnati called CityLink a center that is seeking to help move the working poor away from poverty and towards family self sufficiency. Go here: http://citylinkcenter.org/

If you're frustrated by the lack of "family values", go find a single mom with multiple children. Build a relationship with the family. Mentor the children. Especially if you are a man and she has a boy. Your influence will change his life... he'll be exponentially more likely to grow up and start a values based family.

If you're waiting on the government to provide social services to the poor in your community, stop waiting and put your time, money, and energy where your keyboard is. My suggestion: Go volunteer at Reach Out Lakota… a great organization that provides; food, clothing, and essentials to families who cannot provide such things for themselves. The Holiday season is upon us, this is ROL's biggest season of need. Go here: http://reachoutlakota.org/

If you have a righteous anger burning in you about 1,000 + abortions happening per day in the USA, stop posting crazy fetus pictures and calling people baby killers. My Suggestions: Find or start a ministry that is passionate about helping young pregnant women make good choices. Adopt a child… IF ABORTION STOPPED TODAY, WHO WOULD CARE FOR THOSE 1,000+ CHILDREN? Financially support a ministry like the Zoe Adoption Foundation which seeks to make adoptions affordable and less complicated for families who are seeking to bring an unwanted child into their home. Go Here: http://thezoefoundation.com/

If you're a pastor or church leader, and you keep posting proof texts and witty proverbs about unity, stop it… it sounds canned and insincere. Invite the black pastor from across town to preach at your church. Start a ministry that transports poor, dirty, racially different kids in from the trailer park that is a few minutes from your church.

There was a stone carved not by human hands. His name is Jesus. If you claim to follow Him, challenge yourself and those around you to rise above the political fray. Imagine the difference you can make the next four years if you stop waiting for other's to "do their job" and start fulfilling the two great commandments that Jesus simplifies for us in Matthew 22: "Love God, Love Others".

To quote so many of you today: Get to work.

(I'm Luke Dooley, and I approve this message. Mostly because I need to absorb and put into action every single word in my own life.)

P.S. Thanks to Curtis Woody Adkins for getting me excited about the book of Daniel so many years ago at Warner Royal.