This is America: God’s Own Country.

O LORD, Our God, Let Your Kingdom Come Now: For the whole World Lies in Wickedness!

The above is the heartfelt cry of a Christian, call him a naive, legal immigrant in the United States.

This writer came to Christ through the enterprise of an American mission in Africa. Like many in my generation, I grew up looking up to the United States as my model of a Christian nation — beckoning and open to all comers. We were made to hold up America as God’s Own Country. For us, America is great because it was built on a Christian foundation. So, our goal was to live in America.

Sure the U.S. remains a leader in technology, wealth generation, and military prowess. The largest world economy is home to the richest man on Earth.

I have my highest regard for men and women in churches across the country, who are committed to preaching the Word untainted and undiluted regardless of distractions and temptations to do the opposite.

However, American leadership in evangelizing the world has been hijacked by celebrity big names whose emphasis has shifted from the Kingdom of Heaven to the Kingdom of this world. They have invaded the nascent Churches in Africa, and my country, Nigeria with their health and wealth Gospel messaging, with disastrous consequences for our youth and society. The present generation of Nigerian Christians equates Christianity with the American celebrity brand - aggressively pursuing prosperity and wealth. They see pastors, ministry founders, and apostles flying private jets, living in multi-million dollar estates, and driving exotic cars.

The youths do not see missionaries denying themselves and carrying their crosses to follow Jesus while catering to the poor and needy in the deserts and jungles of their world. They see churches collecting tithes and raising capital to invest in founding superfluous universities; they do not see orphanages and shelters being built for the homeless — internally displaced persons — in a country where victims of terrorist attacks, Boko haram, and insurgents are scattered in camps across the northern part of the country.

It is pathetic that ministry/church leaders take pride in comparing themselves with politicians, celebrity musicians, and scammers. They say, if they do it, we can do it too!

So, we are using this medium to express our concerns and call out our Christian brothers and sisters to wake up to our calling as light amid the darkness of greed, and impending political fray that threaten to consume our nations. Collectively we have abandoned our calling and responsibilities as God’s Oracle; We have adopted the cliche, “If you cannot beat them, join them.”

But whereas we can manipulate and deceive our gullible compatriots with conspiracy theories, remember that we are dealing with the One in whom there’s no shadow of turning.

America is currently in another of its election cycles. Election periods are always exciting times bringing to light, the best and worst of human nature. It is remarkable that at every election, we are called to vote Bible, even though the Bible is never on the ballot. The impression is created that a particular political party reflects Bible principles. Voting for its candidate ensures executive and legislative actions that promote Christian values, and advance the gospel.

What has become obvious, however, is that politicians - men and women of doubtful characters have taken over the party and are hiding under the banner of evangelicals to perpetuate actions and behaviors that are opposed to the teachings of Jesus, our Lord.

The African world, especially Christians, who have swallowed, hook, line, and sinker the myth of American invincibility in almost all areas of human endeavor, mission work inclusive, are beginning to see that the Americans, after all, are humans like other mortals. Indeed, the emergence of a MAGA phenomenon has further taken off the wools from the eye of the world as to the character of actors parading as Christian nationalists and the kind of society they plan to create in America.

Group/Class Interests, and Electioneering.

Though the election of American President is done at the interval of four years, politicking and preparations for the next election, begin almost immediately after the elected president takes the oath of office. The politic of voter map gerrymandering and the electoral college system, unique to the United States, has continued to undermine democratic norms allowing the majority of the citizenry to determine who occupies the Oval Office. Thus, behind-the-scene power manipulations, fueled by class and group interests have over the century, determined the results of elections in the United States.

Despite its reputation as a leader of world democracies, certain undemocratic mechanisms, engendered by realpolitik are embedded in the ethos of the American system. They are such that a newcomer/student of the American system of checks and balances, is taken aback by the volume of misinformation if downright conspiracy theories being churned out in the media, encouraged by a section of the so-called evangelicals.

Let’s get it right; The Bible, God’s word, remains the road map for Christians and the Church of Christ.

What can we learn from the Scripture, first, about our calling, and secondly, about Christian involvement in active politics? Jesus is the Lord and Master of the believer. As Lord, He expects believers to follow His steps and obey His commands on all matters of life and godliness. Jesus was confronted with making an existential choice at the beginning of His earthly ministry. After fasting for 40 days preparatory to launching His ministry, He was confronted by Satan, described by Paul as “the god of this age (who) has blinded the minds of unbelievers…” (II Corinthians 4:4).

As ‘god’ of this world, the devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word of God.” Taking Jesus up into a high mountain, Satan showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and said to Him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only” (Luke 4:3-6).

“It is written.” Are you familiar with the written Word?

Satan said he has ownership and control over the systems of this world because “it has been given” to him, and he can give it to those who worship him. Satan exercises power and control only to the extent he is permitted by God. He has no power and control over a true believer because God, the believer’s Father will not allow him. The one who can allow him besides, is the believer himself or herself.

We can recall that on trial before His crucifixion Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world…” (John 18:36). John, the apostle deposed in 1 John 5:19 that “the whole world lies in wickedness” — underscoring the urgency of obeying Christ’s command for us to pray that God’s kingdom would come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mattew 6:10, 33).

Working and praying to actualize Christ’s rule on the Earth, beginning with His rule in our hearts, is the primary mandate of the church and all believers.