In the days of Elijah, Ahab was king of Israel. Ahab's reign was so wicked Scripture records that "he did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him." (1 Kings 16:33). Amidst the idolatry of Ahab, Elijah went up to Mount Carmel and asked the people of Israel: "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21). That day the Lord answered Elijah with fire from heaven and reminded the people that the idols of Ahab and Jezebel were powerless. Although today we are not governed by monarchy, our leaders do not erect Asherah poles or altars to Baal, nor do we sacrifice burnt offerings, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi are not King Ahab or Jezebel -- and neither are Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, or Mitch McConnell Elijah -- Elijah's question to the people of Israel is one to ponder for our time: who do we follow, the idols of the age, or the Lord?
While Israel delt with famine and drought in the reign of Ahab, America today is hurting with soaring gas prices, national labor shortages, attempts to divide Americans by race through Marxist grievance politics in our classrooms, military, in corporate America; a porous southern border, rise in violent crimes in our nation's largest cities, federal funding of abortion providers, the erosion of religious freedom, attempts to derail and smear state-level audits of the 2020 election, millions of Americans wonder how our great nation has slid so far into darkness so fast.
Much of the blame for our nation's current predicament lies at the feet of politicians who have not abided by our nation's Constitution or listened to the voice of the voters who sent them to Congress. With razor-thin margins in Congress, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have often had to rely on moderate or liberal Republican members of Congress to advance the pro-abortion agenda of the abortion lobby and woke capital -- and in Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski they have often found an ally.
Earlier this year Senator Murkowski voted against an amendment to the American Rescue Plan Act by Senator Rand Paul that would have prevented Planned Parenthood from receiving federal loans as part of the Paycheck Protection Program, and another amendment which would have prevented aborted fetal remains from being used in research. These votes fly directly in the face of a clear majority of voters who, according to a recent poll, oppose using taxpayer funding to pay for abortion (55 percent) and oppose the use of aborted fetal tissue for research (57 percent). Not to mention Senator Murkowski's vote this year against an amendment to restrict federal funds for states that allow biological males to compete against females in sporting events, and to confirm Biden HHS nominee Rachel Levine, who has advocated for minors to have access to gender transition procedures and drugs.
To date, Murkowski has earned a paltry 73 percent on the FRCA scorecard in the current Congress, which is somehow an improvement over her other scores in recent years of zero percent (2019), 50 percent (2018), 50 percent (2017), 60 percent (2015), and 46 percent (2013). As voters begin to review the records of the elected representatives ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, it is precisely these social and cultural issues that will define the primaries -- a development that does not portend favorably for Murkowski.
It should come as no surprise then that not only has Murkowski drawn a credible challenger in her 2022 primary race in former Commissioner for Administration of Alaska Kelly Tshibaka, but also the Alaska GOP recently endorsed Tshibaka over Murkowski by greater than a 3 to 1 margin (58-17). The move by the state party to ditch neutrality and endorse a challenger to an incumbent senator is no small development. And, in fact, is as clear of a signal as we have seen so far that the grassroots momentum building is directly set against our nation's political establishment. A political establishment that readily uses the hard-earned dollars of taxpayers to fund abortion at home and abroad, harm women's sports, allow abortion providers to transfer fetal remains for profit, endanger children with harmful, irreversible, and invasive gender transition procedures and drugs, reinstitute race-based division in our major institutions including schools and the military, and more.
As followers of Jesus, we know our nation is no less susceptible to idolatry than any other nation on earth. We also understand the only way our nation will live up to its founding ideals is if we turn back to the Lord in repentance and make His ways our ways. With the midterm elections coming up, millions of American voters will look for leaders to stop our nation from backsliding, and reorient our nation toward the truth. Swing voters across the country will have the final say in who controls congress, and before swing voters can make these important decisions, incumbents and challengers will face-off in primary contests to show the voters of their states and districts who can provide the best contrast to the Orwellian government in Washington, D.C.
If recent developments in Alaska are any indicator -- and we have reason to believe they are -- incumbents who have ignored the boundaries of the Constitution and the will of the voters, who have voted with the pro-abortion, pro-LGBT, woke agenda, are in for a rude awakening come primary season.
Only the Lord knows whether He sits enthroned on our hearts, or whether the idols of self and power rule in us -- I do not pretend to know what motivates Senator Murkowski. One thing is clear however, she has earned the icy reception she has received by the Alaska GOP due to her voting record alone. Just as Elijah pleaded with the people of Israel to make a choice, follow the Lord, or follow Baal, let us pray the voters of this country examine the records of who they have sent to be their voice in Washington, D.C., and choose candidates who stand boldly for truth. Let us hope the icy reception of incumbents who have missed the mark in representing their voters will give way to a type of fire from heaven -- fire from heaven to speak the truth boldly in love and stand for righteousness.
