I read an article yesterday that predicted that half the nation would be disappointed by the election. There's probably a lot of truth to that today. (Our church has both fully-committed Democrats & Republicans.)
But regardless of who you voted for, IF you are a Christ-follower & IF you believe the Bible, here's what you KNOW…and the results ought to EXCITE you!
1. God put Obama in charge…just like He put Bush in charge…& Clinton…& Reagan (Romans 13:1)! GOD HIMSELF puts people in positions of power…"appoints" them in fact. That's what the Bible says & it's awesome!
2. God wants you to honor Obama…just like He wanted you to honor Bush…& Clinton…& Reagan (1 Peter 2:17). That means, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with a President's policies (and we NEED to "speak the truth in love" on things), a Christ-follower HONORS the President!
3. God wants you to pray for Obama…just like He wanted you to pray for Bush…& Clinton…& Reagan (1 Timothy 2:1-4). This is one of the hardest jobs in the world. The responsibility is huge & the pressure is relentless. He desperately NEEDS your prayers!
On a final note, I am excited today for African-Americans everywhere. As a white, suburban male, I have not experienced the widespread racial fears & prejudices & injustices they have. And I'm not so foolish to believe the sweeping statements I heard from the media last night, like "We now have a colorless society." (Galatians 3:28 says that cannot happen until Jesus is Lord of EVERY heart.) But I am PSYCHED for African-Americans everywhere and rejoice with them at this historic moment!!!
Great post!
Awesome post! I am so happy to hear people with that message. I am a Christian Obama supporter, and I will be praying FOR both him and McCain, not against them. Bless and not curse!
Thanks Tim!!! Pat and I have been struggling with how to process this years election, and this certainly helps us…
We certainly struggle with the abortion and same sex issues, and not necessarily the person…
We know God is in control and His Will has to be the foremost important factor in all of this… As a nation, we must remain strong and together, and with post like yours, I see no reason why anyone would want anything differently…
Great post, Tim. Like you said, I don’t think those of us who didn’t experience the hate firsthand can fully comprehend what this means to so many people who never thought they would ever see this in their lifetime. I sat with chills as I watched tears streaming down their faces. Amazing.
Tim, Maybe this is a question for Q&A Bible Study night, but reading the verses that you’ve listed above, did God put Stalin, Saddam Hussein, Castro, and Hitler in charge? And if I lived in the country where any of those men were leaders, would God want me to honor them? I’m HONESTLY asking these questions, not trying to be contentious OR trying to compare Obama to those leaders. Just wanting to properly interpret the verses. Can you help?
Great question, Ashley!
Let’s build up a little bit of a foundation (& double-check the verses on me!)…
God gives kingdoms to whoever he chooses (Daniel 4:25).
God puts down one leader & exalts another (Psalm 75:6-7).
Sometimes, God puts the “basest” of people in leadership roles (Daniel 4:17).
A great example of this is Pharoah [who is a wicked leader] that God exalts because He wants to show His power in bringing him down (Exodus 9:16-17).
Another example is God raising up Cyrus for His purposes (allowing Israel to rebuild their temple), even though Cyrus doesn’t even know the true God (Isaiah 44:28-45:6).
A final example is that God inspired the command “Honor the king” through Peter (i.e. in 1 Peter 2:17). So, who was king at the time? Nero! This is the emperor who was so wicked that he crucified & burned a multitude of Christians to light a road by night. But that’s the SAME guy God told Peter to “honor.”
Based on this study, therefore, “honoring” a leader does NOT mean you agree with them, or even obey them if they command you to break God’s law… it simply means you treat them with honor & respect for the POSITION they hold (regardless of whether you agree with them as individuals).
Does that help, Ashley?
I have a hard time believing God put Obama in charge…
Was what happened Tuesday God’s will? I am quite confident it was not. America was offered a very clear choice between moving further toward protecting the unborn or further away; between a Supreme Court that would move toward honoring God, life and morality or away from it. The stakes couldn’t have been higher nor the cost greater. As a nation we put on blinders concerning Barak Obama’s background, associations, beliefs and practices, and set these causes back years, possibly decades.
And in doing so we took another step away from God and His plans for America, and another step toward judgment.
If God doesn’t allow the appointment of bad leaders, how shall his profecy of the anti-Christ be fullfilled?
Tim-
Read the verses that you refer to, and do believe that God uses ANYONE HE PLEASES to carry out His plans. I can definitely honor the position of the presidency, be proud of my country that a minority can be elected President, and pray that Obama seeks God’s will with all of his heart. But I find it very hard to be excited about someone who has no regard for human life and simply does not understand that our Constitution was written to cage in government, not to unleash it on citizens.
Vicki-
The discussion was not about God ALLOWING the appointment of bad leaders, it was about God actually doing the appointing. Good discussion, guys.
I love this discussion too!
It seems that the topic has led us to the SAME theological discussion that Israel was having in the book of Habakkuk.
The debate was this: “How could a righteous God, even IF he knew that HIS people (Israel) were not righteous, how could He be a part of allowing/ordaining a WORSE people (the Babylonians) to exert influence over His people? SURELY a righteous God would NEVER be a part of that!!!”
But read the book of Habakkuk!
In Chapter 1, God tells Habakkuk He was “working a work…which you would not believe” in bringing the Babylonians to power.
In Chapter 2, Habakkuk is stunned to hear that God’s people who do injustice, receive back EXACTLY what they did to others (the law of sowing & reaping).
In Chapter 3, all Habakkuk can do is be “afraid” of God’s power & wisdom, then “rejoice” in God’s salvation & strength.