I have kept an eye on what people are saying in my circles about Obama’s re-election. Things don’t look too good there. Fear, anger, frustration, and hopelessness are filling the thoughts of those of us who are supposed to have the most hope. There are few times when the sin of idolatry is revealed more clearly than after a Presidential election. One person I know says they are taking off a week of work to recover. Another says they are leaving the country. Yet another says this is the downfall of America. It is the end. The downfall of America? The end? Really?
It is hard for me to get too upset about these elections. Sure, there are implications. These implications extend to my family and my job. They make me look at the people in my country and think, “Really, is this who we are now? Is this what it has come down to?” Were I to place the full weight of my body (which is getting lighter every day!) on the chair of human achievement, I suppose I would feel less secure today than I did yesterday. But I don’t and I can’t. In fact, I found myself rejoicing once the results came in.
Obama is our president for the next four years. How bad is that? I suppose I could talk about all the issues involved, both economic and moral. I suppose I could talk about how much worse it is now going to get. I suppose that I could get ready for the bleakest outcome: increased unemployment, higher taxes, lower pay, fewer donations to Credo House, waiting in line for health care, homosexual marriage, increased toleration of the death of the unborn, decreased toleration of Christianity, and a thousand other things. But this would demonstrate a lack of perspective. Whether the winner had been Obama or Romney, I still pause and take account of this fact: I live in the most secure, free, and moral country that has probably ever existed. And we are a long way from giving up this title. Are we heading toward a “fall”? Maybe, but we are still a long way from the cliff. In fact, it is not even in sight yet.
But let us say for the sake of argument that Obama is the president who will lead the charge off the cliff. Let us say that America is heading for disaster. Let us say that in ten years our teeth will be on edge due to the sour grapes Obama is handing out. Let us say that Obama will be the cause for an imminent loss of security, freedom, and morality. What then? If we knew this without a doubt, what then? Is it then time to despair? Is it then time for us to tear our cloaks, shave our heads, and go into mourning? How could it be?
My favorite theologian and philosopher, Bono, once said in a song about Christ’s death, “I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword. I threw the dice and they pierced his side. But I have seen love conquer the great divide” (“When Love Comes to Town”). The worst event in the history of the world was when we hung our Creator on a tree and let him die. We all went to the polling booth and said, “We will not have this man to rule over us.” We voted against the very incarnation of goodness, righteousness, and truth. We held the scabbard of the soldier’s sword as he killed our savior. Yet, while this was the worst event in the history of humanity, it was also the best. While it was the day for the greatest mourning in the history of the world, it was also the day for the greatest rejoicing in the history of the world. While angels gawked at the arrogance of man, they gawked more at the love of God. God drew the sword on himself that day. He was in charge. I held the scabbard as the King of Kings was ousted from office. Yet God’s plan was that through evil, greatness might be revealed. Have we not learned? Do we crowd in front of the cross with hopeless despair, or with great anticipation and excitement of what God is doing?
We all stand in front of the cross on election day, not knowing what God’s plan is. Will righteousness be delivered or killed? Will evil triumph or be smothered? Will we begin to heal or continue to be beaten? Who knows? But what we don’t have the right to do is keep from rejoicing in the expectation that our Father is going about his business and he has something in mind.
Obama has been reelected. Please don’t come down too hard on me as I rejoice. My kids and I got down on our knees tonight and prayed that Romney would win. He did not. Yet in a very real way, I am excited. No, I don’t agree with Obama, his policies, his plans, or his dreams. Yet I have this really awesome Father who does incredible things like kill his own Son. I have this Father who knows what he is doing and is in complete control. I have this Father who elected Barack Obama as his man and you are not going to believe what comes next. Yes, it looks bad. Yes, there are a lot of people in this crowd crying. Yes, they are without hope. But let me tell you about the way he works. It is too cool.
I am in the crowd tonight listening. Dashed dreams and hopelessness are topics of conversation. But I can’t join in. I know the Guy in charge of all this. And because I know his M.O., I will hold the scabbard with great anticipation and joy. God’s will has been done tonight and I can’t wait to see what he does next. Don’t fault me for rejoicing in the unexpected and unwanted. I can’t help it. This is Christianity 101.
“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” –Titus 3:1-2
Pray for my president that God elected tonight. I commit to loving and encouraging him. I will speak no ill of him. He is the man God elected and my arms are laid down. There is no authority except from God and who am I to refuse to hold the scabbard of God’s mission? Selah.
65 replies to "On God's Election of Obama"
@Saskia for #40:
I am not extremely upset about Obamacare (PPACA). Just very disappointed. Here are some reasons why:
1. Obama claimed that the PPACA will reduce costs in the long run. It is blatantly wrong. Even the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says it will cost $1.76 TRILLION over a decade. I do not like how PPACA was promoted to the public as “cost saving”. It insults our intelligence essentially. How can coverage of more people cost less??
2. In a time when the federal debt is increasing and when it is almost impossible to get Congress to cut spending, why use all of your political capital on something that will INCREASE spending AND add to the debt? On the good side, it shows that Obama really does care about the poor since he is willing to spend all his political capital on this. However, it also shows his lack of wisdom and fundamental lack of understanding of how serious the federal debt issue is. He had the chance to show leadership by solving the debt crisis, but instead, he goes ahead and make the crisis WORSE.
3. Healthcare costs are rising at 7%, more than 3 times the normal inflation rate. PPACA will worsen this. Expect your premiums and copays to rise significantly in the coming decade.
4. The PPACA is almost 1000 pages in length. Have you read it? I have read parts of it. It is so full of hidden privileges for special interest groups that TWO AND HALF years since it was passed, legal experts are STILL finding out surprises that will increase healthcare costs. Companies are hiring TEAMS of legal experts just to read the bill. While waiting for these experts to figure out what the bill says, companies are forced to hold off on hiring. Unemployment rate is already bad enough.
Hey Gold,
Thanks for your reply. I haven’t read it, which is partly why I was asking!
My personal opinion is that when there is a national debt health should be one of the last things to go. If Australia didn’t have a great public health care system I would be in so much strife whenever I needed the doctor. It’s expensive.
But once again, thank you for answering. I don’t live there so I can’t exactly make a judgement on what is good or bad for America. My experience in Australia may not apply there.
Saskia
God will judge/punish/allow calamity when He needs to. He prefers that nations repent instead. The world is further trending away from God with the passage of time. They sneer at the Bible from the very first verse. They don’t acknowlege Him as the creator so “who is he to tell us what to do?”. Let’s rejoice that He is in ultimate control, but let us not deceive ourselves thinking that Obama is God’s choice because he is the more righteous or the “more Christian”. God has given America what America wants and deserves(Obama). All great empires end. Financial collapse is certain. Don’t bury your head in the sand thinking that your empire is unbreakable, like so many have in world history. Hosea and Jeremiah were ignored and persecuted when they tried to warn the people but Israel’s Northern and Southern kingdom were still destroyed. Prepare yourself and your loved ones. Turn back to the Lord.
Personally right now I feel like a liar for ever telling people that God was good because a good God would not have chosen Barack Hussein Obama (almost sounds like Osama) as our President. My faith is in pieces and I’m about to throw those pieces away. I feel nothing but hatred and contempt for anyone who voted for him. I will never pray for him because that would involve in talking to the God who sold us out..clearly God hates America and he’s trying to destroy us all. I don’t talk to people who want to see everything I care about destroyed. So no praying of any kind will be occuring anytime soon. Sorry but there’s nothing good that will come out of this election..in fact only thing left to do now is to wonder when Obama’s gonna send the goons to round us up to kill us all.
Hey Jonathon,
I would entreat you not to give up on your faith just because of an election. Think of all those courageous witnesses who endured the political system of their time in Rome, who still do endure in places like China, Yemen and Afghanistan. They trusted God not because of the ephemeral political structures of their day, but because of Jesus Christ crucified, because they knew that Christ had suffered for and with them.
Remember that this world is not our true home. Our citizenship is in heaven and our true allegiance is to that heavenly kingdom where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us.
Remember too the struggles of Job, who faced destruction of all he owned, all he loved, even attacks on his own body – everything short of death itself – and he kept on trusting in God. God eventually rewarded him for that trust.
Trust that “all things work together for the good of those who love God”. Even if America and you personally are going through a hard time right now, God CAN and WILL use it to make you more like His son Jesus, so that at length you may claim a heavenly crown.
Although I may disagree with your assessment of the political situation, you are my brother in Jesus, and I urge you not to throw away that faith which he has given you. God is good, and He is mighty. The heavens and the earth can fit in the palm of his hand. All things that are in heaven or on the earth or under the earth are His.
Do not be discouraged, but pray that God will give you hope and peace; continue striving after Him and persevere.
Many blessings,
Saskia
Chaplet of Divine Mercy Anyone??
‘Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us
and on the whole world’……
To Who It May Concern,
It saddens me to read most of the blog posts’ negative comments about being or becoming rebellious towards the POTUS. I believe it is more racial than religious. Other than the social issues he supports, what has he done ill-will to the country? I’m a God-fearing Christian and I truly believe President Obama was elected because God willed it so. Let me remind you that the president is a constitutuion scholar; he is a rights enforcer. We live in a democracy–not a theocracy (although I prefer living in a theocray). And before closing, let me say that America has always been a secular country, despite its constitution being written from spiritual inspiration. So all this talk about old values and what used to be, frankly, I don’t want to go back to the days when America was an exclusionary country. And I wish you guys would stop sounding like gloom casters. God is in control. God has inspired the world with the reelection of Obama. Just look and listen to all the people from around the world. As American Christians, please stop the racial hate and embrace our gifted leader with love and respect. Thank you very much.
“I’m a God-fearing Christian and I truly believe President Obama was elected because God willed it so.”
Dear Peter,
You are right that Obama is President because God willed it, but I fear not for the reason’s you believe. America is already experiencing God’s divine judgement for turning its collective back on Him. The re-election of Obama and the disturbing worship of the man which you exhibit (the world is “inspired”?) is just the strong delusion that is spoken of by Paul in Thessalonians.
And it is beyond offensive that your blind worship of this man leads you to play the race card. Pathetic really. Obama is the most radical pro-infanticide supporter that has ever occupied the Oval Office. He doesn’t even say that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare anymore. And of course there is his support of gay “marriage” (an oxymoron), which as an alleged God-fearing Christian, you must know that God finds an abomination. These are just a couple reasons (among many) that cause great consternation amongst those of us who take God’s word at face value regarding Obama’s policies.
If anything Obama is Satan. Godly people do not lie and make up stories. They accept responsibility and explain. Why is there so much sin in his inner circle? Secret service and prostitiutes? Bengazi lies? Patreaus? Yet, he didn’t know a thing about any of these incidents? You people can believe what you want. I believe that if God put him there, it wasn’t because Obama is a good person. It was to usher in his plan. Lets face it, the world needs to be reborn. There’s way too much envy, greed, corruption, sloth, you name it!
Dear Peter,
Your comments are racist and hateful to the core. Christians despise the President because of his Marxist ideology and because he is the most corrupt President in U.S. history. It has nothing to do with his skin color and you know it. I don’t believe you are really a Christian and futhermore I believe you have literally been brain-washed by the mainstream media. Turn it off Peter and start reading your Bible. You have been deceived and you are in need of constant prayer. This President’s administration is infested with God-less sodomites who will replace our free-market economy with a centrally planned socialist economny. We will lose many of our liberties over the next four years and you are too blind to see it. In the course of all of human history, nothing is more rare than freedom. God loves freedom Peter, it’s why He has blessed this nation for so long. Freedom allows His people to choose His path, or the path of evil. You are on the wrong path Peter. I will pray for you and your family daily that He will free you from this un-Godly curse.
Wow, just wow! People who can’t see through their hatred of one man to allow the sunshine of God’s love to penetrate are truly in need of prayers.
Just to put this is context: Christ lived in a country occupied by a foreign power known for its brutal suppression. If that was not enough, the local religious authorities seem to have been just as bad.
Yet, in the Gospels were are instructed to respect authority and give them their due. Does that mean we cannot criticize leaders? Certainly not. But the despair and barely concealed contempt that abounds (not just here) goes way beyond criticism.
It is not beyond the power of God’s love to bring to salvation the very objects of this contempt, while the contemptuous find themselves standing outside the feast with their empty lamps. We should all take heed to our souls.
….brood of vipers…..whitewashed tombs……Jesus called it like he saw it.
I would welcome and love to see a change of heart from Obama. In the meantime, I will follow Jesus’ example and call evil evil.
Marvin,
Greed I take it as the “love of money”. The wanting more and more of it without regard how you get it as long as you have more. If you want money and gain it through exploiting others is simply greed, you just don’t care how you get it. The “distributing” of most rich people are just tax deductions , which makes them even more of it. In my opinion if you cal yourself a Christian you need to be careful about how you administer that money. After all, what did Jesus tell the rich young man? “Go give it to the poor”. So if from our own saviors lips there is virtue in helping (notice Jesus didn’t specify who was the poor and how we should give it) in the “go and give your wealth to the poor”, why would we align ourselves with the one party that caters to the rich and I mean everything they do is going to hep the rich in the not giving it to the poor. The examples are just too many: They say we need less taxes so we employ more Americans, yet they take their manufactories to foreign lands because labor is cheaper! And this is important: When did it become a loss for anyone the fact that they are not making more than their competitor? See the greed? I mean you have to be blind not to see it.
And sorry I am not saying you don’t want to help, because as Christians you should, it comes with the territory. What I am criticizing is the fact that you have been brainwashed to thing just because a party brings up two issues and a cpiple of verses they are “more Christians” or align more with Christian values that the one which has more of a record in helping the poor. Appearanty the rich man had more evil in him than the harlot because at least she believed. DOn’t be blind by prosperity and our lifestyle, the rich has a harsh, harden heart when it comes to help the poor. They look down on everyone and blade the victim for being in a tough life.
Working 30 years in public service made me see the reality of their policies. Like the example with the power…
Tiopapo,
Your rambling screed is simply full of caricatures and straw men about the Republican party, not to mention that you didn’t really address my initial questions. Though you did demonstrate your arrogance again, in spades this time. So I am brainwashed because the Republican party believes in traditional Judeo-Christian values regarding the sanctity of life and traditional marriage?
Let me ask you this, the left’s “war on poverty” began back in the 60’s with Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” initiatives (Medicare, Medicaid, welfare, etc). Tell me, just how has the left’s method of dealing with the problem of poverty succeeded in actually reducing poverty? Don’t bother answering. Given that a staggering 50 million American’s currently live in poverty tells me that as much as your side claims to want to help the poor, your methods of doing so do not work, at all.
At the end of the day, I can make arguments that free market solutions (which is what the Republican party actually stand for, not your silly caricatures) are the most effective way to deal with the problem of poverty. And I do not have to ignore emphatic statements in scripture to support them. You on the other hand have to casually dismiss the embracing of homosexuality (an abomination to the Lord) and the wholesale infanticide of unwanted babies for the sake of convenience in order to lend your support to a party that does NOT want to even acknowledge that we are one nation under God as a part of it’s official party platform.
Oh but that is all good because, well you know, helping the poor and all that.