Post-Election Thoughts

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I hope you will as well.

There are many thoughts and much discussion going on around our nation with the election of President Elect Obama. Our nation in many ways is divided as shown by the millions of votes that both McCain and Obama received. For some, there is a lot of uncertainty in the future. For the Christian, we can trust that our God will walk with us and lead us through any difficult time that we may face. My assistant pastor, Bill Harness, said something to me this past Wednesday. He said, "Whoever sits in the White House does not affect Who sits on the Throne!" Isn't that great? And very true?

I was reading different articles and blogs today, just checking out different opinions from around the nation. I can across a blog that I would like to share with you. Dave Burchett is an Emmy Award winning television sports director, author, and Christian speaker, and he shared the following on election day:

No matter who wins I am making a commitment today. I am going to pray for the leaders that are chosen. I may not agree with the choice. But I learned a valuable lesson earlier in my journey with Jesus. When President Bill Clinton was elected in 1992 I was extremely unhappy.

I did not pray for Bill Clinton during most of his Presidency. I did not respect him as the authority my sovereign God allowed to be in power. I said ugly things about him. In short, I sinned in my spirit and with my speech. During that time I put my trust in politics and not in God. I will not make that mistake again. I have matured in my faith since then. I am more aware of who I am in Christ and that my trust is in God and not in government. That does not mean I will be apathetic.

I will be engaged as a proud citizen of the United States. Trust me. But I must never forget as I too often did during the Clinton years that I have a dual citizenship. I will do all that I can to serve both my earthly and my eventual heavenly home. That is why the Scripture I "happened" upon today was so timely. So I give my space to a guy named Paul writing to a young man named Timothy. See if this feels timely on the day after a contentious election two-thousand years later:

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God.(1 Timothy 2:1-8 The Message)

I started today during my daily walk with dog friend Hannah. Praying every way I know how for our rulers and our government. I will be prepared to make my voice heard as a citizen of the United States when I disagree with those leaders. I will boldly speak truth wrapped in grace. But at the end of the day I hope I never forget the following charge.

This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth…what I want mostly is for (me) to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God.

I failed once to get this right. I am seeking the power of the Holy Spirit to get it right this time around.

What powerful words. I believe that Dave Burchett has it right. As we Christians, we need to hold our new President and his Cabinet up in prayer It is the way our Savior wants us to live! Blessings.

Pastor Rusty