ONE NATION, UNDER GOD...

The campaign is finally over. Barack Obama is the 44th president of these United States. My kids think I am some kind of prophet or something. This morning at breakfast they were asking, “What will happen now, Dad? How will things change now?” Well I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet. I don’t even understand economics. I can’t begin to comprehend the complications of our involvement in Iraq. And I can’t imagine the stress that has already replaced the euphoria in the mind and heart of President-elect Obama. So I can’t answer that question.

But if they would have asked, “Daddy, what are YOU going to do now?” I could have answered them.

I’m going to pray for President-elect Obama for the next four years. I think the Bible tells me to honor those who are in authority over me and to pray for them. He will need our prayers. May God grant him amazing wisdom as he appoints a cabinet and prepares to take on the mantle of leadership. May God enable him to unite our country and to reach across the aisle to bring about the kind of change we need. May God give him strength to overcome the temptations that go along with power. And may God draw his heart closer to His own in the days ahead.

I’m going to keep my eyes fixed on the goal that Christ has set for me. I have a mission. New Hope Community Church has a mission. We’ve been called to work to help plant a new church here in lovely Shafter, California. Our calling is to reach many people in our town with the gospel. Our calling is to cross cultural, linguistic, and ethnic barriers and introduce ordinary people to our extraordinary God. Our calling is to love people regardless of their political, economic, or social position. Our calling is to touch people with the love of Jesus Christ. In other words, in spite of all the “change” that has taken place across our country and all the “change” that is anticipated and expected in Washington, D.C., nothing has changed for me as I sit here at my desk early this morning.

What does God expect from his people? He expects us to keep ourselves devoted to the mission! May he grant us grace and strength to persevere. He holds the future in his hands, we don’t. All we can do is that which he brings to our hands today!

ELECTION DAY THOUGHTS

Election Day. The capital letters are intentional because it has become an official holiday in the Moorhead house. Last night my wife was planning the Election Night snack food which is to be eaten as the family sits around the TV to watch the voting returns. The TVs were turned on early this morning to CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC. No matter where you go in the house you can’t miss anything that’s going on around our country today! It’s a big day, not only for our family but for our country. Things will be different tomorrow.

All the news channels were telling us about how crowded the polls were this morning. My experience tells me that the best time to vote is late morning. The early birds are all finished voting. I didn’t want to spend too much time standing in line at my polling place. So I left to vote at 10:00. I was home by 10:15! I was the only person voting. As I was leaving I saw someone drive into the parking lot but I was the only one there the entire time I voted!

Anyway, that’s not really why I’m here this morning. And I’m not here to tell you how I voted. Let me just say this: When the campaign started over a year ago I was really impressed with Obama. As the campaign progressed the gleam started to fade. Down the stretch, I became very concerned. It wasn’t the way he campaigned. I don’t like the way modern politicians campaign at all. In fact, the way they do it is practically a waste of time. You can listen to what they say if you want to but you have to look way beyond their words if you want to find anything that will help you decide how to vote. My problems with Obama had more to do with the people who are supporting him and the people with whom he has associated over his way-too-brief political career. And, I don’t think he has been completely straightforward about a number of things.

But even that’s not why I’m here. What has really been bothering me has been the way so many of my professing brothers and sisters in Christ have demonized Obama. I have been disheartened by the angry, threatening, apocalyptic emails I have received over the last couple of months. I am saddened to hear people talking as if this whole election has somehow gotten out from under the control of God! So many people are acting as if they have no faith in God at all!

Please! God is in control of this election! The man who finds himself victorious this evening is the man God has chosen to lead this country! What is going on in our country cannot be blamed on any one man or any one political party. We, the church, need to wake up and look for God’s hand at work in our country. I think we are about to be offered the privilege of standing up for our faith in a way that no American Christians have ever been allowed to do. The opportunities for ministry are about to increase a hundredfold! If our country is in trouble, and it is, we need to realize that the answer is not in the voting booth. The answer is the same as it has always been. Our only hope is in Christ Jesus!

Our president will change. He may offer change. But our message never changes no matter what the moral or financial atmosphere of our country is. We’re on a mission here. Let’s prepare ourselves to stick to it!