Disappointment. Disbelief. Disgust.
These are a sample of what many are feeling after President Barack Hussein Obama won the necessary 270 (and more) electoral votes to give him another 4 years in the White House.
To all those who saw the film “2016: Obama’s America”, this must be a nightmare.
It was a clear victory against opponent, Mitt Romney – the choice of many conservative evangelical Christians.
But it was not to be.
In his blog post “After Election, the Church Has Work to Do” Charisma Magazine publisher Steve Strang asks:
“Where is God in all this? Did God not hear our prayers or realize that tens of thousands fasted and prayed over the last 40 days? Or is this somehow God’s judgment against America?”
Of course, we must realize God is not obligated to answer prayers the way we want because a bunch of us fasted and prayed for 40 days.
In fact, God really is not obligated to do anything at all for anyone. Everything He does for us is purely by grace.
And as for the outcome of the election :
‘We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.’ Romans 8:29-30
Of course, it would be awesome to know how God was going to work everything together for our good, but we are not told. This is a promise to take by faith.
But in the meantime, what are we to do?
Well, let us realize - as Tullian Tchividjian writes in "Politics is Not a Cure All" - "politics are reflective, not directive"; "what happens in New York (finance), Hollywood (entertainment), Silicon Valley (technology), and Miami (fashion) has a far greater impact on how our culture thinks about reality than what happens in Washington, DC (politics)."
As I commented to Mr. Strang:
The battle for our nation must be fought in our culture and our pulpits. Christians must abandon the selfish, me-centered, wealth doctrines that have plagued the church for decades and engage the culture with meaningful literature, art, music, theatre and film.
We do not have the hearts of the people. We seem to play by the same rules as the world (money and possessions as a sign of God's favor and blessing). Where are the artists, the writers, musicians and filmmakers who will create simply to express and honor God without huge profit and celebrity being the sole purpose? Some of the greatest artists in history suffered severe lack yet kept creating.
We complain about the advance of same sex marriage in politics yet ignore that its commonplace in sit-coms. We are shocked people don't care about the national debt yet ignore that personal, credit card debt is through the roof in many American homes. We complain that abortion on demand is on the rise yet ignore that sacrificing our living children for a paycheck is commonplace in the American rat race. God has not abandoned us. He's SHOWING US where the battle is. It's NOT the White House. It's our house.
Pastor Ellery
These are a sample of what many are feeling after President Barack Hussein Obama won the necessary 270 (and more) electoral votes to give him another 4 years in the White House.
To all those who saw the film “2016: Obama’s America”, this must be a nightmare.
It was a clear victory against opponent, Mitt Romney – the choice of many conservative evangelical Christians.
But it was not to be.
In his blog post “After Election, the Church Has Work to Do” Charisma Magazine publisher Steve Strang asks:
“Where is God in all this? Did God not hear our prayers or realize that tens of thousands fasted and prayed over the last 40 days? Or is this somehow God’s judgment against America?”
Of course, we must realize God is not obligated to answer prayers the way we want because a bunch of us fasted and prayed for 40 days.
In fact, God really is not obligated to do anything at all for anyone. Everything He does for us is purely by grace.
And as for the outcome of the election :
‘We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.’ Romans 8:29-30
Of course, it would be awesome to know how God was going to work everything together for our good, but we are not told. This is a promise to take by faith.
But in the meantime, what are we to do?
Well, let us realize - as Tullian Tchividjian writes in "Politics is Not a Cure All" - "politics are reflective, not directive"; "what happens in New York (finance), Hollywood (entertainment), Silicon Valley (technology), and Miami (fashion) has a far greater impact on how our culture thinks about reality than what happens in Washington, DC (politics)."
As I commented to Mr. Strang:
The battle for our nation must be fought in our culture and our pulpits. Christians must abandon the selfish, me-centered, wealth doctrines that have plagued the church for decades and engage the culture with meaningful literature, art, music, theatre and film.
We do not have the hearts of the people. We seem to play by the same rules as the world (money and possessions as a sign of God's favor and blessing). Where are the artists, the writers, musicians and filmmakers who will create simply to express and honor God without huge profit and celebrity being the sole purpose? Some of the greatest artists in history suffered severe lack yet kept creating.
We complain about the advance of same sex marriage in politics yet ignore that its commonplace in sit-coms. We are shocked people don't care about the national debt yet ignore that personal, credit card debt is through the roof in many American homes. We complain that abortion on demand is on the rise yet ignore that sacrificing our living children for a paycheck is commonplace in the American rat race. God has not abandoned us. He's SHOWING US where the battle is. It's NOT the White House. It's our house.
Pastor Ellery