If there are two things that bother me it’s racists and Arminians…. Ok just kidding there are a lot of Arminians that I love. So what bothers me…hmmm we will call it racists and people whose functional savior is government. Last night I had my first post election conversation with someone who is a believer (though it seems to me he might be worshiping something other than Christ) and a Christian in ministry no less. As it turned out he was near death with despair over our new president. Our conversation reveled that he was both ignorant of issues of race and issues of scripture. On the issue of race I will not even repeat the foolishness because he is young and I will hope he grows, but needless to say it was foolish and reflected the reality that many young Christians have been so sheltered in the white, American ghetto of Christianity that they have no experience or understanding of how race affects what happens in our country. Has no one taught them the concept that reconcilliation amongst men is a sign of the power of the gospel?
Not only that but he was ignorant it seems of the fact the God is in control. We all say this, but I find that so few of us live it. I think the reason we do not live it is because we not actually worship the God of the Bible but rather the god of Americanism. I keep hearing people (people with bad eschatology, but people none the less) say that this is a sign of the end times, and acting as if Jesus has been thwarted. That is just a bunch of bunk! Americans think like this because we long ago abandoned Jesus as our hope and his glory as our goal for the safety of a president who would legislate our comfort. I want all you who are worried to hear this: Barack Obama won because Jesus wanted him to. God is soverign. Votes are cute but really they only serve to convince silly men that they are in charge. Barack Obama winning did not upend the plans of God. His plans are his plans. Now does this mean that Barack will be a great president? No. He may be, but he might just be awful, he might destroy this country and all your worst fears might come true. So then you ask why would Jesus allow Obama to be president? Simple. Jesus is not interested in building a “government for the people, by the people…”, he is building a Kingdom. A Kingdom for him, and by him. His glory is the point. And frankly God’s glory and bad government have a interesting way of dwelling together, and if you doubt this ask the 1,000,000 people who come to Christ every month in China and India. Democracy is ok government, but if you place your trust in it you will see that it is bad math and bad theology. Bad math because is seems to believe that the will of the masses has more power than the one who created it all. Bad theology because it seems to believe that someone and something other that Jesus is in control. And if Jesus is in control and he himself is our peace, who are we to live in fear if he should choose to build this nation up or if he should bring it low? He will accomplish his purposes and if we trust him he has told us that his purposes are good. Even if the goverment does not go our way history and the universe always go Jesus’ way. In the first centruy the Christians were a minority who refused to give their honor to the empire..and many of them died, and yet from the blood of the Martyrs came a witness that converted the world. I just can’t imagine first century Christians wringing their hands over the “election” of Nero in a great worry that he would destroy their nation. In fact as I recall they refused to say “Ceasar is Lord”…when the heck will we?
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