Obama Showed Strength Today

I don’t know if you are following the press conference today with Obama, but he presented a mature speaker.  I think this issue has served to help the public see him as someone who can handle conflict with grace and dignity, but strength.  I do not endorse him, I’m just observing.  I highly doubt the same of H. Clinton, and have not seen enough of other to know.

I was impressed that he could be well spoken and direct, but not inflammatory.  That’s a quality of a leader we need. 

However, I am concerned with someone so deeply hurt by the church and by his pastor going into a presidency.  I hope someone will step up to the plate with him and help him heal.  I can’t imagine being married by a pastor and having him baptize your children without “being aware” of the racial stances he obviously spoke often on and felt strongly about.

He said the man was not his spiritual mentor, or advisor, he was his pastor…he prayed with them when they started the campaign.

I can’t imagine having a pastor who was not considered a spiritual advisor or a mentor.  He needs to find one if he’s going to be considering the kinds of responsibilities he is about to take on.

ANYWAY…here painting and watching CNN as a rarity today.  There was a tornado where I have a family member yesterday in VA.  He’s fine.  It just makes me shutter.  There is also a Typhoon around India hovering around. 

I read this on “Morsels from God” a minute ago from a back-post and it calmed my spirit:

When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.
Psalm 75:3

Can you imagine a leader dealing with national disasters not being grounded by a solid presence of God’s word to keep his faith high?  I cannot.  I hope whatever leader we end up with finds a place where they are grounded in truth and the comfort of God’s word.  I can think of no substitute.

 

 

Does Faith Matter in the Presidency?

A CNN poll this week apparently reported that said only 30% of Americans feel faith is an important toward the Presidential election.

Wow. 

When I think back to Old Testament times in regard to God’s favor toward godly kings, and his sometimes corrective nature toward the ungodly?  Ouch. 

I’ve heard in discussions people say those OT principles of politics don’t apply today…yet, I can’t imagine we could expect a ruler to rule in wisdom if he does not know he who IS the incarnation of all wisdom:  Jesus Christ.  This scripture pins that down:   

The LORD possessed me [speaking of wisdom] in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him…Proverbs 8:22-30

In the New Testament, in the first chapter of the gospel of John, we read “in the beginning was the word, and the word was God and the word was with God.”  Jesus is the word of God.  The useage of “the word” applies, according to scholars as not just the spoken word of God, but any ”cohesive thought”.  Jesus is the wisdom of God expressed in thought and word that it can be articulated meaningfully to us.  Jesus is the expression of God’s wisdom. 

With that framework, “faith” is very important.  Not just a flimsy faith in the general concept of a “God” (meaning whatever people want Him to mean) in times of disaster, or to whom we say the pledge of allegience , but belief in Jesus Christ as God’s Son who came, lived a perfect life, and died on a Roman cross for our sins, rising again three days later, overcoming sin, death, and the grave.  Through Him, and to Him are all things: blessing and honor and glory and power and wisdom and might. 

So, yeah, without Jesus, how do you have true wisdom?  How do you have selfless wisdom?  Those are my thoughts.  While I’m not endorsing any cantidate and I generally don’t talk politics at all to any depth, I’m just saying.  This challenges me personally in this way:  politics has grown so corrupt, we do not dream for our kids in that direction.  Not really.  We might say, “Who knows you might be the president of the United States someday!”, but we don’t really want it or mean it.  

We are selling ourselves short of great leaders we need because of that fear.

On a lighter note, I got forward last night I’ll hope you’ll take up along with us…

ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who
Organized a group of people who drop ped what they were doing every night at
A prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of
England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing
Stopped.

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.

If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (
8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are
Doing and spend one minute praying for the up-coming election, and for the
Revival of Christianity in this great country. If you know anyone who would
Like to participate, please pass this along.

Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we
Have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the
Most powerful asset we have.

Thank You..