I'm not sure who reads this blog - if anyone these days - but i write yes to encourage others out there but to mainly leave a legacy for my children & grandchildren. I make my blog into a book every few years since bound books are more lasting than the internet and more fun to look through, anyway. sure, my kids' childhood (and adulthood) will be different from mine, much less my parents' and grandparents' but i pray that as the 'dark' of this world gets darker, the light of the hope of Jesus would become brighter and brighter. i know they will face trials and situations that i may not live to face. sometimes, as i'm washing the dishes or folding a load of laundry in my sun-soaked Florida living room surrounded by heated, running water/AC/nice things, my eyes brim with tears. i walk to the precipice of that old yet unwanted companion, Fear, and have to make a choice: to dive into that messy, tangled, downward-spiral relationship with him again or to say 'No!' and turn away by the power at work within me, Christ's power. some day, these earthly comforts - and so many more not mentioned - may not be daily mundane blessings i have for too long taken for granted. i may be faced with the loss of my children, basic freedoms, liberty to publicly worship my King, my health, etc. what will i cling to then? bitterness over loss and unjust oppression from wicked, corrupt leaders or joy in knowing I am His, He is mine, I'm a slave to righteousness and a daughter of the victorious God of the universe who spoke this world into existence by one word from His mouth?
Sure, I love my freedoms and yes, I'll totally admit it: I would put up a fight to keep them (call me a radical far right, evangelical, freedom-loving, Constitution-upholding, patriotic American. that's fine. i'm actually proud of that fact) but at the end of the day, I don't have to sink into despair, anger, and crippling fear. I can do all that I can in my own power but if we are taken captive (literally or figuratively) much like the Israelites were time and again under enemies such as the Babylonians or Assyrians, I can REST in Jesus. Because before being a patriotic, conservative, small-government-loving, freedom-loving American, I am a Christian. A follow of Christ, not a patriotic ideal. And, ironically enough, being a true Christian does not really fit the mold of the ideal American. While i am so grateful for my freedoms here in this country and would be proud to die for them, I am more grateful for a sovereign God who has called me out of darkness into light and made me a slave to righteousness. And I would hope to die first and foremost for my God over my civil liberties on any given day.
In fact, in a weird way, I'm almost glad that we have who we have in office since it's a wake up call to fellow Americans that life is going to change from how we have long known it to be. Our country will truly never be the same. In some good ways (no longer floating on our comfortable lifestyles) and in many not so good ways (you know what they are and if you don't, stop listening to mainstream media and seek out sources of balanced, unbiased journalism which are telling the truth backed up with actual facts and not the same old rhetoric and lie-laden propaganda). It's time to stand up against wickedness (and by that, I mean killing babies, oppressing the hardworking average citizen who makes an honest living and rewarding those who sit back with a victim complex when they could legitimately be making their own way and not relying on others to do so. i'm all for helping the poor and underserved. i just don't think it's the gov't's job to do so. it's the church's.)
Yes, we are to honor and pray for our president. But to honor someone does not necessarily mean to respect them - there's a fundamental difference. And I'll just come out and say it, while i highly respect the office of President, I do not respect the man currently in office. He has an aggressive agenda to divide, weaken, and ultimately reshape this nation in ways that go directly against it's founding, biblically-based values. Another thought I am rolling around in my head has to do with submission. How can I honor and submit to my current president without violating the (more important!) convictions of my Christian faith?? (not contributing via taxes to abortions, namely). This is a hard one and while I'm NOT against the idea of possible secession from the Union if things get really bad (yup, i said it), even more so, I want to honor God in my attitude and conduct while upholding my responsibilities as a true American citizen. This message was a blessing to me on this very topic.
I want to pray more for our president - that God would direct President Obama's heart like channels of water as mentioned in the Proverbs. I want to grow in speaking more reverently of him, even though pretty much everything he stands for goes directly against what I believe. I am also wearied & grieved to see how many of those who support Obama continually pull the race card. I don't care if my chosen Presidential candidate is purple with spots, if he stands for what I believe in (freedom, liberty, right to govern one's own life/family/health/faith/business/land, small gov't, biblical values), then by golly, i'll vote for him! I would love to have a Black President again in the future. But one who has a heart for ALL peoples - regardless of their skin color - and who truly upholds our Constitution. frankly, skin color has nothing to do with it for me. In the words of the revered Dr. MLK Jr, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." I think it's safe to say that King would want that statement applied to all races - Black, White, Latino, etc.
Another reason why I'm actually glad that God allowed Pres. Obama to assume another four years (I'm not 'happy-happy' glad, let me clarify. more 'excited to see what God does in this situation' kinda glad) is that it will prove to be a time of trials and testing for those who call themselves Christians and we know that...
"...we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.."
Romans 5:2-5
And in the words of CH Spurgeon:
The diamond of Divine promise never glistens so brightly as when it is placed in the
setting of personal trial and experience.
And the gold of sacred Truth is not valued until it has been tried “so as by fire.”
(source HERE - good message!)
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