Historic Times

The votes have been cast and for the first time in American History, the United States of America has a black president. I have read Facebook statuses, Twitters, texts, emails and all kinds of communications either celebrating this historic event or prophesying the down fall of America. Because I run in religious circles, I have even heard people speak of the rise of the antichrist and the end of the world. So I would like to give my take on it all (for what it is worth).

First of all, I am confident (I have a Bachelors in Biblical Studies and Languages and I have almost completed my Masters in Theological Studies) that Barack Obama is not the antichrist. Yes, he has a sketch past and oddly enough he could not even apply to be his own secret service agent because of that past, but that doesn't qualify one to be the antichrist.

Second, Christianity should not be known for casting people in the role of apocolyptic characters when we really don't know what we are talking about anyway. Honestly, biblically illiterate people (can you even quote more than 10 verses from memory or explain with clarity the purpose, themes, or theology of any given book of the Bible?) have all of the sudden become experts on the Bible and on apocolyptic literature. Why? Because a man is black, democratic, and youthful. Just a note of warning: 2 Timothy 2:15 explains that we need to show are self approved to God by rightly using the word of truth. Notice that the word truth is present. Be careful to claim something is truth by God's standards when it may just be your standards, or your cultural standrads, or even your religious/denominational standards. I am not saying these standards are not important or that somehow we can easily suspend them (we all have presuppositions and worldviews), I am simply asking you to know what they are so they do not ultimately control your views negatively. We have the ability to use better judgement when we at least know these things.

Finally, although I do not think Obama is the antichirst (or any other apocolyptic figure in the Bible) I can still disagree with his political stances on issues of abortion, taxes, socialism, etc. What that means is that I can pray for him and for his advisors, that God would guide them and help them. I can pray that God will send bold, godly men of character to work along side of him and help influence and mentor him. Let Romans 13:1-7 comfort you in the fact that God is still the designer of local and worldwide political affairs.

Throughout the book of Daniel, kings and rulers rise and fall. The book starts out explaining that God himself has ordained it to be so. Israel is in exile there. So God raises up Daniel and three of his close friends to work with these Kings. They understood that culture, even though it wasn't their first choice. Because Daniel sought to know his culture, surroundings, and situation, he was able to do amazing things for God and lead Kings to worship his God. He wasn't the head man, but he was the right hand man that changed nations. Why? Because he believed that he could make a difference through prayer and through influence.

So here is what you can do now. People can stop making comments like: It's the end of the world; Better go buy more guns; Hope the Rapture happens soon; and begin praying that God places godly men of character (like God did in the Book of Daniel) in Barack Obama's life to mentor him, encourgae him, and lead him into an even deeper knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Oh, yes I do believe that he is already a Christian, but as I believe for every one of us, we can always grow deeper. The closer our heart is to God's the more it lines up with the heart of God. Obama needs men and women to help his heart grow closer and closer to God's every day, just as we need to pray the same for ourselves.)

Will you join with me and praying for our nation? Instead of fear (which is not of God) I have hope for a better tomorrow for America (and I don't believe that begins in 2010 either). Hope is the most important Christian characteristic we have. Make sure you wear that on your sleeves! Think about it...