Last night as I was falling asleep, taking in the results of the election, it occured to me that I didn't recall Barack Obama mentioning God in his thank you speech. (apart from the VERY end when he said "God Bless America") Turns out I was right. Turns out this "man of faith" forgot to acknowledge God. OOOOOPS. So I went online this morning, and found this great article that I'm posting here for you to read. But before I paste that article, I just want to say that no matter who's in office in any given setting, God is in charge. Not the man or woman in the seat. So as Christians, worrying about the next 4 years with Obama is in a sense saying that you don't think God is bigger than any of this. So don't worry. God is sovereign, and is the ultimate authority. And if you really are that worried, go ahead and read Psalm 2. It should comfort you. Anyway, here's the article: (i didn't write it)
what i say next may not strike a chord with you. i would first like to admit that i am neither perfect, nor know-it-all. i give my views as a young Christian, non-American citizen, but as one who is concerned about the faith of the next US president. i thought whoever wrote obama's victory speech was brilliant. hopefully it was him who did it himself. he made the speech very well, with the charisma that a rightful US president should have. george bush wouldn't have pulled that off. however, as a Christian, i am surprised that he never thanked or mentioned God at all, in his victory speech. i would have at least acknowledged God for sustaining me throughout the long campaign, giving me strength, thanked God for protection, answered prayers, etc. the only mention of God in his speech was in the final line, a cursory "Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America." when King David was king of Israel, he displayed rightly that he was indeed a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). As has happened with so many of the great, David's success was focused too heavily on material gains, and it corrupted him. His committing of adultery with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband Uriah in an attempt to cover it up was perhaps the darkest event of his life. David truly repented of it, and God did forgive him. He also penned 73 psalms, according to wiki answers. read more about his life here. Will Obama be like King David? my greatest concern is his theology. When Franklin Graham asked Obama recently how, as a Christian, he could reconcile New Testament claims that salvation was attainable only through Christ with a campaign that embraces pluralism and diversity, Obama tells NEWSWEEK he said: "It is a precept of my Christian faith that my redemption comes through Christ, but I am also a big believer in the Golden Rule, which I think is an essential pillar not only of my faith but of my values and my ideals and my experience here on Earth. I've said this before, and I know this raises questions in the minds of some evangelicals. I do not believe that my mother, who never formally embraced Christianity as far as I know … I do not believe she went to hell." Graham, he said, was very gracious in reply. Should Obama beat John McCain, he has history on his side. Presidents such as Lincoln and Jefferson were unorthodox Christians; and, according to a Pew Forum survey, 70 percent of Americans agree with the statement that "many religions can lead to eternal life." "My particular set of beliefs," Obama says, "may not be perfectly consistent with the beliefs of other Christians." (source: newsweek) i think it will take a man of courage and absolute faith and conviction to run as a presidential candidate, and to say things like "only Christ leads to heaven". he is not acting as an evangelical. he has to be the president of USA for christians, muslims, buddhists, atheists etc, and it isn't entirely heartening to know your Christian president thinks you're going to hell, even if that might be true. he has to be diplomatic. yea i know, the fundamental will say, would you rather offend God or offend men? pastors and evangelicals can criticize national leaders for all they want, but they are not in the kind of spotlight and position of power and responsibility that God places them in. they have to be clear about their personal religion and convictions, and not imposing them on the people they are serving. how about obama's personal walk with Christ. from what is reported, it seems pretty good. Nevertheless, his spiritual life on the campaign trail survives. He says he prays every day, typically for "forgiveness for my sins and flaws, which are many, the protection of my family, and that I'm carrying out God's will, not in a grandiose way, but simply that there is an alignment between my actions and what he would want." He sometimes reads his Bible in the evenings, a ritual that "takes me out of the immediacy of my day and gives me a point of reflection." Thanks to the efforts of his religious outreach team, he has an army of clerics and friends praying for him and e-mailing him snippets of Scripture or Midrash to think about during the day. i think all American christians and christians around the world should pray for their leaders in power. they do so at our church during the pastoral/family prayer time when the pastor leads an often long but detailed prayer. pray that God will guide them and help them stay on the straight and narrow path. pray that God will grant them wisdom to deal with the affairs of this dying world. pray that they be used by God for His glory and His glory alone.
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I liked the guy's article. But it is not unusual for politicians to be less than orthodox, but that is not as much a liberal/conservative distinction. Neither party has a monolopy on non-Christianity. I personally have gotten the feeling that most GOP pundits were very uneasy with the Christian demographic and would say as little as necessary to playcate people who they did nto understand any better than liberals.