Strap yourself in and hang on!  This is going to be a long one!

There was just so much discussion and questioning and maybe even heartache following Tuesday's election that I felt led to set aside our study of James last night at praXis and instead take the opportunity to discover God's heart on the matter and see if we're in line with Him.

Before I go any further, to head off the possibility of angry e-mails directed at me (or worse yet, directed at everyone but me), let me explain my opinion on the candidate Barack Obama.  I disagree with him in most aspects of his public policy.  I disagree with him on economic and political issues and believe his stances on many social issues (such as abortion, homosexuality, etc.) are contrary to the Word of God.  For those reasons, I did not vote for him on Tuesday.

The situation has changed, however, because he is no longer just a candidate.  He is the president-elect and come January 20, he will be my president and your president.  That status affords him certain privileges - however undeserved we feel they may be - under the Word of God.

I began to study the Scriptures to see what God has to say about those who are in authority, such as Barack Obama.  I learned some things and saw some areas that I need to change.  These Scriptural truths are what I shared last night at praXis.

• God is still on His throne (Psalm 47.7-9).  Someone commented to me yesterday that God must be upset that Obama got elected and it wasn't what He wanted to happen.  I want to assure all of us that this election did not slip by God or somehow get past His radar.  He was not on vacation or taking a nap, waking up to find out this had happened.  He is still King!
• God's plan cannot be thwarted (Isaiah 14.26-27).  For reasons we don't understand (and may never this side of eternity!), Barack Obama being elected president is all part of God's great plan for the ages.  It is not that He wanted McCain to be president but we messed it all up.  Somehow and in some way, God's design is that Obama be president.  We have to trust His judgment on this.
• God rules over all kings (Proverbs 21.1).  This is a strange verse to consider in light of all that Obama believes and has indicated he will do as our president.  But again, for some reason, God is using this man.  After all, He is the King of all kings!
• God appoints all in authority (Romans 13.1-2).  These verses written by the Apostle Paul are very clear that everyone who holds any position of authority does so only because God has put them there.  This goes for parents, teachers, principals, bosses, mayors, senators, and presidents.  Anyone in authority over you is there because God has placed them there.
• God expects us to submit to our leaders (1 Peter 2.13-14).  This is a command from God - like it or not.  Obviously, this does not apply when a leader orders us to disobey God (Acts 4.18-20); our allegiance is to Him first.  But in most cases, no such conflict exists and we are expected to submit to the authorities over us.
• God wants us to do good by being obedient (Titus 3.1-2).  These verses seem to indicate that as we respect and obey our leaders, we are doing good works.  This is not always an easy thing (like when it comes to speed limits - ouch!), but we are more Christlike when we obey.
• God is honored as we honor (1 Peter 2.17).  Peter says we owe a response to everyone.  We are to love one another, fear God as the Ultimate Ruler, and honor the king.  If we are to be faithful to this command, we need to ensure we don't do anything to dishonor our leaders.  We can be critical of their policies when they don't line up with God's Word, but we should never stoop to personal attacks.
• God commands us to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2.1-2).  Notice the use of the words, "pray for."  Not "pray against." "For."  The best thing we can do for Barack Obama (and for us, Paul says) is pray for him.  We can pray that he would lead with Godly wisdom.  We can pray for his salvation, if he is lost.  This is what we should and must do as followers of Christ.

Before we go on to the last one, I want to stop and draw your attention to something about the last five passages of Scripture.  Each of them was written by either the Apostle Paul or the Apostle Peter during the reign of the Emperor Nero.  This king was considered by several church leaders during and after that time to be an antichrist.  Here's why.

After much of the city of Rome burned in the year 64, Nero looked for someone to blame for the devastation.  He chose to blame Christians and proceeded to arrest and torture them in terrible ways.  He would order believers to be dressed in animal skins and thrown into arenas with wild dogs, who would tear the skins and their wearers to pieces.  Nero also crucified countless Christians, sometimes lining the roads with crosses with people nailed to them, trying to make a point to others who would dare name the name of Jesus.  Most horribly, this emperor would also have Christians tied to stakes and set on fire to be used as cruel lamps to light roads and towns.  It was also during his reign that Paul was beheaded and Peter was (according to tradition) crucified upside down.

And yet, God inspired these writers to instruct His people to submit to, obey, honor, and pray for such leaders.  They may have written these letters before the great fire and the subsequent persecution, but God knew what Nero was going to do within a matter of a few years.  The point is that we as Christians are not to do these things just for leaders whose policies we agree with.

• God may be disciplining us; if so, submit (Hebrews 12.9-10).  I'm not saying this is why Barack Obama was elected president.  It's possible, but no one can say this for sure. But if Obama was elected as some form of discipline from our heavenly Father, these verses make it crystal clear that we must submit to that discipline and respect Him for it.  It's not a pleasant experience, but it is for our own good.