The Church of Jesus Christ

President-elect Barack Obama.

I never thought that I would really get to write those words, but as of last night, at 11:00 eastern, what so many had hoped for prevailed, and Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States of America.

I have rediscovered my civic pride, something that I had lost along the way. No, I wouldn’t call it patriotism, as too many people like to wrap themselves in the flag and destroy the rights of others. But it is civic pride. I am proud of my country, who turned out in droves – white, black, brown, yellow, red – old, young – rich, poor – to vote for a black man, choosing hope over fear. This election has been the dirtiest in recent history, but it ended early and it ended well and with a margin that leaves no question as to who the victor really was. For that, I am proud to have been born here, to share in this history, and to have my children filled with hope for which they know not.

We still have a lot of things to do. We must see an end to abortion – but that will not come by man’s decree. Ask yourself – God’s law has been from the beginning that we must not kill, and yet, the murder rates rise and fall and rise again. Only the law of grace, written not in ink, but in our hearts, will ever stop something we deem immoral. I hope that those what are so passionate about protecting the unborn will use that passion still yet in brining justice to the women who feel that they have no other option, to the elderly who deserve to be treated better, and the workers who everyday choose their family over their own life.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church at Rome, said that we must honor those that are set in civil authority, and for eight years, the evangelicals have established presidential prayer teams, and have supported a president against all logic on that principle. I hope to see the same fairness given to President Obama as was given to President Bush. Further, it stands forever written that it is God that established kingdoms and can remove them just as quickly. This is why we must be ready at the twinkle of an eye to depart this world, holding on to nothing, looking only to God. Many will continue to fight against the Obama presidency, but that must not be the way of the Church or those that claim allegiance to the heavenly.  If we are commended to give loyalty to civil authority, it is so easily given to the perceived moral party, then we must too give it to those that we disagree with.

Many false prophets have arisen during this past election to state one lie after another – from Ohio being the battleground, both heavenly and temporal, to Sarah Palin having some special anointing. If this was to be a spiritual election, then it was an election against those what would corrupt the American Republic with a false religion, creating official state churches, to bring in a national church that would see one so-called Apostle established over each state for the purposes of religion while looking to do the same to the entire world. This sounds too far-fetched, too fictional to be true, and indeed sometimes I think my own self mad over this subject, but read their words. Joel’s Army promotes such things, often times filling the hearts and minds of their followers, with promises of the Kingdom of God established on Earth by the leaders of the movement. They have, as a whole, lied to those that have listen, speaking untrue things and attempting to pass it off as prophecies.

The law of Moses was very clear about these things,

But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.  (Deuteronomy 18:20 KJVA)

I do not propose in any way a physical death – for we are under Grace – but if any one you have followed these people, then now is the time to leave – now is the time to cut them off of the community, to take away from the very name of the Lord, and to expose them as spiritual frauds. They have caused many souls to be lost, and if the Church has any mission – any goal, any import – then it is to see that souls are safe in the arms of God. Yet, these people would defraud you not only of your money, but of your hope and your souls.

I grew up in the deep South, a son of the Confederacy in every sense of the word. I had instill in my a deep sense of history and a deep sense of racial inequality from the time of my birth. Yet, as I grew in the word of God, I see no need for a continued sense of history, of a government long ago lost – no matter the righteousness of the Cause. Further, if we are commanded to love one another, and if God has no respect of persons, then racial inequality is a relic of the past used to destroy and separate those that could be brothers and sisters. We as the Church are better than that; we as Americans have become better than that.

This country was founded with the premise that all men were created equal. At the time of the founding, it was generally assumed that ‘men’ meant at the very least, all white males – but more than likely, all property owning white males. That definition soon developed into white males, and then males, and finally, women as well, but not until blood was shed. It seems that with each social change, from the American Revolution to the Civil Rights revolution, social change was always wrought in blood. But not last night. Last night, we were able to put in the grave 400 years of injustice. Now, we must bury it before th festering corpse overtakes us once more.

Friends, I am optimstic about tomorrow. Yes, I know that the world will grow worse and worse, but for at least a little bit, before the dark clouds that are forecast roll in, we have a ray of sunshine, not in the vision of a person, but in the hope that a movement against fear – in all it’s forms – has wrought for this country of ours. I don’t put my trust in the government, but it is nice to have a promise of a government that will not fight us, but be for us – in a government for the people, by the people, and of the people.

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