Harris Poll Puts President Obama at #1 Above Jesus Christ

Can you imagine what it would be like if you are in the most powerful position in the U.S., if not the entire world - the President of the United States of America - and now it is being splashed across all the newspapers and shouted out from every major television network that you have been named as THE HERO, beating out the all-time #1 favorite, Jesus Christ Himself!!!

I have been saddened as I have heard this "news"! I am not at all concerned that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of lords and the King of kings, has "lost" His position - how utterly absurd! But I am concerned for President Obama, that he will actually begin to believe the headlines, and move so far away from the still, small voice of God that he will be unreachable. Is that possible, that he could become so caught up in the praise of man that he cannot hear the voice of the God he claims to know? Is it possible that he will come to view himself as the "savior" of America?

Oh, how we need to pray for the president and his family. Even the most steadfast, righteous man would have a hard time standing true to God in the face of such adulation and worship. I am not implying that President Obama is not a good man - God alone is the Judge of his true heart. But I do not believe that he, nor any other man or woman, is strong enough in his convictions and commitment to the God he professes to know to be able to withstand the heady sense of power that accompanies his position.

I was thinking about the president and all that's going on in the government these days, and was reminded of Psalm 2: "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us burst Their bonds apart and cast away Their cords from us.' He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His furry, saying, 'As for Me, I have set My King on Zion, My holy hill.' "

God has set His Son as King above all the nations, and He is on His throne, no matter what happens in Washington or any other nation of the world! We need to pray fervently for our leaders, for the decisions they are making that put them in the position of opposing God, and that somehow they will come to their senses before it's too late!

"I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." I Tim. 2:1-2

True Transparency

Transparent - a word that has been tossed around every day over the past 4 weeks by the politicians in Washington. And these politicians use it when it has been proven that they lied about something they swore to be true! It seems that a better word would be "opaque", not "transparent". According to the dictionary, one of the definitions of "opaque" is 'blocking the passage of radiant energy and especially light'; 'not clearly understood or expressed'. "Transparent", on the other hand, is defined as 'having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that objects lying beyond may be seen clearly; free from pretense or deceit'; 'without guile or hypocrisy'.

This "culture of corruption", a term coined by the democratic leaders 2 years ago when they took over the majority lead, (but now this corruption that they accused the other party of is running rampant in the democratic party), is a policy that we absolutely DON'T want to become a "trickle down policy"! All of us have the natural tendency to watch those in authority over us, whether it be government, church, family, work, etc., and try to mirror the way they act. If it's negative behavior, we excuse ourselves by blaming it on our bosses, our pastors, our parents, etc. How many of us were shaped by the saying, usually spoken by our parents, "Do as I say do, not as I do!"? And how many of us are saying the same things to those "under" us, whether it be at work, at home, at church, etc.?

In God's economy, in God's culture or environment, we are told to be holy, as He is Holy; we are told to be without guile, sincere, without hypocrisy; we are told to let our "no be no" and our "yes be yes". We are told to tell the truth, not to lie. Our model should not be those over us in government, church, family, work, etc., but Jesus Christ Himself. We have been instructed to "walk in the light, as He is in the light". We are commanded to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, not allowing ourselves to be conformed to this world. Our minds are NOT renewed by Hollywood, Fox News or the internet! Our minds are renewed by the Truth of His Word, by spending time in His Presence, immersing ourselves in His culture. Our hearts and spirits are encouraged and strengthened by spending time with those of "like precious faith", who are seeking to live in the light as you are.

It is so easy to allow our actions to be shaped by the culture around us; this is why we need to be diligent every day to walk in the culture of God; walking in the behavior and attitudes that He demonstrates for us in His Word. Years ago, in 1896, a book was written about a group of Christians who decided to ask one question before they did anything: "What would Jesus do?" The book, IN HIS STEPS, tells of their experience, how they learned to mirror the life of Christ rather than the world around them. The popular logo WWJD, What Would Jesus Do?, was based on this book.

My prayer in these difficult days, when those in power seem devoid of light, "opaque" if you will, may God give us the grace and courage to be those who walk in the light, who are not afraid to follow in the steps of Jesus Christ!