The judgment of this nation began long before this election. The American church has been brewing another Gospel for some time now. The 70's and 80's saw an upswing in national moralism that put personal holiness at a distance and the prayer closet with cobwebs. The prosperity Gospels and the rise of false prophets have swept the church into a self-serving faith with national moralism as a saving grace.
To the point of faith in terms of Presidential rule I give all that credit to God. My faith has increased tremendously during the Bush presidency but that has nothing to do with him. And anything that may increase or decrease my faith in the next four years will have nothing to do with Obama.
God raised and lowered leaders to punish Israel for rampant adultery, the Bible never blamed the leadership that ruled them, the culpability and blame was unequivocally on God's people. As soon as the American church stops blaming leadership and starts looking to itself as the problem and repent the faster we can produce for the Kingdom of God. It won't come through politics.
Cal Thomas said this in a recent article about it:
"Too many conservative Evangelicals mistake political power for influence. Politicians who struggle with imposing a moral code on themselves are unlikely to succeed in their attempts to impose it on others. What is the answer, then, for conservative Evangelicals who are rightly concerned about the corrosion of culture, the indifference to the value of human life and the living arrangements of same- and opposite-sex couples? If results are what conservative Evangelicals want, they already have a model. It is contained in the life and commands of Jesus of Nazareth. Suppose millions of conservative Evangelicals engaged in an old and proven type of radical behavior. Suppose they followed the admonition of Jesus to “love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those in prison and care for widows and orphans,” not as ends, as so many liberals do by using government, but as a means of demonstrating God’s love for the whole person in order that people might seek Him?
Such a strategy could be more “transformational” than electing a new president, even the first president of color. But in order to succeed, such a strategy would not be led by charismatic figures, who would raise lots of money, be interviewed on Sunday talk shows, author books and make gobs of money.
Scripture teaches that God’s power (if that is what conservative Evangelicals want and not their puny attempts at grabbing earthly power) is made perfect in weakness. He speaks of the tiny mustard seed, the seemingly worthless widow’s mite, of taking the last place at the table and the humbling of one’s self, the washing of feet and similar acts and attitudes; the still, small voice. How did conservative Evangelicals miss this and instead settle for a lesser power, which in reality is no power at all? When did they settle for an inferior “kingdom”?
Evangelicals are at a junction. They can take the path that will lead them to more futility and ineffective attempts to reform culture through government, or they can embrace the far more powerful methods outlined by the One they claim to follow. By following His example, they will decrease, but He will increase. They will get no credit, but they will see results."
The only mandate Scripture has for God's chosen is simple: obedience to ruling authorities and prayer for them. Honestly, I don't know if Obama is a judgment on this nation, but I can see where people would perceive this. But I do know that if I'm preconcievibly convinced that it is a judgment, the less likely I am to pray.
I will say this and it may ruffle some feathers but I truly believe it. If the last eight years was an Obama rule many Christians would say it was a judgment on this nation. Therefore I don't look at the state of the leader but the state of the church in determining judgment. I truly believe that we will see a rise of homosexual marriage, or attempts at such, and other immoralities and possible restrictions on the church. But God can do wonders even in the midst of such immorality if the church would clean itself up and cry out to Christ in fervency and patience. If anything this could be a judgment on the church for putting faith in politics and activism to change the morality of a nation in the exchange for personal Godliness, the prayer closet, and faith in Christ Himself.
We've 'McDonaldized' God's power in this nation. We think it needs to be as instant as a one hundred fold return on money given to the TV Evangelist. Patience, perseverance, longsuffering are the staples of the New Testament church. Ask Paul, Peter and John.
