Annoying emails

you know the ones... the one I'm referring to, today however, is the "Don't-vote-for-Obama-do-you-know-who-he-is-it-is-scary-etc. " email that most of my Christian friends have forwarded to me in the past friggin' 8 months!!! Now, I love my friends. But, just let me rant a moment about this. IS THIS REALLY THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? God is aware of the entire world and what is going on. In fact, He pretty much has set the days and times to his timepiece. The Bible predicts the end of the world and there is absoulutely NOTHING we can do to stop it. If Obama being prez means we are now at the "end of the world", just like the Bible predicts, then GLORY TO GOD! JESUS WILL BE RETURNING VERY SOON AND THIS COULD BE THE VERY BEST THING THAT HAPPENS!!

I love America. I love the church (those who are part of the body of Christ). I love people. I don't like that we, as Americans, have had it far too easy compared to the rest of civilization on this planet. Don't get me wrong, I like it easy. In fact, I looooove easy. But, easy doesn't cause us to grow. Easy breeds selfishness and so many times, lack of compassion. We have to be jarred awake to have compassion. I"m only talking about me, of course. I have it so easy that I have to be shown or told about someone suffering before I will feel empathy (just simply knowing in the back of my head that there is human suffering doesn't motivate me, sadly. Perhaps I feel like I can't make a difference, so why bother). Then, there is this whole filter of thoughts to bring about pity or compassion. Compassion is when I actually DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Pity is when, I feel bad that "they" don't have it as easy as me and so I will say a prayer for "them" and maybe throw some change in the coffers and then go about my merry way. This is pretty much how I live my American Christian life. I have a hunch that most of us live this way, also.

So, how does having Obama as president change things? Well if you've ever read any of those "alarming" emails, it apparently changes everything we know to be "American way of life". Maybe that's God's plan? Hmmmm.... maybe it's time to take persecution seriously. Maybe we will pray more fervently. Maybe we would repent and not be so prideful. Maybe these hard times will really cause us to press into God in a more real and substantial way. Maybe our hearts toward our fellow man would be affected in such a way that we would start to show love. Maybe that's the difference it could make. Things could be so bad, that we band together and as Jesus said, it's by our love for one another that they will know we are His disciples. Not love of ourselves and our easy American life. But, our love for others and being motivated by this love to reach out with compassion, not pity. We, perhaps will come to understand God in a whole new way and allow His love to flow through us to others for the world to see.

I by no way mean to discredit the gravity of this presidential election. I am aware that there is a spiritual war going on in the heavenlies and I know how leadership can affect the country. I also know the power of prayer, and the contentment of knowing that God is in ultimate control and it is ONLY HIM THAT GIVES PEACE in such an unsettling atmosphere. We should all look to Him and truly trust that He knows what is best. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. If you know, and I mean really KNOW those truths, then, really, is having Obama for president really the worst thing that could happen?