The Road Ahead in the Era of Responsiblity

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On Tuesday, January 20th, just after 12pm, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as America's 44th president. Approximately 2 million people flocked to Washington D.C. so that they could take part in this historic transfer of power. It must have been an intimidating show of support; Obama seemed calm, confident, and happy when he walked out to his seat, but when he swore in, his poise faltered in the first few lines of the oath. Conspiracy theorists everywhere are seeing that moment as a loophole in the transfer of power. But when I saw it, I was reminded of the fact that Barack Obama is a human being, facing down an army of 2 million jubilant supporters, and he was a little more nervous than he let himself show.

During the past two years, Barack Obama rose up from the ranks of campaign democrats, and successfully out-shined republican challenger John McCain, mostly fueled by peoples belief in one thing: Hope. He personified, and very eloquently expressed Hope from the very beginning. He even released a book called, "The Audacity of Hope". The hope for a change in leadership, hope for an affirmation of promises made by Civil Rights giants 40-50 years ago, and hope that we would be made to face the energy and environmental challenges that have been ignored for too long have made this rise to power possible. The first two hopes have been realized, and the third is next in line.

We have come this far on the fuel of hope, but all of the millions of people who have been mobilized so far need to start moving by another motivation. We need to step up to the plate, and change the way we relate to one another. We need to remember what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves, and we need to put that knowledge into practice. We need to see the light of the coming day of peace as something that is not coming from the white house, but is shining within our spirits, within our grasp, manifesting itself in every loving choice we make.

At this point, a lot of people are being tempted to sit back, and be passively led by our new president. The temptation is to dismiss the idea that the ball is in our court, that the challenges which face our president are facing us as well...Obama's charge and challenge is to correct this perception. That seems to be a high priority for him. His inauguration speech is a testimony of that.

We cannot see Barack Obama as our savior. We must maintain our composure, and understand that he is just a leader, who is trying to guide us in the right direction, and that the real anointing belongs to a larger group that Christ refers to as "the elect" in his explanation of the last days in Mark 13. This is a very sobering passage for any believers who are tempted to refuse their responsibilities in this day by deifying our new leader. Let me share just a few selections from it to show that Christ knew there would be real power from God in many people at the same time that there will be false saviors and false prophets in the earth. It's a very confusing time, but this is precisely as confusing as a field of wheat mixed with weeds at harvest (which is another, powerful last days parable given by Jesus in Matthew 13).

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The "Elect":

Mark 13:9-11,13

"You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit... All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

vs 20

If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.

vs. 27

And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

Warnings of False Saviors:

Mark 13:5-6

Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.

vs 21-23

At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

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A lot is going to be happening all at once; the "birth pains" of the last day are in full swing right now. We've got to set our eyes on the narrow road that leads to righteousness, take up our crosses, our burdens, and follow through, no matter what happens. We can overcome as long as we follow through.

George Bush was the kind of leader who told this nation to sit back, relax, and shop while he took care of the challenges and problems that we encountered under his reign. W assured the people that he would take care of security after 9-11-01 (our borders are still embarrassingly porous and vulnerable, and America has made more enemies under Bush's leadership than ever before). He also promised to rescue New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and let four crucial days go by without making any effort. Mark 13 contains the famous line, "Abomination that causes desolation", which I think is still clearly Bush. So far, Barack Obama has only inherited desolation, caused by the last abomination.

I think the main red flag we should look for from Barack Obama's leadership is if he ever tries to take away the burden of responsibility that he is placing on us now. That is the real test of the spirit behind him.

God does not seek to glorify any one man above his own begotten son, who was sent to Earth with the wonderful news of his Father's Kingdom burning in his heart, eager to be told. Jesus was embraced by many common, simple people; recognized and accepted for the light of the world that He is. Some teachers accepted him as well, but he was eventually murdered by a conspiracy of religious leaders. After his resurrection, there sprang a church that was anointed in power, filled with Joy, infecting the Roman empire with it's message of hope, love, King Jesus, and his coming Kingdom. The message of that kingdom has been lost over time, and the church is not the spotless, righteous institution that it wishes it were. Likewise, in this day, there will not be any single person who will prepare the earth for the return of Jesus. Jesus is the head of a body of promise. In proper birth, the head comes out first, and the feet are last. So will it be in the last days; not another child (like Jesus) but the completion of the body of Christ in a group of equally blessed, equally necessary people working together in common purpose (the feet).

The distinction between one messiah, and a group of anointed people is so crucial in developing our understanding, and our faith in what the last days will be like. It is not proud to believe and hope to be a part of God's plan to change the world, and to devote your life with integrity and honesty to that hope. If you focus on God, and his power and promise of deliverance, and you pledge to do whatever you can to serve and help God, He will use you. God is recruiting from the highways and bi-ways, calling all who are willing to take part in his great celebration of marrying his son (Christ) to his Bride (the real church, the remnant around the world). If you want to make the world a better place, figure out the best way that you can take action on that desire, and go for it! The time for this sort of revolutionary responsibility is right now.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”