We are going to spend the next few weeks examining the lessons from the recent elections because we probably will not get a greater illumination of the times than this for a long time.

The elections were an indication about the present state of the nation. We must understand how, but first we need to understand that an election does not necessarily mean that God’s choice won. As we are told in Psalm 115:16, “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men.” This is why the Lord will not do things on the earth until we pray. He knows what we need even better than we do, but He delegated the earth to men to rule over, and He has never taken that authority back from us. That is why the Son of God had to come as a man to redeem the earth, and why He always referred to Himself as the Son of Man while on the earth. The Lord will intervene and help us if we ask Him, but we must ask. Basically, on the earth mankind is getting what mankind wants. God is not causing all of the problems here—we are. He can fix any problem, but we have to ask Him and then make room for Him to fix them.

You might think that you did ask the Lord to intervene in the election, and He did not do what you and millions of other Christians asked Him to do. However, there were also millions of Christians asking for what the outcome became. Of course, many wonder how a Christian could vote for someone who is pro-abortion, much less for someone who believes that there should be no restriction on any abortion, even partial birth abortion. This is a good question and is certainly a reflection on the state of the church in America as well as the nation. Answering this question can lead to a greater victory than just the passing of laws could do. We will examine this, but for now, let’s just acknowledge that it is a fact.

We must also understand that this was an election for the United States, not the church. The people of the United States have chosen Obama as their next President. As Christians, we have a clear biblical mandate to honor him, respect him, and always treat him with the dignity his position demands. Because we are a democracy, and ultimately the people are the authority, we also have the right to speak out about things we disagree on. However, we must always do this with dignity and respect for those in authority as we are commanded in Romans13.

In future Words for the Week, we will get into a number of crucial issues concerning our times, but for this week we need to understand a basic one for us to realize the victory that is ultimately possible. The election indicated that the nation did swing far to the left. In fact, it is remarkable how close McCain came to winning this election facing the challenges he had. More will be said about that later, but there is something even more basic we need to understand that everything will ultimately hinge on, including our ability to be the prophetic voice we are called to be in our times—Obama won because he won the battle for hope in the future. Even though his message of hope had little substance, it fortifies how powerful this weapon is, especially in trying times.

The church has been given the most powerful message of hope for the future that the world has ever heard—which is of course the gospel of the kingdom. Because the Lord answered a few questions about the signs of the end of the age, this tragically has been an emphasis of the evangelical church more than the beginning of the age in which Christ will return and reign over the earth, restoring it to the paradise it was originally intended to be. No religion or philosophy of utopia has a greater hope than we have, and yet we keep losing this high ground of hope for the future to cults and other religions like The New Age Movement which are cheap counterfeits. 

The sign of the end of the age that may be the most important is that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the earth, and this has to happen before the end can come. Gospel means “good news.” It is the best news there could ever be; it is the most powerful message the world has ever heard, and it is time to use it. 

In the weeks to come, we are going to get more specific and practical, but you can count on one thing—truth, righteousness, and justice are going to prevail. Regardless of what you are going through in these times personally, it will work out for good. That is a hope that is an anchor for the soul and will not disappoint.