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From the Pastor's Heart....

Pray for Our Leaders

        I just finished watching the inauguration of the 44^th President of the United States of America . This was certainly an historic event as the first African-American took the helm as leader and president. At this early hour the media is reporting that anywhere from one and a half to two million people came to Washington , D.C. , to watch the event, and at last count the estimated cost of this inauguration was 1.26 million dollars. The figures are staggering; the number of people involved and the money spent are beyond comprehension.

        One could sense the excitement of the crowd, and as Mr. Obama made his way onto the platform and his name was announced, the crowd went wild. This was no Super Bowl crowd either, with maybe 80,000 people in attendance; here were many times more than that, all clapping and yelling.

         As the cameras panned across the crowds in the Mall area, many people had tears streaming down their faces. There were scenes from all parts of the country showing people who were moved to tears. Some were excited in the hope that President Obama is going to change their lives, and others were moved that finally an African-American had risen to the pinnacle of power in these, the United States of America . It was a little scary to hear people verbalize how much hope they are putting in one person.         

      Jesus, the most powerful man on earth, stepped onto the “platform” of this world, and the people yelled, “Crucify Him!” The One who offers real hope for change in our lives is still not very popular, nor will He ever be in this world’s kingdom. His ways are so different, and it isn’t a very popular message that He brings to this star-crazed world-- a message of hope in dying to oneself, in suffering, in trusting in what the world calls weak, in putting faith in something that cannot be seen.

       I pray we Christians don’t get caught up in the political frenzy of hoping in a certain political party or person. Sure, we may hope things change here and things change there, but our happiness shouldn’t depend solely on who is president or what our government does. However, God does tell us several things about those in authority over us, and one thing is that He commands us to pray for them.  It is our duty to pray for our President and others in government.

      I Timothy 2:1-2 says, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplication, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

Pray for our leaders.

Your pastor,

Tim

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