Our New President

I have included President Obama in my prayers this day and will continue to do so during his leadership of the greatest free country in the world. I have no doubt there will be times I will disagree with his decisions and policies. Yet, I am also aware that the biblical mandate to pray for our civil authorities is not conditioned upon which party they are a member of, much less whether I agree with them or not, and most certainly NOT the color of their skin (1 Tim. 2:1-3; 1 Peter 2:13-17).

I will pray for the safety of the President and his family. I will pray that his professed belief in Jesus, as the Christ the Son of God, will shine through the tough decisions he will have to make. I will pray for God to work in President Obama’s heart, through His Sovereign providence to administer justice and seek truth without regard to party, popularity and prosperity. I will pray that President Obama will be successful and effective in helping to restore a sense of community and accountability among individuals. I want to encourage you to let your light shine in 2009. Will you lift up the new President before our Heavenly Father and pray for him right now?

Letting Your Light Shine

When Jesus talked about being the light of the world – the light he emitted was incomparable to any light ever known. His light exposed for all time what men cannot remedy – their sinfulness (John 1:4). Thus, Christ came not to condemn but rather to be the life and light of men, illuminating the way to God who saves (3:19-21). The light of Christ is man’s only hope. Christ’s light shines only through His word revealed in the Bible. As Christians, we are to be luminaries of that word.

Is your life illuminating the way to God for others? “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life…” (Philippians 2:14-16)