The National Prayer Breakfast - Did God Speak Through President Obama?

Well, President Obama's done it again. He has Christians of many stripes in an uproar because of his callous and potentially unpardonable sin; he quoted Jesus as support for his idea of taxing the rich.

I must admit, if you're going to the National Prayer breakfast as a politician, Jesus is One you might want to associate yourself with, especially when it comes to advocating a policy not highly regarded among most of the Evangelical audience. But, needless to say, this action wasn't warmly received. In fact, as I said, most are outraged and expressing their shock, disdain and offense at such highly insensitive and proud remarks.

I must wonder though, if the denunciation of President Obama's use of the Bible (The King James Version at that!) to give credence to the plan to increases taxes on the rich in American Society is being thoroughly examined by anyone? All I hear so far is the bemoaning of poor Bible exegesis by the President and castigating him for his audacious actions of teaching the National Prayer Breakfast multitudes using the very Words of God in the flesh for his proof text.

A Little Reality is in order.

The most common argument against Obama's use of Jesus' words is the misapplication of them by the President. It is being said that in Luke chapter 12 Jesus was talking about personal responsibility before God and God alone for the use of resources acquired by someone. The idea that this could apply to a relationship involving Government and a taxpayer was not considered and should not be considered at all. This is simply between God and and an individual.

For the Believer in Christ serious about "rightly dividing the word of truth," it is easy to overcome this objection. It must be remembered that Jesus in no way eliminated an individual's relationship with "Caesar." The phrase "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's" is one of the most well known comments of Jesus especially when considering the duties and responsibilities of Believers in Christ toward secular government. Surely, those raising the cry against President Obama at The National Prayer Breakfast are not going to deny Caesar, in this case, The US Government, the right to ask the individual to pay legitimate taxes, are they? Putting the issue of what is "legitimate" or not aside, the issue of paying lawfully due taxes to Caesar should not be of concern in this instance. If it is, then a whole new series of issues arise outside the scope of this discussion.

So, assuming that the issue of paying lawful taxes to Caesar is not at issue, we are left with nothing more than disagreeing with President Obama about the limited set of Scripture cited by him in his statements about taxing the rich and the rate of taxation to be levied by the Obama Administration on the "rich." We are left with nothing more than rank secular politics.

The Real Core Issue

What we are left with is the fundamental difference that many professing Christians in the United States have with the policies and beliefs of President Obama. As stark as these may be, they, in no way, detract from the true duties and responsibilities these same professing Christians have toward the Obama Administration as outlined in the same Book cited by the President:

1. They are to honor this administration.
2. They are not to "rail" against this administration with their words and actions.
3. They are to submit to this administration short of disobeying a direct command of Jesus.
4. They are to pray for the salvation of the Obama administration.
5. They are to acknowledge that the Obama administration is "ordained by God" to be in power at this time in history.
6. They are to acknowledge that the Obama administration is ordained by God to reward good and evil.
7. They are to acknowledge that the Obama Administration are the "deacons" of God to oversee good and evil.

Assuming that these defined duties are being responsibly exercised, should it concern professing Christians that "bad" laws are being passed in this country that negatively impact its citizens? Everyone will agree that "yes" it should concern us a Christians!. But is that all that we should ask? I say that it isn't. How about one more question?

WHY???????

Most concerned with the issue of bad laws will usually resort to the safe haven of faulty ideology on the part of the Obama Administration. While simplistic as best, it does not reach to the root of the problem for God's people. Fortunately, we are not left to our own understanding. Jesus and His Prophets have previously spoken. We would do well to listen.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 that He didn't come to destroy the Law, He came to fulfill it. Two verses later, He also states that the person that breaks the least of His commandments and teaches men so, is the least in the Kingdom of heaven; that whoever does them and teaches them is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Prophet Ezekiel had a few things to say on behalf of God to the Israelites regarding the Law. The 20th chapter of Ezekiel tells how God had given them Laws, Statutes and Judgments to live their lives by. But they rejected these and turned elsewhere. Because of this rejection of God's Laws, Statutes and judgments in their lives, God says that he gave them "statutes that were no good and judgments whereby they should not live."

The reason for God doing this was simple, "to make them desolate that they might know that I am the LORD."

American Spiritual heritage is full of professed Believers in Christ denying the validity of Gods Law over us in our lives. The reason given is that "we are not under the law." Galatians reveals that he that is under the law is under the curse of the Law. However, a little Bible exegesis reveals that what we are no longer under, what we have been redeemed from is not the law, but the "curse" of the Law. Paul tells us further that the Law is holy and spiritual. He finally tells us that by faith, the Law is established. But, alas, Believers by the droves have officially rejected the validity of their duty to conform their lives to God's Law. And we wonder why our lives in America are steadily looking toward the bleak side while we point the finger currently at the Obama Administration.

Is it possible that the actions of an administration so poorly thought of by many Americans are, in truth, in line with the God of the Bible we supposedly so diligently follow? Is it possible that the further taxing of the rich is an indication that we are under the judgment of God. Is it possible that the scourge of Abortion is another indicator?

Please understand me. I'm not saying that all these bad laws and their outworking are leading to God's Judgment. God's Word says that the bad laws ARE the Judgement of God. Obama is simply speaking and carrying out God's oversight of the universal principle of sowing and reaping. Christians living in America have sown the rejection of God's Law. We are now reaping the inevitable result, bad laws of men.

Is it any wonder that we don't like them? A holy and righteous God awaits our repentance.