YES HE IS!

I wrote my previous post with great passion. Knowing that very few people read my blog, I felt I needed to e-mail these thoughts to many of my friends and acquaintances.

It was with some reservations that I did this, feeling that I belonged to a small minority within my circle and that I might lose many of my friends and have to clean off my address book.

I was pleasantly surprised at the responses that I received. Many expressed agreement, most at least gave qualified agreement. Most were civil. Only a small percentage, however, actually responded.

Below are the replies I received. Because these were sent to me via e-mail and contained personal references, I have edited them. I have removed the senders’ names and any material that I felt might indicate who they were. I have also edited for length.

I apparently accidentally deleted at least one. I hope the sender will forgive me.
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ball you're going to burn in HELL!!!!!

Love you much :-)
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AMEN!!!
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Well done!
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Bill,

I certainly agree with your closing reminder: God is still sovereign. And he sets up rulers and takes them down. 'Course, that includes a lot of rogues (the Hitlers, Stalins, and Amins of this world), and certainly doesn't mean God "approves" of such rulers. God raises up some rulers to bring His wrath on those who deserve it. I believe America deserves God's wrath (decades of increasing immorality, forgetting God, denying His creation, flaunting His commands): God may be setting up Obama to bring this

I long ago committed that I would never cast a vote for someone who advocated the killing of babies. This limits my allegiance in our progressively ungodly culture, but I believe reflects the heart of God.

We'll all see what happens in the months ahead. Time alone will tell if what some who warned against an Obama presidency (who are not all "intolerant" -- I think this was a bit of an unfair and certainly not irenic indictment of many who are truly concerned about the direction of our country) comes true. I hope not.

Finally...I think you overstepped a bit when you dubbed those who made accusations or expressed fears about Obama as having a "strange mixture of fear, eschatological zeal, far-right politics, and I believe, down-right racism." You included me in that assessment, and that hurts. I won't argue the point, but obviously, I believe it is untrue. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Opposition to a political candidate may be misguided, just as support for a candidate can be. But we should all try to avoid slipping from the arena of dialogue about a person's positions on critical issues into a broad-brushed impugning of their character.

(My reply: Please reread my e-mail. I did not accuse all those who opposed Obama. I did not (and still do not ) believe you are among those of whom I spoke. I don't think you are one who passed on some of the slander and fear that I was speaking of. Bill )

Thanks, bro.
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Bill,

Like Governor Palin and Senator McCain, I too feel good about the fact that the USA would elect a black man—even though I was torn because of Obama’s record on abortion and gay marriage and several other issues that I disagree with him on. I agree with some of the more sober conservative pundits who advocate support for our new president and hope that he will rise to the level of his rhetoric—bringing unity to the politics in Washington.
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YES WE CAN, YES WE CAN. I AGREE WITH YOU, THANK YOU. OUR NEW PRESIDENT WILL NEED OUR PRAYERS BECAUSE HE WILL HAVE GREAT CHALLENGES FACING HIM WHEN HE TAKES OFFICE.
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Amen! We voted for McCain, but rejoiced in Obama's election for the same reasons you did! And our God IS still on His throne.

And, the same day, in California, the majority voted AGAINST gay marriage! AGAINST! CALIFORNIA!!!!! Wow!
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My prayer for our new president-elect is that he doesn't meet with the same fate that Kennedy did. Of that I am very afraid because of some of the action of some of the people that are opposed to him. We will support him how ever we can.

Yes, He is still in control and I have to believe that: Dan. 2:21 and Isa. 45:7.
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Bill: You are and will continue to be in my prayers. We are so polarized as a Nation that believers who have come to see their Christianity as a "Republican", "American" and "pro wealth - free enterprise" world view, seem to lack tolerance for other views. The culture views states as "Blue" or "Red" in a black or white sense, when the truth is that the conservative state of Texas is actually something like 47% Blue and 53% Red, and liberal Minnisota is something like 53% Blue and 47% Red. Even in evangelical Churches, surveys tell us that about 65% of evangelicals are politically conservative Republicans, and about 35% are politically centrist or liberal Democrats. This truth seems to be eclipsed by a surface appearance of black and white "Religious Right" contrast. I think this is because the 65% are vocal and the 35% are silent out of a desire to keep peace, or a fear of being shunned for their political viewsThanks for having the courage to be a voice of reason in the current wave of Christian polarization over non-faith issues. I sure do miss you.
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Amen!
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Thank you so much for your e-mail. I thought I was the only Christian that felt the way you do. The election of America’s first black president is a great historic time in history.

I wouldn't be as brave as you. I am so glad that you were. It heartens me to know others feel as I do. The only person I felt comfortable forwarding your message to was my sister who is for Obama, but not a Christian.
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Actually Bill, I agree pretty strongly with this post, but i won't be sending it to my friends ;-)

I think Obama has a pretty good idea what people are thinking, but he will face some very difficult decisions in the days ahead, as did JFK. May God give him grace, not just politically, but theologically and personally.
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My wife told me that God is certainly pleased that so many bibles are being opened to see what His word says. The dividing correctly part, well..................

But Bill, He really is going to take my guns away, I just know it, the dirty socialist. We miss you guys terribly. (Kennedy was a socialist too.) I think its absolutely fantastic that we have a black president. It is beautiful, I just wish it would of been Condoleezza Rice. It doesn't matter, God still holds the heart of the king in His hand.

Besides, Obama's chief of staff will be Emanuel, God with us.
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Hope he does great things!
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God is still on the very sturdy throne and I suspect He was smiling Tuesday night. He has two desires for us, unity and love...He saw both that night. Hopefully, prayerfully, this is a new direction for our country.
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Amen. I deleted many of the negative messages we got about Obama during the pre-election months. He wasn't our choice, but I am commanded by Scripture to pray for him and I will. I too was thankful to see blacks and whites embracing and to see "the world" celebrating over our choice. And YES, God DEFINITELY is still on the throne and always will be!! Love in Jesus,
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Thank you, Bill. As always, you help me see the big picture better. You can't even guess how many times I've wanted to talk with you about this election. I get a lot out reading your blogs.

Give Uni hugs from me.
With love,
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Uni, share this with Bill for me…I am so glad he sent his letter about his view of the election of Obama. I have long thought that Christianity was too influenced by the “fear factor” and not by intellect and reason. I find his views very uplifting. They give me hope that there are other thoughtful Christians out there. I think Pres. Bush will possibly go down as the worst President in US history. He’s a real piece of work and I’ve been saying this to whomever will listen for the last several years. I have always admired and respected John McCain but find I am very relieved he was not elected. There is no way I could support him with his views on the war in Iraq and his choice of Sarah Palin. What a horribly bad choice!

Obama will, I believe, bring a new kind of President to the White House. One that is very much needed in these discouraging times with the war and our economic crisis. I believe he will surround himself with intelligent, experienced, thoughtful people and I love the fact that his wife is such a great role model and intelligent thinker.
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Bill,

I agree wholeheartedly with you that God is still on the throne. However, believing that God is still on the throne does not mean that one has to celebrate the election of a person that they believe will support legislation that undermines their values. These are two different issues.

I too was moved by Obama’s election and its impact on racial issues in our nation.

I have no problem with a black man being president. Even one with the middle name “Hussein.” I’m just not that excited about this particular black man. I find it difficult to celebrate the fact that we now have the most pro-abortion President we have ever had. I’m deeply grieved by that. Yes, God is still on the throne, but that doesn’t mean I have to be excited about policy issues that are contrary to God’s Word.

I don’t know who your email was specifically aimed at. But I have to honest, to me it has a condescending, angry tone.

I have prayed for president-elect Obama every day since the election. And I have done so with sincerity, not just out of some sense of duty. I hope he has a very successful, safe term in office. However, I will continue to disagree with his pro-abortion stand and some other key policy issues, but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe God is in control.
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Bill, I don't share your enthusiasm for our next president and it has nothing to do with skin color, it’s about values. As a Christian I am grieved that our next president is not opposed to abortion ("Determining when life begins is above my pay grade") and in fact will probably get to appoint another pro-abortion supreme court justice which will ruin any chances that we might have to get Roe vs Wade overturned. He has also stated that he will support equal rights for same sex marriages which of course is in direct conflict with Scripture.

We agree on God's sovereignty. He has certainly allowed Obama to prevail in the election. But, we must remember that He also allowed pagan foreign kings to rule over his people in order that their hearts might be turned back to Him.

It is my Christian responsibility to pray for my leaders and I will be doing that, but I will be no happier that he is president that the people were when Nebuchadnezzar over ran Judah.
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Hi Bill, Thank you for your e-mail on "Is God still on the throne". I would say absolutely! Do we support President Obama, he was not our choice, but absolutely, God is solidly in control. I wouldn't presume to guess what my other Christian friends think who have their own opinions on this subject. I'm a conservative thinker politically which has little to do with my Christian belief. But I Do still have questions about President Obama, which are not just rumors, that will hopefully be answered in the future. What that will show hopefully will be good, not bad, for our country. Incidentally the color of a person's skin has nothing to do with a person's qualification for office.

Bill, I write letters to the editor from time to time in answer to people who have been very hateful toward the Bush administration for the last eight years. I have tried hard to maintain my Christian testimony throughout. And believe me it has been a real challenge. They talk a lot about how we should be more tolerant towards others but their rhetoric oozes with intolerance against those of us who think differently than they do. I find that hypocritical to say the least. In this mornings paper these same people, now that they haven't got Bush to bash anymore are starting on the Republicans. I guess that will keep me in material to write about. I just wish people would just start being civilized.

I know none of us have all the answers and are not ever going to be perfect until we get to heaven so we just have to keep our eyes on Jesus and pray that God will guide our leaders in everything they do.

In Christ love,
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Bill Bsll
11/10/2008