Monday, September 24, 2012

Why Obama will win in 2012 and What People of the Bible should do about it

Before we get to the reason why I believe Obama will be re-elected, let me see if I can bring you into my perspective on the state of the human mind when it comes to change of direction.

People change their direction/mind when they are open to change of direction/mind.  What opens their minds?  Glad you asked....

1. They are STUCK because they are looking at a situation from a wrong point of view
3. They are SUFFERING the consequences of bad decisions

For an example of this, let look at the story of the prodigal son from the Bible.

 The Parable of the Lost Son


Luke 15:11-32 

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

1. Entitlement
What we see in this passage is a classic example of a young man who, though extremely blessed, feels like he is being cheated and thus boldly demands more.

The first reason I believe Obama will be elected to a second term in office is because the majority of Americans, though in the top 1% of the richest people in the world, still have a poverty mindset.  No matter how rich we are, we as a nation feel like we are entitled to more.  Not only that, but we feel that getting "more" will actually make us happier.

Sadly, the entitlement that FDR set in place has grown in subsequent generations and is not one of the factors that will cause us to change our thinking.  The young man did not "self-check" his entitlement.

2. Need
So the boy parties like a white house staffer in Columbia until he runs out of OPM. (other people's money)

Though one would think that "Need" would turn our nation back, and cause us to change our minds and actions, it is not the strong medicine that we demand.  Our nation is sick with sin and self, and running out of money is simply a symptom of our disease.  Treating the symptom through stimulus, or other trick may hold off the fever, but will not remove the infection.

3. Worldly Solution
Unfortunately, this young man did what most anybody would do who finds himself in a situation like this.  He gets a j-o-b.  On the surface, this seems like reform, and is what most of us would feel like a step in the right direction.  But he has not yet hit bottom.

We do this when we turn to the world and its leaders for a solution to our problem.  Make no doubt, the boy's problem was not that he was out of money, it was because he was in rebellion from his father.  The turn to the citizen of that country was not a step in the direction of repentance, but a desire to continue to fund the rebellion.

One of the major reasons we will see Obama in the White House yet again is that there is no indication of any intention on the part of our nation to admit our rebellion against God.

4. Senses
The first six words of verse 17 are some of my favorites in all of the Bible.  "When he came to his senses..."
This is the point of change.  This is the place we will have to be before we elect a different type of leader.

People will NOT change their minds until they are 1. STUCK, and are 2. SUFFERING the consequences of their decisions.  America is not stuck, and we do not even know the meaning of the word suffering.

REACTION:
So what are people of the Bible to do about our brothers that are partying away the inheritance?

1. Keep Doing the Father's Work
As far as I can tell from scripture, neither the father nor the brother ever made any attempts to rescue the brother.  They did not send him nasty emails, or have an intervention.  They knew that efforts of that kind were premature.  They stayed focused on the Father's work.

2. Stop Complaining
One of the saddest things in this story is that, after all is said and done, the one good son complains.  Losing perspective, he actually becomes jealous of his emaciated, gaunt brother.  You never threw a party for me....

3. Accept Your Inheritance
The Father tells the son, "everything I have is yours."  For People of the Bible, we need to remember that we are not citizens of this country and even the best country BBQ does not compare to what our Father has for us.  Let's keep working until our Father calls us home.