Where Do We Go From Here? Day 1 - Rejoice!

Where Do We Go From Here?
(An Open Letter to Christians After the Election)
Day 1 – Rejoice!

It is November 7th, 2012.  We have a president who was duly elected by the process we agree to as a nation.  That president is Barak Obama, who will now serve his second term as our president (note the word “our”).  For some reason (probably because I’m a pastor and I’m used to caring for God’s sheep) I feel the need to share with the body of Christ for the next couple of days.  The question I would like to address is this, “Where do we go from here?”

First of all, I want to quote a Psalm God reminded me of as I met with a couple of men to pray this morning.  If you don’t mind, I’d like to quote it in context. 

The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.  This is the LORD'S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.  This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:22-24

As I quoted this in my mind, I only quoted verse 24 – which was enough this morning.  Go ahead and say the last verse to yourself – loudly.  THIS is the day – November 7 – which the Lord has made!  I will (choose) to rejoice and be glad in it!  That should be our heart – regardless of whether your human guy won or not.  God gave us another day – that is an act of sheer mercy when you understand the holiness of God.  Therefore we should rejoice and be glad in the day He gave us!  Not even Al Gore can give us a day – therefore we should never take one of these things for granted.  If you have another day to live – God gave that to you!  Don’t waste it – live it to the full for the glory of God and the advance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Take a look now at this verse in context.  I was not aware of the context until I looked it up in my Bible.  “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.  This is the LORD'S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.”  Those two verses took my breath away this afternoon.  Who is this stone Who has become the chief cornerstone?  It is a prophecy of Jesus Christ.  It is a reminder to me that the only thing that will stand in the end is not whether a Democrat or Republican won the 2012 Presidential election.  On that day both Romney, President Obama, and everyone who voted (and even those who did not) will be on their knees before the Ultimate Ruler.  Why can I rejoice and be glad in the day God gave me?  Because this day, as well as every other one that has ever been has been (and will be) built on that Cornerstone – Jesus Christ.

God says to us in His Word, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”  The election yesterday (and every other one before it) was man’s doing.  It was men making a choice of their leader – good or bad.  But the Gospel is God’s doing!  There will be an end to any President’s term of service.  There will NOT be an end to the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ!  It is an everlasting kingdom that will endure forever.  It is a kingdom not based on race, color, or creed – not based on political party – and not based on endless political commercials.  It is a kingdom paid for by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ – and it is one given to men on the basis of grace.  Anyone who comes in repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can come.  Oh, and by the way, this does not come up for a vote every four years.  God has done it – He has sealed it – and the resurrection of Jesus Christ put a divine exclamation mark on it for all time. 

Saints of God – whether you lost or won yesterday – your future is not based on a Presidential election.  It is based on that rejected Stone becoming the Cornerstone!  This should be “marvelous in our eyes.”  So let me ask a question:  Is it marvelous in your eyes?  If it is not – I bet you are not rejoicing in this day either?  Guess what!?  You can wake up every day and rejoice, if this is your focus.  For too long we’ve allowed the specter of an election to cloud our view of the glory of God’s Gospel.  Take your eyes off the things of this world – and look full into the face of glory!  Fix your eyes on a Savior Who endured the cross – Who was buried – and Who resurrected the third day to bring a joy into our hearts that cannot be dimmed by a mere mortal election. 

Where do we go from here?  We go back to the Gospel of Jesus Christ – back to the Rejected Stone Who became the Cornerstone.  We go to Him because that is where we should have been all along.  We go to Him because the future that is truly going to matter is the one we spend in His presence for all eternity.  We go because in His light we see light.  We go because we need to make a serious decision whether our joy is going to based on the kingdoms of this world – or – on the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.  Where do we go from here?  We rejoice – today – and every day God gives us in the future.  We do so because God in His mercy has redeemed us – has saved us – and has called us to a heavenly calling.  Live for that kingdom and for that calling!  

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