Change is in the Air!

Well, congratulations America!  We have a new president elect, Donald J. Trump.  Mr. Trump continued his unconventional ability to defy the odds by surprising the pollsters, the main stream media and the political establishment with an early lead as the polls on the East Coast began to close and just kept building his lead as the evening wore on.

My wife and I kept an eye on the proceedings at Fox’s Election Central throughout the evening and noticed subtle changes with the men and women reporting the night’s events.  Their emotions went from sticking to the pre-vote polls predictions, to questioning, to slight confusion as they began to admit that “he might actually take this thing,” to smiles of amazement as it began to look more certain around midnight when I finally turned off the TV in our bedroom!

When I got up at 2:30 AM a few hours later to give my wife one of her medications, I took a look at the alerts that had been accumulating on my phone and was reading them as the official call of the win by Mr. Trump was posted.  I am not sure if it all really sank in at that time since I was literally half awake while sitting in the dark on the edge of my bed.  But I as I sat there I recalled the “feeling” that I had inside of me back after the first few primary debates held months ago.

At that time I had actually been leaning toward another couple of Republican candidates, but found myself being drawn to Mr. Trump in spite of his outspoken mannerisms and bluntness!  The “feeling” came up from deep inside me and as I had told my wife, “You know, I don’t understand it but I just feel that for some reason, God has something special that He wants to do through this man.”

So I guess it was through the filter of that “feeling” from which I interpreted the rest of the campaign activities including the negativity, accusations and sometimes hasty words that he uttered as well as the positive acclamations and positive changes that I began to realize he could bring to the office of the Presidency of the United States.  I also understand that the President has to work with and through a wide array of experienced advisors, Congress, the Supreme Court and many other checks and balances before major decisions can be made (although I think that our current administration has deviated from that process to pass their agenda…).

So, yes, I am excited to see what the special things that Papa God has planned to work through the new administration beginning next year.  It seems pretty clear that even though most of the news media and the establishment politicians in both parties refused to accept it, the people of this great country of ours have spoken!  Change is in the air!  You gotta love it, don’t you?

And speaking of change… I was greatly encouraged as I was speaking the Word of God found in Mark 16:20 over Piper earlier this morning.  When I got to the part that declares the truth that “the Lord (is) working with and confirming the word with signs following” Piper clearly and rather loudly annunciated an excited “Ah Ha!” following God’s promise that He is “working with…”  It was such a natural and commonly stated past exclamation of agreement from her that I had to stop and say “Yes!  Your right, He is!” and start praising the Lord, right there in the dining room!

You have to realize that she really hasn’t said much of anything that is understandable for many months, and this outburst clearly signaled to me that she is still hearing and comprehending God’s Word and activity putting her faith to work whenever she can!

Mark 16:17 explains the workings of this part of scripture to us as Jesus plainly stated to the eleven disciples that miraculous “signs shall follow them that believe…” (KJV)  Every time I read that verse I subconsciously stop and ask myself: “follow who?” and then answer by reciting the next part of the phrase: “them that believe!”

The word “believe” as used in this statement is a verb and according to Dictionary.com “A verb is used to describe an action, it typically expresses action, state or a relation between two things.”  In this case those “2 things” would be the Christian and God and His Word.  So in order to believe, it takes an action from the believer based on their expectations of God working the promises in His Word, out of His love for them! (through Jesus’ finished work of the cross)

In other words, it is not just a head or intellectual knowledge of God and His Word but an intimate, experience based knowing of Him and His ability to do what He says He will do in His Word!  Piper’s perfectly timed comment this morning flooded my heart with thanksgiving to our heavenly Father for how much He loves my wife and I.  It is my hope today that a similar hope flowing from each of you for Papa God is also alive and very much active in your hearts and your lives today!

Change is in the air for our great country and for each of you through the Word of God today!  Never give in, and never give up in your active believing in the miraculous signs and wonders accompanying His Word that you stand on today!

Pray the Word for our new President as he shifts gears and begins to prepare himself to sit in the chair at the desk in the Oval Office.  Our prayers will help to give God the tools He can use to do His special work through the new administration.  And pray the Word over your own life so that Mark 16:20 can and will become an active part of your daily activities!

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do keep asking yourself… “Am I actively believing and thereby expecting God’s Word to be working for me today?”