Barack Obama

David James

Equipping Pastors International

As I was traveling in Cairo a few weeks ago something strange happened that caught me off guard. Security was relatively high in the city due to a terrorist bombing that took place just a few days earlier in the Khan el-Khalili market. This was compounded by another incident involving a Muslim man stabbing an American  just a few days later in the same place.

As we went from place to place there were check points, and metal detectors, and requests for identification. All of this was fairly routine and to be expected due to the circumstances. I was traveling with two Egyptian companions who, at each security post, were always thoroughly questioned, asked to show their identification, and subjected to body searches. 

On one occasion when I was following my Egyptian friends through a security check they went through the usual procedures as mentioned above. As I approached the security check myself, I was not subjected to any of the same treatment. Just before I walked through the metal detector I reached for my passport in my back pocket, but before I could pull it out the head of the security team said, Barack Obama and waved me through without having to show my identification or being subjected to a search. 

I was stunned.

The popularity of President Barack Obama was never high among conservative Christians in America, and it has been falling rapidly. Yet in North Africa and the Middle East his popularity remains very high.

However, I'm not so much interested in what Americans think about our 44th president. I'm not even concerned with sharing my political views at this time. What I am desirous  of is convincing conservative Christians that the most important thing for us is how we can capitalize on the popularity of this president overseas (especially in Arabic speaking nations). 

As Americans we are not wrong to be concerned about America, but as Christians we are obligated to be more concerned about the advance of the kingdom. We must always look at these things providentially. God has put this man in power at this time in our history. 

Why? 

So Christians in America can rally together between now and the next election in order to get their guy in the Oval Office? I'm afraid that's all the foresight many of my friends and colleagues have. 

What if, providentially, God put this president in office so that what is bad for America is good for the gospel and the kingdom (especially in Arabic speaking nations). Remember, the spread of the gospel in the first few centuries was made possible by an imperial superpower that shared none of our Christian values. 

At Equipping Pastors International we believe that, in God's providence, the time may be right for the gospel to spread throughout North Africa and the Middle East. It may be that what is bad for America is actually good for gospel and the advance of the kingdom in Arabic speaking nations. Please join us in this mission.