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Red Envelope Project: A Futile Attempt to Change Obama’s Heart
I’m not against Christians being involved in politics, far from it. But this latest project driven no doubt by well-meaning people is simply unbiblical, it is absurd, and it is futile.
The Red Envelope Project is a waste of time if the intent is to “change the Presidents heart” as said by the projects founder, Christ Otto. (online source)
According to this morning’s news on WND, over a million red envelopes arrived at the White House.
Now folks, listen to me please. A million red envelopes may serve a political purpose of making a statement that you are against abortion. Great. Make that statement. But if anyone thinks for a second that a million red envelopes is going to change Barack Obama’s heart, then with all due respect, and with all the love I can muster, wake up. Read your bible. Re-evaluate your understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Even if you sent a trillion red envelopes to the White House, it would not change the Presidents heart. If, by some miracle, and it would be, the President did change his stance and agenda on abortion, I imagine it would most likely be for political expediency, and not because his heart had been changed.
No one and nothing can change the Presidents heart apart from the sovereign working of the Holy Spirit of Almighty God. Period.
Please stop this nonsense. You have better things to do with your time and money than send a million red envelopes to the White House so you can feel better about not personally taking part in the great commission.
What is needed, in the end, is not more red envelopes or some other grass-roots movement to catch fire and pressure the White House to ‘change’.
What we need is to have someone with a high view of God, who fears God more than man, who has God as the desire of his heart, and the only motivation for his living, to walk into the White House, raise the Word of God high, and declare to the President that the Word of God has more authority than any leader on this earth, including the President of the United States, and demand before God that the President submit to that authority, and bow the knee, now, before it is too late.
What President Barack Obama needs is not more red envelopes or anything of that ilk. What he needs is to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
– JT
5 Pt. Salt 
I do not think a red envelope, or a trillion red envelopes will change the President’s heart. However, there might be an impact on someone in the line of people who are handling the red envelopes. At the very least, they are a memorial for the lives lost due to abortion even if the President stands like Pharoah with coldness and hardness of heart. It’s a silent cry to “let the babies live…” I believe it’s a warning to Obama that God will judge him. Just an opinion, and I do not think I am an authority on things by any means. I appreciate what you are saying here, I do believe Obama needs to hear the gospel again (I’m sure he’s heard it before). All in all, I think we have to do something about the issue of murder, and this is a form of protest that really isn’t hurting anyone. I have a pair of friends who sadly aborted a very sick 18 week old baby, and I mourned that act. I will send an envelope in that baby’s memory as well as one in memory of a baby my husband and I offered to take if a young woman would just agree not to abort. For me, it’s a memorial for the lives lost. The truth was shared in both situations. I will also still pray Obama will repent. If I get the chance, and God knows if I will or not, I will let him know he needs to examine himself and repent of his sins (just as all of us should).
I agree that this campaign is totally incapable of changing Obama’s heart. I sent a red envelope – with slightly different wording – as part of a political campaign based on a moral issue. Justice for innocents is a valid goal, though we ought not neglect to pray for God to intervene with Obama, as He has done with Abimelech, Nebuchadnezzar and others – perhaps to even redeem Obama.
I pray we who participate in political campaigns never allow them to displace our proper first priority – to glorify God in all we think, say, and do.
Amen. Again, I’m not against political participation. But when a project is designed specifically to ‘change the presidents heart’, come on, someone’s truth is askew!
Maybe I’m a dreamer, but I believe in the power of prayer and I pray believing that God will answer my prayer. I believe often the biggest thing stopping the hand of God is our own disbelief that it is possible. The only thing people seem to want to believe is that the only thing we need is a new leader.
My God is capable of moving mountains so jackhammering a stone heart for the voiceless is a piece of cake.
I completely agree that red envelopes (even with a message about abortion on the back) will not change the president’s heart. Just like you said, he must repent of who he is and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Very valid point! That is why all of those who have already repented and are believers need to be pouring out their hearts in prayer for our president’s salvation. Then, if it’s God’s will, God will soften Obama’s heart and bring him to true repentance. That’s the one and only way Obama’s heart will be changed – by an act of God.
In addition, even though we can’t change his heart, we might could change his mind. =) Ultimately, that’s in God’s hands, too. But, God, by His sovereign hand, might be using this red envelope project to convince President Obama that he should not pass the Freedom of Choice Act. Just maybe. I’m praying for it to.
Well my RED ENVELOPE was sent with a very powerful prayer for our President. I prayed for a Godly person to lead him and his family to Christ. I didn’t think he would look at all the red envelopes and change his ‘mind’. I am a Christian, and an American, I vote and am responsible to spread the word of God. Americans do care on the deepest of levels about our leaders faith (or lack of), I joined with others, and sent a statement. I will not give up, I will continue to vote, and I will continue to pray for this country.
I have to say, if you REALLY want to see a Godly individual walk through the White House doors, it won’t be if you vote for one of the two parties that have gotten us further and further away from God.
We can’t get more ungodly leadership than what we have now (Although we are sinning if we do not pray for their salvation, “Pray for those who are in leadership over you”.) so the old adage a vote for a third party is a vote for the democrat is no longer one that is going to wash. As a christian, it is a sin to NOT vote for the most Godly person running.
I, for one, think that this may have been one of the last times we will have the opportunities to vote. Those that saw the formation of Israel are getting older, which means the generation that “saw” it are going to be dying off soon, Jesus’ promise to come before that generation ceases is still valid. We are seeing a one world currency being discussed, we are seeing the false religion being set up, you know, the one that is headed and was started by “The Prophet” and which beheads those who convert to Christianity (and I saw those who were beheaded for the cause of Christ) and is called “the religion of peace” (peace, peace, but there is no peace), and we have seen “The One” whom the whole world loves, come on the scene.
One day, the Anti-Christ WILL show up, one day those who actually believe in Jesus will be few (would he find faith in the world?), one day Jesus will come for his faithful.
You must be all hyper-calvinists. If God is all-powerfull, and I know He is, and He is in complete control, then how can the Great Commission be Biblical? He would not need us to do anything…so why did He tell us to go and tell and baptize? One friend of mine once explained to me that on the cross, Jesus bought all the souls of His elect. Then, in the Great Commission, He said to the disciples, which means us too, ” They’re Mine. Go get them for Me!” No, we cannot change the heart of the President, or anyone else for that matter, but just as God USED a storm to throw Jonah into the sea, as He USED a big fish to swallow him up, and He USED a plant to protect him from the sun, and He USED Paul of the New testament to tell many of the Gospel, and just as he USED Judas Iscariot to turn Jesus over to the Sanhedrin, He can use an empty envelope to change the heart of the President! God loves for us to see His mighty deeds- the whole Bible is filled with the many out-of-the-ordinary circumstances that God has ordained for His glory…why can He not USE an envelope? We as Christians need to let our voices be heard about what is right, and what is wrong. If we do not, but blend in with the rest of the world, we are no different than the people who heartly support abortion! In this case, slence is just as bad as agreement. We need to speak out, and live in the way that we have been called to!!
Call me crazy, but I think we should love one another and stop bashing this idea. If you recall, symbolism and imagery is used throughout the entire Bible. Jesus spoke in parables for instance. Think about all the crazy things Ezekiel and other people of God did that changed lives and even changed God’s mind. God is very visual, as well as verbal. True, God is the only one who can change ANYONE’S heart, but does that mean we should stop trying to reach/reach out to people and only pray in silence in our rooms? Just think about all the other people who will be influenced by this act. Maybe we should consider this a seed of faith planted in the hearts of many and pray for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If we stop “doing” our faith will die. Jesus told us to go ye therefore, not sit ye therefore. We NEED to pray, but it’s a proven fact that people, esp. men, are very visual creatures and we retain more when we SEE something. God bless you all!
Kerri,
Thanks for your comment. You’re absolutely right, we should continue to pray and love one another. My only point in the article was to point out the absurdity of the originator’s intention. Christ Otto’s intention was not merely to ‘change Obama’s mind’ but to change his heart. That was my main point.
I am not against anyone sending a red envelope to the White House, or being involved in political activity, again, far from it. We absolutely should make our voices heard against the atrocities of abortion, and yes, we should let Obama know we do not support nor condone his position. I was merely trying to point out the fact that often times, people not only confuse being conservative with being christian, but also see acts like the ‘Red Envelope Project’ as a substitute for taking part in the Great Comission, and make no mistake, many do try and ease their consciences by taking part in such ‘projects’.
I don’t bash the idea of sending red envelopes to the White House. I bash the idea that doing so can change a man’s heart. That’s it.
God Bless,
Joel
Thank you for clearing that up. Your point was not as clear as that when you made your first comment as you stated the whole project is futile and nonsense. How do you know that the people are using the project as a substitute for the great commission? Would that be judging?
Actually, I tried my best to make it clear. I said, as I wrote, that it is futile and nonsense IF the intention and object is to change Obama’s heart.
Joel
All righty then… but there still are people who do it for the right reason. Your point, which is true, got lost in my reading of the large amount of verbiage you used after the “if”. I am sorry for misinterpreting your point and I hope everyone who reads this will pray for our President everyday no matter what we say in a blog!
Amen!
Amen! And yes, our President needs our prayers everyday! In fact, I think it’s wrong for us to say anythng negative towards him, if we have not first prayed for the man. It is hypocritical!