When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword"; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. --- Isaiah 1:15-20
"Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.” --- Jeremiah 7:16
Controversy has swirled around the forthcoming inauguration of President-Elect B. Hussein Obama on January 20, 2009 for a number of reasons.
One, it will not be a cheap party with millions of dollars needed to pay all expenses at a time when the U. S. economy is in what could be accurately described as a “grave yard spiral.”. His new Cadillac limousine from bailed out General Motors has underscored how extravagant the trappings of the U. S. presidency have become. What is wrong with continuing to use the 2006 model which can’t have all that many miles on it? By the way, that new Cadillac is about as attractive as a warthog with a bunch of festering sores covering its body!
Second, since Mr. Obama announced that Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback mega-church, will give the invocation, many shots have been fired from just about every quarter. Part of it is due to the fact that Warren attempts to be identified as “evangelical.” The same-sex crowd is also upset with Ricky because of the Proposition 8 war in California’s November election and his stated position on such at the time.
He did acquire an even higher level of fame when he hosted a political forum at Saddleback and asked Barack Obama and John McCain questions which were supposed to deal with faith related issues of some kind or other. Time Magazine later had his picture on the cover of one of its issues noting that he was the “most powerful pastor” in the United States. That of course is open to question, especially when such an assessment comes from those who are a part of today’s mainstream media.
It will be interesting to see what will be contained within that petition as God is urged to bless the new administration as those who are a part of it take on their constitutionally sworn responsibilities. Further, just how will this petition be concluded – Franklin Graham was one who really took hits when he concluded the invocation at an earlier inauguration by mentioning Jesus Christ.
It is really quite stupid to entertain the idea that Jesus Christ should not be mentioned on such an occasion since He is the One Who created this mighty universe, He is the One Who sacrificed His life to redeem every single human being (including presidents and kings) from sin, He is the One Who is scheduled to return to this world and take absolute control of it, He is the One before Whom every single one of us (including presidents and kings) will stand to be judged and He is the One Who will determine our eternal destiny, which will either be Heaven or a devil’s Hell!
It is futile to pray for the blessing of God to be upon an administration which is as pro-death as the one about to govern beginning January 20, 2009. Since the incoming leadership sanctions the deaths of thousands of unborn children every week, there is no way God will grant blessings and favor. The reason is simple – He identifies those unborn victims before their conception in the womb and has a purpose for them -- when you intentionally short-circuit the purposes of Almighty God you cannot expect special blessings and favor from Him until some drastic changes are made.
Stop and think for a moment – suppose a violent criminal is about to kill a small child, but before he does so, he pauses for a moment and prays that God will bless him in the act he is about to do – does the Almighty smile and say, “That’s fine my son – go ahead – you have my blessing!” How about connecting the incoming administration with a “doctor” who before destroying an unborn child says, “God, please bless me in the act I am about to perform.” – will the blessing of God be granted, and since the administration is on record as supporting this abomination along with wanting to remove any restrictions that would hinder such actions in the future, will God also bless the administration abundantly? What say you?
Ricky certainly has a big challenge as he stands on a platform in Washington DC on January 20, 2009 during the noon hour!
And now, a word of caution -- try to avoid falling into the trap as many within church circles have been doing these days, adopting the attitude that writings of the Old Testament prophets have absolutely nothing to do with what is going on in the United States or throughout the world at the present time. Read carefully the statements from the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah at the beginning and the closing of these comments. We may not like it, but they are actually more up to date than today’s newspaper! It is simply a matter of time until that is confirmed!
Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity. No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. they trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. They hatch vipers' eggs and weave the spider's web; he who eats of their eggs dies, and from that which is crushed a viper breaks out. Their webs will not become garments, nor will they cover themselves with their works; their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace. --- Isaiah 59:1-8
"Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble. --- Jeremiah 11:14
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