Can Ricky Really Invoke the Blessing of God Upon the B.O. Administration on January 20, 2009?

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

Want to Fix the Country? Only One Place Where It Must Start!

Can They Reach a Deal? Bush presses lawmakers to move quickly on stalled economic bailout plan – stocks fall as bailout talks break down – WaMu seized, assets sold --- Internet headlines on September 26, 2008

O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. --- Jeremiah 10:23

As of this writing the first effort to reach a “deal” on the 700 billion dollar bailout of those institutions going under for the deadly third time has failed. The president assembled a host of leaders including the major party candidates for president in an attempt to get those billions rolling, but to no avail.

There was no end to the financial “arm chair quarterbacks” and their “expert” comments as to how it should be done as exhibited on cable news channels and sound bites on major network news programs.

So, since “arm chair quarterbacking” is in vogue at the present moment, how about adding one more – a Clarion County PA farm boy who lives out in the sticks – and who never served as a congressman, or a CEO or achieved the distinguished status of a bishop in a mainline denomination, or a district superintendent in the same, or even as a senior pastor of a church with a few thousand members!

Understand that this “formula” for fixing the country has not really been mentioned in all those discussions taking place among the powerful and wealthy leaders of our republic. Rest assured that this "formula" will deliberately be avoided even more so than exposure to the dreaded Bubonic Plague! Leaders in all fields of responsibility want absolutely nothing to do with the necessary action that has to be taken to restore this nation to what it needs to be and must be if it is going to survive!

But let’s mention it anyway – I do so in part in order to fulfill responsibility which I have in regard to the call Jesus Christ has given me and also that nobody will be able to say, “No one said anything about getting things set right with Almighty God.” As an aside, there are personal letters sent to the president, elected officials, media people and church leaders on an ongoing basis which focus on this issue.

In order for this nation to recover from the deadly *“graveyard spiral” in which it presently finds itself, both governing officials and church leaders will have to issue a loud and clear call that the entire nation will have to do something – this action must be top priority, even beyond the 700 billion dollars which has been the focus of attention for days.

*"graveyard spiral" - a term I learned from a friend who was a commercial pilot all his life and it applies to an aircraft spinning out of control with no recovery possible -- end result is a deadly crash!

A nationwide call to repentance from sin must be jointly issued by those who occupy positions of power, wealth and influential leadership. Citizens must respond and also personally pray for God to extend mercy and forgiveness.

Best example as well as words which can be repeated are found in Daniel 9 in Old Testament Scriptures:

Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day; to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such never has been done as what has been done to Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth." --- Daniel 9:3-13

It’s about as plain as it could ever be stated, is it not? But there is a problem – first, too many don’t even want to consider what God wants, much less converse with Him about our national sin problems! Leadership too often is hung up on pride and that never permits one to be honest in admitting to ethical, moral and spiritual failure.

And we are unwilling to make a break with our pet sins – not just on the personal level, but just as critical, on the corporate level!

Here’s how it works – either we as a nation do confess and repent of our sins, or we continue to invite God’s chastising actions as we are now experiencing them and then His devastating judgments, if the chastising times do not produce the desired results!

Do you want the country “fixed?” Have you been talking to Almighty God about it? Or have you been deceived into thinking we humans can fix everything by ourselves, relying on our own abilities and resources?

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. --- Psalm 32:1-7