GOD WILL NOT BLESS AMERICA FOR THIS!
DONALD & MELANIA TRUMP ATTEND ECUMENICAL, PAGAN "PRAYER" SERVICE AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL; AN APOSTATE TEMPLE TO MANY GODS
Trump, Pence Attend Prayer Service Featuring Muslim, Buddhist & Sikh Invocations, Liberty Univ. Praise
BY HEATHER CLARK
SEE: http://christiannews.net/2017/01/21/trump-pence-attend-prayer-service-featuring-muslim-buddhist-sikh-invocations-liberty-univ-praise/;
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence attended the traditional National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday, which featured representatives from various religions, including Islam, Sikhism and Buddhism.The gathering featured a variety of music and speakers, with prayers in the name of Jesus and songs such as “How Great Thou Art” by Marlana VanHoose and “We’ve Come This Far By Faith” by Liberty University Praise interspersed with prayers and readings from a rabbi, an imam, a Hindu priest and others.
The event was opened by Mariann Edgar Budde, the female bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.
“As we mark this moment of political transition, let us all draw strength and courage from the sacred texts and songs … from the many traditions of our land,” Budde declared.
A Navajo blessing was presented by Carlyle Begay, followed later by Todd Christopherson of the Mormon Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who read from the Book of Common Prayer, as was done during a prayer service for George Washington in 1783.
“Fill them with the love and truth of righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people, in thy fear through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with Thee, one God, world without end,” Christopherson recited.
Cantor Mikhail Manevich from Washington Hebrew Congregation recited the Jewish Sh’ma Yisrael (Hear O Israel) and the Viyahafta (You Shall Love).
Also in the first half of the service, Narayanachar Digalakota from the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Maryland presented an invocation on behalf of the Hindu religion, speaking in Sanskrit.
Sajid Tarar, the founder of Muslims for Trump, who delivered an Islamic prayer at the Republican National Convention in July, read from the Koran in Arabic, and Imam Mohamed Magid, executive director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, presented a reading as well.
“O mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you,” Magid recited.
Later in the event, Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship and the Harvest Crusades presented a prayer asking that the Armed Forces have divine protection, that diplomats would be “ambassadors of hope,” and that local governments would have the “spirit of wisdom and love, and justice and compassion.”
He was followed by Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, who implored God to protect and give courage to the nation’s first responders and police officers “that they may serve You and their neighbor.”
David Jeremiah of Shadow Mountain Community Church also provided a reading from Romans, and Ronnie Floyd, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, read from Psalm 23.
The men were followed by Jesse Singh, founder of American Sikhs for Trump, who offered a prayer first delivered by Guru Gobind Singh, who is considered the 10th Sikh master.
The event concluded with a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, led by Ramiro Pena of Christ the King Baptist Church in Waco, Texas.
Others who spoke at the service included Ian McIlraith of the Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International; Alveda King, the niece of the late Martin Luther King Jr.; Geron Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; Donald Wuerl, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, D.C.; and Cissie Graham Lynch, the granddaughter of Billy Graham.
As previously reported, services at the Washington National Cathedral following inaugural ceremonies have been a long-held American tradition, spanning more than 100 years. Barack Obama and Joe Biden likewise attended ceremonies at the cathedral featuring a number of world religions following the 2009 and 2013 inaugurations.
In 2013, the Episcopalian Cathedral announced that it would begin hosting same-sex ceremonies.
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The Washington National Cathedral is the site for the “interfaith” prayer service that is to be held the day after the inauguration. Many high profile evangelicals have been involved in the event during recent history. In 1985, Billy Graham preached a sermon at Reagan’s inaugural service. Since then, the likes of Foursquare’s Jack Hayford, Soujourners’ Jim Wallis, and North Point’s Andy Stanley have all stood on the dais.
This year will find former Southern Baptist Convention Presidents Ronnie Floyd and Jack Graham engaged in the prayer service for the newly inaugurated President. They will be joined by Greg Laurie, David Jeremiah, and a granddaughter of Billy Graham, along with the many other interfaith representatives. Jack Graham and Greg Laurie will be offering a prayer. Jeremiah and Floyd have been picked to read Scripture.
But, do you see the problem? The problem is not about praying for the new President. Scripture commands us to do that.
The preeminent problem is that those who should know better … Graham, Floyd, and Jeremiah, for example … are serving – to those who know what Scripture teaches on such matters – as a clear example of willful violation of Scriptural commands. To engage in a spiritual enterprise with non-believers is unequivocally forbidden by our God.
As a result of this intentional, willful violation of Scripture, not only will faithful, onlooking evangelical believers be served up a poor example of “situational obedience to Scripture,” so too will the unbelieving world looking on see what the God-less, Gospel-less world already thinks it sees – that all religion is the same, in just different garb, with different lingo, and with different words. The world sees a synthesis of choices that all point to “God.” It reaffirms the deception to the observant unbeliever that there are many paths up the mountain.
And this is why God has forbidden it. He is the One True, Living God. Ours is “the faith … once delivered.”
When Ronnie Floyd reads from the Bible, he’ll be following behind a
guy who may have just offered a Native American prayer to the spirit god
of the eagle. (Carlyle Begay, the Navajo Nation representative, is also an Arizona state senator, who, according to Wikipedia,
“was raised under the teachings of his ancestry, instilling in him the
importance of remembering the story of his people and carrying it on to
his descendants.”)
When
Jack Graham and Greg Laurie take their respective turns praying, they
will be following a Muslim who will have offered prayer to a false,
dangerous, demonically-conceived deity. The Apostle Paul, inspired by
the Holy Spirit, has forbidden such alliances. We are to be obedient
servants to the Word and faithful stewards of the Gospel. Inserting
that Gospel and that Word as just other options in a spiritual
enterprise where various faiths have an equal voice is not obedient and
is not faithful stewardship of the single most important Truth in the
world.
When Franklin Graham stands to pray at a political event alongside a charlatan or a rabbi, the distinction of the apostle is not precluding. An inauguration is not a spiritual enterprise. It is not a prayer event. It is a secular gathering for a secular purpose. But when a gathering is intentionally labeled as a prayer service – a purposefully spiritual endeavor – it is in clear violation to participate unless those joining in also share the same fundamental faith, “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)
Participation in such a show of unity may make for an impressive addition to one’s ministerial resume. It may enhance one’s Christian conference tour credentials. It may make access to the Oval Office more likely and it may make one’s influence in the Congressional halls of power carry a little more clout.
But what it does not do is serve as a faithful example for Scriptural obedience to the Sovereign God who commanded that such behavior not occur. It does nothing to advance the Gospel – in the event that it is even shared. Indeed, it dilutes the gospel as an also-ran among other, perhaps culturally palatable, flavors of religion.
Ours is a narrow path. Increasingly the superficial church in America is more about the sovereignty of Americanism than it is the sovereignty of God. And, correspondingly, the church has fewer and fewer leaders who will exemplify obedience to the Word. It’s far easier and far more popular to exemplify tolerance to the world, to acquiescence to calls to “co-exist,” and settle into the smorgasbord of religious ecumenism, grateful to the secular and pagan powers for a seat at the ecumenical spread.
We must not forget that never has our God needed any person or any nation to advance His agenda. Instead, by grace, He has chosen to use individuals to declare His manifest revelation to the world. He has not needed His people to forge alliances with the false gods of foreign nations to propel His mission, His Kingdom, or His Truth forth. But He has chosen us as stewards of His gospel of grace that, by our faithful proclamation of it to the nations, He might save whom He will.
When the interfaith representatives in this prayer gathering coalesce in the National Cathedral, while Ronnie Floyd puts his Bible where moments earlier a koran was placed, or when Jack Graham bows his head to pray after the spirit of the eagle may just have been summoned, they aren’t obediently representing Christ or His Church. They aren’t distinguishing Christ’s Gospel. They aren’t serving as a bold witness to His Truth, but rather, they are serving as hirelings all too eager to sing kum-bah-yah with pagans in order to achieve some temporal influence and exude some affinity for culturally-approved unity.
They will be serving as witnesses to what drives so much of the evangelical church today, not obedience to the commands of Scripture, but the illicit ambitions of “American” Christianity. But our God is not enthroned in Washington, D.C. His Gospel is not a static display in the National Archives. The faithfulness of our God is not measured in the number of conservatives in the Congress or by pro-life votes on the Supreme Court. And His Truth is never to be contaminated by engaging in spiritual endeavors with pagans and those who follow the doctrines of demons. (1 Timothy 4:1)
It’s worthwhile to recall God’s displeasure at such associations of His Holiness with pagan idolatry. Consider 1 Samuel 5:1-12
We have a God who has commanded us against such things, and He has given us a Gospel that does not unite. He has given us a Gospel which divides. (Luke 12:51) That is what we are to protect, proclaim, and obey.
‘Ecumenism For Trump’ Trumps Scriptural Commands For Key Evangelical Leaders
BY BUD AHLHEIM
SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/01/21/ecumenism-for-trump-trumps-scriptural-commands-for-key-evangelical-leaders/;
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
There’s a supplicant from the Navaho Nation. A few from the now-defunct faith of Judaism. There are Roman Catholics. There’s at least one Hindu. Mormons are represented, as are Baha’is of the United States. Islam and Sikh’s will be there. Episcopalians, Greek Orthodox, Presbyterians, independent charismatics, and Buddhism have a place in the line-up too. And, because no event of ecumenism could possibly be complete without them, so too will Southern Baptists be involved.
The Washington National Cathedral is the site for the “interfaith” prayer service that is to be held the day after the inauguration. Many high profile evangelicals have been involved in the event during recent history. In 1985, Billy Graham preached a sermon at Reagan’s inaugural service. Since then, the likes of Foursquare’s Jack Hayford, Soujourners’ Jim Wallis, and North Point’s Andy Stanley have all stood on the dais.
This year will find former Southern Baptist Convention Presidents Ronnie Floyd and Jack Graham engaged in the prayer service for the newly inaugurated President. They will be joined by Greg Laurie, David Jeremiah, and a granddaughter of Billy Graham, along with the many other interfaith representatives. Jack Graham and Greg Laurie will be offering a prayer. Jeremiah and Floyd have been picked to read Scripture.
But, do you see the problem? The problem is not about praying for the new President. Scripture commands us to do that.
The preeminent problem is that those who should know better … Graham, Floyd, and Jeremiah, for example … are serving – to those who know what Scripture teaches on such matters – as a clear example of willful violation of Scriptural commands. To engage in a spiritual enterprise with non-believers is unequivocally forbidden by our God.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light
with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does
a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of
God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
We don’t get to make the rules on this. God does – and has. We are
not to ferret out “exception” clauses from Scripture that allow for
professing believers to join hands with professing unbelievers in an
intentional spiritual endeavor. There are no “exception” clauses.
There’s no “well, it’s America” clause that justifies it. There is no
“it’s an honor for us to be notably featured” clause that permits it.
There is no “we’ll get to speak to Truth” clause that allows it. There
is no “Trump” clause that allows these high-profile evangelical leaders
to “trump” what Scripture teaches and clearly forbids.As a result of this intentional, willful violation of Scripture, not only will faithful, onlooking evangelical believers be served up a poor example of “situational obedience to Scripture,” so too will the unbelieving world looking on see what the God-less, Gospel-less world already thinks it sees – that all religion is the same, in just different garb, with different lingo, and with different words. The world sees a synthesis of choices that all point to “God.” It reaffirms the deception to the observant unbeliever that there are many paths up the mountain.
And this is why God has forbidden it. He is the One True, Living God. Ours is “the faith … once delivered.”
“When Paul then says, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers,” he is calling for separation…listen carefully…at the religious level. That’s what he means. At the spiritual level. He’s talking about in a spiritual enterprise. You can’t…you can’t play with false religion. You can’t yoke up true teachers and false teachers. You can’t take true Christianity and link it to a false, damnable demonic lie. You can’t do that. You have to separate yourself from all of that. ” John MacArthur (Source)
What he is saying is you cannot link up with unbelievers in religious causes or religious enterprises. You cannot go to their worship and become a part of it; you can’t make them a part of the kingdom of God. You can’t engage them in anything that involves ministry, teaching, or worship. Where there is ministry, teaching, and worship there has to be absolute separation.” John MacArthur (Source)
Former SBC President Ronnie Floyd
When
Jack Graham and Greg Laurie take their respective turns praying, they
will be following a Muslim who will have offered prayer to a false,
dangerous, demonically-conceived deity. The Apostle Paul, inspired by
the Holy Spirit, has forbidden such alliances. We are to be obedient
servants to the Word and faithful stewards of the Gospel. Inserting
that Gospel and that Word as just other options in a spiritual
enterprise where various faiths have an equal voice is not obedient and
is not faithful stewardship of the single most important Truth in the
world.When Franklin Graham stands to pray at a political event alongside a charlatan or a rabbi, the distinction of the apostle is not precluding. An inauguration is not a spiritual enterprise. It is not a prayer event. It is a secular gathering for a secular purpose. But when a gathering is intentionally labeled as a prayer service – a purposefully spiritual endeavor – it is in clear violation to participate unless those joining in also share the same fundamental faith, “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)
Participation in such a show of unity may make for an impressive addition to one’s ministerial resume. It may enhance one’s Christian conference tour credentials. It may make access to the Oval Office more likely and it may make one’s influence in the Congressional halls of power carry a little more clout.
But what it does not do is serve as a faithful example for Scriptural obedience to the Sovereign God who commanded that such behavior not occur. It does nothing to advance the Gospel – in the event that it is even shared. Indeed, it dilutes the gospel as an also-ran among other, perhaps culturally palatable, flavors of religion.
Ours is a narrow path. Increasingly the superficial church in America is more about the sovereignty of Americanism than it is the sovereignty of God. And, correspondingly, the church has fewer and fewer leaders who will exemplify obedience to the Word. It’s far easier and far more popular to exemplify tolerance to the world, to acquiescence to calls to “co-exist,” and settle into the smorgasbord of religious ecumenism, grateful to the secular and pagan powers for a seat at the ecumenical spread.
We must not forget that never has our God needed any person or any nation to advance His agenda. Instead, by grace, He has chosen to use individuals to declare His manifest revelation to the world. He has not needed His people to forge alliances with the false gods of foreign nations to propel His mission, His Kingdom, or His Truth forth. But He has chosen us as stewards of His gospel of grace that, by our faithful proclamation of it to the nations, He might save whom He will.
When the interfaith representatives in this prayer gathering coalesce in the National Cathedral, while Ronnie Floyd puts his Bible where moments earlier a koran was placed, or when Jack Graham bows his head to pray after the spirit of the eagle may just have been summoned, they aren’t obediently representing Christ or His Church. They aren’t distinguishing Christ’s Gospel. They aren’t serving as a bold witness to His Truth, but rather, they are serving as hirelings all too eager to sing kum-bah-yah with pagans in order to achieve some temporal influence and exude some affinity for culturally-approved unity.
They will be serving as witnesses to what drives so much of the evangelical church today, not obedience to the commands of Scripture, but the illicit ambitions of “American” Christianity. But our God is not enthroned in Washington, D.C. His Gospel is not a static display in the National Archives. The faithfulness of our God is not measured in the number of conservatives in the Congress or by pro-life votes on the Supreme Court. And His Truth is never to be contaminated by engaging in spiritual endeavors with pagans and those who follow the doctrines of demons. (1 Timothy 4:1)
It’s worthwhile to recall God’s displeasure at such associations of His Holiness with pagan idolatry. Consider 1 Samuel 5:1-12
When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.Authentic believers in the God of His Word realize that we must pray for our leaders. (2 Timothy 2:1-2) We must daily intercede for their salvation, for their wisdom, and for their pursuit of godly justice. But we must never sacrifice the preeminence of our God, His Word, or His Gospel by presuming to place it alongside the Dagons of America in the pursuit of the American dream or “interfaith” unity.
The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 1 Samuel 5:1-6
The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. 1 Samuel 5:12
We have a God who has commanded us against such things, and He has given us a Gospel that does not unite. He has given us a Gospel which divides. (Luke 12:51) That is what we are to protect, proclaim, and obey.
“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” Jesus, Luke 12:51
To be sure, we will not unite by temporal
efforts in a secularly-sanctioned event what Christ and His Gospel
intend to divide. Neither should we try.
