Description: A pair of radical Columbia University professors by the name of Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven wrote an article in the radical magazine known as The Nation. The article was published on May 2, 1966 and laid out what is now known as the "Cloward-Piven Strategy". The plan calls for the destruction of capitalism in America by swelling the welfare rolls to the point of collapsing our economy and then implementing socialism by nationalizing many private institutions.
Cloward and Piven studied Saul Alinsky just like Hillary Clinton and President Obama. Listen as Brannon and his guest James Simpson explain how Cloward and Piven inspired the creation of ACORN that Obama worked for as a community organizer. This interview must be e-mailed all over the country. Americans must awaken and understand the goal of these radicals and what is to come if they succeed. Time is of the essence. Obama is not over his head as some have claimed; he knows exactly what he is doing. Understand the Cloward-Piven Strategy, the rules of Saul Alinsky and their Cultural Marxist worldview and you will understand that what is occurring is not by mistake.
This is how a genuine minister of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ speaks to its nations leaders. With biblical truth, authority, grace, respect, charity, and conviction. Are you listening Pastor Warren?
Here is a list of past Inauguration Prayers dated from present back to FDR. It is an interesting read to view the content of each of the prayers.
In like manner, Dan Phillips at Pyromaniacs had an excellent idea by inviting some Christian leaders to post what they would pray if asked to do so; or if they would even agree to do so given the current controversy surrounding President-elect Obama's inauguration. Only two have responded so far: Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile and Dr. John Frame with hopefully more to come.
Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile gives some very helpful and practical content and conviction counsel if he were asked to pray. He would "pray through the gospel." I really appreciate that. Dr. Frame responded with more the generic typical content that has marked most of the past inauguration prayers. Needless to say, the call to repentance for our nation and its leaders should mark an inauguration prayer this week. However, as Dr. Frame's prayer typifies, most evangelical leaders today lack the courage and spiritual conviction to risk name, station in life, and platform for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel.
One thing that is vitally important, our nation needs much prayer; our leaders need much prayer; and the church in America needs prayer for revival and Reformation. Amen?
The Cross Waves Higher Than the Flag, Steve 1 Tim. 2:1-4
This is simply the best commentary I have read all day from any journalist or Christian leader.
May I commend highly your heart and mind to the lucid and circumspect words of Dr. Al Mohler. Read it carefully, thoughtfully, thoroughly, and biblically.
The election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States came as a bang, not a whimper. The tremors had been perceptible for days, maybe even weeks. On Tuesday, America experienced nothing less than a political and cultural earthquake.
The margin of victory for the Democratic ticket was clear. Americans voted in record numbers and with tangible enthusiasm. By the end of the day, it was clear that Barack Obama would be elected with a majority of the popular vote and a near landslide in the Electoral College. When President-Elect Obama greeted the throngs of his supporters in Chicago's Grant Park, he basked in the glory of electoral energy.
For many of us, the end of the night brought disappointment. In this case, the disappointment is compounded by the sense that the issues that did not allow us to support Sen. Obama are matters of life and death -- not just political issues of heated debate. Furthermore, the margin of victory and sense of a shift in the political landscape point to greater disappointments ahead. We all knew that so much was at stake.
For others, the night was magical and momentous. Young and old cried tears of amazement and victory as America elected its first African-American President -- and elected him overwhelmingly. Just forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, an African-American stood to claim victory as President-Elect of the nation. As Sen. Obama assured the crowd in Chicago and the watching nation, "We will get there. We will get there." No one hearing those words could fail to hear the refrain of plaintive words spoken in Memphis four decades ago. President-Elect Obama would stand upon the mountaintop that Dr. King had foreseen.
That victory is a hallmark moment in history for all Americans -- not just for those who voted for Sen. Obama. As a nation, we will never think of ourselves the same way again. Americans rich and poor, black and white, old and young, will look to an African-American man and know him as President of the United States. The President. The only President. The elected President. Our President.
Every American should be moved by the sight of young African-Americans who -- for the first time -- now believe that they have a purchase in American democracy. Old men and old women, grandsons and granddaughters of slaves and slaveholders, will look to an African-American as President.
Regardless of politics, could anyone remain unmoved by the sight of Jesse Jackson crying alone amidst the crowd in Chicago? This dimension of Election Day transcends politics and touches the heart of the American people.
Yet, the issues and the politics remain. Given the scale of the Democratic victory, the political landscape will be completely reshaped. The fight for the dignity and sanctity of unborn human beings has been set back by a great loss, and by the election of a President who has announced his intention to sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law. The struggle to protect marriage against its destruction by redefinition is now complicated by the election of a President who has declared his aim to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. On issue after issue, we face a longer, harder, and more protracted struggle than ever before.
Still, we must press on as advocates for the unborn, for the elderly, for the infirm, and for the vulnerable. We must redouble our efforts to defend marriage and the integrity of the family. We must be vigilant to protect religious liberty and the freedom of the pulpit. We face awesome battles ahead.
At the same time, we must be honest and recognize that the political maps are being redrawn before our eyes. Will the Republican Party decide that conservative Christians are just too troublesome for the party and see the pro-life movement as a liability? There is the real danger that the Republicans, stung by this defeat, will adopt a libertarian approach to divisive moral issues and show conservative Christians the door.
Others will declare these struggles over, arguing that the election of Sen. Obama means that Americans in general -- and many younger Evangelicals in particular -- are ready to "move on" to other issues. This is no time for surrender or the abandonment of our core principles. We face a much harder struggle ahead, but we have no right to abandon the struggle.
We should look for opportunities to work with the new President and his administration where we can. We must hope that he will lead and govern as the bridge-builder he claimed to be in his campaign. We must confront and oppose the Obama administration where conscience demands, but work together where conscience allows.
Evangelical Christians face another challenge with the election of Sen. Obama, and a failure to rise to this challenge will bring disrepute upon the Gospel, as well as upon ourselves. There must be absolutely no denial of the legitimacy of President-Elect Obama's election and no failure to accord this new President the respect and honor due to anyone elected to that high office. Failure in this responsibility is disobedience to a clear biblical command.
Beyond this, we must commit ourselves to pray for this new President, for his wife and family, for his administration, and for the nation. We are commanded to pray for rulers, and this new President faces challenges that are not only daunting but potentially disastrous. May God grant him wisdom. He and his family will face new challenges and the pressures of this office. May God protect them, give them joy in their family life, and hold them close together.
We must pray that God will protect this nation even as the new President settles into his role as Commander in Chief, and that God will grant peace as he leads the nation through times of trial and international conflict and tension.
We must pray that God would change President-Elect Obama's mind and heart on issues of our crucial concern. May God change his heart and open his eyes to see abortion as the murder of the innocent unborn, to see marriage as an institution to be defended, and to see a host of issues in a new light. We must pray this from this day until the day he leaves office. God is sovereign, after all.
Without doubt, we face hard days ahead. Realistically, we must expect to be frustrated and disappointed. We may find ourselves to be defeated and discouraged. We must keep ever in mind that it is God who raises up nations and pulls them down, and who judges both nations and rulers. We must not act or think as unbelievers, or as those who do not trust God.
America has chosen a President. President-Elect Barack Obama is that choice, and he faces a breathtaking array of challenges and choices in days ahead. This is the time for Christians to begin praying in earnest for our new President. There is no time to lose.
Hey JOE - way to go! Debate kudos to Mr. Wurzelbacher whose unseen presence dominated tonight's exchange (over 15 times he was mentioned at last count). You can't help but like this guy.
I have never seen two candidates pander with such verve to win the collective support represented by one hard working and very smart, unafraid, well-informed, and confident businessman. Obama really didn't know how to respond to him. Check out Joe's first response to Cavuto's question:
NC: "Joe, did he win you over?" JW: "No not at all; and his answer actually scared me even more."
The American people were well represented this evening by Joe's earlier appearance demonstrated in the clip above. If you haven't seen it - it is a must view.
1. Are you prepared to fire SEC Chairman Chris Cox for his share of the burden for the demise of Wall Street that has impacted us all on main street?
2. Will you call for the resignations of Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd for their misconduct surrounding Fannie/Freddie?
3. Will you repudiate William Ayers and all alliances current or past with him and call him out on his efforts to undermine the security of our nation; and then call for him to publicly repent of his terrorist activity from the past?
4. As a professing Christian in the Lord Jesus Christ, how can you support any legislation and/or practice that takes the lives of unborn children at any stage in their development as a human being? Will you know repudiate the barbaric practice of partial birth abortion and the infanticide of live abortion that you have supported in the past?
5. Will you reject any and all ties to ACORN and call for a nationwide investigation of their fraudulent conduct of voter registration?
6. Will you return all PAC money you have received from the lobbyists for Fannie/Freddie?
7. Will you permanently sever all ties to Rev. Wright and his views; to Louis Farrakhan and his views; and from Franklin Raines and his political and economic connections?
8. Why didn't you work with the Republicans in the Senate to pass legislation concerning the danger of sub-prime mortgages instead of simply writing a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury? Did you vote "present" again?
9. Will you undeniably pledge full support of Israel?
10. Will you release your records from Harvard Law when you served there and submit yourself to careful scrutiny as to their contents?
11. How will you protect the borders of the U.S. from further immigration violations; and work toward deportation of all illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S. in sanctuary cities that are in violation of the law?
Since Wednesday evening I have had a terrible bout with food poisoning. Though I didn't sleep at all Wednesday night, I finally got a few hours of needed rest last evening. But I am still very weak, physically drained, massive headache, and by God's grace - have passed out only once briefly due to uncontrollable vomiting.
But in spite of having a nonstop case of the Montezuma's revenge and a horrendous case of projectile regurgitation, nothing that I have spewed from my body smells to high heaven with the putrid stench like these words from pastor Joel Hunter of Northland Community Church spoke at the end of Barack Obama's acceptance speech last evening. When are pastors in today's evangelical world going to have the "ecclesiasticals" to honor the Lord Jesus Christ in the prayers that they give at political rallies? It's as if they forget their biblical moorings, their biblical convictions, and the Christian faith altogether in order to please the gathered hoi palloi with their own brand of fatuous sucking-up to the popular political candidate and their respective media sycophants of the hour.
I have ministered in Joel's church before and that is what makes this post doubly hard. Clear and simple: he should know better; but he is easily swayed by popularity, the pressure of the crowds, and the need for self-validation. In the spirit of postmodernism's false sense of unity he now believes that "people with differing views can work together and can ultimately further their agenda without compromising their core moral convictions." Spoken like a true servile flatter. (At this point you will want to begin singing "We are the Word" and tear up by last chorus).
Hunter's risible prayer and convoluted, multicultural,
Watch and listen to another "pastor" compromise biblical truth in this little rant he calls a prayer. AND, do not miss the ending - it is the most poignant and saddest commentary on the current state of Christianity in this country to date.
In some past posts I have been very critical of Rick Warren for aspects of his Purpose Driven Life campaign; his environmental climate initiative, thinking he can cure world hunger, his convoluted 2006 conference on AIDS, and his more pragmatic approach to evangelism. BUT, when he gets it right I am not afraid to say so; and this past Saturday night he really got it right!
Rick Warren was absolutely brilliant. He was lucid, inviting and incisive in how he worded the questions; probed in follow up inquiries; and he kept the evening civil, uniform, and on point. I agree with Charles Krauthammer that this was the best political forum of two Presidential candidates that I have ever witnessed in any venue in recent American politics. The voters on both sides of the aisle were given an honest view of each candidate. I also appreciated that Warren allowed each candidate the freedom to express their convictions without he as the moderator coloring their respective ideological platforms to suit his own political views on the same issues he was asking. IOW, Warren purposely kept himself out of the way and let the candidates have their say. (PMSNBC, CNN, FOXNEWS, CBS, NBC, ABC and PBS were you going to school?)
My conclusion of the faith forum outcome? McCain knocked it out of the park (which I wasn't prepared for) and Obama was more the empty suit than I ever could have imagined. This was a clear case of truth over nuance. McCain was commanding, Obama was conversational; McCain was Presidential, Obama was post-modern; McCain knew the issues, Obama needed his TelePrompTer.
This post could be one of the longest I have ever written. But for the sake of time and thoughtfulness for you the loyal and discerning reader at COT, I have chosen instead to feature below two video segments from the faith forum - one from each candidate. And if you missed this forum, here is the transcript for your further perusal.
Be sure to VOTE; but then accept the results from the only true Sovereign God who is the One who will set men in places of power and leadership over the affairs of men for His own purpose and glory. Amen?
UPDATED: Here is The Born Alive Infant Protection Act that Barry Hussein Obama opposed. This just isn't a matter of a difference of opinion on public policy; this is the degenerate, depraved, deep-seated beliefs of an unprincipled man. This is barbarism.
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. -Psalm 139:13-16
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Musicianary; Bible teacher/preacher; religious satirist; biblical reformer; Protestant, and evangelical provocateur. After twenty-nine years in CCM, you get introduced in concert in the most odd and yet, memorable ways.
My personal favorite? John MacArthur once introduced me at Grace Community Church as: "Keith Green with theology." Keith was a dear friend of mine... I was very honored. I started in music ministry in 1978 with the release of "Saying It With Love"-my first album. Since then, by God's grace, I have released a total of 18 CDs/albums.
