5 Things I’d Tell President Obama if I Were His Pastor
Recently an armed man breached White House security, leapt over the fence and made his way over 160 feet through the residency of our president and his family. The intruder barreled past a guard and made his way into the unlocked East Room before finally being tackled by an agent.
This represents a picture of the very center of America’s political power with its defenses down, revealing a shockingly vulnerable state. Even our most elite protective security force seemed like hapless Keystone cops in this debacle. It should remind us of times in Israel’s history when God brought judgment upon His people by withdrawing His hedge of protection and positioning them for humiliating defeat unless they repented.
The United States of America is at this tipping point. We are in a watershed moment where the outlook is increasingly grim. This is not pessimism but realism; yet God in His mercy is extending to us a lifeline of opportunity to see things turned around. Second Chronicles 7:14 says this begins with God’s people humbling themselves and since our president proclaims himself to be a Christian, it is now the time for him to step up and lead the American flock by his example.
If I were his pastor, I would arrange a private meeting in the Oval Office where I would share the following thoughts with him on the pathway to America regaining its greatness under godly leadership.
5 Areas to Address
Mr. President, I am grateful for this time with you. I have specifically prayed for you every single day you’ve been in office. I have served on the board of Intercessors for America for 38 years calling people nationwide to pray for you and our government. Because of the critical times in which we live, we changed our recent board meeting into a prayer meeting where we gathered around the White House to intercede for you and our government.
Here are five areas where I respectfully ask you to humble yourself, acknowledge your errors and rectify the situation.
1. Demonstrate greater teachability.
“Know well the condition of your flocks, give attention to your herds” (Pr. 27:23). This is God’s counsel to you in leadership and yet the Government Accountability Institute reports that you have missed almost 60% of your presidential daily briefings! This is unacceptable especially during these days of civilizational crisis.
Former President Reagan met regularly in these sessions, and his leadership style would be worth emulating. He would obtain a written document on critical issues; discuss with competent leaders the pros and cons; consider all the options; get staff recommendations; and then take time to ponder and return with a solution.
He worked with those of the opposing party (even his number-one nemesis, Tip O’Neill, the speaker of the House) something that you promised to do and yet have clearly not fulfilled. It’s time to change—less golf, fewer vacations and fund raisers and more serious tackling of issues concerning our lives. There is too much at stake to neglect this anymore.
2. Take leadership!
“He who leads, (let him lead) with diligence” (Rom. 12:8, NASB). This is what the Bible tells you. Yet throughout your presidency you appear to be weak, regularly caught off guard, leading from behind, blame shifting, reluctant to make decisions, attempting to appear conciliatory and eager to appease radicalized militants bent on our destruction. (Why do you continue to call the Fort Hood killing of 13 and the recent Oklahoma beheading “workplace violence” when both murderers proudly proclaimed their Muslim identity and support for Islamic militarism?)
When even your loyalists like Bill Maher, Chris Mathews and Jon Stewart are ridiculing your stubbornness in this avoidance of the obvious, isn’t it time to change? Chris “tingle up my leg” Mathews even went so far as to challenge you to get real when he said, “Get tough!”… “Stop being intellectually lazy.” … “Quit listening to the same voices all the time!”
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal explained how the Islamic State is getting stronger and stronger and yet you appear to be so out of touch with reality! Mr. Ryan Crocker, former ambassador to Iraq and Syria, stated that the ISIS situation, “will require something that has been in short supply in this growing crisis: American leadership. This country, and the president personally, must step forward and show the world that we can and will move decisively, collectively and immediately.”
3. Tell the truth.
Christians are to be committed to integrity by “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). Throughout your presidency, you regularly appear to be telling falsehoods and manipulating the truth for political ends.
You promised the American public more than 30 times that we could keep our health-care plan if we wanted, yet it simply wasn’t true. You said emphatically concerning the V.A. scandal that “there was not even a smidgen of corruption,” yet that was blatantly false. You tell us over and over that ISIS is not Islamic, but the facts remain that it is—even if you personally believe or state otherwise.
Most recently you were asked about the death-inducing Ebola virus and you said that “it was unlikely” to affect us here in America. Mr. President, it is already here! It is not widespread but the reality is that it is in our country NOW.
Dr. Kent Brantly, who unashamedly and publicly thanked God for his healing from the Ebola virus, met with you in the Oval Office before he testified before a Senate committee that if this outbreak is not stopped it will quickly become a matter of national security here in America. Look at the recent warnings from the World Health Organization. Or go to Matthew 24:7 where Jesus speaks of disease and epidemics in last day biblical prophecy.
President Obama, I know this is difficult to hear but you must come to grips with the fact that our Commander-in-Chief must be honest. Your credibility continues to plummet—it’s time to rectify that.
4. Embrace historical facts.
The Bible you read contains many lists of genealogies that reinforce the evidence of generations. While it is cumbersome to read, it is critical so we have an accurate and trustworthy record of history.
While it may be unpleasant for you to admit, Islam has a long standing historical record as a “religion” that is both violent and not peaceful. Yet you continue to state publicly that Islam is a religion of peace and that Muslim terrorists and militants don’t represent the true nature of Islam.
President Obama, what you say is just not the truth. Let me quote from a booklet that is available from the Christian Broadcasting Network entitled “Islam—Religion of Peace or War?”
“Their brutality knows no bounds. Since the beginning of the Islamic conquest until now, those slain by Muslim forces are as follows: over 51 million Christians (many place the number at 60 million) were slaughtered. 80 million Hindus were killed in Jihad against ancient India. Jihadists killed 10 million Buddhists in Turkey, Afghanistan, along the Silk Route, and in India. And upwards to 125 million Africans were slain, as Islam ran the wholesale slave trade in Africa…”
President Obama, do you see what is happening to Christians being slaughtered today in various parts of the world? After all our generals advised you to leave a strong “residual force” in Iraq you refused and pulled out with the disastrous consequences we are living with today. Imagine the genocide—once there were 1.5 million Christians there but now only 200,000 are left! Do you not know that the historical record proves that within four years after Muhammad’s death nearly 335,000 Christians were slaughtered and in 10 years the number rose to 1 million!
As you are promising some type of executive order to allow more illegal immigrants into this country, please ponder the fact that we are also letting in individuals who have Islamic militant ties! In the past year alone 466,000 illegal immigrants were captured, yet 157,000 got away unaccounted for! They come from 140 countries including Syria, Iran, Iraq and some are terrorists. Please President Obama, I beseech you to secure the southern borders and change your mind about the realities of Islam, even though we know there are peaceful Muslims as well.
5. Become a biblical Christian, not a cultural “Christian.”
Mr. President, there are two legs upon which our nation stands: the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage. If you are confused on these pre-eminent issues, I will be glad to spend as much time as you want to walk you through the sacred Scriptures so that you have a biblical worldview.
At one time you clearly stated that as a Christian you supported and upheld traditional marriage between one man and one woman. Then you capitulated and said you “evolved” to a more progressive approach. By bowing to the LGBTQ agenda and courting their favor you are tampering with the biblical definition of marriage and an institution that has stood strong for 4,000 years of Western civilization!
Likewise you have compromised on the protection of women and the unborn by your very public support for unfettered abortion on demand. You stood before the number-one abortion provider in America, Planned Parenthood, and told them “God bless you!” as you promised you would stand against any efforts to hinder their work.
Mr. President, 16 million black babies have been aborted since the infamous Roe v. Wade decision of 1973! These are your people. This represents genocide. In New York City more babies die in abortion than birth! In Mississippi 72% of babies aborted are black!
These are not minor social issues but civilizational issues! With all the love I can muster, I look you in the eyes and I issue you a challenge: Change your position on these moral issues so that we can protect women, rescue the unborn and reclaim marriage as the sacred institution God ordained.
Thank you for listening, President Obama. I remind you upon leaving that one day you and I will stand before God and give an account for how we have lived our lives and served our fellow man. God help you to change course before it’s too late. May God bless you, and may God bless America.
Right before exiting, I turn and add one more exhortation. I refer him to an article I wrote months ago on my website entitled “President Obama, Are You Really a Christian?” [If you’re interested, I encourage readers to go there at larrytomczak.com].
Larry Tomczak is a best-selling author and cultural commentator with 42 years of trusted ministry experience. His passion is to bring perspective, analysis and insight from a biblical worldview. He loves awakening people to today’s cultural realities and responses needed for a restored, influential church. Please visit LarryTomczak.com and follow him on Facebook or at @larrytomczak on Twitter.
