Nearly 2,500 days ago, expectations ran high as the Obama presidency began. Hailed as an epochal event, the nation’s first black commander in chief launched his “fundamental transformation of America.”
Speaking at Dave Ramsey’s headquarters, I scurried home to watch the historic inaugural moment with another leadership couple and my wife. My longtime friend quietly excused himself and went upstairs saying, “I can’t bear to watch this. I know who he is and I fear what he’ll do to our country.”
I must confess that at the time I also had a strong sense of foreboding about Barack Obama’s election. Today, while I continue to pray for him as I have every day of his terms, I’m anticipating the end and praying God will have mercy on America, awaken us from our stupor, and grant us godly leadership as we believe for a third Great Awakening.
Presently I serve on an executive committee of a national prayer event called “United Cry” scheduled for April 9 on the Lincoln Memorial grounds. 30,000 pastors are expected to lead the nation in repentance-based intercession for God’s mercy on our nation at this pivotal time.
Ronald Reagan said, “If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”
We are at this precipice now. We desperately need to pray and fast for righteous leaders to lead us out of the morass. We also need to realize how dangerously far we’ve strayed from our Judeo-Christian foundations under the presidency of Mr. Obama.
Not long ago, I pulled up to a traffic light and noticed a bumper sticker on the car in front of me that said, “Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8.” The passage is a plea for someone to be removed from his position of influence and for someone more righteous to take his leadership role.
The man who promised “Hope and Change” and pledged to unify us not as “red states or blue states but as the United States” warrants an evaluation before he exits the Oval Office. Jerry Seinfeld says Obama is the “coolest guy ever to hold this office!” but let’s go deeper than a “coolness factor” to engage in an exercise—a little quiz to gauge development or damages before electing a new president.
An End-of-Term Assessment
1. In campaigning, Barack Obama pledged to unify the country and restore trust in the government. Pew Research’s latest poll reveals: “Currently just 19 percent of Americans trust the government—among lowest level in 50 years.” Pass or Fail?
2. This president recently said the greatest crisis facing the world is climate change. Americans overwhelmingly state that ISIS/radical Islamist terrorism is our greatest threat today. Pass or Fail?
3. In Harry Potter books, the villain Voldemort so terrifies that they call him “He Who Must Not Be Named.” Masses believe we must identify and defeat jihadis by first rejecting Obama’s Voldemort approach: the refusal to call radical Islam by its proper name. Pass or Fail?
4. In seeking office, Barack Obama emphatically stated he would never allow Iran a nuclear bomb. His “Iran Deal” is labeled the “greatest foreign-policy disaster in history” endangering Israel, America and the entire world as terrorists have been given the pathway to develop atomic weapons. Tehran has already been caught violating terms three times. Pass or Fail?
5. Regarding gay marriage, candidate Obama assured Americans of his conviction on the sanctity of marriage as only between a man and a woman. Upon election, he pivoted to endorse homosexual marriage and said his finest moment of 2015 was celebrating the SCOTUS ruling as he lit up the White House in rainbow colors. What Scripture calls an “abomination,” he advocates, as Out Magazine names him “Ally of the Year.” Pass or Fail?
6. When asked by Pastor Rick Warren about abortion and life in the womb, he demurred it was “above his pay grade.” In office he’s been a staunch proponent and defender of both abortion and Planned Parenthood, pronouncing “God bless you!” at their convention. Pass or Fail?
7. Mr. Obama vowed to cut wasteful spending, balance the budget and protect future generations from plunder and deceit. When he leaves office, he will have accumulated more national debt than any president in history and all prior presidents combined. Pass or Fail?
8. As commander in chief he promised to protect our nation and its citizens. When four Americans were slaughtered in Benghazi begging for this government’s help, he misled Americans, stating the disaster came from a spontaneous demonstration started by a video. Pass or Fail?
9. While promoting his Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) that presidential candidates vow to repeal on day one in office and which experts increasingly predict will be an unmitigated disaster, he promised 20 times, “If you want to keep your policy/your doctor—you can!” “The average family of four will annually save $2,500!” Wasn’t this untrue and manipulation of the masses? Pass or Fail?
10. For refusing to stop illegal immigration, build the wall already approved by Congress and misleading Americans that illegal immigrants from Central America would not be able to bring their children into the United States, our president deserves a performance review. Pass or Fail?
11. As former Director Lois Lerner of the IRS engaged in unprecedented intimidation and harassment of Christian ministries, our president defended her and reassured Americans, “There’s not even a smidgen of corruption at the IRS.” Pass or Fail?
12. Pledging to be a unifier and heal racial divisions if elected, President Obama repeatedly injected racism into volatile situations, designated the polarizing Al Sharpton as his White House “go-to black leader” and is today recognized as the most divisive president between political parties in generations. Pass or Fail?
13. Before his election, Barack Obama promised Americans that his would be “the most transparent administration.” In reality, it is recognized as the most highly controlled administration by the majority of the press. Pass or Fail?
14. While modeling an intact home, the President and his policies have engendered an undeniable assault on traditional marriage and family. Religious freedoms have been undermined dramatically as we’ve witnessed the trampling of Judeo-Christian foundations, promotion of unfettered abortion-on-demand, and aggressive advocacy of the LGBTQ agenda. Pass or Fail?
15. Refusing to heed the counsel of military brass regarding a measured withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, our president declared “We’re leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq” and told the world his set date to pull out. With the situation precarious now in both countries, U.S. generals are finally getting their way. Even worse, his disengagement policy has precipitated the massive refugee catastrophe, destruction of ancient holy sites, and tens of thousands, especially Christians, being slaughtered in a modern-day genocide. Pass or Fail?
16. Obama told us that there is “no imminent threat” on American soil from ISIS. This came right before the Islamic terrorist attack in San Bernardino and after five Minnesota men went to trial for Islamist terrorist activity. Dec. 10, another man was charged with conspiring to help ISIS while the TSA’s failure rate was 96 percent in recent nationwide airport security tests. Pass or Fail?
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