- In 1980 my father, Rev. Claude G. Pike, having borne
the heaviest spiritual burden for America during nearly a half century
of liberalism, was overjoyed with the election of Pres. Ronald Reagan.
He and my mother, Hilda Mignon Pike, were pioneer Christian/conservative
leaders, mixing religion with politics after the fall of China to communism
in 1949. They knew that, unless Christians mobilized through faith resulting
in action, the worldwide scourge of secular liberalism and Marxism would
someday overwhelm America as well.
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- Yet, delighted as they were with the ascendance
of Christian values, there was something missing in the Reagan revolution
-- the National Day of Prayer. It had been established in 1775 by Gen.
George Washington during the depth of America's struggle for independence
but was now, for all practical purposes, forgotten.
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- My father became concerned that it be revived
-- not just in celebration of revival of Christian values but to fulfill
its original intention, as an encouragement in time of threat for all Americans
of faith to look to their Creator for national deliverance.
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- With this goal in mind, my father conceived
an ambitious plan: to fly our restored 1929 Bellanca monoplane (the same
type that first flew the Pacific in 1931) around America on a publicity
tour to promote revival of this forgotten national observance.
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- During the summer of 1980 my father, brother,
and I embarked on a huge aerial loop across America, from Portland, Oregon
nearly to New York, through the South and back up the Pacific coast from
Los Angeles. Through a rock-concert sound system, blasting through a megaphone
on the plane's belly, and a huge aerial banner trailing behind, we proclaimed
over towns, cities, conservative gatherings, etc., "Pray for America!"
On the ground, we gathered many thousands of signatures on petitions to
the President, asking him to revive the National Day of Prayer. Out of
a host of contacts from coast to coast was created the National Prayer
Network, a Christian/conservative watchdog group dedicated to always telling
the whole truth and sounding alerts the moment danger threatened freedom.
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- In short, my father was able to generate a
national movement of which the President did take notice. Invited to
the White House with other major conservative leaders, he witnessed Pres.
Reagan's signing of the reestablished National Day of Prayer on February
6, 1982. It was to be observed every first Thursday in May.
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- The revived National Day of Prayer has now
been nationally participated in by millions of Christians and tens of thousands
of churches at least 26 times under circumstances of relatively modest
threat. But now, as with Washington at Valley Forge, Christian America
will be observing it this Thursday under the very greatest threat -- the
imminent passage of a federal hate crimes bill designed to initiate persecution
of Christians and end free speech. It will also elevate to a status of
special federal protection the vilest members of humanity, sodomites and
pedophiles.
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- Because of these extraordinary circumstances,
observation this year must be very different than in years preceding.
It must combine the soberest unification of repentance, faith, and entreaty
for divine deliverance with the most intelligent and focused political
action.
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- As an heir of the man most responsible (next
to Pres. Reagan) for resurrecting the National Day of Prayer, I hope religious
leaders will honor my call that right now they organize within their churches
a spiritual/political equivalent of the massive IRS "tea party"
protests of two weeks ago.
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- Here's what I believe we should do:
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- 1. Christian laity should inform their pastors (and
other pastors in their area) of the hate bill threat. The quickest way
is to have them watch my latest 10-minute video "Stop the Pedophile-Protecting
Hate Bill!" at <http://www.truthtellers.org/cgi-bin/openwebmail/www.truthtellers.org>www.truthtellers.org.
Encourage them to also read our latest articles.
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- 2. >From the pulpit this Sunday, pastors should
thoroughly inform their congregants of this crisis. They should schedule
gatherings in their church throughout the first week of May for the purpose
of intensive prayer and action.
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- 3. Prepared with the list of all U.S. Senators from
the <http://www.truthtellers.org/actionplan.html>action page at <http://www.truthtellers.org/cgi-bin/openwebmail/www.truthtellers.org>www.truthtellers.org
and with every person bringing their cell phone, Christians should conduct
"prayer and phoning" meetings. These should consist not just
of prayer or of phoning. Rather, like the returning Jews who battled intense
opposition to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah (Neh. 4:16),
some will wield a sword (prayer and faith) while others use a trowel (action).
Callers must inundate the Senate throughout next week, restraining Democrats
in their determination to push the Senate hate bill through as quickly
as they did in the House last week.
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- Moment Of Destiny
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- The National Day of Prayer was designed by
Pres. Washington, and its revival envisioned by my father, to serve both
good times and bad. With pro-homosexual Democrats ruling the nation, we
are now definitely in a bad time and a bad way. The same number of Christians
and their young people who might this week gather by the tens of thousands
in "Christian rock concerts" across America as well as other
amusements should cancel those events. Instead, they should gather in
our churches in what Gen. Washington called national "humiliation,
fasting and prayer" in penance for how the church has allowed evil
to achieve national dominance, praying that God will stay His righteous
judgment upon our land.
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- We need to hear all across America the mixed
murmur of millions of Christian voices, some entreating, "Lord save
us!" and an equal number dialing 1-877-851-6437 toll free or 1-202-225-3121
toll, saying: "Please don't vote for Sen. Kennedy's pedophile-protecting
hate bill, S. 909."
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- If we respond as we should, the incense of
prayer mixed with the hushed staccato of cell phones dialing and voices
protesting to the Senate will arise as a "sweet-smelling savor"
to the God who gave us our freedom. In this time of gravest national
peril, it will be more pleasing in His ears than any hymn.
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