By Hunter Hines
Christian Action League
November 15, 2019
This week the first of the U.S. House impeachment hearings began.
The impeachment inquiry is focused on President Donald Trump’s phone call on July 25th with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Democrats say the President pressured Zelensky to find damaging information on Democratic front runner for President, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. The alleged crime is that the President was asking a foreign entity to help him win a U.S. election and threatening to withhold U.S. aid to the Ukraine, which is against the law.
At the heart of the complaint against the President is an unnamed whistleblower, an intelligence official, who expressed concerns about the legality of the President’s action.
President Trump has released a transcript of his July 25th conversation with the Ukrainian President. It does not demonstrate any wrongdoing and certainly does not rise to the level of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanors,” as required by the Constitution for removing a President from office.
Furthermore, President Zelensky has said he felt no pressure from the President, the Ukrainians were unaware of any withholding of aid, and U.S. military aid was still provided to Ukraine. Nevertheless, the concerted effort by Democrats is to continue with the impeachment proceedings.
Native North Carolinian, Evangelist, and head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has been squarely in the President’s camp and recently urged evangelicals from his Facebook page to pray for the President and his family.
On October 31st, Graham wrote:
“This is a sad day for America. Our politics in this country has hit a new low. Nancy Pelosi and her followers in Congress have weaponized the impeachment process. After two years of the Russia collusion hoax, now they’ve turned to this. In my opinion, asking another country to investigate corruption is a good thing—not a bad thing. This is just another attempt to tarnish and embarrass the President before the next election. We have so many problems in this nation that need to be addressed. Instead, the Democrats are fixated on only one thing—removing President Donald J. Trump from office. Pray for President Trump today, for God to give him wisdom, protection, and guide each and every step he takes. I pray that he and Melania will sense the presence of the Lord through this unjust inquisition.”
On November 1st, Graham again urged prayer for the President and offered a T-Shirt declaring “Pray for 45”:
“President Donald J. Trump is our 45th president. The Bible instructs us to pray for our leaders, and this man needs our prayers as he tries to lead our country while being constantly attacked by the Washington swamp. We have t-shirts that are a reminder to “PRAY for 45”–my daughter Cissie Graham Lynch is wearing one in this photo. People have asked where they can get one. You can order them at this link: https://lp.billygraham.org/pray-for-45/.”
November 12th, Graham graciously criticized veteran journalist Bill Moyers remarks on CNN, while also encouraging prayer for the President:
“Long-time journalist Bill Moyers said Sunday that for the first time in his life, he fears for the nation’s survival. Why? ‘Society, a democracy, can die of too many lies….’ I agree with him 100% on that—we just don’t agree on the source of the problem. For two years day after day, night after night, we heard Russian collusion—lie after lie, pushed by the liberal media. Then it was Ukraine and the whistleblower. Bill Moyers shares in the interview that his ‘hope’ is that as citizens watch the impeachment hearings (which are totally partisan), they will ‘begin to doubt’ in President Donald J. Trump so there can be a shift that would sway the 2020 election. It’s all about politics and winning the election; they don’t care about anything else. They are scared to death of conservative values and threatened because President Trump can’t be pushed around and intimidated politically or personally. The lies of the progressive left and the hyper-liberal media are what is a serious threat to the future of our nation. The Bible tells us, ‘The Lord detests lying lips…’ (Proverbs 12:22).”
On Wednesday of this week, the first day of the impeachment inquiry, Graham wrote the following:
“It’s a day of shame for America. The media is calling the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry ‘historic,’ and it is—historically shameful. That our politicians would bring this kind of harm to our country over a phone call, with the world watching, is unbelievable. As Christians, as those who follow and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, let us pray throughout the day and all of these proceedings. Pray for our nation, pray for our leaders, and pray for President Donald J. Trump.”
Rev. Mark Creech, Executive Director of the Christian Action League, said he entirely agrees with Graham’s assessment and believes the evangelist’s position is in line with what most conservative evangelicals think too.
“Listen, if the Democrats or the mainstream media could provide compelling evidence that the President had committed a crime that rises to the level of an impeachable offense (and they haven’t), I seriously doubt most Americans, and certainly not most Christians would take it seriously. Why? Because since this President was elected, the Democrats and the media have shown so much animus, so much malice, even hatred toward him, never once for the last three years ever giving him a moments rest from their attacks, that the accusations against him fall on deaf ears. They’ve played ‘chicken little’ so many times; no one really believes the sky is falling – and it isn’t! This is the worst form of scorched earth politics, and it’s seriously undermining respect for the Presidency and our democratic process,” said Rev. Creech.
Creech added that he wanted to join Graham, as well as other conservative Christian leaders, especially supporters of the Christian Action League in calling for prayer.
Creech offered the following prayer:
“Gracious Lord of the nations, Father-God,
Before the election in 2016, you heard the cries of your people across America. Our country was in a dangerous situation and threatened with governance that would only further undermine its moral and religious foundations. We were at a crossroads, a tipping point, at the edge of a precipice, but you answered. You answered not in a way that many of us would have expected, but we received it just the same. We are grateful for the leadership you sent to us in President Donald J. Trump. We are grateful for the way that he has blessed your people and honored those eternal verities that make a nation great. We thank you for the reprieve you gave a sinful and ungrateful country in our current President.
O Lord, bless, protect, and prosper the work of your hands. Give grace, wisdom, and power to the President of these United States to overcome his enemies. Direct and empower each member of the House Intelligence Committee to act with integrity, whether they are Democrat or Republican.
And Lord, forgive us for the innumerable ways that we’ve ignored, neglected, or defied your Sovereignty over us, which has led to this unhappy and unhealthy time in our national life.
For Christ’s sake, Amen.