Last November (2009) I attended several days of meetings in St. Charles, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. What I witnessed had such a profound impact on my life that I haven’t been the same since. I prayerfully considered writing about my experience but didn’t have a peace about doing so until now.
The series of meetings which began on November 11th and ended on the 22nd was organized by a well-known conservative organization seeking to apply peaceful pressure on our elected officials to uphold the principles of our US Constitution and keep us a sovereign nation – out of the grasp and domain of the emerging world government system. The organizers seemed well intentioned; and at least two of them, I believe, were Christians.
The delegates at this “Congress” represented nearly every state in the Union and were a loose cross section of the Tea Party movement. Those in attendance included certain leaders of the Libertarian and Constitution Parties, various heads of pro-Constitution lobbying organizations, conservative talk show hosts, attorneys and legal experts, some state legislators and other Tea Party figures.
Pheasant Run Resort: Site of We the People’s Continental Congress
To my surprise I received a phone call from the organizers about two weeks before the conference telling me I had been elected as a delegate from Indiana. As it turned out, someone had nominated me without my knowledge. An election was held and I was voted in, even though I never ran or campaigned for this position. (Most of the other delegates, I came to discover, had actively campaigned for their positions.) Given the mysterious nature of these circumstances and how this unusual invitation was “dropped in my lap” I believed that God had a purpose for me being at these meetings; so after several days of praying about the matter, I finally accepted the invitation. Unlike most of the other 110 or so delegates who attended the entire conference, I could only be present for the first five days due to previous commitments.
The resort where the meetings were held was plush, the people were for the most part friendly, and there was an element of good-natured pomp at the opening ceremony and dinner. But, once the actual sessions began, the story would be quite different.
The first couple of days were filled with such chaos that I almost left, believing the conference to be a waste of time. But, I decided to stay to see what would happen, and eventually a degree of order emerged. It was interesting to see how these independent-minded individuals would get along to accomplish their goals. I never really felt like a participant, but rather a “fly on the wall” that God had, for whatever reason, placed there as an observer.
We had assigned seats during the main sessions. By God’s grace, I was surrounded by a few Christian brothers. Seated in front of me were two godly men from Kentucky, and behind me was a kind-hearted pastor from Illinois who I discovered had been reading our newsletter for years.
At some point an announcement was made that a special room had been set aside where delegates could meet to pray each morning at a designated time. I was excited to hear about this and hoped to see at least 40 or 50 delegates at the prayer meeting on the following morning. But, to my dismay, there were fewer than a dozen that came; and on subsequent mornings the numbers remained much the same, hovering between ten and fifteen. So few men and women willing to pray for our nation! I wondered, “What must God think?”
The few of us who gathered each morning prayed fervently for America, that God would be merciful to our nation and lead our citizens to repent of their sins and to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord. We recognized the fact that without God’s direct intervention America’s days as a great nation were numbered. Our prayers were sincere, and we prayed in one accord. The Holy Spirit was definitely present and knit our hearts together.
However, the main Assembly left no room for God, wanting little to do with Him. In fact, there were times when I sensed an open hostility toward the Gospel of Christ. I learned that some delegates had even threatened to boycott the Congress if the name of Jesus Christ was in any way invoked or emphasized during the proceedings. As time went on it became clear that most of the delegates wanted America to remain a free nation primarily so they could continue to live as they choose (including the freedom to sin) but not for the purpose of worshiping, serving, and honoring the Lord God as the sustainer and giver of our freedoms.
The delegates held diverse religious views, and their views were reflected in a variety of ways. On one occasion, Bob, a delegate and pastor from North Carolina was told by another delegate, “We really have nothing to worry about; when America’s darkest hour comes, the Ascended Masters will save us.” Pastor Bob told me he was waiting for this man to laugh – thinking he was joking – but he soon realized the man was dead serious.
Gone are the days when one can assume with some certainty that a conservative, pro-Constitution American is a follower of Christ. As I discovered, New Age interfaithists were among the delegates at this Congress. My experience at these meetings again confirmed the fact that idolatry, paganism, and self-worship are rampant at both ends of the political spectrum – there is godlessness on the far Right as well as the far Left!
On Sunday, the fifth day of meetings, I was permitted to introduce and show the Christian documentary Shadow Government in which I was privileged to be interviewed. It was scheduled to be released by Cloud Ten Pictures the following week; so this would be a debut of sorts. However, a few minutes before going to the podium I was informed that I’d be able to show only the first segment of the DVD, which dealt mainly with secular and political matters. The second half of the documentary, I was told, was too controversial because it touched on religious ideas. Unbeknownst to the majority, the remnant of Christians at the Congress had been praying that this DVD would inject a measure of much-needed discernment into the meetings, along with presenting the Gospel of Christ – which was done near the end of the film. We were greatly disappointed by this decision.
Regardless of this last-minute restriction, we were pleasantly surprised at the end of that session to find that nearly 100 copies of the DVD and my book En Route to Global Occupation had been taken as free samples from a table at the back of the auditorium. Maybe this was one of the reasons for me being there. We prayed that the delegates would view and read these materials with an open heart and mind. In spite of this positive development, after saying goodbye to my new Christian friends, I left the premises a short time later with an unusual heaviness.
During my entire stay, I had sensed an indescribable darkness, an overall lack of God’s presence – except during the small prayer gatherings. As I was pulling away from the conference center I was very thankful to be leaving. I turned on a Christian radio station and for the next two hours listened to worshipful music and uplifting Christ-centered messages. As I praised the Lord, He renewed my spirit.
The next day at home, during my personal time of devotions, I believed God was directing me to do one more thing. He wanted me to write a response – a call to repentance – to the members of the Congress while they were still in session. He impressed the following words on my heart, which were read to the Congress by Pastor Bob who also gave a copy to every state’s delegation.
From: Gary Kah, Indiana Delegate
To: Members of the Continental Congress
Esteemed Delegates and Fellow Americans:
I have from the beginning of this Continental Congress remained largely silent – observing, reflecting, and praying over the proceedings while contemplating my own purpose for being at this gathering. During this time, some things have come to weigh heavy on my heart. As the state of Indiana’s only delegate, I wish to address this body concerning these very important matters.
Late Friday night, I awoke from a deep sleep being troubled in spirit. Not knowing why, I asked God to show me. After praying, I reached for my Bible which fell open to Psalm 127. The first words I read were, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”
Our founding fathers not only desired freedom, they knew the Giver of freedom. With their backs to the wall, they cried out to God on their knees asking for His divine intervention and guidance. Without His favor they understood their efforts would never succeed. The Lord in His mercy heard their passionate pleas and blessed their undertaking. We have been the beneficiaries of their wisdom and God’s blessings for more than two centuries.
During the past generation, however, our nation has moved away from its godly roots; and we are now reaping the consequences. Rampant immorality and the lack of conscience inevitably lead to tyranny and destruction. When a nation insists on going its own way without regard for the will of God, He lifts His protective covering from the land. If a nation refuses to repent of its sins after God’s repeated warnings and merciful calls to holy living, His judgment falls. This has been the course of history. America is no exception.
Self-reliance and boastful pride are hated by the Lord. In the words of Joseph Stowell, “Self-sufficiency distracts us from pursuing the things we really need that only God can give.” All of the best-laid plans and vigilant pursuits of freedom will fail if a people do not genuinely humble themselves – individually submitting their hearts to God.
Our founding fathers actively sought the Father’s will. They were not ashamed of His Son and most frequently prayed – both corporately and individually – in the name of Jesus Christ. This is an historical fact. Do we believe ourselves to be wiser than our founders who we claim to emulate – after seeing the great freedoms their wisdom has brought?
This Congress, if it desires God’s favor, must operate within His will. This begins with repentance and unashamed devotion to His Son.
Our Lord is a merciful and compassionate God, not wanting to destroy but to redeem His people. If this Congress and the people it represents truly repent and seek God’s blessing and intervention on behalf of America, I believe He will hear our cries; He will honor our efforts and restore our land. But if we stubbornly refuse to humble ourselves before the throne of Christ, any endeavors to keep America free will be crushed.
Therefore, I strongly urge the members of this Continental Congress to set aside time to pray during this session – on your knees – in the example and spirit of our founders, pleading for God’s forgiveness of our individual sins and the sins of our nation, and asking for His wisdom and favor. This will be the most important action this assembly will take – if it wishes to succeed.
I will be fasting and praying that the Lord convict our hearts and souls of our need for Him (and of our destined failure without Him). May His will be done!
After reading these words, Bob knelt to pray, and encouraged the other delegates to do the same. A number of them joined him on their knees as he interceded for our nation, but the majority of delegates did not. Only the Lord can determine how this response will affect the future of our country.
As we move beyond the mid-term elections, may we not make the mistake of putting our faith and trust primarily in politics. While getting a number of pro-Constitution conservatives into Congress may be a step in the right direction, it will not save America. Only God can do that; and He will do so only if His people repent of their sins and fervently cry out for His intervention.
Fortunately, regardless of what happens to America as a whole, believers in Jesus Christ have the guarantee of spending eternity with Him. This must be our overriding hope and cause for joy!
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ― 2 Chronicles 7:14