For Such a Time as This...By Web Today Special Correspondent Ken Rasmussen

COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, October 30, 2000 (Web Today)--Last Saturday morning, Oct. 28th, Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California held a conference at the church entitled, "For Such a Time as This."

An indication of where a church pastor's heart is at is to look at who he allows to speak in his pulpit.  A few weeks earlier, nearby Crystal Cathedral pastor Robert Schuller invited Gorbechev to speak.  Gorbechev claims publicly to be an atheist and has never disavowed communism which is actually deeply occultic and anti-Christian.  Gorbechev climbed to power in Russia through secret societies, is a member of the Bohemian Grove group of elitists and converses fluently with members of most any occultic group.

But Chuck Smith of the "long haired Jesus people" fame from the 1970's invited Jim Dobson and Alan Keyes to speak in his pulpit at Calvary Chapel this weekend.  Sherry Lush from his congregation gave a summary wrap up of Christian history in the United States and how it has changed drastically since 1933.  She also showed an 1892 quote from the US Supreme Court which cited over 80 precedents confirming the United States as a Christian nation.

Chuck Smith opened the event quoting " To the prophet Ezekiel God said: Say unto them, as I live sayeth the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked would turn from his way and live.  Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways for why will you die, oh house of Israel?"

Jim Dobson was obligated back in Colorado, probably handling the Mike Trout crisis, so he sent a custom video to the event.  In the video, Dr. Dobson reminded the 2000+ attendees that over 119 million registered voters did not bother to vote in the last presidential election.  He also pointed out the militant homosexual legislation that California had allowed to go through its legislature and passed approval by Governor Gray Davis.  He stressed our obligation to protect our children from this frontal attack on their safety and future.
Taking the pulpit with the usual standing ovation, Alan Keyes warned the audience he had some things to say that would not sit well with many of them, because it didn't sit well with him either.  "There's a great struggle going on in this country.  It goes on in every area, including in the ranks of every party in the nation, and that struggle will not end on election day." In an election between the very bad guys and the less bad guys, no matter who wins on November 7, the struggle won't be over.  As Christians, "I believe that our first call is not an allegiance of party, it is not an allegiance of personal interest, it is not an allegiance to social good. Our first call is our allegiance to God Almighty and at the expense of all things, we must serve that allegiance for that is what our Lord did and that is what, by his example, we are called to do."

"I want you to warn yourselves against any belief that what we have here is an opportunity for the 'good guys' to win.  We can avoid the worst, we can slow it down, but my heart tells me that's all we can do right now.  The train is still headed down the track in the wrong direction, whichever way things go."

Having been preceded with a local Boy Scout troop posting the colors and leading the crowd in the pledge of allegiance, Alan drew the parallel that patriotism is not always a good thing.  Alan said he would have a hard time showing any patriotism if he resided in Nazi Germany in the 30's or in Communist China today.  If America's founders had not shown an allegiance to God, he would not be a patriot himself.

Drawing reference to a prior debate where the promoters had no clue as to the what scripture was all about, Alan coined a new phrase: "the Dr. Watson approach to scripture, seeing everything and noticing nothing".  By this Alan pointed out true Christians under the guidance of the Holy Spirit can discern true righteousness from phony acts of good will.  So when corrupt politicians give false answers to improperly analyzed problems, we must show spiritual wisdom to vote properly and not fall for trick answers.

Challenging the audience with God's divine purpose as to placing us all here, Keyes reminded us we all have the great commission to "go forth and make disciples of all nations."  In closing, he said that we in this room were not placed in foreign lands but are to influence the land we live in. That responsibility does not end on election day.

The event was recorded.  Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa California can be contacted at their web site of http://www.calvarychapel.com/costamesa/   or 714-540-2941.