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Obama Speaks At National Prayer Breakfast, Says His Acceptance Of Christ Means He Doesn’t Fear Death [Video]

By Dee Sharp
Published on: 06:11 PST, Feb 7, 2016

https://youtu.be/xndsWCNrJs8

The Christian Post recently posted an article about Obama speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, which is a large annual faith based gathering in Washington, D.C. Obama’s speech was taken from 2nd Timothy 1:7, which says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Obama said in his speech, “Fear does funny things. Fear can lead us to lash out against those who are different or lead us to try to get some ‘sinister other’ under control.”

“Alternatively, fear can lead us to succumb to despair, or paralysis. Or cynicism. Fear can feed our most selfish impulses and erode the bonds of community. It is a primal emotion, fear.”

Obama also added that he has faced fear, but “my faith tells me that I need not fear death. That the acceptance of Christ promises everlasting life and the washing away of sins.”

“Faith is the great cure for fear. Jesus is a good cure for fear. God gives believers the power, the love, the sound mind required to conquer any fear.”

Also according to the Christian Post article, the National Prayer Breakfast was hosted by the Fellowship Foundation & US Senate and House of Representatives Prayer Breakfast Groups at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Several prominent people were at the event, including religious leaders, celebrities, and members of Congress. Italian singer Andrea Bocelli sang “Amazing Grace” at the NPB, along with other musical selections such as “Panis Angelicus.”

Republican Congressman Robert Aderholt of Alabama and Democratic Congressman Juan Vargas of California co-chaired the event. Aderholt gave the opening remarks at the breakfast.

“We believe that Jesus and His reconciling power of prayer is so desperately needed these days.”

Aderholt also added, “What’s so maddening about the place we work is that there’s so much division and it prevents us from appreciating each other and from understanding the wonderful strengths that 435 unique individuals have that we all work with.”

The CP also mentions that Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who produced the hit TV series The Bible and the movie Son of God, gave the keynote speech. Burnett and Roma are a husband-wife producer team who produce Christian films. They talked about their experiences as immigrants in the U.S. as well as their belief in the importance of being outspoken Christians in Hollywood.

https://youtu.be/qOxnNyVfJJs

Obama also talked about honoring the courage of people who saved Jewish people during the Holocaust. Obama mentioned that one of the recipients was the son an American soldier who was captured along with other American soldiers by the Nazis.

The Nazi captors ordered Jewish POWs to identify themselves, and the sergeant, a Christian from Tennessee, Roddie Edmonds, ordered the American troops to line up with the Jews. A Nazi colonel said he only asked for the Jewish POWs, and that they couldn’t all be Jews. Edmonds replied, “We are all Jews.” The Nazi colonel pointed a gun at Edmonds and asked him to tell him who the Jews were. Edmonds repeated, “We are all Jews.”

The Nazis relented, deciding not to shoot all of the American soldiers. Obama concluded the story by saying that through “his moral clarity, through an act of faith,” Edmonds saved the lives of his Jewish brothers in arms. The story Obama told was obviously meant to parallel the recent story of Muslims who refused to give up Christians during an attack by Islamic terrorists in Kenya.

The National Prayer Breakfast, held on February 4, will be the last time Obama speaks at the event. The next NPB will be held in 2017, after the 2017 inauguration.

[AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais]

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