In my last article I mention that God is not a respecter of persons.

In the book of Acts we read…

Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Even though we know that God is not a respecter of persons, we also learn that he is does in fact respect an office with which a person holds.

For example we are told to fear God and to honor the King.

1 Peter 2:17b …Fear God. Honour the king.

Another example is in regards to pastors who watch for our souls.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

In Ephesians we are told to obey our father and mother.

Ephesians 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

We are told to obey those whom we work for, the supervisors, bosses and such.

Eph 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

All of these as well as others mentioned in scripture are in positions of responsibility and not an individual. With these positions come certain "powers" given to those in leadership positions based on the office being held by the individual.

So knowing that with the office or position comes a responsibility and power. This is given by God, for the sake of the office.

Leaders have a special position in the eyes of God, therefore when they proclaim or speak on behalf of their position, God takes it seriously and hears the prayers, supplications, request s of that office. It is then up to God to act based on the request in accordance to His will.

I say all of this because our leaders spoke on behalf of this nation, not knowing that what they were doing was actually "prophesying / cursing" our nation without their full understanding with what they were actually doing.

It is recorded in the Congressional Record, 107th Congress that on the day after 9/11 Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle (D, South Dakota) in his Floor Statement on a 'Joint Resolution of Condemnation for the September 11, 2001 stated the following…

"Mr. President, it is with pain, sorrow, anger, and resolve that I stand before this Senate, a symbol for 212 years of the strength of our democracy, and say that America will emerge from this tragedy, as we have emerged from all adversity, united and strong. ... The world should know that the Members of both parties in both Houses stand united.

The full resources of our Government will be brought to bear in aiding the search and rescue and in hunting down those responsible and those who may have aided or harbored them. Nothing, nothing can replace the losses that have been suffered. I know there is only the smallest measure of inspiration that can be taken from this devastation.

But there is a passage in the Bible from Isaiah that I think speaks to all of us at times such as this:

'The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.'

That is what we will do. We will rebuild and we will recover.

The people of America will stand strong together because the people of America have always stood together. And those of us privileged to serve this great Nation will stand with you.”

What the Senate Majority Leader was referencing was actually a curse and an act of defiance in the face of God.

The scripture that Senator Daschle was referencing was Isaiah 9:10.

Here is the reference in context from the King James Authorized version…

Isaiah 9:8-14 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,

10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;

12 The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

14 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.

Because of the office of power which Tom Daschle holds, it is my opinion that he spoke a curse or a " "prophetic Word of judgment" upon this nation.

But Senator Daschle was not the only one.

Three years later on September 11, 2004, Democratic Candidate for Vice President John Edwards (D, North Carolina) spoke the same curse upon America using the same verse. He did this while speaking at the prayer breakfast for the Congressional Black Caucus

Here is what he said…

"Good morning. Today, on this day of remembrance and mourning, we have the Lord’s word to get us through. 'The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.' ... And let me show you how we are building and putting cedars in those three hallowed places - the footprints of the Towers, the Pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania. ... Walk with me through this day.

And you will see that while those bricks fell and the sycamores cut down, our people are making those cedars rise. ... Each time that bell tolls, it calls us to a greater purpose. It calls us to never forget.

It calls us to do the Lord’s work here on earth. And it calls on us to always remember that when we walk through this day together - the cedars will rise, the stones will go up, and this season of hope will endure." (1)

As with Senator Daschle, I believe that Senator Edwards spoke a curse or a " "prophetic Word of judgment" upon this nation.

The Sycamores Are Cut Down

What the two senators spoke were not words humbling a nation. They spoke a rally cry on behalf of a nation.

A cry of proud defiance… against God.

See, the events of 9-11 was what I believed to be a clear warning from God. Just as Israel of old, the only other nation dedicated to God, they did not heed God's warning. America the only other nation dedicated to God in its infancy, also has not heeded what I believe to be a warning from God.

9-11 was an event that should have caused our nation to take stock in itself. Instead of humbling ourselves before God, we spoke in defiance.

Daschle and Edwards, both holding high offices of power proclaimed Isaiah 9:10 proudly stating "Hewn Stones for Bricks and Cedars for Sycamores!"

From those utterances amazing parallels between the events of 9/11 and Isaiah 9:10 were realized.

As we have learned, Assyria was the originator and founders of terrorism. They were blood thirsty savages attacking their enemies with utter demoralizing destruction. When Assyria attacked Israel they not only destroyed the cities and communities, they also cut down much of their forest which slowed the people of Israel from rebuilding.

What they cut down was Israel's sycamore trees. The common tree of that period.

Fast forward to today and we see something amazing. What many people do not know is out of the destruction of 9-11, there was only one building that did not suffer any damage.

Can you guess which building it was?

That one building that was not damaged at Ground Zero was St. Paul's Chapel. The very same chapel where our nation was dedicated to God.

How can this building, which is facing Ground Zero not be harmed?

The answer, A sycamore, that was planted about 120 years prior saved the chapel.

The days after 9-11 it was discovered that a falling steel beam from the North Tower flew across Ground Zero heading straight for St. Paul's Chapel.

It was that sycamore that was planted at the northwest corner that saved and protected the very spot where George Washington prayed a prayer dedicating our nation to God.

Now did you notice in the Senator's speech his reference "212 years of the strength of our democracy"?

Many people often look at July 4th 1776 as the date our nation actually became a nation. But if you do the math 2001 minus 212 years, what date do you come up with?

1789, the year our nation actually became a nation. Senator Daschle was pointing to when our nation was dedicated to God.

It was on April 30, 1789, that George Washington prayed that prayer dedicating our nation to God in the very chapel, St. Paul's, that was saved by a sycamore that was cut down by a steel beam.

When the workers were surveying the surrounding damage, it was honestly expected to find St.Paul's to be pile of stone and rubble, but nothing was damaged at St. Pauls. In fact the only damage that was found out of all the destruction caused by 9-11 was a single cracked window.

Today the remains of the fallen sycamore has been specially treated and it is on displayed at the northeast corner of the graveyard behind Saint Paul's Chapel .

What is ironic is that the sycamore's roots were taken and cast in bronze (a symbol of judgment) by a sculptor named Steve Tobin. These bronze roots are also on display but in in front of the Trinity Church, which is near to St.Pauls Chapel.

But We Will Change Them Into Cedars

On November 22, 2003 a 21 foot tall Norway Spruce, named "the Tree of Hope," was air lifted into the very same spot which the sycamore that saved St.Paul's Chapel once stood. That being the northwest corner of the Saint Paul's chapel near the grave yard.

In Isaiah 9:10 it states that "We will put "Cedars" in their place." The type of tree spoken of here in Isaiah is that of a pine type cedar tree. In fact both the pine tree and the cedar tree come from the same biological family, that being "Plantae." Within the family class of "Plantae" is the family of trees that fall under what is called the "pinophyta" class. The tree spoken of in Isaiah is a "Pinaceae."

The hebrew word used in Isaiah 9:10 is the word "arez" which means cedar. This refers to a conifer type of tree, the same type of trees as the cedars of Lebanon.

Now I know all this scientific Latin does not make sense, but the "Tree of Hope" falls under the same species spoken of in Isaiah - "Picea abies"   - an arez tree.

But why a Cedar tree? Why not replace the sycamore with another sycamore?

Why? Because the Scripture says "We Will Put Cedars in Their Place."

These were the words proclaimed by our leaders in office.

"the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars."

The tree that was lowered was an arez tree.

The same type spoken of in Isaiah9:10.

During the ceremony of The Tree of Hope, a clergyman, who's name I still cannot identify, stated the following…

"We are gathered here today on holy ground. Ground hallowed by its witness to the dust, and death and destruction of September 11th. The ground is sanctified by our presence here as we dedicate this Tree of Hope in witness the divine within each of us."

I believe that this statement was occultic in nature. So much so, that I believe that the enemy, through this "clergyman", was making a claim.

I say this because there is no such thing as "the divine within each of us." That is like saying "The "god" in each of us."

This is a statement of pride and arrogance in the face of God.

Pride is a signature of Lucifer - Helel Ben Sahar.

So two years after 9-11 and still leaders in positions of power continue to maintain a stance of defiance, thus perpetuating the curse.

A few days later this cedar (arez) tree was decorated for Christmas. Now I know that many do not see the harm in having a Christmas tree, but we all know that it is a pagan symbol.

I am reminded of the following in Jeremiah…

Jeremiah 10:2-4 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

I am one who does not believe in pure luck, or happening by accident, or by coincidence, or chance.

I believe that things happen by the Will of God and everything that takes place is allowed or willed by Him.

God's power is omnipotent, that of unlimited power.

Scripture says…

Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

This is why I do not believe in coincidence. God is all powerful, all knowing, all seeing, and He is everywhere in control of everything.

He is God.

It isn't by chance that a tree saved the very building our nation was dedicated in.

It wasn’t by chance that the very tree that saved that chapel was a sycamore.

And it wasn't by chance that the tree that replaced the sycamore was a cedar.

What people need to realize is that these and even more events which I will write about in following articles are God's way of trying to get our attention.

These and other things are in a sense a signature of God showing us mere humans that He is judging this nation in hopes that we will finally wake up and realize that we are a sinful nation. We need to wake up to the fact that God is calling us to repentance.

We are a nation that has lost its way, but God in His mercy is calling us back to Him.

He is proving to us that He is doing this, not by coincidence, but by the very providence of Jehovah God Almighty.

We are a nation dedicated to God, by both a king and our first president. Only one other nation has been dedicated to God and that is Israel.

We know that Israel is God's chosen people and Israel his chosen land.

But I also believe that it is through divine providence that our nation was conceived and we have been a blessed nation because we have stood for Jehovah God.

Alexis de Tocqueville stated the following… “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

We as a nation has ceased to be good and because of that we have lost our greatness.

What is the answer?

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.

We needto repent and that repentance starts with those of us, we who are called God's people.

By Ray Gano

Endnotes

1 - http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=84922#axzz1oGavy24z