Pastor: The end is near

A traveling pastor who’s preached for almost 60 years brought his “Yellow Ribbon Rally” to a Danville church Sunday, exhorting attendees to help send Bibles to troops in Iraq.
Cecil Todd, founder and president of World-Wide Revival Fires Ministry in Branson, Mo., warned churchgoers at Westover Church of God that radical Muslims want to take over the United States, and he linked Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama with Islam. He said Muslims have a seven-step plan to take over the U.S. by 2020, yet insisted that a world-ending Judgment Day is near, as evidenced by recent tornadoes and other natural disasters.
“It’s the last days,” Todd said before a crowd of about 60. “It’s ramping-up time. It’s time for people to realize that time is running out.”
A couple of parishioners spoke in tongues during prayer. At other times Todd, sporting a U.S. flag necktie and waving his arms, railed against sin, wickedness, abortion, gay marriage, the news media and politicians who, he says, refuse to stand up to terrorism. He told the
congregation to remember who committed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
“Remember not only 9/11, but remember who did it and why they did it,” he said, referring to the 19 Muslim hijackers and other al-Qaeda members who plotted the attacks.
“We’re in a holy war whether you like it or not,” Todd added.
God did not cause the events of 9/11, but he let them happen as a reminder for the U.S. to change its sinful ways, he said.
“He allowed it to happen,” he said. “It was God saying, ‘wake up.’ If we want to get this country on its feet again, it must get on its knees again.”
Todd complained about Minnesota U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, a Muslim, refusing to place his hand on the Bible to be sworn into office. He used the Koran instead.
“Those knotheads in Washington, D.C., let him do it,” Todd said. “They shouldn’t have let him do it. He should’ve been thrown out.”
Todd attempted to connect Obama to Islam, even though the candidate is a Christian. Todd mentioned Obama’s middle name, “Hussein,” and claimed he was “raised a Muslim.” Todd added that “he’ll not (Obama) wear a U.S. flag on his lapel,” and rarely salutes the flag.
Todd also said that Muslims are trying to get Obama elected because he’ll pull troops out of Iraq.
“Is it possible this man is really a Muslim?” he said.
Islam has plans to take over the U.S. and has about 35 terrorist training camps here, including three of them in Virginia, Todd said.
Todd said he supports the Iraq War and believes Saddam Hussein was a threat to the U.S. He had weapons of mass destruction but he relocated them, Todd claimed.
“If I hear one more time that we’re in Iraq for no good reason, I’m going to vomit,” he said.
However, news outlets have reported that Hussein falsely said he possessed them to avoid war with Iran.
After Todd ended his sermon, Westover Church God’s pastor said the importance of Todd’s message cannot be denied.
“Whether you agree with everything pastor Todd has said, you have to agree that this is a very critical time in history,” Hopkins said to churchgoers.
Todd’s ministry has sent more than 120,000 Bibles to troops in Iraq since the war’s start.
Attendees had mixed reaction to Todd’s message and sounded off about the state of the U.S.
Ringgold resident and military veteran Joe Spence said he attended out of curiosity.
“I was interested in what they (Todd) had to say about vets,” Spence said. Todd praised the service of U.S. veterans during the sermon.
Spence complained about the Bush administration, saying the president has appeased America’s enemies.
Joyce Johnson, who’s attended Westover for about nine months, said she supports John McCain for president. The Republican Party’s far-right wing has fractured the party, focusing too much on social issues and not enough on economic and military matters, she said.
Contact John R. Crane at jcrane@registerbee.com or (434) -791-7987.