Atheists Tell Kentucky To Get God Out of Homeland Security

CBSNews.com has a story on how an atheist group is suing the Commonwealth of Kentucky for acknowledging “God’s help” in homeland security. Edwin Kagin, national legal director of American Atheists, Inc., says, “It is one of the most egregiously and breathtakingly unconstitutional actions by a state legislature that I’ve ever seen.”

A plaque posted at the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort includes the Bible verse from Psalm 127, “Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh in vain.”

I cannot say I’m surprised. But I also believe that this is consistent. Our nation has long left being a nation which holds to “In God We Trust.” The truth of God’s Word is clear, and history bears it out that once the leaders and influencers work to scrub God out of the conscience of its citizens, that nation becomes a greasy spot on the timeline of history.

May God shed His grace on us — but I fear His justice is at hand.

Praying For The Lost — A Lost Duty?

Last night, we had a time of prayer specifically for the lost—those who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior.  What prompted this prayer meeting was an initiative called “With One Voice” by the Kentucky Baptist Convention to have all Kentucky Baptist churches pray during their Wednesday evening prayer service on Sept. 10.

During this service, we read Scripture, sang some songs dealing with prayer and revival among our people.  Then we passed out what we call a “Five Alive” card where we supplied each person with two names from the 114 names on the “Salvation” portion of our Boone’s Creek Prayer Guide.  With those two names were three blanks for them to fill in names of people they know.   I encouraged them to consider those who were closest to them (family, friends, co-workers) rather than someone they did not know (for more on this, read Oscar Thompson’s Concentric Circles of Concern).

One of my favorite things to do during a prayer service is to have our people spread out over our 50 or so pews and pray for those who may come into our service.  If your church is like most of ours, you know where most of your regular attenders sit.  But it’s a joy not only to pray for them but also to pray for others whom God may have come in.  It really gives our members an outward looking perspective and gives us great anticipation.

The part that meant most to me was when Alex Marshall, Jr., one of our deacons, had Ron Chaffins (our minister of music) and myself kneel at the steps up to the platform, followed by the church coming forward and laying their hands on us as they prayed for us.  It reminded me of Col. 4:2-4 when Paul exhorted the Colossians church:

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.  [3] At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— [4] that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

This prayer time really lifted my spirit up to heaven. Pastors bear a heavy burden in seeking to strengthen the flock as well as to share the Gospel with a lost and dying community. May our hearts begin to be crafted toward prayer for the lost and for the ministers of the Gospel who share His message. May our heart desire to be equipped to know what this message is so we can share it rightly. May praying for the lost never be lost on us!

Liveblogging from Salem, KY (10/13/07): I made it

Praise God! I made it to Salem in fairly good time. The 250 mile trip took approximately four-hours. I took the Blue Grass Parkway from Lexington to Elizabethtown, got on I-65 South for about 15 seconds, then travelled on the Western Kentucky Parkway for about 120 miles. Driving from the WKP to Salem was a scenic bonanza. I enjoy the picturesque nature of Kentucky immensely.

Tomorrow, I begin my series of sermons at Salem Baptist Church on “Questions the Culture Asks (But Christians Are Afraid to Answer).” You can find the sermons on this subject that I preached in September at the Boone’s Creek website .

I would like to thank the Ohio River Valley Baptist Association for allowing me to stay in their guest room (called “The Prophet’s Room which was dedicated here by the associational WMU back in 1995). It was here that I saw the University of Kentucky beat LSU 43-37 in a nationally televised football game. I’m a UofL fan, but I’m finding myself not only falling in love with the Commonwealth of Kentucky but also all that it has to offer.

Not only that, but Salem Baptist has stocked their refrigerator with snacks, breakfast foods, soft drinks, and water for my stay here. I am thankful for their gracious hospitality.

Please pray that the Spirit of God would move in our midst here.

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