The Winning Team

AFA Alert: The Washington Monument

Federal government strips “God” from the Washington Monument

National monument no longer references God

TAKE ACTION

The National Park Service, a branch of the federal government, has joined the Veterans Administration in establishing anti-Christian bigotry as public policy. The NPS has censored “God” from a key display of America’s Christian heritage in Washington.

The reference is an engraving of “Laus Deo,” which is Latin for “Praise be to God,” on the east side of the 100-ounce aluminum cap atop of the Washington Monument.

Since the actual inscription on the cap is unviewable atop the 555-foot stone column, the NPS created a replica which is on display in the white-colored obelisk of marble, granite and sandstone.

Now “God” has been removed from the plaque containing information about the Washington Monument. In 2000 the plaque read:

APEX OF THE MONUMENT Reproduction The builders searched for an appropriate metal for the apex that would not tarnish and would act as a lightning rod. They chose one of the rarest metals of the time, aluminum. The casting was inscribed with the phrase, Laus Deo, (Praise be to God).

The NPS censored the last sentence from the latest plaque, which now reads:

CAP OF THE MONUMENT Reproduction The builders searched for appropriate metal for the cap that would not tarnish and would act as a lightning rod. They chose one of the rarest metals of the time – aluminum.

In addition, the replica of the cap which is in the monument has been positioned so close to the wall that the wording “Laus Deo” cannot be read. Prior to the censorship by the NPS, the replica wording could be read.

It was the third time in just the past few weeks that an agency of the federal government has banned the use of “God.” First was the Architect of the Capitol banning religious references when issuing flag certificates. That ruling was later rescinded. Next came the Veterans Administration censoring religious references in the script used to describe each fold of the flag at 125 national cemeteries. That censoring came after only one person complained.

Because of the NPS censorship, children and other visitors to the monument now have no way to know that the words, ‘Laus Deo,’ (’Praise be to God’), are inscribed on the original cap atop the monument! This censoring of God will help establish anti-Christian bigotry into federal law.

Click Here for more information.

	Take Action Send President Bush an email asking that he rescind this anti-Christian censorship by the National Park Service. Your email will also go to the Secretary of the Interior and the NPS Director. Please forward this to your friends and family and urge them to take action. Click Here to Send Your Letter Now!

N.C. Beach House Fire Kills 7 Students

Sunday October 28, 2007 10:16 PM

By ESTES THOMPSON

Associated Press Writer

OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. (AP) - An early morning fire ravaged a beach house occupied by more than a dozen college students on Sunday, killing seven and sending several more to a hospital.

Mayor Debbie Smith said the six people hospitalized were treated and released, including one survivor who jumped from the burning home and into a waterway. Read more.

WIS-TV offers this report on the situation.

Hurt

How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.

–From Shakespeare’s King Lear, 1605

There is this song that has been in my head today. I catch myself humming the tune from time to time. It is a song called “Hurt.” As I listen to the words of this song sung by Johnny Cash and I see the clips of Jesus on the Cross when I view the video on Youtube, this thought comes to my mind:

How sharper than the nails that pierced Him it is to have a disobedient child of God.

 

Storm Warning

We need to issue our own storm warning with this developing situation in our Convention. Read more here.

Updated November 8, 2007

I am on a blog fast but this story is too big to ignore. Here is the latest Baptist Press article, a Wes Kenney post, and Wade Burleson response to the situation.  Here is possible actions that the BoT could take according to Robin Foster.

How I Came to Marry My Wife

Some people have wondered how I met my lovely and wonderful wife, Melissa. Actually, it seems God’s hand was in the whole affair. We met during the aftermath Hurricane Fran that hit SEBTS. It seemed as time passed, we would spend more time together. One night, her roommate got stranded at work. Melissa called me and a mutual friend to go help the roommate. The mutual friend and I got the car started and got the roommate home. We left the women at their dorm and headed back to the men’s dorm. Well, the mutual friend and I were talking about Melissa. You see, he had dated her several times in the past and I wanted to be sure that it was ok for me to see her. He said, “You know Melissa wants to marry you.”

That comment really surprised me because earlier that day, a good friend had said that he thought Melissa and I were good for each other. So, since that earlier comment to that evening, I had been praying to God for a definite sign. Convinced I had my sign, the next morning, I called Melissa for a date and the rest is history. We have been married now over 10 years now with one daughter.

Are you ready for the irony to this story? The mutual friend had told me that Melissa wanted to marry me in an attempt to scare me off. The guy had done the same trick in the past to scare off other potential suitors. Not that he wanted to date her seriously or marry her but rather he wanted to keep their relationship as it was. Isn’t it amazing how God works? What was meant to as intimidation was seen as an invitation and I have received great blessings from God.

Remember

This a story on the Baptist Courier website right now. Let us remember the McMinn family in our prayers. Here is the article from the online site:

Greenwood pastor, father of 4, dies in auto accident

 

Phillip McMinn was returning from retreat at White Oak Conference Center

 

Published October 22, 2007

Phillip McMinn, 47, pastor of South Main Street Baptist Church, Greenwood, was killed in a single-vehicle automobile accident Saturday afternoon, Oct. 20.

He was on his way home from a retreat at White Oak Conference Center in Winnsboro. According to the S.C. Highway Patrol, the accident occurred on Highway 34 about 16 miles west of Winnsboro.

McMinn, who lived in Greenwood with his wife and four children, would have completed two years as senior pastor at the church in January.

Born July 12, 1960, in Dalton, Ga., McMinn served as senior pastor at South Main Street Baptist Church since January 2006 and previously served for 13 years as senior pastor at Brookwood Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., and for six years as pastor at First Baptist Church, Reynolds, Ga.

He was a graduate of East Texas Baptist University, Southwestern Seminary, Luther Rice Seminary and Oxford University Graduate School.

Survivors include his wife, Phyllis, and children: Mark, 20, who attends Anderson University, Micah, 18, Matthew, 13, and Mary Ann, 5. Phillip McMinn was the son of Delano McMinn, retired director of missions for Saluda Baptist Association, Anderson.

The family will receive friends at Blyth Funeral Home in Greenwood from 5 to 8 Monday evening, Oct. 22.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23, at South Main Street Baptist Church.

Dance, Joel, Dance!

Adrian Rogers said that he didn’t trust a man who smiled all the time. Maybe this is why.  Please notice how the dance starts.

Joel is not done yet.  A caller will not let him off the hook and he continues to dance.

The Heart of Flesh blog found this clip also. I think this Scripture fits the situation very well.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)

2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Knock, Knock

Tom preached a sermon on Song of Solomon about the sleeping church and one particular verse has stood out in my mind this week. Song of Solomon 5:4 reads:

 

My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him.

The lover wants to be in an intimate relation with his lover. She is resistant to his advances. She tells him that she is in bed and doesn’t want to open the door. He is unable to open the door because in those days, you reached through a hole in the door to release the latch and to lock the door, you would cover the latch hole. The lover tries to move the hindrance but he is unable to open the door. Later, the woman regrets her decision and opens the door but it is too late. He has left.

Please consider now Revelation 3:20:

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Now, I have heard this verse used in evangelism. I have done it myself but please remember the context of the verse. Jesus is speaking to the church of Laodicea. He was telling the church that He wanted an intimate relationship with them that is as close spiritually as a husband and wife are to be physically. After all, is not the Church described as the Bride and Jesus as the Bridegroom? He wants an intimate relationship with His Bride. The question we must ask ourselves is what is blocking the latch holes of our churches and keeping Christ out?

Also, remember from Song of Solomon 5 that the lover did not wait forever and neither will Jesus because He tells the churches of Revelation if they do not respond to Him that their candlesticks would be removed.

–Selah