Books and Family

There are two things that I feel strongly about, OK there are more then two things but these are the two that I need to get off my chest. The first is what the world cries when we try to abide by God’s law in everything we do.

“The phrase separation of church and state is generally traced to the letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists, in which he referred to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as creating a “wall of separation” between church and state.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws “respecting an establishment of religion” or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, laws that infringe the freedom of speech, infringe the freedom of the press, limit the right to peaceably assemble, or limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seperation_of_church_and_state

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

This has nothing to do with keeping Church out of schools, courts, or any other public place.  This is to keep the “state” out of our Church’s.  I am printing two Wikipedia entries and will keep them handy.  I think this is something that we need to make the world aware of.

Now the second, that is Rick Warrens prayer during the inauguration. This was a great opportunity to share about the foundations that this country was based upon, Christ our Lord and Savior. To share the hope of the gospel, to plead for our country to repent and put our faith in Christ alone. I feel that he wants to appeal to the mass public, doesn’t want to offend anyone. That should not be of concern, I was glad to find that others before him did not shy from the truth when addressing the country:

Invocation delivered by Franklin Graham

Blessed are You, 0 Lord, our God. Yours, 0 God, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, 0 Lord, is the kingdom. You’re exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from You. You are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and to give strength to all. As President Lincoln once said, “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown, but we have forgotten God. It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended powers, to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.” O Lord, as we come together on this historic and solemn occasion to inaugurate once again a president and vice president, teach us afresh that power, wisdom and salvation come only from Your hand. We pray, 0 Lord, for President-elect George W. Bush and Vice President-elect Richard B. Cheney, to whom You have entrusted leadership of this nation at this moment in history. We pray that You’ll help them bring our country together so that we may rise above partisan politics and seek the larger vision of Your will for our nation.

Use them to bring reconciliation between the races, healing to political wounds, that we may truly become one nation under God. Give our new president, and all who advise him, calmness in the face of storms, encouragement in the face of frustration, and humility in the face of success. Give them the wisdom to know and to do what is right, and the courage to say no to all that is contrary to Your statutes of holy law. Lord, we pray for their families, and especially their wives, Laura Bush and Lynne Cheney, that they may sense Your presence and know Your love. Today, we entrust to You President and Senator Clinton, and Vice President and Mrs. Gore. Lead them as they journey through new doors of opportunity to serve others.

Now, 0 Lord, we dedicate this presidential inaugural ceremony to You. May this be the beginning of a new dawn for America as we humble ourselves before You and acknowledge You alone as our Lord, our Savior and our Redeemer. We pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Billy Graham Center, Wheaton College

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