Presidents come and go, but the appointments they make can impact generations

Southern Baptists are very concerned about the direction of our nation. I first attended an annual meeting of our Convention as a first-year seminary student in 1979. Since 1984, Jeana and I have not missed an SBC Annual Meeting.

Over these 35 years, we have continually witnessed a strong burden for America and its future in our SBC pastors’ conferences and annual meetings. Thank God our Convention cares about our nation.

We should be a people of God who love our Lord above all else, while also understanding that as Christians, we should practice citizenship in every way possible. We should be burdened for the future of our nation. We should be faithful prayer warriors for our country and all of our leaders.

Southern Baptists have stood strongly in defense of the sanctity and dignity of human life, religious liberty, and marriage as defined by Holy Scripture. We have a history of speaking to these issues, which are deeply held convictions. Our beliefs are found in the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, as well as in resolutions adopted by messengers to annual meetings through the years.

I have joined our Southern Baptist Family in moments where we have been on our faces before God in SBC annual meetings, crying out to God about these major issues.

That is why so much is at stake in the current situation we face in America.

We cannot be silent in this defining moment. Silent denominations die and their message dies with them. We must be clear. And above all, we must be strong and courageous!

This is not about politics, but biblical morality.

How can we not speak up in this hour? How can we back away from this significant moment? We cannot.

Presidents come and go, but the appointments they make can impact generations.

Since 1973 more than 60 million babies have been aborted in the United States. Abortion is a sin against God. With a sudden vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, now may be the time when God is giving America one more chance to turn from propagating and winking at a culture of death. We have the opportunity to turn 180 degrees toward establishing a culture of life.

Can you imagine what it would be like to live in an America where abortion is no longer acceptable? Where every life is valued and recognized as a person created in the image of God? Where we honor and respect one another?

It is sad the way we treat one another in America today; but, let’s face the truth: this will never change until Americans learn to value human life from the moment of conception. Instead, some Americans value pets as much as or even more than babies. God have mercy on us.

That is why we need to pray for President Donald Trump, our senators, and everyone else who will be involved in making the critical decision about who will become the next U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Minimizing critical decisions like these is unwise and immature.

As I stated earlier, and strongly believe: Presidents come and go, but the appointments they make can impact generations.

If you do not believe this, then remember the +60,000,000 babies who were never given the gift of living outside their mothers’ womb because our nation said they did not have a choice in the matter.

Pray for America.

Now is the time to lead,