Showing posts with label Ronnie Floyd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ronnie Floyd. Show all posts

Monday, May 23, 2016

Mega-Christian Leaders Having Private Meeting With Donald Trump - TODD STARNES CHARISMA NEWS

Donald Trump has agreed to meet privately with some of the nation's most prominent Evangelical leaders.

Mega-Christian Leaders Having Private Meeting With Donald Trump

Donald Trump has agreed to meet privately with some of the nation's most prominent Evangelical leaders. (Reuters)

Donald Trump has agreed to meet privately with some of the nation's most prominent Evangelical leaders—a meeting seen as critical to garnering support from social conservatives, Fox News has learned.
"Our goal is to be able to have a conversation that could lead to a better understanding of what Donald Trump has to offer to the country," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.
Perkins is one of the key conservative leaders spearheading the gathering—set for June 21 in New York City. Perkins, along with Bill Dallas of United in Purpose, worked with Dr. Ben Carson to arrange the meeting.
As many as 500 conservative leaders from around the nation are expected to attend the invitation-only event.
The meeting was convened by a who's who among evangelicals—including Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd, James Dobson, Ralph Reed, Penny Nance, Bob McEwen, Tim Wildmon of the American Family Association, Kelly Shackleford of First Liberty and mega-church pastors Jack Graham and Ed Young.
"I want to be actively supportive of a candidate who can help turn this nation around," Perkins told me. "With Trump, I'm not there yet. I hope to be there—but I'm not there right now."
Perkins said Trump will not be delivering a speech. He will be there to answer questions. There will be no straw poll. There will be no endorsement from the conservative leaders.
"There is no preconceived outcome here," he told me. "I'm hoping we can have a conversation that could lead to helping conservative leaders make a decision about what to do in this election."
The meeting comes as a small but vocal number of Christian leaders are urging people of faith to stay at home on Election Day.
And that's why Tony Perkins is worried.
"Our goal is to be able to have a conversation that could lead to a better understanding of what Trump has to offer to the country," he said. "If we don't try, the outcome is not going to be good."
Specifically, the leaders want to hear detailed plans on potential Supreme Court nominees and the vetting process. They also want to hear about Trump's policies regarding religious liberty, pro-life issues and possible vice presidential candidates.
"A vice presidential pick is going to be very crucial," Perkins said. "Mr. Trump doesn't have a track record—so I am going to rely very heavily on who he is going to pick as a running mate."
Floyd, the president of the nation's largest Protestant denomination, said he just wants to do the right thing.
"The vast majority of Southern Baptists are very much where I am today—we're trying to figure this out," he told me. "We're trying to navigate through these waters that are very uncertain and very difficult."
Floyd had strong words for Christian leaders who are suggesting voters should simply stay home.
"We cannot change what exists or even alter it or adjust it sitting on the sidelines and prognosticating about the situation," he said. "We have a biblical responsibility, but we also have a responsibility as citizens of the United States to express the privileges afforded to us—that men and women have died on the battlefield to give us—and I'm not walking away from that."
Floyd said the conversation with Trump is a way for Christians to share their hearts with him.
"None of us have endorsed Mr. Trump, nor have we condemned Mr. Trump," he said. "This is about the possibility of being able to appoint the next four Supreme Court justices. This is about the dignity of human life from the womb to the tomb. This is about religious freedom. I'm not about to sit at home and not express something. I'm accountable to God, and I believe I'm accountable to my fellow Americans."
But at the same time, he acknowledged that many people of faith are struggling to come to terms with some of Mr. Trump's past statements—statements that are contrary to biblical teachings.
"Could you vote for him? That's the question at hand," Floyd said.
Todd Starnes is host of "Fox News & Commentary," heard on hundreds of radio stations. Sign up for his American Dispatch newsletter, be sure to join his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter. His latest book is God Less America.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

The Spiritual State of Our Union in 2016: America Must Come Back to God - Ronnie Floyd - Senior Pastor of Cross Church and President of the Southern Baptist Convention CBN News

The Spiritual State of Our Union in 2016: America Must Come Back to God
01-12-2016
Ronnie Floyd - Senior Pastor of Cross Church and President of the Southern Baptist Convention 

CBN News
This is the time of year when millions of Americans tune in to hear our President give his State of the Union address. He will give his assessment of our national security, our priorities, and our vision for the future.

This is a tricky word— "our."

For these days it seems as if America can hardly find "our vision" for any thing, much less the future.  Our nation is deeply polarized around our political parties, and totally unrelenting in our commitment to fighting against one another. Despite growing national security threats, violence erupting, escalating racial tensions, the devaluing of human life, and economic insecurity we find ourselves unable to agree on almost anything.

What's especially alarming to me, serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention, is that we fail to realize how the spiritual health of our nation affects the state of our union. As our spiritual lives go, so goes the nation.

It wasn't meant to be this way in America, for one of the reasons our founders so cemented Judeo-Christian principles in our nation is because they were skeptical of mans' ability to govern themselves.  So, America would be a nation first subject to God - and subject to His higher law - so that our respect for our creator would provide a baseline for our "more perfect union."

We would at least be united around important things when we couldn't find unity among many things. Where are the leaders in America today that can bring people together, rather than separate us?

For our founders knew that the moment we no longer saw ourselves subject to God - and to His higher law - that we would begin to fight over everything in an attempt to gather God's authority for ourselves.

When our political leaders and the people of America lack fear of God we become subject to that awful temptation we find in Judges 17:6, "to do what is right in their own eyes."

For since the beginning of time, we have been tempted to "be like God" and when a nation's leaders and her people lose their fear of God and replace it with their own authority then we begin to live in a kind of chaotic unity – not with one another – but in an unholy union with that very sin that brought sin to earth in the Garden of Eden. Aside from all of the others, we fail to follow the very first commandment given to us through Moses, "thou shalt have no other gods before me."

In America, we have replaced God with government, and granted politicians the ability to circumvent God's higher law at will.  It's our fault as citizens because we are a country that elects our leaders. 

While we profess to remain "one nation under God" - and while we have inscribed such belief on our currency and in marble all over our capital - we seem to be more interested in "God bless America" than in actually being "one nation under God."

The first phrase infers what we want from God, and the second phrase infers what God requires. We want His blessing, but His blessing comes with our being subject to His authority.

Rarely is God ever mentioned in the State of the Union address except with that customary salutation, "God bless America."   It's all about what we can get from God, and less about what we need from Him.

So, what is the actual spiritual State of Our Union?

It is very simple.

We need to repent, come back to God and put our trust in God alone. America needs a Great Spiritual Awakening.

Now is the time to elect leaders who fear God and we need to learn to fear God again ourselves.

We need not say phrases like "God Bless America" because they are our tradition. We need to speak them with a holy reverence for God's authority, for without God there never would have been an America at all, and without God at its center America will not exist as it has.

I'm trusting that 2016 is a year where we apply a simple verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

 Dr. Ronnie Floyd is Senior Pastor of Cross Church and President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Follow him on Twitter @ronniefloyd.