Waking Up the Giant

I have just finished an interview on my radio program with William Perkins. William is the editor of The Baptist Record, the weekly publication of the Mississippi Baptist Convention. We were of course discussing the recent issue of inland casinos in Mississippi and the legislature decision to change the laws to make it legal for gambling to expand in this state.

William has become a wonderful source of information, but more than this, he has become an important voice for truth in our state. I have had the privilege of interviewing him on three occasions now over the last three weeks or so and each time I have the honor to speak with him, I come away with a better understanding of the issues, and feel charged to stand stronger for truth and righteousness.

William hit the nail on the head when he said that Mississippi Baptists are a “sleeping giant”. Southern Baptists in the magnolia state are said to make up 25% of the population. Sadly though, you would not know it by the response, or lack thereof, of that 25% when it is time to speak up on issues such as gambling. On a very positive note, there were at one point some 50 Mississippi Baptist pastors on hand at the state capitol in Jackson to encourage lawmakers to vote against allowing the gambling industry to come ashore. Unfortunately, it was not enough as the measure passed and Governor Haley Barbour says he will sign the bill into law.

But what will it take to get that “sleeping giant” to stir from its self-induced slumber and openly, unashamedly, and boldly stand for the cause of Christ? That is the question that I have asked myself and posed to many people over the last four years. I believe with all my heart that it is absolutely possible for those who call themselves followers of the Savior, but it will not come easily.

We, including and perhaps especially the church, have become spiritually and intellectually lazy; satisfied to accept the status quo rather than put out the effort to go against the grain and rock the boat. But until pastors can stand in the pulpit and face a congregation of sinners and preach the true Gospel even if it means losing “his job”; until a Christian businessman can tell that client or potential client, that because the business meeting or reception is held in a casino or club, he and his wife cannot and will not attend; until the individual can tell the politician, in person and most importantly, from the voting booth, that it doesn’t matter if gambling can bring a lot of money, it is sin and we will not participate in it or put our stamp of approval on it nor patronize businesses who work for the boats, then things will not change.

Simply put, until a person who says they follow the Savior, live as if He is also their Lord, and can truthfully and honestly say that they are sold out to Him, then everything will stay the same.


”Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
2 Corinthians 6:17

Sleeping With the Enemy Can Keep You Up at Night

The cleanup and rebuilding process following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina is ongoing of course. Although the Mississippi gulf coast received less media coverage than the New Orleans area, the state is making up for it now with the hot issue of the demand by casinos along the coast to move off the water and onto land.

I will say first of all that I do not want casinos in Mississippi or anywhere else for matter, on land or water. My position on “gaming” (which is the politically correct way of saying gambling) has been clearly noted in print and on the air. Gambling is the most closely held open secret vehicle of destruction in history. Great efforts are made to fool the general public concerning the destructiveness of gambling, and this includes not only the gambling industry, but governments, politicians, economic leaders and yes even some “faith-based” organizations. The crazy thing about it all however, is that the dangers have been made known and they are by and large ignored anyway.

The local newspapers were full of op/ed pieces today, mostly in support of the casino demands and being critical of those who oppose inland casinos, especially the efforts of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, of which I am a part.

It is understandable when you read the newspaper editorials that they would not want to say anything that would insult the gamblers. I mean you don’t bit the hand that feeds you right? And we know that they receive a lot of sales revenue from the “boats" don’t they?

Some of it can be attributed to fact that a lot of the gambling supporters, the media, the politicians and the like, frequent the casinos themselves, and all that is included with them such as alcohol and the like.

As disappointed as I am with politicians and business leaders, I am more disgusted by the lack of opposition from Christians. I expect some politicians and civic leaders to be spineless and to go whichever direction the crowd goes. I may be naive, however there is part of me that still expects Christians to follow Christ. I guess I am weird that way. It is so sad that we have so much time and resources to spend on making church seeker-sensitive, user-friendly and fun loving, and spend almost nothing on defending the faith and standing for truth and righteousness. I hold the leaders responsible for being timid and caring more about sparing peoples feelings that preaching the Word.

I hate to sound skeptical, but my gut feeling is that in this sinful, selfish society, and in the case of inland casinos, the gambling industry will get want they want, when they want and how they want it. As I have said on the radio before, when you go to bed with a harlot, be prepared for the consequences, and it seems that many people like it that way.