JEAN T. MARTIN

The Selma Times-Journal

Ocmulgee Baptist Church: “Surely,

the presence

of God was in that holy place.”

In song and with prayer,

greetings and laughter, the 185th birthday

of Ocmulgee Baptist

Church was

celebrated Sunday

afternoon.

The celebration opened to a rousing chorus

of “That Old Time Religion,”

sung by the choir and congregation, accompanied by

enthusiastic

hand clapping to the rhythm of the old hymn.

Ocmulgee

Church pastor Dr. Robert Taylor

welcomed those gathered in the filled to capacity sanctuary, then put

the afternoon program into the hands of Chairman Dusty Rhodes.

Present also were several pastors who had been called from membership and are now serving other churches;

among these

were Mallory Wheat, Donnie Harris, Tommy Fancher, Cecil Smith and Noah Reed.

And “Amazing Grace,” sung by the congregation and the choir introduced former pastor F.M. Barnes, who spoke briefly of

the history

of the

church. A more complete version followed by Allen Dunkin and Earl Parker.

Guest speaker Judge Roy Moore and his family were seated on a front row of the church, awaiting his place on the lengthy program, and obviously

enjoying

the special music of the choir and The Lamb Family of Tuscaloosa, who are a nationally known quartet of violinists-cello-pianists .

Nodding his head in time to the beat, Moore smiled constantly, laughing

heartily when The Lambs – three sister and a little brother – were

introduced

as “three lambs and a ram” by their father. The Lambs program included the spiritual “Were you there,” ending with a spirited rendering of “America’s Heartland,” set to America the Beautiful.

Then it was time for the speaker, who was introduced by Rhodes as “a great man, a great American. Everyone knows

what

he stands for. He is a living

example

of what

we need to be.”

With a smile and a wave in acknowledgement of the applause from the standing congregation, Moore moved to the pulpit. Nodding to where they were seated. he introduced

his family: Kayla, his wife, Heather, his daughter, Ory, his son and Kandi Rich, his sister-in-law. Moore also introduced his “companion, driver and friend Leonard Holifield.”

Moore opened his talk with the story of “The Preacher,” who was born in 1865 in Ireland and died in 1946.

“James Albert McCary came from Ireland. His story has helped lead me to where we are today. “I can’t sing but I can eat. I can’t preach but I can teach. So I go around teaching people what they should be. Things have changed. Things have changed in Israel, Jerusalem and Judah,” he said, quoting Jeremiah on false prophets.

“The same is true here today. We are looking for one man who knows the way of the Lord. But we have forgotten God and his sovereignty.

Judges in their court rooms have ruled you can’t put God in public buildings anymore.

“Myron Thompson (Judge) rules we crossed the line between permissible and illegal when we acknowledge God in public.”

Flashing Biblical quotations on a large screen, Moore referred to several court cases from his

legal battle

with the monument of the Ten Commandments. “The basic issue is can the state acknowledge God? I tell you I placed that monument at night to keep people from tripping over the equipment necessary to set it and getting hurt.”

The deeper issue, he says, is what will we do when we are told we cannot acknowledge God any more?

“Daniel was put into the lions’ den because he knelt to no king but God. No government has the right to keep us from worshipping God.

But we are closing shutters on God. On Nov. 12, 2003,

Attorney Bill Pryor asked

me the following

questions: ‘Will you acknowledge

God?’.

“My answer was ‘Absolutely,

without

any doubt.”

“Next question asked was:

‘If you resume your position in court, will you acknowledge God?’

“My answer:

Absolutely, I will. When Thomas Jefferson helped found this country he wrote:

‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created

equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable

rights…”

Moore said “God gives rights. The Government insures them. When they take those rights, the Government denies God, of whom there is no higher power. When the Government put itself above God we had the right to declare a new nation. And on July 4, 1776, in the Declaration of Independence, it is so stated. This new nation was founded on the law of God.

“But, if we stopped

our ears and closed our eyes to this truth, if we want

healing, we must turn to God.

One of our errors is forgetting the source of

religious

liberty. It comes from God. In 1931 Supreme Court Justice Sutherland ruled that we are a Christian people, acknowledging our duty to the will of God. Chief Justice Hughes in 1946, ruled Government must recognize God as the source of liberty.”

Moore argues that the domain of conscience is higher than the authority of state. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the First Amendment, “making no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise there of.”

“I just lost a job because the state may not acknowledge sovereignty of Judeo Christian God. This is hypocrisy. The separation of church and state does not mean denying God. The Doctrine is the state cannot interfere with the church.

From time to time in his lengthy talk, Moore lightened the atmosphere with a bit

of humor, including a favorite joke about a lady and a parrot.

Serious again, Moore said “Some judges rule by law, others make their own. This nation can no longer be deceived by

the courts. So, what shall we do?

“Number one:

Pray.

“Number two:

Teach.

“Number three:

We must stand up for the truth.”

He explained the Constitution Restoration Act, Senate

Bill 1260, being

sponsored by Sen. Richard Shelby and Robert Aderholt. Moore has also opened the Foundation for Moral Law in the Constitution. More information is available by

calling

334-262-1245, he said.

“I am glad the Pilgrims are not still here to experience this parody on America the Beautiful, with our drugs, gangs, lust, abortion and murder.

“God will heal this sickly land if we acknowledge him. He has not forgotten us.”

Dr. Parke Chittom ended this segment of the service. A buffet lunch was served and

a special

musical program was given.

Judge Moore also signed copies of his book “So Help Me God” for the crowd gathered to purchase one.