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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Archives for January 2017

Louisiana Baptist congressman named to U.S. House judiciary committee

The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee has named a prominent Louisiana Baptist congressman as a member to the committee for the 115th Congress. “I am delighted by this appointment because the Judiciary Committee handles some of the nation’s most important issues, and many that I have been working on my entire career,” said Mike Johnson, who was elected Dec. 10, 2016, to serve Louisiana's 4th Congressional District. The Judiciary Committee is often referred to as “the lawyer for the House of Representatives” because of its broad jurisdiction over matters relating to the administration of justice in federal courts, administrative bodies, law enforcement agencies, espionage, terrorism, the protection of civil liberties, constitutional amendments, immigration and naturalization, interstate compacts, and oversight of the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, among other areas. Johnson is a member of First Baptist Church in Bossier City.   … [Read more...]

FROST: America needs a spiritual cure for its social ills

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer RUSTON – In the 23 years Gary Frost has traveled the country as a pastor, he has noticed a steady increase in the breakdown of society, particularly in urban America. The solution, Frost believes, is simple yet profound. “I am of the conviction that the social ills plaguing our urban environments are stubbornly resistant to remedies that are not birthed and sustained through the united, concerted and fervent prayers of God’s people in these communities,” Frost said. “Maladies such as fatherlessness, family dysfunction, drug addiction, sexual promiscuity, crime, incarceration, economic blight, inadequate education and more are spiritual at the very core. Good strategies to resolve these matters cannot be effective apart from strongholds of darkness being broken by the spirit of God, in the name of Jesus Christ.” A true believer in a spiritual cure, Frost has invested his energies into his role as national facilitator of prayer and compassion initiatives for Mission America Coalition, organizing prayer-based fellowships across the nation. Since joining the organization in 2015, he has helped start four such networks and has seen countless lives changed in dramatic ways. “I … [Read more...]

STEVE HORN: Making public worship a high priority in 2017

By Steve Horn, pastor, First Baptist Lafayette I guess it is possible to maintain a vibrant spirit-filled, Christ-honoring, God-abiding spiritual walk without maintaining a relationship with a local church, but I have never met anyone who did. I’ve known some who have tried, but I have never known anyone who succeeded. I’ve met some who said they were going to succeed, but I have never known anyone who did. The local church, including ours, with all of her problems and at times hypocrisy and inconsistencies, is still the best way to help you in every other area of life. Maintaining a growing relationship with Christ when we are connected to the church will never be easy, but I maintain it is nearly impossible to maintain that relationship without the Church. So, as we begin this new year, I urge you to commit yourself anew to Christ and anew to the Church. I urge you as a sign of your commitment to pledge your faithfulness to the “assembling of ourselves together” each week. Notice in the Hebrews 10 passage the high priority of worship. Our Condition Before Salvation—The first thing that ought to compel us to worship is our condition before our salvation in Christ. The context of Hebrews gives several ideas to … [Read more...]