By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BALL – Pastors, their wives and other members of Louisiana Baptist churches traveled to Kingsville Baptist Church in Ball, Nov. 13-14, to be reminded of and revitalized in their love of Christ and His Gospel. MERRITT James Merritt’s message at the 2016 Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference was simple yet profound – the Gospel is a big deal. “The Gospel is the only message that has the power just like that to take a person from sin to salvation, from hell to Heaven, from darkness to light,” said Merritt, pastor of Cross Pointe Church, Duluth, Ga. “If the Gospel is not true, nothing else really matters. But if the Gospel is true, it is the only thing that matters.” Preaching from 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Merritt said pastors must prioritize, recognize and emphasize the message, meaning and might of the Gospel. “The message of our church is not determined by our mission,” he said. “Our mission is determined by our message, and that message is the Gospel.” ALLEN David Allen told pastors that while it is wonderful to know the facts about God, it is much better to actually know God personally through Christ. Allen said God has revealed seven wonders of His Son, found … [Read more...]
God is both good & all-powerful
By Robert Jeffress Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to do wrong. --Job 34:10 Admittedly, it is difficult to reconcile God’s absolute control over His creation with His inherent goodness. If we accept the existence of God and the reality of evil, then we must conclude that a God who would allow tragedies is either evil or impotent. Yet neither conclusion is a viable alternative. The Bible attests to the goodness of God, who is defined by His love for righteousness and hatred of evil in verses such as “Good and upright is the Lord” (Psalm 25:8); “O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8); and “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Even apart from the Bible, the world is filled with evidence of a benevolent Creator. Yes, natural disasters kill people, but most of the time, rivers stay in their banks and the tectonic plates do not shift. Farmers periodically struggle with droughts, but usually sufficient rains come to protect their livelihood and provide our food. We read of crimes committed against people, forgetting the reason they are reported is that such crimes are the exception rather than the rule. The outpouring of financial support and volunteering to help victims of natural disasters and … [Read more...]
