By Message Staff BATON ROUGE – A few days after flooding sent several feet of water into thousands of buildings in southern Louisiana, LSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry Director Steve Masters was contacted by a collegiate minister in Georgia with an offer – fans and dehumidifiers. Sky Pratt, collegiate minister at Prince Avenue Baptist Church in Bogart, Ga., orchestrated a drive and collected more than 100 fans and 45 dehumidifiers, which were delivered to Masters and distributed within a few days. Now, Masters is issuing a call for more donations of fans and dehumidifiers. “Some of the flooded homeowner’s greatest needs are dehumidifiers and fans,” said Masters, whose own home was filled with 58 inches of water last month. “It is of critical importance in rebuilding to have the moisture out of the studs and walls of a house. Any type will work.” Among those who have received a dehumidifier is Wayne Vincent, an 86-year-old retired minister of education at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. He is grateful Southern Baptists stepped up in his time of need and urges all Southern Baptists to continue sending donations of any kind. “I would like to thank Prince Avenue Baptist Church for loaning me this dehumidifier … [Read more...]
LGBT pride group attempts to shame Christian schools
By Gregory Tomlin, Christian Examiner CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Christian Examiner) – Campus Pride, a Charlotte, N.C., activist group focused on advancing the gay rights agenda on college campuses, has issued a "shame list" of colleges which are not LGBT-friendly. Not surprisingly, numerous Christian Colleges adorn the list. To read the rest of the article, please click here. … [Read more...]
Oklahoma hotel removes Bibles after atheist’s complaint
By Billy Hallowell, Deseret News An atheist organization that has asked private hotels and publicly funded university-owned hotels to remove Bibles from their guest rooms has reportedly convinced the Thunderbird Executive Inn in Glendale, Arizona, to do just that. According to a press release from The Freedom From Religion Foundation, an atheist activist group, rooms at the hotel "are now Bible free" after the organization requested their removal. To read the rest of the article, please click here. … [Read more...]
Archaeologists find Ephesus mosaics from Apostle Paul era
By Philippe Bohstrom The Roman city of Ephesus was always known to be opulent. Now painstaking renovation of mosaics, murals and other marvels in a sprawling apartment complex showcases its splendor in the era when the city on the Turkish coast was visited by the apostle Paul, nearly 2000 years ago. Now, renovated in their original hues, the wall paintings, mosaics and marble paneling once again radiate in a blaze of colors. To read the rest of the article, please click here. … [Read more...]
King Solomon-era palace discovered in Gezer
By Philippe Bohstrom A palatial building dating to the era of King Solomon 3000 years ago has been discovered in the royal city of Gezer, though there is no evidence which of the Israelite kings lived there, if any. The monumental building dates to the 10th century BCE, the era associated with King Solomon, who is famed for bringing wealth and stability to the newly-united kingdom of Israel and Judah. The American archaeological team also found a layer featuring Philistine pottery, lending credence to the biblical account of them living in the city until being vanquished by King David. To read the rest of the article, please click here. … [Read more...]
David Jeremiah: God’s itinerary
By David Jeremiah And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. Psalm 139:16b Recommended Reading: Genesis 22:8-14 If a vacationer can afford it, concierge-type travel services can plan and provide for every day—actually, every hour—of an itinerary. From the moment you are picked up at your door until the moment you return, your trip has been planned and executed in detail. For some, eliminating the serendipitous, unplanned moments from a trip removes all the fun. For others, security and not worrying about details is worth the price. To read the rest of the devotional, please click here. … [Read more...]
Barry McCarty: What your vote does and does not do
By Barry McCarty, Christian Examiner FORT WORTH, Texas (Christian Examiner) — A lot of you are confusing the "consent of the governed," which is what happens in a political election, with some sort of absolute moral affirmation of everything the candidate you vote for has ever said or done. Your vote does nothing of the sort. For the rest of the story, please click here. … [Read more...]
Todd Starnes: Muslims complain about town’s 911 memorial
By Todd Starnes, Fox News A group of New York Muslims has taken offense at a small town’s new memorial honoring those who died in the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Islamic Organization of the Southern Tier fired off a letter to city leaders in Owego – alleging that words engraved in the granite memorial would encourage hatred to Muslims. To read the rest of the story, please click here. … [Read more...]
40 led to Christ during disaster relief chaplain’s eight days in Lafayette
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAFAYETTE – As he passed by a local fast food restaurant, Wayne Barber felt a nudging by the Holy Spirit to stop and see what God had in store for he and his fellow Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team members. When Barber did, the Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief chaplain found a worker in the establishment discouraged and in need of hope after flooding in mid-August left her apartment uninhabitable. Moments later, Barber offered her something that would never wash away or be destroyed – a lasting relationship with Jesus Christ. She would be the first person over the next three days in the same restaurant and in the same booth – and one of nearly 40 altogether during Barber’s eight days there – to make a decision for Christ. “There were three people in a row at the same booth, three days in a row, all accepting Christ,” said Barber, still all smiles after his week in Louisiana. “It was amazing how we were going down the road and the Holy Spirit nudged us to go in there, even though we really hadn’t planned to at first. “Every night when we go to bed we pray the Lord would prepare divine appointments the next day,” said Barber, a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church … [Read more...]
Calling all soul winners to Northside Baptist
By Brian Blackwell,vMessage Staff Writer DENHAM SPRINGS – James Carson is calling all soul winners to join him at Northside Baptist Church in spreading the Gospel to those hurting after recent flooding in south Louisiana. “We need all the help and prayers and support we can get,” said Carson, interim pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Denham Springs. “We as a church are looking at this opportunity not only of ministering to the physical needs of people but more importantly to the spiritual needs and trying to win people all over this community to Jesus Christ. We will put forth a really hard effort to get that done in our community here. “And we welcome any soul winners to come and join us in this effort,” he added. “We would appreciate that.” Nearly four feet of water came inside the worship center at Northside Baptist Church in mid-August. Nearly everything from pews to hymnals to carpet is ruined, except for the baby grand piano, an organ and the Bible sitting atop the Lord’s Supper table. “We are most grateful that our grand piano and organ was spared as they are used to glorify our Lord with leading our praise to Him in worship,” Carson said. “We also are grateful the large family Bible on the communion … [Read more...]
