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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

WAYLON BAILEY: It Is Time for America to Grieve and Weep

By Waylon Bailey It’s time for America to weep and wail. Anyone who watched the Sunday night second presidential debate knows that something is terribly wrong in America. We have two terribly unpopular and unsatisfying candidates to be the president of the United States. Many people have become disgusted with the whole process and are vowing to vote for neither one. This is especially common among Christians. While that sounds like a satisfying decision, one of these two will be elected president of the United States. As I have often stated, Christians not voting means that people who don’t pray will elect the next president of the United States. One of the things we can be sure of is this: it is time for believers to grieve, weep, and wail. This is what the apostle James told us to do. It is not a time of laughter or levity; it is a time for weeping and wailing in America as we confess ours sins and ask for His forgiveness (James 4:8-10). James meant that we should exhibit a godly sorrow over what has happened in our nation. As we saw from the two candidates Sunday night, we have become a people who are drowning in sexual immorality. It feels very much like we have been given over to a reprobate mind (a mind … [Read more...]

Beloved Louisiana Baptist evangelist dies from injuries in weekend car crash

By Message Staff SABINE PARISH – Longtime evangelist Vernon Stephenson has died from injuries sustained from a weekend car accident. Stephenson (73) and his wife Rebecca (74) were traveling east on Highway 6 just west of Highway 476 around 12:20 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, when the single-vehicle accident occurred. According to a release by the Louisiana State Police, the vehicle exited the right side of the road, hit an embankment and rolled over. The driver and passenger spoke with Troopers on the scene. Both gave a detailed account of the events that transpired before being transported to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport for treatment. Vernon Stephenson died later that afternoon from his injuries. His wife sustained minor injuries, according to the report. Stephenson, a vocational evangelist at First Baptist Church in Zwolle and retired missionary at Toledo Bend Baptist Resort Missions, was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement" award at the 2016 State Evangelism Conference in Lafayette on January 27 by the Louisiana Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists. He served as treasurer of the North Sabine Baptist Association, assisted in the music ministry at First Baptist Zwolle and conducted services at the Many Detention … [Read more...]