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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Horn: Boy Scouts’ decision puts churches in precarious position

By Philip Timothy Managing Editor Despite the strenuous objections of many religious organizations throughout the United States, including the Southern Baptist Convention, the Boy Scouts of America voted to end its blanket ban on gay adult leaders on the evening of July 27 but will allow church-sponsored Scout units to maintain the exclusion for religious reasons. By a 45-12 vote during a closed-to-the-media teleconference, the BSA’s National Executive Board approved the new policy, which takes effect immediately. In a statement on the organization's website, the BSA said "chartered organizations will continue to select their adult leaders and religious chartered organizations may continue to use religious beliefs as criteria for selecting adult leaders, including in matters of sexuality." "This change allows Scouting's members and parents to select local units, chartered to organizations with similar beliefs, that best meet the needs of their families. This change also respects the right of religious chartered organizations to choose adult volunteer leaders whose beliefs are consistent with their own," the statement read. The message BSA’s president, former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gate,s sent may also have … [Read more...]

What Does Love Have To Do With It?

By Joe Gutherie, Lewiston Baptist Church, Kentwood The recent United States Supreme Court opinion in favor of same-sex marriage was based on the premise that the love between two individuals is the essence of marriage. Everyone from President Obama on down has based their argument for same-sex marriage simply on if two people love each other, then that gives them the right to be married. The day the decision was reached, the pro same-sex marriage contingent proudly waved their banners “Love Wins.” One must now ask the question what is love? And is it the love between two people, or the love for God that is most important? In answering these questions, only one opinion should be considered and that is the opinion of God as found in his Holy Scriptures. God’s first commission to man was to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, Genesis 1:28. In order to accomplish this mandate according to God’s will, He instituted marriage between one man and one woman, Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh, Genesis 2:24. The formula for marriage, as ordained by God, was leave, cleave, one flesh - only sex between a married husband and his wife is … [Read more...]

26-year-old in faceoff with Planned Parenthood

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP) -- A 26-year-old activist with a video camera has moved to the forefront of cultural challengers to the nation's largest abortion provider. David Daleiden and his group Center for Medical Progress are in the process of releasing a much-publicized series of videos he says show Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) senior executives involved in selling baby body parts. The first video, released July 14, showed PPFA Senior Director of Medical Services Dr. Deborah Nucatola admitting to using partial-birth abortions to get intact body parts to sell. Daleiden released a second video July 21 showing another PPFA senior executive -- Dr. Mary Gatter, president of PPFA's Medical Directors' Council -- haggling over the price of body parts and offering to use abortion methods that will not destroy the parts -- what she called "less crunchy techniques." Questions of federal law surround both the sale of fetal tissue as well as abortions involving fetal tissue collection. How did Daleiden get these videos? "We conducted a 30-month-long investigative journalism project," he told WORLD News Service. Daleiden said he spent months networking and building relationships, noting, "You can't just walk in off … [Read more...]

TX Supreme Court: Repeal or vote on Houston ordinance

By Bonnie Pritchett, Southern Baptist Texan HOUSTON (BP) -- The Texas Supreme Court has directed the Houston's city council to abide by its own charter and repeal the controversial Equal Rights Ordinance or put it up to a city-wide vote this November. The city has until Aug. 24 to comply or be compelled to do so by the high court. In a rare move, the Texas Supreme Court conditionally granted a writ of mandamus stating "the legislative power reserved to the people of Houston is not being honored." Last year, Mayor Annise Parker and then-City Attorney Dave Feldman declared "invalid" a referendum to repeal the controversial city ordinance. Petitioners -- a racially and politically diverse group of pastors and civic leaders -- sued, alleging the mayor and attorney manufactured signature requirements in order to defy the city charter mandates. The court agreed with the petitioners July 24, stating the city secretary, not the city council, is obligated to evaluate petitions. Enforcement of the ordinance is suspended. "Simply put, the City Secretary's certification started the process outlined in the Charter for reconsidering ordinances following a referendum petition, invoking the Council's ministerial duty to carry out its … [Read more...]

Johnson: Christians need to prepare for the approaching storm

By Karen Pearce, Regional Reporter BOSSIER CITY – “You are what’s left of Christianity in America.” These sobering words were spoken by Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Bossier City, July 20 to a standing-room-only crowd at First Baptist Church, Bossier City, where more than 200 church leaders gathered to learn next steps after the Supreme Court’s recent marriage ruling threatening religious liberty. Johnson said recent polls indicated that Louisiana is the most Bible-literate and most church-attending state in the nation, which leads to greater responsibility. “I really do feel like Louisiana Baptists have a particular responsibility. We shouldn’t take for granted what we have,” he said. “We need to be aware, but not afraid.” His legal organization, Freedom Guard, is ready to assist any organization that comes under fire. “On June 26th, five of the nine-member Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges to usurp the authority of the people and force same-sex marriage on all 50 states by judicial fiat,” Johnson said, expressing the outrage of his fellow conservative legislators as they watched years of hard-earned court victories disregarded and over-ruled. Johnson warned this latest ruling changed the playing field and … [Read more...]

Transgender politics prove ‘the emperor is wearing no clothes’

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – The mainstream media are adoring toward Bruce Jenner’s “courageous” transition to “Caitlyn;” schools are introducing curriculum teaching sexual identity is a fluid concept and not a biological construct; and, the U.S. military has announced it is studying “the policy and readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to serve openly … with the presumption that transgender persons can serve openly without adverse impact on military effectiveness and readiness, unless and except where objective, practical impediments are identified.” Remarkably, this push toward redefining sexual identity as “ambiguous” comes as homosexual activists just won legal recognition for gay marriage from the U.S. Supreme Court. And, ironically, it contradicts what Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in justifying the majority decision—that “sexual orientation is both a normal expression of human sexuality and immutable” (in other words, “fixed”). Even more incredibly, such social re-engineering is moving ahead in our country despite bodies of scientific research that conclude transsexuality is a psychiatric disease and, particularly with children, often is a transient condition that is best … [Read more...]

Abraham’s altar: Worship must be a priority in our lives

By Steve Horn, President of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and Pastor of First Baptist Church, Lafayette LAFAYETTE – Abraham’s story in Genesis 12 is a model story of what it means to take God at His word and obey. I have always been amazed at Abram’s faith depicted in this account. As I have often summarized about this story, “God said to Abram ‘Get up and go,’ and Abram got up and went.” The part of the story that I want to isolate is not Abram’s journey to the land of Canaan, but instead what he did when he got there. He built an altar. In fact in Abram’s case, we see a series of altars. In Chapter 12, we have two initial altars: 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to Yahweh there, and he called on the name of Yahweh. In chapter 13, we see the indication of additional altars. The first is the return to the altar between Bethel and Ai: 1 Then Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, … [Read more...]

Planned Parenthood, in new video, prices baby parts

By David Roach, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) – A second undercover video released July 21 by the Center for Medical Progress appears to show a Planned Parenthood doctor negotiating the price of baby parts obtained through abortion and discussing the possibility of varying abortion procedures to harvest intact organs. At one point in the video, a woman identified as Mary Gatter, former president of the Planned Parenthood Medical Directors’ Council, speaks of using “a less crunchy technique” of aborting babies to preserve “more whole specimens.” She also jokes, “I want a Lamborghini,” when negotiating the price of baby parts, though she also says, “We’re not in it for the money” and “we don’t want to be in a position of being accused of selling tissue.” Gatter appears to settle on a price of $100 per “specimen” but says she wants to investigate what other abortion providers are receiving. The video includes text stating it was shot Feb. 6 by investigators posing as a fetal tissue procurement company. David Daleiden, senior investigator for the Center for Medical Progress, told LifeSiteNews CMP’s latest video suggests Planned Parenthood violated federal laws that prohibit profiting from the sale of human remains and altering … [Read more...]

Bosnian immigrant finds more than just the American dream

By Karen Pearce, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT – Warmth enveloped Jasmine when she came up from the baptismal waters at Broadmoor Baptist Church. “Everything was warm around me and I was feeling happiness and like finally I’m complete,” she said. “I can say it now aloud.... ‘That’s me, that’s what I am, I am Baptist.’” “I can say it out loud now, ‘That’s me, that’s what I am. I am Baptist,’” Jasmine, a Bosnian immigrant, said after being baptized by Donny Durr, minister of business administration at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport. Although being Baptist is a common thing in Jasmine’s current home state of Louisiana, it is quite unusual in her home country. She grew up in Bosnia where Islam, Orthodoxy and Catholicism vie for prominence. She was born into a Muslim family -- her grandfather was an imam. But her father was an atheist and her mother was never willing to be labeled. “She always said there is just one God and God will help you. That was her way – to find God, to believe that He’s a savior, He’s a father,” Jasmine said. Her mother’s faith opened the way for Jasmine to seek. Today, Jasmine knows that she has met the true God, Jesus Christ, and she has taken the brave step to publically declare her faith … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

ON THE MOVE Larry Sylvest is new as pastor at Lewiston Baptist Church, Kentwood. Scott Spins is new as pastor at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, Mt. Hermon. Russell Zwerner is new as associate pastor at Victory Baptist Church, Walker. Mark (wife Paula) Norwood is new as pastor at First Baptist Church, Patterson. Kenneth Austin has resigned as senior pastor at Bayou Plaquemine Baptist Church. Nathan Coleman is new as youth director at North Shreve Baptist Church, Shreveport. Kelly (husband Chris) Pyle is new as children’s director at Koran Baptist Church, Haughton. HOMECOMING Turkey Creek Baptist Church, Gilbert: 97th Homecoming Celebration, Aug. 2, 10:45 a.m. The homecoming celebration will take place in the church’s new sanctuary in which the first service was held on July 5. The old sanctuary was destroyed by a fire Dec. 4, 2013. Everyone is invited to attend. Pastor: Kyle Spinks. Ebenezer Baptist Church, Jonesboro: 165th Homecoming, Aug. 9, 10:30 a.m. A meal will follow the service in the Family Life Center. Speaker: Clovis Sturdivant. Pastor: Randy Lee. First Baptist Church, Greensburg: 149th Homecoming and dinner on the grounds, Aug. 9, Sunday school, 9:15 a.m.; Worship services, 10:30 a.m. with dinner on the grounds … [Read more...]