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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Contemporary ministry: a lesson from the past

By Dr. Marvin Jones, Louisiana College The training of preachers and pastors has a long-standing tradition within Christianity. Paul’s command to Timothy to “train faithful men” (II Tim 2:2) is an essential for the church’s spiritual health. This tradition of Christian education supporting the Christian church has continued ever since. My brief review of the Apologists and Monasticism will demonstrate the concept of pastor training and pastoral ministries support the health of the church. The review of the Apologists will show that a theologically trained pastor is healthy to a congregation as opposed to a theologically trained monk who provided limited leadership to the church. The Apologists The early church faced intellectual and spiritual challenges from the Roman culture, including attacks on the credibility of the gospel. The Roman strategy was not only to undermine the influence of Christianity but to prove it was spiritually and intellectually dismissive. These polemical battles for Christian truth were often fought in churches by competent pastors. The pastors were known as the Apologists. The Apologists were a second-century product of the Christian church which interacted with its cultural counterpart. These … [Read more...]

Horn looks back on his two years as LBC president

By Philip Timothy, Message Managing Editor LAFAYETTE – His presidency was defined by challenges but tempered by encouragement. Through it all, though, he led the way by example. Over the last two years, Steve Horn, pastor of First Baptist Church of Lafayette, faithfully served Louisiana Baptists as president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention in which he faced significant cultural and financial challenges. But in typical Horn fashion he took each one head on relying on God’s Holy Word and providence. His term officially ended at the LBC’s 168th annual meeting Nov. 10th. “I want to first of all to say thank you Louisiana Baptists for allowing me to serve these last two years,” said Horn. “The greatest blessing I received during this time has been strengthened relationships and some new relationships. “I also want to say thank you for responding to the challenges facing our convention, our state and our country,” he continued. “Many of you responded to my challenge to come and pray with me corporately and individually in 2014. “In 2015, you once again responded by taking ‘The Pledge’ toward increasing giving to the Cooperative Program,” said Horn. “I look with great anticipation to see how God blesses your renewed … [Read more...]

God’s protective hand evident as EF1 tornado roars past Peniel Baptist Church

By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor CALCASIEU – Pastor Courtland Stokes and his wife believe they may have witnessed a “Christmas miracle’ Dec. 21 after a brush with an EF1 tornado. The couple had just finished watching the 5 o’clock news and thought the severe weather watch had passed without incident when limbs started to hit the house. They scrambled into their bathroom and shut the door. “We hadn’t been in there but a moment when we heard the wind,” said Stokes, who is pastor of Peniel Baptist Church in Calcasieu. “It sounded like a lot of people screaming at the same time in the same pitch. It was very loud. The next thing we knew we felt something slam into the house and then it was gone. “We stepped out of the house,” he said. “Our carport, a small shed and some metal posts buried two to three feet in the ground in concrete were gone. The storm had just ripped them out of the ground. Our car was also under that carport but amazingly it did not have a scratch on it.” The same could not be said for 54-year-old Mike Smith, who is a member of Peniel Baptist, or his trailer which rested a short distance from the parsonage. “As we were surveying the damage to our carport, we looked out and saw Mike’s trailer,” … [Read more...]

Christmas—a Time of Renewed Hope

By Billy Graham Christmas is a special time. It is a family celebration. Other holidays are different. Good Friday and Easter are usually celebrated in church. National days are honored with speeches, parades and the ceremonies of government. But Christmas is glorified in the home because it is the celebration of a birthday. Yet there is irony in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. He was born away from home, on a journey that symbolized the restless and the wandering nature of the world into which He came. He was born in the insecurity of a barn, a symbol of the fact that during His public ministry, He would have very little home life. He roamed the roads and towns of ancient Palestine. He died, taking the ordeal of the cross so that out of His suffering and His victorious resurrection mankind could find redemption. Christmas means different things to different people. To some, Christmas is merely a means to make more money. People vie with each other in their preparation for the celebration of the occasion. Some of them do not believe in Christ; they may even hate Him. But Christmas has become big business. People are more concerned to hear about their profit from Christmas than to hear about the Prophet from … [Read more...]

The Real Story Of Christmas

By Franklin Graham Jesus’ birth was the fulfillment of numerous prophecies in the Old Testament that foretold the incarnation of the Son of God, who would deliver men from the guilt, penalty and power of sin, which has brought death and enslavement since the time of Adam. More than 700 years before the Savior was born, Isaiah prophesied: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7). The Scriptures actually foretold the Messiah’s coming in the Book of Genesis when the Lord spoke to the serpent following the calamitous disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he [Christ] will crush your [Satan’s] head, and you [the devil] will strike his [Christ’s] heel” (Genesis 3:15, NIV). Jesus came two millennia ago to a small Judean village for one ultimate purpose: to die on a horrid Roman instrument of execution—the cross—for the sins of men. There He would deal with the universal penalty and consequences of … [Read more...]

Christ Comes in Our Darkest Hour

By Billy Graham Today is Christmas, read Luke 2:11, 13–14. The greatest sermon ever preached was delivered by angels on this historic night. It has always been interesting to me that this message was delivered at night. It wasn’t night because the sun had gone down. It was night because the world was surrounded in spiritual and moral gloom. People were driven by greed, intolerance, and lust for power. Religion had become a device for the rich in the exploitation of the poor. Men robbed and swindled and profiteered under the cloak of religion; they even fought wars in the name of religion. In every arena of life, it was night when Jesus came. Things haven’t changed. Today, there seems to be a moral night that has settled over our world—sexual immorality, pleasure-mad people, lusting for money and power—the same as it was in the days when Jesus came 2,000 years ago. It is in the darkest hour that Christ often comes. He brings the joy, the thrill, the peace, and the glory such as you have never known—when you and your loved ones give your lives to Him. How has Jesus shown Himself to you in your darkest hour? Reflect on this for Christmas. … [Read more...]

Home for Christmas: Siblings find ‘forever family’

By Robin Cornetet, Kentucky Baptist Convention SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- Sam and Stephanie Patterson's long and emotional quest to become parents was finally realized last December when they adopted four young siblings through foster care. "It feels like the greatest Christmas present we could have ever received," Stephanie said of her and her husband's journey. Dec. 18 marks the first anniversary of the adoption of Carrie, now 12, Carissa, 8, Austin, 4, and 3-year-old Kali. The children lived in the Pattersons' home for more than a year while waiting for the Commonwealth of Kentucky to make it official. "We will celebrate that day [Dec. 18] every year in some way," said Stephanie, a music ministry associate at Little Flock Baptist Church in Shepherdsville, Ky. "It's the day they became Pattersons, the day they became part of our forever family and everything was final." The Pattersons' pursuit of parenthood was a rocky one, as the couple struggled with infertility for 10 years. Sam sensed God opening his heart to adoption in watching "the compassion my brother had with his two adopted sons." "The challenges are there, yes, but the rewards are beyond compare." Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family … [Read more...]

Judge declines to issue injunction in lawsuit by Vintage Church

By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor METAIRIE – A judge declined to issue a preliminary injunction Dec. 22 against the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and Jefferson Parish over a dispute regarding sound levels during Sunday worship service conducted by Vintage Church. The church which is temporarily meeting in a tent filed a lawsuit accusing Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand and his officers of intimidation tactics in an attempt to shut down weekly worship services because of noise complaints by a sing individual, and the suit also described the noise level ordinances as flawed. The Liberty Institute, a non-profit law firm which focuses on religious liberty issues, plans to appeal the ruling immediately. “We have already begun working toward an appeal and we are optimistic we will prevail in the end,” said Justin Butterfield, senior counsel for Liberty Institute. “We respectfully disagree with the court’s decision,” said Butterfield, “because as the parish official acknowledged, this ruling could lead to pastors being arrested or the church being shut down. That is unquestionably a substantial burden on the church’s religious freedom.” The tent, erected in August, is intended to be a short term arrangement … [Read more...]