Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

John Fleming: Faith makes lawmaking decisions easier

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – “Whether it’s national defense, right-to-life or the protection of First Amendment rights,” Rep. John Fleming told the Baptist Message, “it’s my personal faith, my belief in Jesus Christ as my Savior and what I think he wants me to do that guides me in my decision-making.” Fleming, who represents the 4th U.S. Congressional District in Louisiana, hopes to employ these same values as a U.S. Senator, vying as one of 24 candidates who have filed to replace the retiring Sen. David Vitter. But, for now, he is a member of the powerful House Committee on Armed Services, which has oversight for such matters as the defense budget (including defense acquisition programs), national security issues related to atomic energy, and contingency operations in the global war on terrorism. He also holds a coveted leadership position as chairman of the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans for the House Committee on Natural Resources, and guides policy and programs relating to such issues as fisheries management, hydroelectricity generation by federal water projects, and even U.S. participation in the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (which defines the rights and responsibilities of nations … [Read more...]

Praying for one another

By Steve Horn I am not sure there is anything better we can do for another person than to pray. In Colossians 1:9-14, we have a record of Paul’s specific prayer that he prayed for the believers of Colossae. Here is a specific prayer for Christians. You can pray it for yourself, for others, or for your children. I see at least these four specific requests. We should pray that each person… • Be Filled with the knowledge of His will. Is anything more important than knowing the will of God? But, the goal of knowledge is not to be puffed up with knowledge. The knowledge has a goal so we continue to request. • Fulfill the Calling of a Disciple. Follow the logic. The knowledge leads to a “so that” clause. The “so that” is each person would walk worthy of Him. When a person does that he will be fully pleasing to God, bear fruit, and be increasing in the knowledge of Him. Do you see the cycle? • Be Strengthened with His power. Colossians and Ephesians have similar content. Paul wrote to both churches while in prison. In a similar prayer section that he wrote to the Ephesians, about God’s power, Paul wrote: “He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in … [Read more...]

Harvest Initiative, leaner CP budget top Executive Board agenda

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer Louisiana Baptists will be operating on a leaner Cooperative Program budget in 2017. During its September meeting, the Executive Board approved the Business and Finance Committee’s recommendation for the 2017 Cooperative Program Budget of $20,043,331, a decrease of $550,435 from 2016. The budget will be brought to messengers for approval during the 2016 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. The allocation between SBC and LBC causes remains unchanged, with 63.26 percent going to ministries in the state and 36.74 percent forwarded to SBC causes. The portion of the budget which funds the LBC ministries will be $12,679,411, a decrease of $348,205 from the 2016 allocation. “The CP allocation budget is based on receipts received from August 2015 through July 2016,” said Dale Lingenfelter, business and information services director for Louisiana Baptists. “Our state is facing several economic challenges that are affecting the budgets of our churches which in turn, affects our cooperative missions and ministries. “The budget projected for 2017 is basically the same as our 1999 budget, even though the percentage forwarded to our SBC … [Read more...]