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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Patterson: Practice evangelism, anticipate revival

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer POLLOCK – The Big Creek Baptist Association of churches could spark a nationwide revival if they would develop a love for sharing the Gospel with others, Paige Patterson, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, said during the association’s Evangelism Night at the First Baptist Church in Pollock, August 4. “A revival would break out in this association and the first thing you know that revival would spread to other churches in local parishes around you and then it would spread and it would spread and it would spread,” Patterson said. “And the first thing you know the very thing that everybody considers to be impossible would happen and we would have a rebirth of the Word on God in America. It's that easy folks. We don't have to be destroyed. God is not through with us. And if we would begin to witness, it would make all the difference in the world.” Patterson, who referenced 2 Kings 7:1-9, said four lepers discovered an abandoned Syrian camp fully stocked with food, water and valuables, and after eating and drinking their fill began hiding their loot. Bu they had a change of heart and felt compelled to share the good … [Read more...]

Advance

By Steve Horn When I was in college, I was invited to attend an “Advance” sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I had been on retreats before, but I had never heard of an “Advance.” When I asked about the meaning of an “Advance,” my leader asked if I had ever been on a retreat. When I indicated that I had been on many retreats, my leader told me that an advance was like a retreat. My leader continued that Christians are never to retreat, but always to advance. As Christians, even when we go on a retreat, we do so in order to advance. Paul said it this way to the church at Philippi. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 NIV) Christians do not run away from tough times; we run toward the prize for which God has called us. Christians do not panic, but instead we pray, trust God, and react with peace. As we contemplate the back to school season and many of us get back to “normal routines,” let’s pray about how we might advance. Let’s advance first of all in our personal lives. Set some new goals spiritually. Then, let’s work together for the advance of the kingdom of God. Steve Horn is executive director for Louisiana Baptists. … [Read more...]

Louisiana native Robert Finley, AGT contestant, hits high notes of faith at Zion Hill

By Message Staff PINEVILLE, Louisiana – America’s Got Talent contestant Robert Finley paid a visit to the Zion Hill Church Family in Pineville Sunday, August 4, to share a simple, yet profound musical message of hope. “Hold onto God’s unchanging hand,” Finley said in between songs. “Keep your faith. Good things come to those who wait, if you wait upon the Lord.” Finley, who is a bluesman from Bernice, Louisiana, first caught the attention of the nation July 9 when he received a standing ovation for his song “Get It While You Can” in his audition on America’s Got Talent, a television show that features acts who advance through several rounds with hopes of winning a million dollar prize and a guaranteed show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Finley advanced through another preliminary round July 23 to the live performance quarter-final round later this month in Hollywood, California. The air date has not been announced. According to a biography on his website, Finley joined the armed forces as a teenager and, after working as a helicopter technician, used his musical talents to lead an Army band that toured Europe. After he completed his military service, Finley returned to the United States to work as a carpenter. Four years … [Read more...]

Abraham: Cut taxes, create jobs

By Message Staff PINEVILLE – Congressman Ralph Abraham championed his gubernatorial vision for tax cuts and attracting new businesses to the state during a July 31 meeting of the North Rapides Business and Industry Alliance. Abraham, who is one of three candidates for governor and a member of Alto Baptist Church, told a crowd gathered in Louisiana College’s Granberry Conference Center that, if elected, he would better position the state to end a recent streak of last-place finishes in an annual ranking of quality of life measures by the U.S. News & World Report. “We are going to incentivize businesses to come, stay, grow and give that living wage job with benefits,” Abraham said. “If we do that, then they can invest and they grow.” Among the ideas he presented to stimulate the economy in central Louisiana is the proposed Interstate 14 that would run from Texas through South Carolina, incorporating Louisiana Highway 28 between Texas and Mississippi, as a strategic highway connecting military bases to deep water ports for ease of shipping heavy combat equipment overseas. Abraham is a member of a multi-state caucus advocating for HR 6111, which would build existing roads into the congressionally designated … [Read more...]

The need for the Golden Rule on mountaintops, in valleys

By Jeff Ginn Mount Everest is the world’s tallest peak. It is remote, rugged and daunting. Over three hundred climbers have died in pursuit of its peak and many of their bodies still lie frozen where they fell. Given these facts, something quite surprising happened this summer. There was a traffic jam on Everest! Due to weather, typically only a few weeks in May are suitable for the ascent. This year, bad conditions reduced that window of time to a few days. For that reason, hundreds of climbers attempted the summit on the same day. Because there is a single rope that lines the last leg of the journey, the route became terribly congested and torturously slow. In the so-called “death zone” of over 8,000 meters of altitude, that is a recipe for disaster. Eleven climbers died during this year’s window. One of the saddest cases in Everest lore is that of a British climber named David Sharpe. He was an experienced mountaineer. On his third attempt to summit Everest, he decided that he would go solo without the aid of a team or sufficient supplemental oxygen. On his way back down from the summit area, he stopped. Not all of the reasons for his pause are known. What is known is that 40 different climbers passed him on the trail. … [Read more...]

Be encouraged

By Waylon Bailey Last month, Martha and I were in a business to make a purchase which took several minutes to complete. We met a delightful man who waited on us and did a good job showing us what we needed to know. After several minutes, I had this intense urge to ask him where he went to church. All of this took place out of state so I had no real need to know where he went to church. I didn’t even know if he did go to church. At first, I resisted the urge but then it came again and so I asked him where he went to church. He seemed a little taken aback, but he immediately began to tell me about his church. After his answer, I explained that I am a pastor and would love to have a man like him at my church. That opened the door to his story. He described himself as a Jewish Christian who came to know Christ a few years ago. He told us how and when he was saved. It was a great story. When he described it as a bit unusual, I told him how many Jews are coming to faith in Christ. I also used the words of Joel Rosenberg, another Jewish Christian, to help him with what had taken place. When someone said to Joel Rosenberg that it seemed weird for him to be a Jewish Christian, Joel said, “it’s the most normal thing in the … [Read more...]

Suburban renewed after recent rebuild

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – On Feb. 7, 2017, an EF-3 tornado ripped apart the worship center and education building of the Suburban Baptist Church in New Orleans. But in 2019, the congregation has experienced a spiritual rebirth marked by nine baptisms, coinciding with the final repairs to the facilities. “For the last two years I have been inwardly focused trying to rebuild what was destroyed by the tornado,” Pastor Jeffery Friend told the Baptist Message. “God sent a mighty army of volunteers from across the country to rebuild our church and I knew the least we can do was to fill our buildings again for Him. “People have been inviting others to worship services and the neighborhood has been curious about what was happening as teams came in to rebuild,” he continued. “Many folks have known our church’s facilities were destroyed by the tornado. They wanted to see what the progress looked like on the inside. We took advantage of their curiosity and have seen God work in great ways.” Suburban Baptist Church averaged 200 people in Sunday morning worship before the tornado reduced that number to 30. However, the congregation refused to disband and used the facilities at Gentilly Baptist … [Read more...]

1,835 new Brazilian believers!

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MONTES CARLOS, Brazil (LBM) – A 56-member mission team recently continued the Gospel vision of former Louisiana Baptists Director of Evangelism Wayne Jenkins with a nearly two-week mission trip to his beloved Brazil. Jenkins, who previously led 34 mission trips to Brazil, took his final mission trip to that country in July 2018 before his death Nov. 13 after a lengthy battle with cancer. His son-in-law, David Denton, said Jenkins’ love for the Brazilian people was felt by the team members who participated in the trip, July 5-16, in Montes Carlos, Brazil. “It was an emotional trip, in some aspects, but God was gracious and the trip went smoothly,” said Denton, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia and coordinator of the trip. “We miss Mr. Wayne.  But he and (his wife) Mrs. Martha loved the Brazilian people and were instrumental in helping people catch a vision for partnership missions. Mrs. Martha continues to be an important part of the work there. Beyond the Walls remains focused on the same objective of sharing the life transforming message of God’s grace in Christ.” The Louisiana Baptist-led mission team partnered with Beyond the Walls – a Louisiana-based ministry … [Read more...]

Trump profanes God’s name, twice

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor GREENVILLE, N.C. (LBM) -- During a July 17 campaign rally in Greeville, North Carolina, President Trump cursed twice, invoking God’s name both times, while speaking to supporters in Minges Coliseum on the campus of East Carolina University. Afterward, most mainstream media outlets took issue with a “send her back” chant by the crowd, directed at U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), after Trump criticized anti-Semitic comments she has made and other statements in which she minimized the 911 terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists. However, at least a few attentive viewers took issue with the president’s use of foul language that demeaned God. Trump used the offensive phrase, first, while telling an anecdote about a businessman who reluctantly conceded he was prospering because of the president’s economic policies, and a second time while describing the outcome of a hypothetical military strike against Iran. Criticism lit up social media, but died down just as quickly. But a West Virginia lawmaker took the matter to heart and wrote a formal letter to respectfully express being appalled that the president “chose to use the Lord’s name in vain.” Paul Hardesty, a state senator, is … [Read more...]

Berkley, California, becomes ‘no man’ land

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor BERKLEY, Calif. (LBM) – In the 1960s, Berkley, California, was known as the epicenter of the countercultural revolution. In 2019, the city has become the center of a movement to ban gender-specific language, including the word “manhole” which must now be referred to as a “maintenance hole” because of an ordinance passed July 23. The move will replace all gendered language from the municipal code, according to the measure’s sponsor Rigel Robinson, a 23-year- old councilman and recent graduate of U.C. Berkley, in an effort to avoid bias against non-binary persons (those who do not identify as either male or female). City manager Dee Williams-Ridley concurred with the measure, explaining in a memorandum to the council that the “broadening societal awareness of transgender and gender-nonconforming identities has brought to light the importance of non-binary, gender inclusivity.” “Firemen” will be referred to instead as “firefighters,” and, “policemen” will be addressed as “police officers.” References to women will be abolished as well: “Pregnant woman” will become “pregnant employee.” Likewise, all pronouns which identify the sex of a person will be changed: “He” and “she” will … [Read more...]