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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Abraham’s altar

By Steve Horn 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 today 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. • Then Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between … [Read more...]

Packed crowd cheers Pence; others tweet criticism

By Will Hall, Message Editor DALLAS (LBM)—Vice President Mike Pence gave a rousing report to cheering Southern Baptists about the work of the White House on behalf of Southern Baptists as Americans and as a community of faith, sharing his testimony of salvation and an inspiring message by the three Christians freed from North Korea; but the Twitter-sphere showed not everyone was happy with his remarks. Pence and SBC President Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in the Memphis, Tennessee, area, were together in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November 2017, to minister and offer encouragement to church families and the community following the shootings at the First Baptist Church during which 26 congregants were murdered, including Pastor Frank Pomeroy’s daughter Annabelle Renae, who was just 14 years old, and 20 church members were wounded. PRO FORMA The vice president’s report came amid business reports by SBC national entities and different committees and task forces, and seemed in line with those good news reports about what had been accomplished by each organization during the past year. He received multiple standing ovations, but three instances in Pence’s message were particularly emoting: his … [Read more...]

Election, SWBTS controversy top business agenda in Dallas

By Will Hall, Message Editor DALLAS (LBM) — The 9,467 Southern Baptist messengers in Dallas had the opportunity to shape the future of the Convention in a number of ways, with the following items of significant note: -- J.D. Greear was elected SBC president with 5,410 votes to 2,459 votes for Ken Hemphill, after a nominating speech that described Greear as having planted “42 Southern Baptist churches” told a younger generation “we ought to give more to the Cooperative Program”; and, been “a whosever-will Gospel preacher.” -- An attempt failed to dismiss the executive committee of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustee board for ousting Paige Patterson regarding allegations to his handling of a sexual assault incident, as well as statements he made about domestic abuse and women’s physical appearance. -- Despite strong vocal opposition by some, an overwhelming majority of messengers voted to let Vice President Mike Pence speak to the Convention. -- The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission convinced messengers to defeat a trustee candidate presented by the SBC Nominating Committee, and approved instead a nominee seeking a second term. MOTIONS REFERRED TO SBC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Motions … [Read more...]

4,229 professions of faith in Dallas

By Will Hall, Message Editor DALLAS (LBM) — Organizers said 3,214 new believers committed their lives to Jesus during a June 10 crusade by Greg Laurie in Dallas, held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. Meanwhile, 175 seminary students spent the week in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, knocking on more than 20,000 doors, holding 3,180 Gospel conversations, and witnessing 340 professions of faith. Additionally, 400 churches took part in door-to-door evangelism that resulted in 675 salvation decisions. Combined, the multiple outreach efforts produced a total of 4,229 new believers who made commitments to live for Christ. HARVEST DALLAS Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, which has campuses in California and Hawaii, has been leading Harvest Crusades since 1990, with the large-scale public evangelistic events renamed Harvest America in 2012. Laurie is a member of the board of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and models his Gospel outreaches after the now-deceased evangelist’s crusades. This is the second year that Laurie’s ministry had been linked to the SBC. Next year a three-day crusade is planned to coincide with the Southern Baptists’ meeting in Birmingham, … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptists sink riverboat casino; take on key social issues

By Staff, Baptist Message BATON ROUGE (LBM) — Despite the heavy presence of paid lobbyists for the gambling industry, Louisiana Baptists secured a key victory against the casino interests of the state, helping to defeat Senate Bill 417 and its companion House Bill 438 and keeping a riverboat casino from moving to Tangipahoa Parish. The Senate defeated S.B. 417 by a vote of 15-18, needing 20 votes to pass, whereas H.B. 438 did not make it out of the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee. Both proposed allowing an existing riverboat casino to relocate from Bossier City to the Tangipahoa River along I-12. However, a coalition of pastors, led by David Cranford, First Baptist Church in Ponchatoula, and Louis Husser, Crossgate Church in Robert, mobilized the community and testified in both chambers of the legislature to help sink both bills. Likewise, Sherman Mack, chairman of the ACJ Committee, and a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Albany, gave leadership to defeat H.B. 438 and to keep it from coming back up during the regular legislative session. Cranford told the Baptist Message “the Lord blessed and we are grateful” with Husser adding “it was a ‘David and Goliath’ scenario.” “We stood firm as … [Read more...]

Hunting show to connect creation with the Creator

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer HAUGHTON – Pastor Gevan Spinney will soon take the Gospel from inside the worship center of First Baptist Church in Haughton to viewers of a national hunting TV show. “The Way It Was” will debut June 29 on the Pursuit Channel, and Spinney and others hope they can offer more than just picturesque outdoor scenery and the best tips on how to snag the biggest elk, turkey or deer. Ultimately, they pray the show will introduce viewers to the message of Christ over the course of the 13-episode season. “This is my wheelhouse,” Spinney said. “I’m a simple redneck guy who loves Jesus and the outdoors. Putting the both of them together will give us an opportunity to reach people who don’t normally go to church. “When you’re outside it’s that time to get your mind and life in neutral,” he continued. “It’s the creation connecting with the creator. The busyness of our lives keeps us from being still. But being in a tree there is a lot of stillness. It’s where you see the awe of God, feel His presence and see how big He is.” The show will feature Spinney and fellow hunters Lynn Beaty, a member of First Baptist Haughton, and Sid McCullin, a member of Cypress Baptist Church in Benton. The … [Read more...]

Kingdom Builders advance the Gospel through construction

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer RHINEHART – A group of Kingdom Builders kicked off their summer by helping members of Oak Grove Baptist Church in Rhinehart complete their family life center. A team of 55 people from 26 Louisiana Baptist churches in early June installed framing, sheetrock, wiring and plumbing inside the 4,800-square-foot facility. Kingdom Builders President Randy Ray said his organization saved Oak Grove Baptist around $50,000 in labor costs. “Our heart and our focus is working with mission churches and smaller churches that can’t typically afford to have a building built,” said Ray, pastor of St. Rest Baptist Church in Dubach. “The greatest joy of Kingdom Builders first of all is great because we get to work with these guys and gals. We have formed a bond and are a picture of the real church – a community of believers coming together to help out fellow Christians with a need.” This is the second project Kingdom Builders has completed this year. In February, volunteers helped finish the Breadcrumb Benevolence Ministry building in Jonesville. Their final undertaking for 2018 is to help finish a worship center for the Church Street of God in Oak Grove this September, pending final approval … [Read more...]

FIRST-PERSON: Pointed words from Brother Louis Beloney

By Fred Luter, Pastor Franklin Avenue Baptist Church NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- I am the middle of five kids. My mom and dad were divorced when I was 6 years old. As a single mother of five kids, my mom had a lot of rules; however, the one that was non-negotiable was that everyone in our house had to attend church on Sunday mornings. My mom would often say that everyone who sleeps in her bed, eats her food and drinks her water had to go to church on Sunday mornings. I have told people through the years that my mom gave me my first "drug" problem -- she drug me to church, she drug me to Sunday School and she drug me to Vacation Bible School! However, the fact of the matter is, I was just going to church but not living for God after the benediction. Because my mom had to work two to three jobs, I literally lived the life of a street kid, getting involved in things and living a lifestyle that I knew was not pleasing to God. However, it was a lifestyle that all of my so-called friends were living and I wanted to be just like them. I shudder to think where I would be today if I had gotten caught doing the wrong things simply because I was hanging around the wrong crowd. Several of the guys I used to run the streets with are either … [Read more...]

Why you need a church and friends

By Waylon Bailey You need a church, and you need friends. From the very beginning, God put people together to worship, serve, and follow Him. While you find this throughout Scripture, it is particularly evident with the apostles and disciples of Christ. What would Paul have done without Aquila and Priscilla? How would he have carried out his purpose without Luke, Timothy, Silas, or any of the others. These people helped and supported Paul in accomplishing his work. It’s amazing what Paul and the other apostles accomplished in such a short time, but they did not do it alone. God never intended for us to do His work alone. He intended us to be part of the church, members of the body who help and encourage one another. Last night after our Wednesday meeting I was blessed by a young woman who said, “I pray for you daily.“ And, she meant it. She spent just a few seconds last night praying over me and praying for God‘s blessings and protection. I reminded her, “I am sustained by the prayers of God‘s people.“ Acts 19 describes a riot by the worshipers of the goddess Artemis in Ephesus. The riot spilled over into the theater in Ephesus (it’s still in existence and probably held 25,000 people). Paul wanted to go … [Read more...]

Atheist finds Refuge, peace with Christ

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW ORLEANS – Atheist Dezmond Boudreaux made it clear to Refuge Church Pastor Justin Haynes he wanted nothing to do with Christianity when the two met in January. Bitter from past church experiences as a child, Boudreaux eventually became an atheist as a young adult and helped start a Marxist group in New Orleans he hoped would help silence Christianity. However, Christian love displayed by Haynes and other members of the church caused a change of heart in Boudreaux, who on April 1 became the first new convert of Refuge Church. Surrounded by Haynes and about 15 others inside the New Orleans Healing Center auditorium April 8, Boudreaux plunged beneath the baptistery waters to publicly display his newfound faith. “The group I was with hated churches and Christianity,” Boudreaux said. “Once I got into it, I realized there was no peace in what I was pursuing. That’s when I met Justin and found Christ. “The whole time I was searching for peace and truth, but could never find it,” he said. “Whenever I found Christ, that’s when I truly found what I was looking for.” The baptism was affirmation for Haynes that his congregation’s labor was not in vain. “It was awesome because … [Read more...]