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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Louisiana congressman co-sponsors bill to expand freedom of speech for churches

By Message Staff WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) has co-introduced legislation that could repeal an amendment that has restricted free speech of churches and non-profit agencies from speaking openly about moral, political and social issues with fear of losing tax-exempt status. During a ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 2, Johnson appeared with other legislators and pastors for introduction of H.R. 781, also known as the Free Speech and Fairness Act. If passed, the legislation would repeal the Johnson Amendment, which was named after Lyndon Johnson, a Texas senator when the bill was issued in 1954. He eventually became president of the U.S. President Donald Trump has also voiced support for repealing the Johnson Amendment. During the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Feb. 2, Trump promised to "totally destroy" the amendment. "Two of our most sacred and unalienable rights protected by the Constitution are the right to religious freedom and the right to speak freely without fear of prosecution," said Rep. Johnson, a member of First Baptist Church Bossier City, in a news release. "The Johnson Amendment infringes upon both of these by subjecting churches and non-profits to IRS investigation and censorship … [Read more...]

Private revival stirring from public call to prayer

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT – Nearly 900 members of the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association ended their final days of January by crying out to God to bring revival to a nation becoming increasingly filled with turmoil, according to Lane Moore, director of missions for the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association. Much like the association’s first Call to Prayer, which was hosted at First Baptist Church Bossier City in January 2016, Moore said this gathering brought together Christians of various ages and ethnicities to pray for law enforcement, the persecuted church, missionaries serving around the world, pastors and other church leaders. The 2017 event at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport was marked by prayer from the worship center stage, in small groups around the room, and by individuals even in the hallways outside, he described, adding that in the end, participants uniformly described a movement of the Holy Spirit in that place as pleas for revival were lifted up. FRAMING THE NEED During Moore’s opening remarks, he said the culture is desperate for the love of Christ and is watching how believers live. “My desire tonight is that we would not leave this place the same … [Read more...]

Trump fulfills promise to evangelicals, and more

By Will Hall, Message Editor WASHINGTON, D.C. (LBM)—Louisiana Baptist national leaders are praising President Donald J. Trump as a man of his word for naming Neil Gorsuch as his U.S. Supreme Court pick. But a look at his nominees for cabinet posts shows the president has gone beyond just the minimum in keeping his promises to evangelicals -- 12 of his top 23 advisers, cabinet leaders and cabinet-level officials, are avowed Christians. SUPREME COURT NOMINEE Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a Christian public policy ministry in Washington, D.C., said in an FRC news release he was pleased to witness the president “follow through on his promise and select a nominee from the list he presented during the campaign.” That final list contained 21 names -- 10 persons were identified by Trump in May 2016 and 11 more candidates were added, including Gorsuch, 4 months later at the request of conservative groups. All 21 individuals were described as strict interpreters of the Constitution. Perkins also serves as interim pastor of Greenwell Springs Baptist Church just outside of Baton Rouge. U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, a member of First Baptist Church in Bossier City, likewise praised the president’s … [Read more...]

Baptismal waters help ease pain of floodwaters

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DENHAM SPRINGS – The baptismal waters for the congregation of First Baptist Church Denham Springs were calm for several months following the historic flood of August 2016, but they have stirred once again for the congregation, just not where they would have expected. In December, 10-year-old Elise Hebert stepped into a livestock watering trough at the Denham Springs Junior High School cafeteria and declared her faith in Christ before being plunged beneath the surface in obedience and as a public display of her faith. Despite the dislocation from their church campus, the event was a true homecoming for Elise and her family. Elise, who along with her sister Ann Marie, had just recently returned to Denham Springs after living with their uncle in Maryland for two months immediately following the flood. Pastor Leo Miller told members the baptism was another reminder their future was bright. “It is one thing to have worship and the music in a service to lift you up, but when you see God do things like the ordinance of baptism, it’s a really encouraging reminder  to know God is moving and using difficulties to bring about his plans and purposes,” he told the Baptist Message. During … [Read more...]