By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM)—Perhaps there is no more controversial question than “Who killed Jesus?” In the early 1960s there was a contentious debate among scholars about whether Jews or Gentiles had killed Jesus. There were charges of anti-Semitism on the one hand and counter claims of bias against Italians, with neither ethnic group wanting to bear the burden of having murdered Christ. The matter had reached such a boiling point that in 1965 the Catholic Church (Vatican II) attempted to negotiate a neutral position, publishing a treatise of sorts on the matter, “Noestra Aetate,” in which it declared that “Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ” but that such blame “cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today.” But despite the attempt to assuage Jewish umbrage, the document still asserted that “some” Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death. On the other hand, historian Mark Allan Powell wrote about the other prevailing view that Jesus was “a Jewish victim of Roman violence. “A Gentile Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, condemned Him to death and had Him tortured by … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - For me, today has the feeling similar to 9-11 or the beginning of the Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait. In fact, a handful of my high school friends participated in the Gulf War. The U.S. counter began on a Wednesday night, which was our worship night for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. As several friends and I left the dormitory for our meeting, we met a regular attender who was headed the opposite way. When we asked about his coming, I still recall his incredulous response, “Don’t y’all know there’s a war going on?” We did, but we felt the best place to be was gathered with other Christians doing what we usually did on Wednesday evenings. I feel the same way today. What can we do? We can all pray. I join countless others urging prayer and more prayer. Pastor, consider a special prayer time during your Sunday morning worship service to praying specifically about these current events. Second, we can be people of peace. The watching world needs to see Christians as people of peace and not panic. I am reminded of Colossians 3:15, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” Third, let me encourage you to stand on the promises of God. Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “I have told … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) —“Nobody cares what’s happening to the Uyghurs, okay? You bring it up because you really care, and I think that’s nice that you care. The rest of us don’t care.” This appalling statement was made by Silicon Valley billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya, founder of Social Capital and a former America OnLine executive, during his podcast on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He also is part owner of the Warriors franchise of the NBA. Meanwhile, the ethnic-minority Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim population in Xinjiang Province, are suffering untold horrors at the hands of China’s Communist government. According to multiple news reports, the Uyghurs are experiencing: – slave labor (more than half a million Uyghurs are used to hand pick cotton) -- forced contraception, forced abortions, forced sterilizations (China acknowledged a 60 percent drop in the region’s birth rate, 2015-2018, and another 24 percent decline in 2019, but denies forced sterilization; instead, officials claim women are being given gender equality to work in factories, etc.) -- imprisonment (1-3 million men, women and children are being held in concentration camps that China claims are voluntary … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. (Job 1:21 NIV) Perhaps you have seen the meme that says, “Have you realized that 2022 is pronounced 2020 Too?” Unfortunately, the early days of 2022 seem like a repeat of what we have experienced over 2020 and 2021. Job’s story doesn’t lend itself to New Year optimism. Or does it? Though Job experienced much pain, he also exhibited unfathomable peace. It is with incredible peace that: Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then, he fell to the ground in worship and said: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. (Job 1:20-21 NIV) Where did that incredible peace come from in Job’s life? And, can we have that same kind of peace? Let me note three things about Job. He lived on purpose. Job 1:1 reveals that Job was “blameless and upright” and “feared God and shunned evil.” Peace comes when the purpose of life is summed up with the words “fear God.” He lived in praise. Job fell to the ground “in worship.” What an incredible … [Read more...]

By David Cranford PONCHATOULA, La.  - Some of the things that happen on this earth and some of the things that people do defy description: unspeakable acts of mass violence, hatred that leads to slaughter, complete disregard for the sanctity of human life, horrible acts committed against children. Some events and actions can only be described as evil. We always want to know the source of this evil. We should know the source of this evil. Scripture answers our question and the answer is not pretty. Unfortunately, the problem is inside of us. “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) The evil that leads to the worst acts imaginable comes from our own hearts. Blaise Pascal wrote, “the heart has its reasons which reason does not know.” Unmitigated evil surely makes no sense, yet, there it is. I’m not sure we’re willing or ready to wrap our minds and hearts around the depth of the depravity we’re capable of. The need is greater than we can fathom! Thankfully so is the grace of Jesus. David Cranford is pastor of First Baptist Church, Ponchatoula, and is a past president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. … [Read more...]