By Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - Acts 13 is a pivotal moment in the Book of Acts. Acts 13 is the place where we see the transition from Peter’s ministry to Paul’s ministry. Starting in Acts 13, the rest of the book focuses on the ministry of Paul. As I read Acts 13 this morning, two things struck me most. First, in the telling of the first missionaries sent from the church, we read, “Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.” (Acts 13:3) The next verse reads, “So being sent by the Holy Spirit . . .” Not a bad combination—being sent by the church and being sent by the Holy Spirit. May we pray that churches are doing the same today. Second, Paul and Barnabas were invited at Pisidian Antioch to speak in the Synagogue with the words, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people you can speak.” Paul took that invitation and starting with the Israelites being in bondage in Egypt shared the message of Jesus. This Gospel appeal finds its climax in verses 38-39, “Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers and sisters, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you. Everyone who believes is justified through him from … [Read more...]
Reflections on the life, testimony of Queen Elizabeth II
Proposed Senate bill yet another threat to biblical marriage
AFR feature: Rhonda Kelley shares her dad’s story of redemption
Will Southern Baptists survive the secular storm?
Are Southern Baptists ready for a world that despises Christians?
By Ron F. Hale Originally published July 9, 2022, on The Stream, stream.org. Reprinted with permission of author. JACKSON, Tenn. (LBM)--Aaron Renn’s penetrating analysis of American evangelicalism in his First Things article triggered much thought. As a respected writer and thinker, Renn uses the framework of three worlds (positive, neutral, negative) with evangelicals swimming against a relentless secular rip current. Evangelicals are not only losing standing in the public arena while struggling against an increasingly hostile culture. Renn says, “Today there is a culture war within evangelicalism itself.” I’d like to apply Renn’s diagnosis to the Southern Baptist Convention. Renn points to three “worlds,” or moments in time, that formed Christians’ views and attitudes. LIVING IN THE POSITIVE WORLD (Pre-1994) Society at large retains a mostly positive view of Christianity. To be known as a good, churchgoing man remains part of being an upstanding citizen. Publicly being a Christian is a status-enhancer. Christian moral norms are the basic moral norms of society and violating them can bring negative consequences. Renn states that evangelicals created two main strategies in relating to the secular … [Read more...]
Glory, glory, hallelujah: A July 4th prayer
Richard Land on Southern Baptists’ history of abortion advocacy and the future of the pro-life movement
By Jill Waggoner, ERLC WASHINGTON, D.C. (ERLC) - Richard Land served as the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission from 1988–2013. Prior to his time at the ERLC, he worked in a variety of church and political roles, many of which were involved closely with the modern pro-life movement in its earliest days. Below, he shares his experiences and brings perspective to the current cultural moment, the story of Southern Baptist involvement in the fight against abortion, and what comes next. Jill Waggoner: Historians have noted that before Roe v. Wade, evangelicals in general were fairly inactive on the issue of abortion. Is that true for Southern Baptists? If so, how did that change afterRoe? What did it take to change Southern Baptists’ mind on this issue? Richard Land: I was pro-life from the time I was a junior in high school because of an experience I had with a high school biology project. One of my classmate’s fathers was an OB-GYN, and she, as part of a project, brought to class what I now know to be about a 12- to 14-week-old male embryo. It was clearly a human being. That sensitized me to the issue. Abortion wasn’t much of an issue for Southern Baptists until Roe v. Wade. Prior to 1970, the … [Read more...]
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