By Ron Hale If Islam’s testimony is one of peace, then please explain why cartoonists in the 21st century are petrified of dying brutal deaths if their published caricature crosses some forbidden line? Just over a year ago, Islamic extremists killed 12 people after violently assaulting the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical newspaper in Paris. Is this violence a modern phenomenon or is there a trail of blood stretching back to antiquity? Crusade historian Thomas F. Madden enlightens us to the ancient reality that Islam has always possessed a brooding and bloody side. In fact, he declares that the Crusades were in every way a defensive war -- the West’s belated response to the Muslim conquest of fully two-thirds of the Christian world. Madden is the former Chair of the History Department at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, and Director of Saint Louis University's Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. He believes the Crusades are quite possibly the most misunderstood event in European history. The history of the world shows that Europe was busy defending itself against Arab invaders beginning in the seventh century and through the tenth, a 300-plus year siege of the West. The Turkish … [Read more...]

By Joe McKeever “…you were unwilling.” (Matthew 23:37) 1) We do not want revival. Not really. 2) God does not trust us with a revival, and for good reason.  He refuses to arm an enemy, to endow a rebel. There! Those are the answers to the question. Now, pull up a chair and let’s talk about it. It’s that plain and simple: we really do not want a Heaven-sent, life-rearranging revival. We want the results, the good part, but not the upheaval in our personal lives, priorities, and schedules which a Heaven-sent revival would cause. We want our churches filled, the community changed, and the believers encouraged. What we do not want is to be caught up in a spiritual fervor that drives us to resign certain affiliations, stop certain activities, and devote ourselves to lengthy prayer meetings and Bible studies and ministry. We want the harvest without the cost. We want certain aspects of the harvest, but not all. So, God will not force revival on us. We could wish He would.  “This is for your own good,” He might say, as He force-fed His good things down our church steeples and into our hearts and homes and fellowships. But no. The Lord has chosen to set His blessings before us and to let us decide … [Read more...]

By Paul Watts, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Franklinton This year will mark 13 years since I became a parent. I have grown in my appreciation of the calling to raise Godly children and I’ve been humbled by my own ignorance in all areas related to the accomplishment of this task. I believe with all my heart just as the Lord has given Christina and I three children, He has plans to receive glory through each of their lives.  This is not something I gleaned from Scripture alone, but something I have seen modeled in the lives of my own parents throughout my lifetime. When others find out I am a pastor and both of my sisters are missionaries, the questions that inevitably follow are, “Were your parents missionaries?” or, “Was your dad a pastor?”  The answer to both is “no.”  They are still serving the Lord faithfully through their church, but so are many others.  God is the one who calls, but I certainly believe He used them to prepare us to answer that call.  I want to share a few of their character traits I believe the Lord would have us pursue as parents seeking to raise children that will impact this world for Christ. Love Jesus: This is where it begins. This is foundational.  Your children cannot emulate … [Read more...]

By Dr. Jeffrey Farmer FIRST-PERSON -- On Wednesday, Feb.  4, a good friend and fellow pastor had a heart attack and died. Terry was 42 years old and a hard worker. His church was a smaller membership church with a significant debt issue. Terry may have had some health issues, but appeared to be fine aside from carrying a bit of extra weight. While all details surrounding his death are not well known yet, it appears as though the contributing factors of extra weight and stress had a significant impact. For me it serves as a reminder of three significant biblical principles for ministry. First, we must remember that we are not our own. Jesus Christ has bought each of us with the price of his blood. This means that we are to serve as Christ commands, not as we see fit. This is important to remember when we consider our lifestyle. Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” As Christ-followers in general, and specifically pastors, we are to present the best body we possibly can for God’s service. This means taking care of our health in all aspects of life. Second, it is very easy for a … [Read more...]

By Lili Rose Tullos Editor’s Note: Lili Rose Tullos is a graduate of Louisiana College and a retired Louisiana school teacher. In the early nineteen hundreds, Milton and Mary Hall felt the call to minister in St. Landry Parish. Graduates of Mary Hardin Baylor University in Texas, the couple knew little about the culture of south Louisiana except it had almost no Baptist ministry. Milton pastored First Baptist Church in Opelousas and then seeing the need for Baptist work along the winding Bayou Courtableau, moved to minister to the French population in this remote and rural area. Then tragedy struck. The great flood of the century, better known as the Great Mississippi flood of 1927, caused widespread destruction along the rivers and tributaries in numerous states along the Mississippi River, but especially in Louisiana. It was to become the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States. The flooding, due to the lack of dams and protective measures, completely destroyed the land and displaced thousands of Louisiana families.­ The young Texas mother with seven children watched as all their possessions floated down the bayou. It was mentally devastating and she had to enter a nearby … [Read more...]

By Michael Foust, Christian Examiner CHICAGO (Christian Examiner) — Some of the best discussions I've ever had in church small groups have revolved around what the Bible doesn't tell us. For example: Who did Cain marry? Why did God get so angry at Moses for stroking that rock? And who wrote the book of Hebrews? Then there's this one: How would Roman officials — and specifically Pilate — have reacted had they learned of the empty tomb? To read the rest of the story, click here. … [Read more...]

By Gregory Tomlin, Christian Examiner NEW YORK (Christian Examiner) – Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died unexpectedly on Saturday, often spoke of the intersection of faith and law, politics and economics. During those times, the justice was always certain to issue a disclaimer – he was "speaking as a Christian, and not a federal judge." For those who followed Scalia closely, however, there was little surprise when he extolled the virtues of Christianity. His deep Catholic faith permeated his life, and his friends said his two favorite things were his family and the church. To read the rest of the article, click here. … [Read more...]

By John Kennedy, State Treasurer BATON ROUGE – The state Division of Administration just released its 2014 - 2015 Annual Report on Professional, Personal, Consulting and Social Services Contracts. A copy can be found here. According to the report (page 4), "During the period 07/01/14 through 06/30/15, 4,017 contracts and amendments worth approximately $14.5 billion were approved by the OSP-PC [Office of State Procurement]." That's "b" as in billion, though the taxpayer money will be spent over several years. The following are a few of those consulting contracts: Louisiana families and Louisiana businesses are being asked to cut their budgets so Louisiana state government does not have to cut its budget. Before we enact the largest tax increase in the history of our state, we should review these 4,017 new consulting contracts and the other 19,000 that the state has with an eye towards saving money. Those contracts that are not as important as universities, public schools, roads, health care, coastal restoration and our other priorities should be eliminated. The remaining consultants should be asked for at least a 5 percent discount. These simple actions could save millions of dollars for Louisiana taxpayers. … [Read more...]