By Laura Holeman Trahan, special to the Baptist Message DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (LBM) -- In the Bible, the Hebrew word “ruach” is translated as wind, breath and spirit, interchangeably. How ever one chooses to interpret it, God was undeniably hovering over our family this past Independence Day holiday in the form of “ruachַ” to guide us safely through a storm. In the hustle of church activities, work, summer sports, camps, trips, and more, summer in this season of life with two adolescent kids is not quite as free and easy as is often advertised. Consequently, when we realized all four of us were free on the same days of July 3 and 4, we decided to relive some of our best family memories of primitive camping on one of the many TVA-owned islands on Douglas Lake. Excited by the possibility of disconnecting from the outside world and connecting with each other, we loaded our four kayaks with camping gear and launched our boats across the street from our house. After paddling a mere 100 feet from shore, the blue sky turned black, and a heavy downpour drenched us for roughly five minutes. We could not communicate in the storm, and my husband and the kids continued to paddle forward while I turned back to the shore. When the rain … [Read more...]

By Mike Holloway WEST MONROE, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist congregations get to celebrate being part of some wonderful ministries around the world. By giving through the Cooperative Program, we are part of God’s work around the globe. But sometimes smaller congregations also wish they could do overseas missions “on their own,” too. However, it’s often difficult to do because of modest resources. Still, we learned at Ouachita Baptist Church that even with our moderately sized membership we could make a direct impact to the ends of the earth. Three years ago, we were contacted on Facebook by an interpreter in Zambia who had assisted me during a week of evangelism there nearly two decades earlier. Edward Mulenga was now the pastor of “Word of Truth Ministries,” but the congregation had no building. Still, he simply asked us to partner with his church in prayer. And we did. Through that commitment, God began to move us to help these fellow believers, half a world away. It was a step of faith for several reasons. About 200 worshipers regularly gather each week in our West Monroe facilities. But 2020 was punctuated with COVID stay-at-home mandates. Also, we were engaged in a focused effort to pay off our … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - Since I was four years old, this time of the year has meant “Back to School.” I have either been in school, Linett’s been teaching school, I’ve been teaching, or our boys have been in school. Many years, more than one of us were involved in school at some level. We’re still “going back to school” with Dru. This is a time ripe for prayer. Let me encourage us to be praying about all things “back to school.” Pray for our teachers—What a mission field they have! Pray for our students—Pray for their physical safety and spiritual safety. Pray for our Baptist College, Louisiana Christian University—Dr. Brewer has indicated to me his desire to adopt our language of a “culture of evangelism.” I have the opportunity to speak to this effect at both student orientation and a faculty meeting. Pray indeed for a “culture of evangelism” to exist at LCU. Pray for our BCM’s—You know the importance of engaging new students and reengaging returning students in the early days of this new semester. Pray for our churches—Back to school time is prime time in the life of the local church. Ministries that have been put on pause for the summer are starting again. Pastors have been waiting to get through the summer to … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The 10 Commandments may be viewed from several perspectives: -- Some believers see them simply as a list of dos and don’ts. -- Others consider them in the context of their origins: As the first formal instruction to the Hebrew nation after escaping from Egypt, these were something of a primer for Israel to transition from being a people of Pharoah for 400 years to becoming the people of the one true God in perpetuity. -- More, still, look at these basic tenets in terms of how they are grouped (the first four address a relationship with God; the fifth involves family relationships; and the last five broadly describe relationships with everyone else). Together, these commandments reveal a hierarchy of relationships within the relational world God created for us as relational beings. In other words, God tells us to make Him the priority in our relationships, then family (and by inference, marriage) and, finally, yet importantly, our neighbors. Regardless, in all three perspectives, the stricture in the third commandment is the same: Do not use God’s name in vain. It is a key to obedience. It is an essential element of how we set ourselves apart … [Read more...]