By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer HAMMOND – Revival came to the Southeastern Louisiana University campus in early April but is expected to continue in nearby communities for the foreseeable future. Held at the campus’ University Center April 3-5, the Hope, Love and Freedom crusade featured messages by Walt Barnes, associate pastor of student and discipleship ministries at New Palestine Baptist Church in Picayune, Miss. It also included testimonies from SLU students and music by praise and worship bands from Natalbany Baptist Church, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the school’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry. The revival is one of 10 Harvest events planned in 2017, according to Wayne Jenkins, evangelism and church growth director for Louisiana Baptists. Harvest officially launched Louisiana Baptists’ campaign to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person” in Louisiana. Attendance ranged from 200 the first night to more than 700 the final night of the crusade. Lonnie Wascom, director of missions for Northshore Baptist Association, said an estimated 30 of the 90 churches in his association had members in attendance the last evening. Wascom said even though he did not see many step forward during a … [Read more...]
The Sweet 16 of Tithing
By Matt Tullos, Louisiana Baptists Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.” Malachi 3:10 ALEXANDRIA -- So your pastor preaches on giving? Thank him! He’s giving you some important news about one of life’s greatest secrets. A pastor who invites members to tithe invites them into a life-changing, soul-transforming experience that affects every area of their lives. In truth, it’s unfair to you if he’s not teaching you about this principle that’s changed history in ways we’ll never completely know until we get to heaven! So here’s the short list of reasons you should be giving a tithe (10% of your income) to your local church. It’s worship Whether you’re in a church with electric guitars or pipe organs, everybody should have an opportunity to give because from Genesis to Revelation, giving is true worship. Think about what you are doing when you illogically say goodbye to a large slice of your income that you could be using somewhere else, doing something else. You are saying, “Lord, above everything, I believe in You. It all belongs to … [Read more...]
Louisiana College launches inaugural apologetics conference
by Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE (LCNews)--Louisiana College’s inaugural C3 Conference April 8 will focus on the necessity for Christians to discern among the world’s competing philosophies, and to proclaim the superlative character of biblical truth. “In a culture where truth claims are as variant as they are plentiful, there has never been a more critical need for the singularly exclusive truths of Christianity to be taught and told,” said Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana College. Featuring a professor and a pastor, LC draws keynote speakers from the academy and the church for the conference, which is part of the college’s Great Commission Seminar. Rhyne Putman, assistant professor of Theology & Culture at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, will present a biblical view of sexuality with his topic: “Identity & Faithfulness in a Gender-Confused Culture.” “Sexuality is one of those issues that Millennials naturally feel very different about than previous generations. We are the grandchildren of the sexual revolution,” Putman said. “Sex outside of marriage is so normalized in our cultural programming, as is every sexual preference under the sun. The problem, even for many Christians, is that it … [Read more...]
You can believe Jesus died, but that He also lives!
By Marvin Jones PINEVILLE - Death by crucifixion was a public spectacle and a huge crowd had gathered on a small hill just outside of Jerusalem that day. Roman soldiers, politicians, common people, a few followers of Jesus, even Mary, his mother, and John the Apostle were there to witness the death of Jesus the Christ on a cross. Normally, onlookers observed a public display meant to symbolize justice was being served yet again. But this time witnesses experienced an act of justification that would not need repeating. THE KING’S PUBLIC EXECUTION Matthew 27:36 states “sitting down, they watched him there.” A few saints and many sinners sat down as the Savior died. Some were mocking him, some were laughing, some were contemptuous, and some were indifferent. But a few were grieving Him as He took His last breath. Importantly, all of them saw a man suffer a torturous punishment, although He had committed no crime. Already, he had been beaten with whips designed to tear the skin from the body, and the trauma to the muscles was so intense that he could not walk steadily. His veins were bared; His scalp pierced with thorns; and, His back was nothing but quivering ribbons of flesh ripped by the beatings. They saw Him … [Read more...]
Don’t let others miss out on Jesus Christ!
By David Lane WALKER —“20,000 eggs from a helicopter,” said the younger pastor from another church in our association. I questioned, “What?!” in my head. Someone had told me all the younger pastors were Calvinists. I don’t know if he was a Calvinist, but he was crazy! While we’ve been putting our eggs out with a wheel barrow, they’ve been using a helicopter. Maybe that’s why we had a hundred people at our egg hunt last year and they had a thousand! There were about ten churches at the meeting and I committed Judson. “We’re all in!” I said. “Just don’t put me in the helicopter dropping eggs.” I did something “non-mid-fifty years old” in a “warrior dash” last fall and broke my wrist. I have a big scar on my arm to prove it – which makes a great witnessing tool: “Look, I broke my arm, did you know the world is broken?” So I am semi-crazy already, just an older crazy. This would not be the first “crazy” event I had experienced with this younger pastor and some of the other church leaders gathered in the room. Last August, Livingston Parish flooded – all of it. News reports claimed a rainfall of about three times the volume of Lake Pontchartrain. It was a crazy time and these were the same churches who came … [Read more...]
‘Amazing Grace’ a message for the Harvest
By Gevan Spinney HAUGHTON - With Easter just a couple weeks away, every Christian church is gearing up to herald the greatest message concerning the greatest event in human history: God Himself stepped out of Heaven, came to this rotten world, died on a Roman cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb and was raised alive to offer all sinful humanity grace rather than judgement. The message of Easter is the message of God’s amazing grace offered to His creation. GOD’S AMAZING SAVING GRACE “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see.” John Newton wrote these words in 1772 after receiving that grace. Newton was right – the grace of God is amazing! Do you remember when you received the grace of God for salvation? I do. I was a senior in high school and my life was as good as it could be from my perspective. I was seventeen years old and living for every minute. I was raised in a home where both of my parents were very involved in my life. We were a good, law-abiding, tax-paying family that was respected in our little town. However, it often seemed as though something was missing in my life. Like many of my friends, I filled my … [Read more...]
The Gospel according to Pilate
By David Hankins “Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, ‘Do not write “The King of the Jews,” but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’” – John 19:19-22, NIV Anatole France’s tale “The Procurator of Judea” features an elderly Pontius Pilate reminiscing with an old friend about their time in Judea decades before. When the friend inquires about Jesus who was crucified by Pilate, he murmured, “Jesus – of Nazareth. I cannot call Him to mind.” The author is trying to suggest the unlikely possibility that Jesus’ crucifixion was so incidental that the governor probably wouldn’t remember Him. But, even if Pilate could not recall the tumultuous events accompanying Jesus’ death, the name Pontius Pilate is inextricably woven with the name of Jesus of Nazareth. In history, Pilate is always and only remembered for his connection to Jesus’ crucifixion as is so eloquently stated in the Apostles’ Creed, “and … [Read more...]
After storm, volunteers provide hope amidst hopelessness
By Message Staff BELAH – Within 20 seconds, the landscape of Sarah Clancy’s childhood changed when an EF-2 tornado heavily damaged the home where she spent her early years. Clancy, whose father Clyde Crooks is a member of the Kingdom Builders and was in Colorado when the tornado touched down, said the storm on Sunday, April 2, knocked down trees onto a tractor shed and the roof of the home. Water then dripped through the ceiling, causing damage to carpet and ceiling tiles in four rooms. Upon first glance, Clancy was devastated. But, soon, she found all was not hopeless. For Clancy discovered Christian love in action. “I was walking around the house and through the house making mental lists when volunteers starting showing up,” said Clancy, a member of Pineville Park Baptist Church in Pineville. “They pulled up carpet, moved furniture and helped get the worse of the wet stuff out of the house. I could not have done it without them. They were definitely an answer to prayer.” Crooks, like many other members of Fellowship Baptist Church in Trout whose homes were damaged, have a long road to recovery. But they won’t go at it alone, with other members of the community and even some in other parts of the state lending a … [Read more...]
Three years of revival and still going strong at Bonita Road
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BASTROP – Bonita Road Baptist Church has been in revival for three years and all signs point to this spiritual renewal continuing for the foreseeable future. Since Casey Johnson joined this Morehouse Baptist Association church as pastor in 2015, worship and Sunday school attendances have increased and more than 70 people have been baptized. Furthermore, the congregation is in the midst of constructing a new 11,000-sq.-ft. worship center that will seat 500 people to accommodate the growth – with even more new members added from revival services that took place in early March. “It has been an absolute joy watching God change so many lives in such a short time,” Johnson said. “I think the greatest thing, apart from the salvations, has been watching people truly understand the freedom they have to worship God because of their identity in Christ. From a pastor’s perspective that is a treasure and a victory worth celebrating.” In the time Johnson has been pastor of Bonita Road Baptist Church, worship attendance has grown from 200 in one worship event to a combined 375 in two morning services. Sunday school attendance now stands at 230, up from 130. He points to a … [Read more...]
Another year of healthy & growing Louisiana church plants
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Baptist church plants enjoyed great health and growth during 2016, and to date are on pace for another banner in 2017. A BANNER YEAR According to a recent report by Louisiana Baptists’ missions and ministry team, church plants recorded 26,933 evangelistic contacts and 1,329 decisions to follow Christ in 2016. In all, 33 new churches were started and 360 people baptized by new congregations last year. A STRONG START With only partial data for 2017, things are looking good for this year as well. In January, church plants reported 1,859 evangelistic contacts and 83 new commitments to Christ. Also during that month, five new churches were started and 12 were baptized. The number of new church plants for February and March will be reported together at one time in April. However, baptisms and evangelistic contact statistics were released for February, showing church plants had baptized 60 people and recorded 4,615 evangelistic contacts. A REASON FOR HOPE Lane Corley is optimistic that when the numbers for how many churches were planted in February and March are released, the trend will show Louisiana Baptists are on track to plant 35 new … [Read more...]
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