Submitted by philip on Wed, 08/01/2012 - 01:00 Packed churches: People crowd into church and just as eagerly take on a rigorous discipleship process, which involves first being discipled, and then discipling someone else within 18 months. A full tithe of their income also is expected.   By Bill Warren, First Person Account NEW ORLEANS – During a recent visit I saw again that Cuba is the setting for one of the greatest movements to Christ in our time. Seeds from years gone by are resulting in the fastest-growing Christian setting in the Americas and one of the fastest in the entire world. In Eastern Cuba alone, a new house church is spouting every two days – actually a bit less than two days – and people are coming to faith in Christ at a pace that has seldom been seen in history. In one gathering, 700 people became followers of Jesus in a single event! As a more common example, in one afternoon in one single area just visiting three houses, we had 17 adults and youth became followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, committing their lives to Him upon hearing the basic story of the Gospel. Baptist work in Cuba started in the late 1800s in the aftermath of the Spanish-Cuban-American war, one famous in … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) – The Democratic Party’s new platform is set to include a plank endorsing the legalization of gay marriage, marking the first time that either major party has taken such a position, several media outlets reported Monday (July 30). A 15-member platform draft committee approved the pro-gay marriage language over the weekend, according to Politico.com. One source told the news site it was “not controversial.” The language won’t become official until the full platform committee meets Aug. 10, Politico.com said. Rep. Barney Frank, D.-Mass., who is gay, told the Washington Blade newspaper that the party’s position has been established by President Obama – who endorsed gay marriage in May – and by House leaders. A Democratic National Committee staffer also told the Washington Blade the proposed language rejects the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman and gives states the option of not recognizing another state’s gay marriages. The Democrats’ 2008 platform did not endorse gay marriage explicitly, saying, “We support the full inclusion of all families, including same-sex couples, in the life of our nation.” The Republicans’ 2008 … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 08/15/2012 - 01:00 Show of support: This long line of customers snaked all around the food court at the Alexandria Mall in a show of support for Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, Aug. 1.   By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director STATEWIDE – The line for Chick-fil-A stretched nearly 50-people deep inside the Alexandria Mall food court shortly after noon on Aug. 1 but Nick Hodges didn’t mind. Hodges, who made the one-hour drive from Oakdale to purchase a chicken sandwich and soft drink, waited 30 minutes in line for one reason: to support the Atlanta-based chicken chain on Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. “Far too long Christians have stood on the sidelines while our Christian liberties have been attacked,” said Hodges, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist in Oakdale. “It was important to me to support Chick-fil-A as they face criticism for their Christian values. It is encouraging to see the support that Chick-fil-A is receiving from the Christian community today.” Hodges joined hundreds of thousands of people who packed the chain’s 1,600 restaurants for Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, which was organized by former Arkansas Baptist Convention President and Arkansas governor-turned talk show … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 08/15/2012 - 01:00   By Staff, SWBTS Communications BATON ROUGE – A 1957 Southwestern Seminary graduate, Tommy French, began his ministry long before and even longer after he enrolled in classes on Seminary Hill. Each weekend during his college and seminary years, he drove 160 miles to pastor a church, and his ministry has expanded for more than half a century. In 1959, French followed the Lord out of his native Texas and into Louisiana to shepherd a church plant from its beginning to its autonomy, serving there through his wife Mary’s death in 2008 and until his retirement in 2009, marking 50 years as the church’s pastor. He continued to serve as pastor emeritus with his second wife, Sue, at Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, La., and has served as president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and chairman of the board of trustees at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). Today, he serves as a trustee at Louisiana College and has two daughters and six grandchildren who all live in Baton Rouge and attend the church he grew from a small sprout. Yet, when he received a letter from Southwestern President Paige Patterson informing him that he had been … [Read more...]

  By James B. Law, Senior Pastor First Baptist Gonzales The explosion of Internet pornography into a multi-billion dollar industry seems to have come together like a perfect storm as the spiritual decline of our culture, with the jettisoning of biblical truth merging with the rapid advance of the Internet. Thomas Friedman, in his insightful work The World is Flat, wrote that the proliferation of the Internet has empowered and connected individuals globally through convergence of the personal computer with fiber optic cable and the rise of work flow software. With this phenomenal global connection comes the good, the bad, and the ugly. In a “flat” world, believers can advance Kingdom causes freely from anywhere. At the same time, purveyors of pornography have shown a brilliant entrepreneurial strategy that has catapulted porn into the top spot of Internet commerce. Once there were obstacles that had to be crossed to partake of  pornography. One had to go to a place of business or subscribe through mail to make a purchase. Now, there is full accessibility in the privacy of one’s own home. No identification is necessary; just a few clicks and you are there. Once there was a stigma attached to the public purchasing or … [Read more...]

  By Kelly Boggs, Baptist Message Editor Dan Cathy, Chief Operating Officer of Chick-fil-A, supports the idea of traditional marriage and is opposed to the politically-correct push to endorse homosexual “marriage.” For daring to express his view he has been labeled homophobic, bigoted and his restaurant chain has been targeted by homosexual activists for a boycott. “Well, guilty as charged,” is how Cathy responded to Baptist Press when it was pointed out that some are critical of Chick-fil-A’s support of traditional values. “We are very much supportive of the family – the biblical definition of the family unit,” Cathy said. “We are a family owned business, a family led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.” The way Cathy and Chick-fil-A have been vilified by some homosexual activists and media reports you would think that his view is marginal and out of step with mainstream America. However, the truth is quite the opposite. Based on the ballot box, a significant majority of Americans agree with Cathy. To date, 32 states have voted on the issue of what form of matrimony should be legally recognized. An overwhelming majority of Americans – an average of 67 percent to 33 percent – … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn, Senior Pastor First Baptist Lafayette Those who know me well, know that I love football.  I played this wonderful game competitively as long as I could. As a football fan and as a pastor, I have attended Friday night high school football games across the years. I have also discovered that I can see a lot of church folks on an given Friday night at high school football game in our community. As much as I love football, I have been pretty disgusted at times on these Friday nights at the behavior of some fans – mostly parents.  Maybe some parents don’t realize how bad their behavior can be, so with football Friday nights fast approaching, let me offer just a few reminders to us all. First of all, you need to understand the coaches, players, and referees down on the field cannot hear you. Even if they could, they would likely ignore you. In actuality, the only ones who can hear you are those nearest you, and we think you sound pretty silly yelling as though the participants down on the field are hanging on every word you scream. Second, watch what you say about the players and coaches. Again, they cannot hear you, but there is a good chance that the coach’s wife and his children may be within ear shot. … [Read more...]

  By Barrett Duke, Vice President of Public Policy and Research at ERLC An oxymoron is a figure of speech that uses contradictory terms, like “larger half” or “jumbo shrimp.” The term also applies to the phrase “medical marijuana.” There is very little medicinal about marijuana. Yet, each year more states are legalizing its use for all sorts of medical purposes. Connecticut recently became the 17th state along with the District of Columbia to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. At least 19 states considered a medical marijuana law in 2012 and six others are still considering legislation. Don’t be taken in. Marijuana is a dangerous drug with countless negative effects. The rush to decriminalization in the name of pain control or mental health cannot be justified. Most people who use marijuana to relieve severe pain combine it with stronger pain relievers because marijuana is not effective enough by itself. Furthermore, marijuana’s pain-relieving ingredient has been available by prescription for years. A person can purchase Marinol – right now – with a doctor’s prescription. The use of marijuana as a means to improve one’s mental health also is not justifiable. People dealing with depression need the regular care … [Read more...]

  To the Editor Our Baptist Faith and Message says that marriage is between one man and one woman FOR LIFE.  We fight diligently and relentlessly for that first part – one man and one woman, but seems like we are totally ignoring the second part – FOR LIFE. The church has for too long been mute and motionless when it comes to sick marriages. It’s time to stop pronouncing them dead and having a funeral. The question that must be answered is:  Do we really believe that we are our brother’s keeper when it comes to helping a brother or sister save his or her marriage (and usually his or her family)?  Billy Miller Alexandria, La. To the Editor Our Baptist Faith and Message says that marriage is between one man and one woman FOR LIFE. We fight diligently and relentlessly for that first part – one man and one woman, but seems like we are totally ignoring the second part – FOR LIFE. The church has for too long been mute and motionless when it comes to sick marriages. It’s time to stop pronouncing them dead and having a funeral. The question that must be answered is:  Do we really believe that we are our brother’s keeper when it comes to helping a brother or sister save his or her marriage (and usually his or … [Read more...]

  By Dr. Charles Quarles, Dean of the Caskey School of Divinity at Louisiana College John Newton’s hymn Amazing Grace was written in England in 1779. Although it is now over 200 years old, it has stood the test of time and remains a favorite of Christians both young and old. The old cliché that “familiarity breeds contempt” certainly does not apply in this case. We can recite every line of the hymn in our sleep and yet it has still not lost its ability to stir our hearts. Perhaps, though, familiarity breeds neglect. We may sometimes mouth the words of the hymn without reflecting deeply on the great truths that it expresses. Let’s think for a moment about the second stanza of the hymn: Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved, How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed. Newton wrote his Olney hymns to accompany his Thursday evening Bible studies. Hymn 41, now known as Amazing Grace, was Newton’s reflection on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17, where David responded to God’s promise through Nathan that the Messiah would be born of David’s line. The Scripture says, “Then King David went in, sat in the Lord’s presence, and said, ‘Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that You have … [Read more...]