By Kelly Boggs, Baptist Message Editor   America is as divided politically and ideologically as perhaps it has ever been. As a result, I think it is time for a refresher course on the First Amendment. To borrow a line from an old Kellogg’s Corn Flakes ad: “The First Amendment: Read it again for the first time.”   If we are to navigate ourselves out of the political and ideological morass we now find ourselves in, it will require more speech, not less. What we desperately need is unfettered expression of ideas and the debate of their consequences.   Religious Americans rally around the First Amendment protection of religious liberty. And well they should. However, closely linked to the idea the government should not impugn religious expression is freedom of speech.   Freedom of speech goes hand-in-hand with religious liberty. If religious faith is to be promulgated, a person must be able to freely express the tenets of his or her belief system. Speaking as a person of faith, I believe freedom of religion and speech should be granted without reservation to every citizen.   America’s founders believed freedom of speech was critical to the success of the republic they were seeking … [Read more...]

By Warren Smith, Vice President World News Group   No Respect.  Coptic Orthodox Christians in Egypt mourned the death of their spiritual leader, Pope Shenouda III, who died on March 17 at age 88 after serving in that role for more than 40 years.  He was the 117th patriarch of the that church, which traces its history to about 40 A.D., when Jesus’s disciple Mark, the same Mark who authored the Gospel of Mark, brought Christianity to Egypt.   So what did Egyptian Muslims do to commemorate the death?  Leaders of the Islamic Salafist movement thanked Allah for Pope Shenouda’s death, calling him the “head of the infidels.”  According to Compass News Service, the Salafists now make up 20 percent of Egypt’s parliament and are hostile toward Christians.  A Salafi teacher, Sheik Wagdy Ghoneim, said of his death, “We rejoice that he is destroyed. He has perished.”   Ghoneim said on Mar. 18, the day after Pope Shenouda died, “May God have His revenge on him in the fire of hell – he and all who walk his path.” To be fair, not all Muslims feel the same way.  Compass reported, “The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest Islamic group in the country, issued a statement expressing his condolences over the … [Read more...]

By Keith Manuel, LBC Evangelism Associate   The Second Great Awakening (1787-1843) still influences churches today. Some elements of revival planning, mission societies and a few denominations have their roots in this Awakening.   There were different aspects of the Awakening that affected America.   The first, according to Alvin Reid, was the revival among students in Eastern colleges. These schools, started for the Lord, had become atheistic.   William and Mary, an Anglican school, was debating whether Christianity had harmed humanity and at Princeton only two students professed Christ.   Revival began at Hampden-Sydney in Virginia through four men who committed themselves to prayer, Bible study and worship.   A near riot broke out when unbelieving students heard about the men meeting in their dorm room for worship. However, this opened the door for study in the President’s home, leading to revivals that spread to nearby colleges.   Yale experienced a time of revival under President Timothy Dwight, grandson of Jonathan Edwards.   After observing the spiritual state of his students, Dwight preached for six months on “Is the Bible the Word of … [Read more...]

Erik Stanley, Legal Counsel Alliance Defense Fund   Why is your church tax exempt? Why should it continue to be tax exempt? If I were to sit down and ask you these questions, would you have a clear and coherent answer?   I suspect the tax status of our churches is something we seldom think about. After all, tax exemption for churches has always been given and we assume, because of its historical longevity, it always will be given.   The fact that many Americans cannot explain why churches are tax exempt indicates a forgotten history and is emblematic of a society that has systematically devalued the church as a beneficial societal institution.   Whenever I litigate a case about church tax exemption or speak about the Alliance Defense Fund's Pulpit Freedom Sunday, the inevitable media comments go something like this:   "Churches should pay taxes just like everyone else! They have tons of money, so why can't they pay their fair share? Why should churches get a free ride? Make them pay!" Comments like these are more prevalent today than any other time I can remember.   Cases involving local governments attempting to tax churches are also becoming more prevalent. For … [Read more...]

By Jason Hiles, Louisiana College   As summer approaches the season for short term mission work also draws near. Many churches in Louisiana will be involved in carrying the gospel throughout the United States and the world.   In preparation for that great work, it is important to reflect on the indispensable nature of the gospel message and the character of the God who saves through Jesus Christ.   In order to properly grasp biblical salvation, one must first understand exactly what humans need to be saved from. This logic shapes discussion in the book of Romans.   After some introductory remarks, the argument of Romans 1-3 progresses from a general condemnation of humanity at large to a specific condemnation of those who have rejected God despite the advantage of possessing the Law of Moses.   As a result both Gentiles, who have access only to the revelation of nature, and Jews, who have access to God’s Word, find themselves under the wrath of God.   Therefore, in chapter 3 Paul concludes that “all, both Jews and Gentiles, are under sin, as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they … [Read more...]

By Bill Warren, NOBTS   Question: What do we know from the New Testament about Simon Peter?   Bill Warren responds: Peter is probably the best known of the original 12 disciples of Jesus: he had a major role in the early church as he preached at Pentecost in Acts 2, was used by God in a mighty way in Acts 10 to open the door for Gentiles to become Christ-followers without becoming Jews also, and wrote part of the New Testament.   While we don’t know as much as we might like about the disciples, several details about Peter are reported. As mentioned in John 1:41, Simon is Peter’s original name, with “Peter” being the Greek translation of the Aramaic name “Cephas” (“rock”) that Jesus’ gave him, with Paul normally using the name “Cephas” for Peter (two exceptions to this are in Galatians 2:7-8).   According to John 1:44, Peter and his brother Andrew came from Bethsaida (and Philip also), a fishing town on the other side of the Jordan river from Capernaum and in the territory of Herod Philip, not that of Herod Antipas. By the time when Peter encounters Jesus by the Sea of Galilee and is called to be a disciple (Mark 1:16-17), he is married and living in Capernaum with his mother-in-law … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message Prayer always helps. Giving usually helps. Going? A double blessing: as others are helped, so are those doing the helping. Several ministries across Louisiana are calling for help, leaving it only to Christians to ask God where He wants them to serve. Following are some of many options this spring and early summer: Prison evangelism The annual Angola Prison Revival is set for June 1-2, with 300 men needed. The first 62 can be housed in dorms of the State Police Training Facility at the prison. Background check forms are due in the LBC Evangelism Office by noon, May 10. “We need 300 men to volunteer in order to successfully witness to all 5,200 men on campus,” says Keith Manuel, LBC evangelism associate. “Our desire is to make contact with every man, witness to the lost and pray with the saved. Although the worship services are important, the personal contact with the men is vital.” Because of prison budget restraints, there will not be a worship service in the Rodeo Arena this year, Manuel added. For more information see www.lbc.org/angola.   Construction Grace Community Lighthouse Church is a small Southern Baptist church five miles north of Krotz Springs that is … [Read more...]

By Randy Willis, Special to the Message   [img_assist|nid=8089|title=Louisiana Bicentennial|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=320]Editor’s note: To mark the 200th anniversary of Baptists in Louisiana, the following comes from “Joseph Willis: The Apostle to the Opelousas,” written by Randy Willis, fifth great-grandson.   Joseph Willis’ tombstone reads: “First Baptist Preacher of the Word West of the Mississippi River.” He was also the first evangelical to preach the first Gospel sermon  west of the Mississippi River.   His life reads as a history book and a dramatic play performed on the stage of what was at the time a hostile and mostly unexplored foreign land.  He first crossed the Mississippi River into the Louisiana Territory before October 1, 1800, the date Napoleon secured the Louisiana Territory from Spain.  The Louisiana Territory extended from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. The territory was vast and largely unexplored with many hidden and not so hidden dangers.   [During the Revolutionary War,] Joseph joined General Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox.” Marion operated out of the swampy forest of the Pedee region in the lower part of South Carolina. His … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   [img_assist|nid=8091|title=John Schneider|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=452|height=640]Films with a Christian message have been on the rise since the unprecedented success of Sherwood Pictures’ Fireproof in 2008, and the rate is increasing.   The recent October Baby outperformed percentage-wise the blockbuster Hunger Games on the opening weekend they shared in late March. Doonby, with its similar pro-life message, though from a more overtly secular perspective, is likely to be even more successful.   “I’ve never had a movie in the top ten before,” said John Schneider, who stars in both October Baby and Doonby. He’s better known for his years on television’s Dukes of Hazzard and Smallville. “The hope is that October Baby will grease the skids so Doonby can come out in 500 to 600 theatres.”   Christian filmmaking seems to have come of age with these two films that address the issue of abortion. This means it’s a great time either to invite a friend to a worthwhile movie, or to invite the community to an in-church showing – especially in places underserved by a movie theatre.   “Both October Baby and Doonby are very cleverly written … … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   Nicholls State University, where Jonathan LaFleur is BCM Director:   THIBODAUX – This semester has certainly been a semester of New Things.  The BCM has a new director, a new secretary, a new color of paint on the walls (you should come see it – it looks great!), and many new students getting involved.   We have had several stories this semester of non-Christian students coming into our building to our different outreach events, and because of the love that our regular students have shown them, have decided to get involved in our ministry. We are tirelessly sharing the Gospel with them while showing them the love of Christ, praying that God would open their hearts and lead them to a knowledge of the truth.   One student named Eddie came into the building during our Free Lunch outreach, looking for the “pastor.” I told him I was the director, and he said, ‘You’ll do.” Eddie shared with me things from his past …. After talking with him about genuine discipleship and conversion, Eddie realized that he did not have a genuine conversion experience. I was able to lead him to Christ that day, praise God!   Reprinted from Bayou Baptist [Association] News; … [Read more...]