By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   ALEXANDRIA – A powerhouse lineup set the stage for a Youth Evangelism Celebration that was life-changing for many of its 6,712 registered participants.[img_assist|nid=7790|title=Invitation|desc=Clayton King, founder of Crossroads Worldwide and campus pastor at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va., prays Nov. 21 during a time of invitation at the 24th annual Louisiana Youth Evangelism Conference at the Rapides Parish Coliseum. More than 6,700 students participated in the two-day event. A record 648 spiritual decisions were recorded. Photo courtesy of Melinda Martinez/Alexandria Town Talk|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=393]   Some said the worship – led by the Brett Younker Band from Atlanta, Ga. – was the best part of the 24th annual event for junior high and high school students. Some said the preaching of Clayton King was. He’s campus pastor at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va., and teaching pastor at NewSpring Church in Anderson, S.C.   Others chose Tenth Avenue North, who performed in concert Monday night, Illusionist Harris III, Comedian Bob Smiley, or the Daves Highway trio. Still others opted for “being with my friends” and “being here with … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey, Pastor First Covington   For all of the problems in the United States of America, we are a blessed people.   I hope that every day is a day of thanksgiving for you. We are blessed to live in a land of plenty and to be people who are free to vote, protest, speak, and worship.   In my way of thinking, the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States is a blessing from God. I thank God for the right to worship Him openly and without fear. I thank God that we can communicate the Gospel to others.   A large part of the blessing of this country is that we are founded on the Judeo-Christian worldview, a worldview found in the Scripture. Many years ago, a bishop of the Anglican Church spoke in the chapel at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He pointed out the connection between democracy and the biblical worldview.   When you look on a map, wherever you see democracy you also see the influence of the Christian religion. I am thankful to live in a democracy.   I am also thankful to have a small part in helping people outside our country know Christ.   As a Louisiana Southern Baptist, each week that you give through your local … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Baptist Message Editor   On Aug. 28, 1963, an estimated 250,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. for the express purpose of making a unified statement that all citizens of America – regardless of their skin color – should be treated with equality. It was to this mighty throng that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his most memorable oratory. With an economy of words, Dr. King eloquently articulated a vision that still moves people committed to life, liberty and justice for all.   Throughout his “I Have A Dream” speech, Dr. King echoed his vision of a colorblind America where people would “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”   “In a sense,” he told the crowd, “we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”   Dr. King’s words, as well as his actions, helped galvanize a generation on the issue of civil … [Read more...]

By Jason Hiles, Professor of Christian Studies at Louisiana College   If advertisements paint an accurate picture of public sentiment, then Christmas for most people has become little more than an opportunity to indulge in rich foods and expensive products that would otherwise seem extravagant.   The shopping season begins a little earlier each year, encroaching more and more on the only holiday dedicated to expressing gratitude.   Midnight sales, black Fridays, and online specials abruptly interrupt Thanksgiving with promises to deliver happiness in the form of electronic gadgets, sparkly jewelry, and the latest toys.   Thus many Americans are content to indulge in a day of feasting and football followed by a month of feverish buying, a few more days of feasting, and a little more football. In the end closets are packed with more stuff, bellies and waistlines are padded with extra pounds, and credit card accounts are extended beyond the possibility of repayment.   Unfortunately this “eat, drink, and be merry” approach to the holidays fails to satisfy and so the process must be repeated year after year in the hope that at some point lasting satisfaction will … [Read more...]

By Bill Warren, Professor of New Testament and Greek   Question: I’ve heard that Mary and Joseph were engaged, but Matthew 1:19 indicates Joseph is considering divorcing Mary. What was the marriage custom back then that might explain this?   Bill Warren responds: Most marriages in the first century were arranged marriages, with the marriage agreements being made between the two fathers or the older males in the family (such as an older brother if the father was deceased). Girls were generally married between 12 to 15 years of age, with boys in Jewish life generally in their late teens or early twenties.  There was no dating as people do today, since the marriages were arranged. So Mary had been promised to Joseph via an arranged marriage.   When the girl was of the proper age, the marriage itself would become final via a legal document.  The legal marriage agreement would include the names of the two people to be married as well as the names of the people representing them and affirming the document (normally the fathers).  A “bride price” was often mentioned, which was the price to be paid to the family of the bride as compensation for losing a worker due to the bride moving to live with her … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message PINEVILLE – Based on the success last year of the first-ever PreTeen Invasion, leaders anticipate 1,500 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders will invade Louisiana College Saturday, Jan. 7, for this year’s day-long event. PreTeen Invasion is to take place inside Guinn Auditorium and on the LC grounds. “It’s going to be a great way to start off the new year, spending time with friends and the opportunity to commit ourselves and our year to Christ,” said David Anderson,  childhood education strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Developed last year as an age-appropriate evangelism conference for children in the upper grades of elementary school, PreTeen Invasion this year has Philippians 2:15 HCSB as its scriptural foundation: Be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. Landon Dowden, pastor of Trace Crossing in Tupelo, Miss., is to be the main speaker. Female vocalist Yancy is to lead worship. Illusionist Drew Worsham and the Kids Celebration also are to lend their varied talents. “The day is going to be so much fun! All day long it’s going to be interactive and kid-oriented,” Anderson said. … [Read more...]

By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer   SHREVEPORT – Some bands simply have it in their blood to sing God’s praises and testify to His glory through their music.[img_assist|nid=7797|title=Blake Brothers|desc=The Blake Brothers Bluegrass Band, photographed at Salem Baptist Church in Plain Dealing, travel the state using their music and humor to tell others about God.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=427]   The Blake Brothers Bluegrass Band travels to various places as its members use their music – a mix of traditional bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, and Hee Haw style comedy – to tell others about the God who gave His life for them.   “We’re all just country boys who have it in our hearts to share God through our music,” group leader Tim Blake said.  “We’re like one big family who loves sharing Jesus with others.”   The band has been in business since 2002, when Tim Blake and his brother Bruce first performed at a play in Shreveport.   “Me and my brother have been playing music for just about all of our lives,” Tim Blake said.  “I started when I was 12 and he was about 13 or 14 at the time. ... We had played for different bands, but I wanted to start my own, so we started … [Read more...]