By Penna Dexter, Conservative Radio Personality I have a friend who divorced a few years ago – she was happy to get rid of the guy – and in some ways she had a point. Now that she’s out on the dating scene and struggling to pay the rent and raise a teenage daughter, I really don’t think her life is any better. There’s a reason we encourage marriage in our culture. It’s God’s idea and it’s the way families work best. It’s still a goal for most people. A new Gallup study shows 54 percent of adults are married and another 21 percent who have never married would like to. Even young people want to get married, though they’re doing it later. Twenty-eight percent of people in the 18-34 age group are married and another 56 percent told Gallup pollsters they hope to get married. Some people are tentative about getting married because their parents’ marriages didn’t last. Thankfully, the divorce rate is dropping, but it’s still way too easy. In fact, it’s easier to get out of a marriage than it is to get out of a cell phone contract. It wasn’t always so. Legal no-fault divorce began in California in 1970 and was in every state within four years. It was supposed to make divorce less acrimonious, easier on the kids. It just made it … [Read more...]

By Bill Warren, NOBTS Christians are not called to live in safety and comfort, but to live faithful to God no matter what the cost.  This truth has been lived out in many settings of the world, with Latin America being one of those. In what follows, we’ll look at some stories of Christian martyrs in Colombia, although of course many Christians have paid the ultimate price for following our Lord Jesus in other Latin American countries as well. To be sure, the vision of the Kingdom of God is indeed one of peace where we can enjoy our relationship with God, with each other, and with God’s creation as it awaits what God has for it (Romans 8:18-22). But God calls us to participate in making his “already here but not yet here in all of its fullness” kingdom as much of a reality as possible in our lives and settings. And that call may lead down paths that are not at all safe or comfortable as we seek faithfulness to God more than anything else in the midst of settings that often are openly hostile to what God is seeking to accomplish.  And that leads to sacrificial faithfulness that at times even means faithfulness that ends in martyrdom. In Colombia, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ have testified with their lives, … [Read more...]

By Archie England, NOBTS Question: Did Jephthah really sacrifice his daughter as a burnt offering to the Lord? Archie England responds: Judges 11 records the tragic account of Jephthah’s foolish vow. As an illegitimate-born, ruffian-raised outlaw (11:2-3), Jephthah rose to prominence as a valiant warrior – defeating the Ammonites. Unfortunately, his zeal for success (while anointed for this task of delivering Israel) resulted in a rash vow: “whatever comes out of the doors of my house . . . I will offer it up as a burnt offering”(11:30-31). The story concludes in verse 39; Jephthah did “according to the vow he had made.” The most common understanding is that Jephthah offered his daughter to the Lord as a burnt offering. While not accounting for the odd context of the story’s ending, this view well fits Jephthah’s base character and (presumed) ignorance of Mosaic Law. On the other hand, this interpretation necessitates a child sacrifice (“passing through the fire”) as the means of keeping a vow to God. But Moses forbid such action (Deut 18:10). How could those elders of Israel who invited Jephthah to lead them to God’s blessing have allowed such behavior inviting God’s wrath? This is a problem. The text itself raises further … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, LBC Communications ALEXANDRIA – The Louisiana Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees were greeted with overall positive news regarding its investment portfolio and the overall ministry work of the LBF.  The last quarterly meeting of 2013  was held Oct. 29 here at the Louisiana Baptist Building. Lee Morris of Graystone Consulting, investment consultant for the LBF, met with the Trustees during the morning Investment Committee meeting to review the Foundation portfolio and to share suggested changes to the management of the portfolio in light of Graystone’s economic outlook for the coming months. Morris reviewed the investment policy guidelines and all allocations and managers are in compliance with the LBF Investment Policy. He also reviewed the market forecast from Morgan Stanley’s Global Investment Committee. The expectations over the next seven years are for bonds to be flat, large cap domestic equity to be around 4%, international equity at roughly 3.5%, and emerging markets equity at 7%. The earnings rates for the Foundation (year to date) through Sept. 30, 2013, net of all fees are:  Equity Fund – Total Return of 16.91%;  Fixed Income – Total Return of -0.64% with Annualized Yield of 2.53%;   Short Term … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE Michael (wife Linda) Chance new as Senior Adult Minister First Baptist Church, Ponchatoula. Robbie Dickerson new as pastor Central Baptist Church, Gonzales. Tim (wife Shera) Dye new as pastor from laity at Central Baptist Church, Bossier City. Glynn Bertrand resigned as pastor First Baptist Church, Holden. Matthew Beisel new as youth director at Magnolia Baptist Church, Holden. Jay Hodges resigned as Minister of Music at Judson Baptist Church, Walker to accept the Minister of Music position at a church in Arkansas. Toby Frost new as pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, West Monroe. Randy Powell resigned as Minister of Education at Walker Baptist Church, Walker. Billy Burton resigned at Central Baptist Church, Gonzales to accept a pastorate in Mississippi.   LAGNIAPPE   First Baptist Church, Dodson seeks a bi-vocational or volunteer teenage youth leader/youth pastor. Mail resumes to: Church Clerk, P.O. Box 249, Dodson, LA 71422. Livingston First Baptist Church is seeking either a full-time, part-time or bi-vocational Minister of Music. Submit resumes to Livingston First Baptist Church, Attention: Music Minister Search Team, P.O. Box 610, Livingston, LA 70754 or email your resume to … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 11/18/2013 - 10:46 Glen Harrigill, pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Vidalia, and Joshua Day, pastor at Millville Baptist Church in Ponchatoula, were named Exemplary Bi-Vocational Pastors of the Year. The award is given annually at the Bi-Vocational Breakfast. This year’s breakfast was held at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Alexandria and also included a word of encouragement from Doug Allen, pastor of First Baptist Church Blanchard. Select rating Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5 Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5   … [Read more...]

By Staff, World News Magazine One of the first things Eric Foley, the co-founder of Seoul USA, learned about the North Korean underground church is that it is not a group to be pitied. About 10 years ago Foley asked a member of the underground church how he could pray for them. He recalls the North Korean’s response, “You, pray for us? We pray for you … because South Korean and American churches believe challenges in the Christian faith are solved by money, freedom, and politics. It’s only when all you have is God do you realize God is all you need.” Foley estimates about 100,000 Christians live in North Korea, with about a third of them in concentration camps. Unlike the Chinese underground church, North Korean Christians can’t risk gathering together because spies are everywhere. Instead, they worship in their own household or in the common areas, like while walking down the road out of earshot. To learn more about the Bible, Christians who are able to leave the country on work trips meet with missionaries and memorize Scripture to share with others. Physical copies of the Bible are rare for poor households, as government officials regularly check their homes. If officials find a Bible, the government will send the family … [Read more...]

By Tom Strode, Baptist Press DALLAS (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention’s health and financial benefits entity has filed its first-ever lawsuit against the federal government in a legal challenge to the Obama administration’s abortion/contraception mandate. GuideStone Financial Resources and two of the organizations that take part in the entity’s health plans filed the federal suit Oct. 11 in Oklahoma City. Joining GuideStone in the suit were Oklahoma City-based Reaching Souls International and Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga. The suit contends the religious liberty of the entities and other non-church-related organizations covered by GuideStone’s health plan, is violated by a rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services to implement the 2010 health-care law. The HHS regulation requires employers to pay for coverage of workers’ contraceptives, including drugs that can cause abortions, but does not provide an exemption for entities like those that filed suit. “GuideStone plans do not cover drugs or devices that can or do cause abortions,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said in a written release from the entity Monday (Oct. 14). “We reluctantly take this step because we are committed to protecting … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 11/18/2013 - 10:51 Bobby Stults, pastor of Oak Park Baptist Church New … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 11/18/2013 - 10:52 Newly elected officers and their wives were introduced at the end of the annual meeting. (From left) Linett Horn, President Steve Horn, pastor First Lafayette, first vice-president David Denton, pastor of Highland Park New Iberia, Janie Heustess and second vice-president Bob Heustess, pastor of Grace Memorial Baptist Church Slidell. Select rating Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5 … [Read more...]