By Kevin McFadden, Professor of Christian Studies at Louisiana College   In my last essay I explained how justification by faith secures the Christian’s freedom from death. This freedom makes a difference in the Christian’s daily life because it gives us a new perspective on our present suffering in the world.   Christians boast in their sufferings, which cannot possibly compare with the glory that will shine from our faces when we are raised from the dead (Romans 8:18).   But Christians also boast in their sufferings, Paul says, because suffering works in us perseverance, and proven character, and hope (Romans 5:3-4). That is, we even now experience resurrection life in our present freedom from sin, and this confirms our hope that we will fully experience the resurrection in the future.   In this essay, then, I will explain how justification by faith makes a difference in the believer’s life because it secures his or her freedom from the power of sin.   Paul tells us that when Adam disobeyed God, both sin and death entered into the world (Romans 5:12). Thus, the human race has not only been enslaved to the plague of death, it has also been enslaved to sin.   As … [Read more...]

By Archie England, Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at NOBTS   Question: Who are the “saints” in Daniel 7? Out of ten horns, a small boastful horn emerges (7:8) and wages war with the saints. Why, and, who are these “saints”?   Archie England responds: First, the saints are given God’s kingdom (7:18).   This directly associates the saints with the One like the Son of Man (7:13), who receives from God the kingdom. The saints, also, receive God’s gift of the kingdom, and they “possess” it.   Evidently the fourth beast (from which the little horn arises) is most unhappy about this.   Its final, eleventh horn wages war against the saints of the Most High God, desiring the kingdom, glory, and dominion granted by God to His coming Messiah and His sanctified followers.   The horn, presumably the antichrist (or his pawn), attempts to effect “alterations in times and law” for three and a half times in order to drive out the saints and thus possess the kingdom for himself. God, however, abruptly intervenes and strips this enemy of both life and power (7:11,25-27).   Second, these saints are special to God. They receive God’s gift, the kingdom – along with the … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   BASILE – Low cost; low stress. High return for whatever investment of time a person chooses to make in the fourth annual All Day Gospel Fest at the Basile Town Park.   In an Acadiana town with a welcoming billboard that says “Pray for Basile. We are one family,” the Gospel Fest isn’t sponsored by any one church, but First Baptist Church takes the lead in organizing the free event.   “It’s been really good; it really has,” said Pastor Dwayne Smith, midway through the April 16 event. At least 15 churches were involved this year, including 11 that sent groups to perform.   “We had to shorten their time to fit everyone in the schedule,” Smith said. All groups that want to perform are welcome; there is no audition, he added.   “We fellowship, eat and worship the Lord,” Smith said. “That’s what people want to do.   “Fellowship is a big part of worship,” the pastor continued. “We talk about their ministry and how the Lord has provided. … It’s outside the walls of the church, but it’s worship.”   Some people bring their own chairs; others sit at picnic tables under the sizable pavilion that has a stage at one … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Press   STATEWIDE – Several churches and associational offices across Louisiana hosted regional High Impact Event training seminars April 4-5.   During the seminars, present and former North American Mission Board staff explained the benefits of high impact events, and how they factor into the overarching GPS2020 plan to have “every believer sharing, every person hearing” the gospel by the year 2020.   “It’s one thing to have great events; it’s another to make disciples,” said Keith Manuel, associate director of evangelism for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, at the seminar that took place at New Zion Baptist Church near Covington for churches in the Northshore Baptist Association.   “Follow-up is crucial,” Manuel continued. “You’ll reap results from [effective, timely follow-up] for weeks and months.”   Manuel introduced Jerry Pipes, who wrote much of the GPS materials before leaving NAMB recently to devote more time to event evangelism. Others who led in the High Impact Events training included Larry Wynn, NAMB’s Vice President of Evangelization, and Dick Church, NAMB’s Evangelism Resource Coordinator.   Pipes asked, “Why did 3,000 people in … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   BATON ROUGE – The melody of the hymn drifting out the open windows of Parkview Baptist’s “old sanctuary” sounded familiar but the words were completely foreign.[img_assist|nid=7278|title=Worship|desc=Joseph Ki (left) and his wife Aye Myint, holding baby Li Hleih Ki, sing the hymn, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord,” during a recent service of the Myanmar Christian Fellowship meeting at Parkview Baptist Church.|link=none|align=right|width=100|height=68]   “Count your many blessings, see what God has done,” was being sung in the Kachin language by Burmese refugees who fled their Southeast Asia home of Myanmar because of religious persecution.   About two dozen men, women, teenaged boys and girls have been meeting at Parkview Baptist each Sunday afternoon since late January to worship in their own language. Not all the group’s members are Baptists, explained Nhkum Lama, one of the leaders, so they named their group the Myanmar Christian Fellowship.   “We are very glad we have a place to worship God and so we can have our children in Sunday School,” Lama said. “We are very thankful to Parkview Baptist.”   When Lama, 36, was seven years old he … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   The Kachin people moved down from the Tibetan Plateau into northern Myanmar in the 10th Century. They worshiped animal spirits but also a Creator God of Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence. There are about a million Kachin, according to officials.   [img_assist|nid=7279|title=Burmese Christian|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=64]The first several American missionaries to the Kachin people died of malaria but William H. Roberts in 1879 opened a primary school. He baptized several Kachin in 1882. In the following years more missionaries translated the Bible into Kachin language and opened dozens of health clinics and schools that were all closed in 1963 when a Socialist government took over.   Military dictatorships have continued to oppress the Kachin as well as the Karen tribes up to the current rule of Gen. Than Shwe.   Myanmar Baptist Convention   The Myanmar Baptist Convention is the result of the early work of American Baptist missionaries Adoniram and Anne Judson, who went to Yangon, Burma, in 1813. Judson is credited for being one of America’s first missionaries of any denomination and he inspired many other … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   [img_assist|nid=7284|title=And they are off!|desc=Participants line both sides of the road at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth to watch the RA’s Pinewood Derby Races. Nearly 200 RA Lads and Crusaders participated in this year’s RA Congress, along with 144 counselors. In all, 21 churches were represented.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]WOODWORTH – Bows and arrows, bb guns, and sling shots resonate with young boys. So do competitions, such as being the first to disassemble and reassemble a flashlight, being the first to get water hot enough to boil over a campfire, being the first to get to the top of a rope ladder without falling off, soap box derbies, pinewood derbies and more.   Royal Ambassadors leaders know this. That’s why they bring these or other “boy-friendly” activities to the annual RA Congress for boys in the first through sixth grades, which this year took place April 8-9 at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center.   Physical activities gave way to Bible study, testimonies by missionaries, and this year, a demonstration by the COMBAT Team of Tulsa, Okla.   “The thing that stood out to me was the 34 boys … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   MERRYVILLE – Members of the Women on Mission group at Calvary Baptist Church in Merryville have been meeting once a month to provide missions support for this summer’s Honduras Medical and Dental Mission trip that leaves from Deridder.   As of April 14, 95 reversible sun dresses and 97 witnessing dolls had been completed.   A total of 24 people had hands-on contributions to this effort and others donated caps, beanie babies, marbles, balls, fabrics, garage sale clothing and put together 43 health kits.   “We sent up a special prayer for a safe and productive trip for the growth of the Lord’s Kingdom,” reported Janet Nichols.   Contributions of cotton fabrics or funds to purchase supplies for next  year’s mission trip would be appreciated, Nichols added. “Yard goods of 3/4 yard or more are needed.” … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   LAFAYETTE – Since 1983, 28 years ago, the least that East Bayou Baptist Church has been in debt is $411,000, according to church records.   With a growing conviction that such indebtedness takes away from God-honoring missions and ministries, Pastor Mike Walker began leading the congregation a year ago to eliminate the debt that had grown to $8 million several years ago with construction.   “This is an amazing story,” Walker said. “This is an incredible event that is being authored by God through His faithful flock. Wow!”   He was speaking of worship services April 17 at the church’s six venues, which had been heralded as one of the intermittant “Celebration” Sundays over the last year, in which the entire offering is given for debt reduction.   At that service, $268,000 was given, and it’s been typical that more comes in over the next few weeks as a result of people being out of town or not ready to give on the designated date, the pastor explained.   “This means we are approximately $162,000 away from being completely mortgage-free,” Walker exclaimed. “We are about to punch this thing across the goal line and score. ... Yes, we will pay … [Read more...]