For the week of February 8, 2001 Potpourri •COUSHATTA - Union Hill church: prayer seminar; Feb. 10, 6 - 8 p.m.; Jack Daniels, speaker; Tommy Allen, pastor. •HEFLIN - Heflin church: Bluegrass Lightning in concert; Feb. 11, 6 p.m.; Danny Baskin, pastor. •JONESVILLE - First church: wild game supper, seminar and archery contest; Feb. 9, 5 p.m.; James M. Carson, pastor. •MONROE - Loch Arbor church: The Bishops in concert; Feb. 15, 7 p.m.; Andy Myrick, pastor. •MONROE - Loch Arbor church: NELBA Sunday School and Evangelism Rally; Feb. 26, 10:30 a.m.; Danny Pitts, speaker; evening service, 6:30 p.m., to be held at Victory church; Marshall Douglass and Bruce Gill, speakers; Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m., to be held at Mt. Vernon church; Woody Rimes and Bruce Gill, speakers; Andy Myrick, evangelism director; Scott Holder, Sunday School director. •PINEVILLE - Northside church: The Tommy Drewett Family and The Messengers Quartet in concert; Feb. 16, 7 p.m.; Brad Cleveland, minister of music; Joe Reynolds, pastor. Revivals •COUSHATTA - Union Hill church: Feb. 11-14, 7 p.m.; Jack Daniels, evangelist; Tommy Allen, pastor. Ordinations •BATON ROUGE - University church: John Pardue and Mary Ann Mixon to deacon ministry; B. … [Read more...]

I am writing to express my appreciation for the article about the policeman January 18 and the article about the police chaplain January 25. I have been a volunteer police chaplain for fifteen years. I am writing to express my appreciation for the article about the policeman January 18 and the article about the police chaplain January 25. I have been a volunteer police chaplain for fifteen years. I presently serve the Lake Charles Police Department. I am a graduate of the Southwest Louisiana Law Enforcement Academy and have lectured at the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Meeting three times on death notification.   I have held local seminars for pastors on death notification, protecting yourself from the dead and the do’s and don’ts of jailhouse ministries. I have delivered over 100 notifications and worked numerous violent crime scenes. Law enforcement officers are a special group of men and women and deserve all the spiritual and practical help they can receive on the job. So far as I have been able to determine, they are the only specific occupation other than religious ministries that I find scriptural reference as being called of God.   We need to constantly keep our law enforcement … [Read more...]

Imagine a city as large as Louisville, Ky., with only a handful of Christians and very few churches. Imagine a city as large as Louisville, Ky., with only a handful of Christians and very few churches.   Indeed, perhaps there are no churches.   There are more than 200 such cities in China, a nation of 1.6 billion people - and tremendous spiritual needs.   To help meet those needs, Southern Baptist missions leaders are focusing resources on the largest of Chinese cities - including more than 100 that have populations surpassing 1 million people.   That means entire cities as large as New Orleans are "too small" to be placed on the Southern Baptist International Mission Board priority city listings.   These "medium-sized" cities have growing populations - but only a handful of local Christians and no concerted witness.   However, a new strategy may help change that, missions leaders say.   Under the approach, individual Southern Baptist churches are beginning to adopt the "medium-sized" Chinese cities - and make a commitment to do all they can to share the gospel with their residents.   In the last six months, three churches have … [Read more...]

Submitted by C Lacy Thompson on Thu, 02/15/2001 - 02:00 Southern Baptists have made it undeniably clear that they take the Great Commission charge to carry the gospel to the world literally - and seriously. Southern Baptists have made it undeniably clear that they take the Great Commission charge to carry the gospel to the world literally - and seriously. Half of their Cooperative Program receipts go for international missions. Another 20 percent or so is used for North American efforts to share Jesus Christ. Missions is a highlight emphasis at annual conventions. Through the years, missions has served as a guaranteed rallying point. Indeed, next to the Cooperative Program, perhaps the most recognizable Southern Baptist effort in history is Bold Mission Thrust, the name given to the denomination’s 25-year effort to fulfill the daunting challenge of the Great Commission. Make no mistake - Southern Baptists are committed to missions. Make no mistake as well - the task they have assumed is no small one. Indeed, recent figures offer both motivation - and reason for concern. First, the good news. Christianity is the globe’s largest religion, claiming 1.9 billion followers - or 31 percent of the world … [Read more...]

The man and woman were scurrying around, tidying up the area beside the bridge. The bridge was in a remote area of the state that sees considerable traffic caused by people trying to get from one more inhabited area to another. Almost no one comes here except on the way to somewhere else. The man and woman were scurrying around, tidying up the area beside the bridge. The bridge was in a remote area of the state that sees considerable traffic caused by people trying to get from one more inhabited area to another. Almost no one comes here except on the way to somewhere else.   The area by the bridge holds several crosses. They are part of an increasing phenomenon across our state. More and more people chose to make a place of death a place of memorial.   Such roadside memorials cause mixed emotions with me. Perhaps this is because I have never talked with a person who has made these memorials to understand their motivations. It may be because, thankfully, none of my loved ones have died in a car crash. But whatever the motivation, more folks seem to want to put crosses where others have died in an automobile accident.   The loved ones of someone who had died at the scene of this bridge … [Read more...]

Abdul’s family almost beat him to death when he turned his back on Allah. Only his mother’s love - and God’s grace - spared his life, he says. Abdul’s family almost beat him to death when he turned his back on Allah. Only his mother’s love - and God’s grace - spared his life, he says.   Even 18 years later, Abdul says he risks his life every day in his native Bangladesh by urging other Muslims to accept Christ as Savior.   Abdul told his story on a recent trip to Texas, where he visited Baptist churches that are supporting Christian ministry among Bengali Muslims. "Abdul" is not his real name. He uses it to hide his real identity in order to protect his life and the lives of other Christians, he says.   Located on the northeastern border of India, Bangladesh is about the size of Arkansas. But it is home to 150 million people - 87 percent of them Muslim. Another 10 percent are Hindu, and fewer than 1 percent profess to be Christian.   "In Bangladesh, we have had the idea that no Muslim can become a Christian," Abdul says. "That idea already has been changed. People are coming to the faith."   But the journey is long, hard and often dangerous, he notes, recounting … [Read more...]

Citing the urgency to reach out and disciple youth in the postmodern culture, A Southern Baptist leader recently listed 10 trends he said youth ministry leaders must understand. Citing the urgency to reach out and disciple youth in the postmodern culture, A Southern Baptist leader recently listed 10 trends he said youth ministry leaders must understand.   For instance, youth ministers must do their work with the understanding that families are falling apart – "and not just outside the church," said Paul Turner, a worker with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention   In addition, ministers must understand that loneliness characterizes the lives of many youth, even though they are surrounded by others at school and at church, Turner pointed out during a recent youth ministry conference in Birmingham, Ala.   Third, leaders must realize music is young people’s language, Turner said. "Kids today are grabbing a CD from one of their favorite artists, giving it to one of their friends and saying, ‘This is how I believe,’" he pointed out.   In a fourth trend, Turner reminded youth leaders that boundaries are nonexistent for modern … [Read more...]

Do not look to the Louisiana governor’s office for help in stemming the tidal wave of proposed increased legalized gambling in the state. Mr. Foster has jumped on the Mardi Gras float driven by those who want to increase the presence of legalized gambling in the state. Do not look to the Louisiana governor’s office for help in stemming the tidal wave of proposed increased legalized gambling in the state. Mr. Foster has jumped on the Mardi Gras float driven by those who want to increase the presence of legalized gambling in the state.   Governor Mike Foster ran his first term on a platform that had the bright plank of anti-gambling featured on it. And, for a couple of his first years in office, he spoke forthrightly about the evils of gambling and its negative impact upon the state. He even said gambling was a bad bet for the state’s economy.   Now, Mr. Foster is pushing two major proposals that would significantly increase legalized gambling and the state’s growing addiction to money from legalized gambling.   Governor Foster is now a major proponent of giving the Harrah’s land-based casino owners huge tax breaks from their original agreement. He wants legislators to drastically shrink … [Read more...]

The Louisiana Baptist Message recently asked persons to send in responses identifying favorite books, chapter and verses fo the Bible. These are some of the responses that we received. We have been asked to list our favorite book of the Bible or favorite passage of Scripture and why. I was surprised that the public listings of 2 percent or more did not include Romans, which is my favorite. Perhaps, Romans is viewed as too difficult and not easy devotional reading (especially chapters 1:18 - 3:17 and chapters 9-11).   For me, as for Luther, Romans is the great account of the gospel - and a gospel in its own right, for Paul explains the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection for all mankind and how we are to live by faith and the new understanding of ourselves "in Christ." Several passages stand out as my favorites - Romans 1:16-17, 5:6-10 and Chapter 8 in its entirety!   John’s gospel is my second favorite. ... John 1:14-18 and 3:16-17 are among my favorite verses.   Henry "Hank" Evans Monroe       My favorite book of the Bible is James. The reason is simply that the writer seems as though he knew me personally by addressing the things that are so … [Read more...]

Without a doubt, it is the most-quoted, best-selling, most-widely-translated, most influential book in history. Without a doubt, it is the most-quoted, best-selling, most-widely-translated, most influential book in history.   It is quoted by presidents.   It is cited in courtrooms.   It is proclaimed regularly throughout the world.   It is the source of inspiration for all forms of art - books, film, sculpture, paintings, music.   And it is all of that despite the fact that it was written over a span of 1,500 years, with 40 or so contributing authors, including shepherds and tentmakers and fishermen and physicians.   It is all of that despite the fact that it really is a collection of short books addressing a range of topics - but woven together somehow into a whole.   It is all of that despite the fact that parts of it were written time specific - to particular people in a particular time as a means of addressing a particular concern.   Still, they speak today - to the day.   Welcome to the Bible, the first book ever printed with movable type, the book on which anyone testifying in a courtroom must take an oath, the … [Read more...]