By Steve Horn LAFAYETTE (LBM) - At First Baptist Church, Lafayette, we are focused this fall on prayer. We have examined a number of subjects regarding prayer, and recently we examined the subject of praying for healing. Isn’t it interesting that God revealed Himself in specific ways in the days of greatest difficulty? If we allow God to work in our lives, we grow spiritually during difficult circumstances. This is especially true when we consider God as Jehovah Rophe—the Lord, our Healer. Scripture reveals God as Jehovah Rophe in Exodus 15:22-27. Israel has just been eyewitnesses to incredible miracles. They have seen the waters of the Sea open up, and all of Israel safely cross. But now, they are without water. It’s been three days and maybe they are not exactly sure what they have gotten themselves into by leaving Egypt. As background, we see some common reactions to the bitter places of our lives. Like so many of us, Israel forgot the past blessings of God, fussed against God, and made false accusations against God. As you pray for healing of all kinds today, think about these truths. Sooner or later, we will all come to a place called Marah (Bitterness). For every Marah in our lives, there is Yahweh … [Read more...]

By Franklin Graham Mark Wahlberg is quoted in the news as saying he hopes God will forgive him for his “turn as a porn star” in a 1997 film. The answer to that for Mark or anyone else is—Yes, God will forgive, but it’s on God’s terms. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The Bible is very clear that it is “by grace through faith” not of works. You can experience God’s forgiveness right now by praying a prayer like this from your heart: God, I have sinned and I’m sorry. I am willing to turn from my sins; Help me. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, took my sins to the grave, and I believe you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him now as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord. Amen. If you prayed a prayer of repentance and faith like this, you don’t have to hope—you can know Franklin Graham is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse. Courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/FranklinGraham. … [Read more...]

By James Dobson What are we to believe when we discover "life as it is" turns out to be very different than "life as it is supposed to be"? We often stumble toward one of several conclusions, all of which are potentially damaging to our faith: (1) God is dead, irrelevant, bored, or uninvolved in the affairs of man; (2) God is angry at me for some sin I've committed; (3) God is whimsical, untrustworthy, unfair or sinister; or (4) God ignored me because I didn't pray enough or display enough faith. … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn In 1993, Ron Wolf was the General Manger of the pro football team, the Green Bay Packers. Mike Holmgren was the Head Coach. The late Reggie White, a devout Christian and free agent at the time, publicly declared, “I want to go where God wants me to go.” Mike Holmgren called Reggie and said, “Reggie, this is God, go to Green Bay.” Ron Wolf, reportedly called too and said, “Reggie, this is Ron Wolf of the Green Bay Packers. I would like to offer you 17 million dollars over 4 years for you to come to Green Bay.” Finally, Brett Favre, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers called and said, “Reggie, I want you to come to Green Bay, so I can be assured that you want hit me anymore.” How do you know the will of God? Wouldn’t you like for God to write His will for you in the sky? “Jim, marry Jennifer!” “Take that job!” Don’t take that job!” “Go to UL!” “Go to LSU!” “Teach 1st grade Sunday School!” But all of us have lived long enough to know that since the coming of the Holy Spirit, rarely if ever to my knowledge, has God spoken in the kind of dramatic ways we read about in the Bible. So, how can we know God’s will? To know God’s Will, we must seek God. (Jeremiah 33) We seek the answer, God seeks the … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey My family loves exploring caves. Actually, we don’t  really explore as much as we take guided tours. We rarely pass a cave on vacation without stopping and spending a couple of hours inside the cave. In some ways, you might think if you’ve seen one cave you’ve seen them all.  On the other hand, each cave is different and distinct. There is something very unusual about getting to see inside the earth. One of the things that happens every time you take a guided tour is that the guide will stop everyone and, after warning them, will  turn off the lights. No matter how many times I go through that drill, I am always amazed at how dark it gets. You literally cannot see your hand in front of your face. There is one other thing equally as amazing. That is, even a very small amount of light – – like a match or cigarette lighter – – will allow you to see more than you thought possible. I relate my experience in caves to spiritual things in two ways. First, we live in a very dark world. All you have to do is look at the events in Las Vegas to know that the world is very dark and seems to be getting even darker. Second, even a little light makes a huge difference. Some people look at our world … [Read more...]

By Clark Palmer What does a worship leader do?  Is a salary really necessary for someone to just lead a few songs each week? When it comes time to find a worship leader what should we look for? These are questions that come up from time and to time. I recently had occasion to think about them myself. Perhaps these observations and thoughts on this subject will be helpful. Perhaps we can move away from thinking, “why pay this person so much since they only work an hour a week.” A worship leader creates. Every Monday morning the worship leader starts with a blank page. At some point, well before Sunday, an outline of the worship service, including all the necessary parts, must appear. I say well before Sunday because after all the songs, Scriptures, and other parts are identified there is still much to be done. Creativity is required. There aren’t any style points awarded for “most creative worship service.” Creativity itself is not the goal. But a fresh, meaningful, thoughtfully planned time of worship produces engagement and impact.   Simply picking three or four hymns out of the list of thirty or so that are always sung and then plugging them into their normal spots on the standard, unchanging order of … [Read more...]

By Ron F. Hale David Hacker, a demographic historian from Binghamton University in New York, conducted research on newly digitized census data from the 19th century recalculating the death toll of the Civil War. The historic death tally has been approximately 620,000 men for over 100 years. Hacker’s new count reaches 750,000 men, and upwards to the staggering possibility of 850,000 men. 1 The Trail Who bears part of the blame for this red river of blood and the lingering costs and consequences of American slavery? This article will shed light on those who defended the institution of chattel slavery in America. Their writings, speeches, and sermons left a traceable trail. If you are a student of history or theology many of the names on the list will shock you! How could some of the most sophisticated people in America not see that the sin of slavery denied the self-evident truth “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness?” The Historian Larry E. Tise is a noted historian, researcher, archivist, author, and professor at Binghampton University. He has served as State Historic … [Read more...]

By U.S. Sen. John Kennedy It doesn’t take an expert to see that something is stalling the American economy. Last year, for the 11th year in a row, America failed to achieve 3 percent annual growth. We’re not achieving that average benchmark, much less the growth that Americans truly deserve. Times are especially hard in Louisiana. Good-paying jobs are too scarce. They were scarce before the energy market downturn and the BP oil spill. If you’re a middle-aged man with a wife and two kids in Louisiana, you’re probably wondering how your parents were able to raise four kids on a single salary. Sure, they didn’t drive a Cadillac and they ate a lot of tuna casserole, but they sent those kids to college and retired at a decent age. The sobering truth is that government is regulating and taxing people half to death. We’re chasing our ideas, our jobs and our investors into the open, waiting arms of foreign countries. In the process, we’re killing our middle class, which is the primary vehicle for economic growth. I like to speak my mind so I’ll be blunt. Ordinary people need a tax cut. Too many undeserving people at the top are getting bailouts. Too many undeserving people at the bottom are getting … [Read more...]

By Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship They call it “The Mandalay Massacre”. A 64-year-old man armed with more than 10 rifles shot and killed 58 people in what is being called “the largest mass shooting U.S. history.” Hundreds more were wounded. The question that comes to mind at a time like this is. . . Why? Why did God allow such a horrible thing to happen? A Barna Poll asked, “If you could ask God one question and you knew He would give you an answer, what would you ask?” The most common response was, “Why is there pain and suffering in the world?” If you are sharing the gospel, it won’t be long before someone asks, “How could a God of love allow tragedy, pain, and suffering?” C.S. Lewis said that the “problem of pain is atheism’s most potent weapon against the Christian faith.” More people point to the problem of evil and suffering as their reason for not believing in God than any other. It is not merely a problem; it is the problem. So, why does God allow tragedy? If God can prevent such terrible tragedies, why does He allow them to take place? Here’s the classic statement of the problem: Either God is all powerful but not all good, and therefore He doesn’t stop evil—or He’s all good but … [Read more...]

By Franklin Graham Thank God we have a president who stands for truth and is not afraid to speak truth to the whole world. President Donald J. Trump's address to the United Nations General Assembly may have been one of the best speeches ever given to that body. It made you proud to be an American. I hope you will join me in praying for this man, that God will guide and direct him. He reminded the world, “If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph.” Click here to watch the president's U.N. speech. … [Read more...]