By Sherwon Williamson, Magnolia Baptist Church in Saline, La. I’m sure everyone is aware of the recent Supreme Court decision legalizing homosexual marriage across the nation. If you have turned on a TV or logged on to the internet in the past few days you are also aware of the outpouring of opinions from people on both sides of the issue. While the issue of homosexuality is an important and pertinent topic of discussion, and one of which I am convinced that Scripture is very clear on, it is not the topic I want to discuss now. I want to talk about something that I believe is a little deeper and that some people may not even realize yet. That something is persecution. When was the last time you thought about persecution? When was the last time you thought about it in the context of you or your family being persecuted right here at home? Sadly, I must confess that this is not a topic that I meditate on often. This is not something that we experience very often here in the United States, at least not blatantly, and we have taken that freedom for granted. I believe that is freedom that we will find more and more lacking in the coming years. The legalization of homosexual marriage is not the root issue. After all, … [Read more...]
A star-spangled tribute to ‘In God we trust’
By Mike Fuljenz, Special to the Message Exactly half a century before the motto “In God We Trust” first appeared on circulating U.S. coinage, a close approximation of this now-famous phrase turned up in a poem that went on to attain equally iconic status when it was set to music and became “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Few Americans are aware of this precursor, for the words are embedded in the seldom read – and almost never sung – fourth stanza of the poem, but it provides a fascinating link between their country’s official national motto and official national anthem. Actually, it’s much more than just a “link.” The words in “The Star-Spangled Banner” served, in fact, as a model and inspiration for the motto that ended up on U.S. coins and, eventually, U.S. paper money. This was confirmed in a document written in 1863 by James Pollock, Director of the United States Mint, a well-respected public official who had served previously as both Governor of Pennsylvania and a Congressman from that state. Pollock was a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln and, like Lincoln, had been active in the antislavery movement in the years leading up to the Civil War. He was a pious man whose strong … [Read more...]
Star-spangled opportunities
By Diana Davis, Baptist Press PENSACOLA, Fla. (BP) -- As our country celebrates the Fourth of July, how will you shine for Jesus? Plan ahead to use one of these simple, fresh ideas as an individual, small group or church to show support for elected officials and those assigned to keep peace in your community: -- Purchase a nice Bible for your town's mayor, signed with words of prayer and encouragement. -- An adult class could sign a thank you and prayer card to be delivered with a big sub sandwich tray for the city building. -- Prepare addressed envelopes to government leaders -- from local officials such as the police chief and city council members to senators, congressional representatives and the president. Each person writes one personal prayer note or the entire group could write prayer/thanks notes. -- A children's class draws fire trucks and praying hands for firefighters. Deliver them with homemade cookies. -- Each gesture of encouragement can include a Scripture, church business card or brochure and an invitation to worship. -- Our church did a "Seal a Badge with Prayer" ministry, assigning each individual police officer in our city to a church member for faithful prayer. -- Encourage a … [Read more...]
Your children & same-sex marriage
By Russell Moore, President of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission NASHVILLE (BP) -- Some Christian parents wonder how to explain to their small children the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. How does one teach about the law and the controversy without exposing one's children to more than they can handle? First of all, make no mistake: You should talk to your children about this. No matter how you shelter your family, keeping your children from knowing about the Supreme Court's redefinition of marriage would take a level of choreography of their lives that isn't realistic, nor is it particularly Christian. The Bible isn't nearly as antiseptic as Christians sometimes pretend to be, and it certainly doesn't shirk back from addressing all the complexities of human life. If we are discipling our children, let's apply the Scriptures to all of life. If we refuse to talk to our children about the reality of the world they live in, our children will assume we are unequipped to speak to it, and they'll eventually search out a worldview that will. This doesn't mean that we rattle our children with information they aren't developmentally ready to process. But we know how to navigate … [Read more...]
Just how precious is your time?
Emily Dean, NOBTS Adjunct Professor NEW ORLEANS – Growing up in the United States, you often hear the saying, “Time = Money.” In the 20th century this phrase brought up ideas of increased productivity and efficiency. Better use of time equals greater profit. We have even related the value of time to how much money you can command per hour. Today the phrase is also connected to the idea that time is just as or even more valuable than money. Seeing time as a commodity is an idea generational researchers have noted as a cultural paradigm shift beginning with Gen X and younger generations. If you think about time as a commodity, it is the one arena of life where everyone is on the same playing field. Each of us is allotted the same amount every day, 24 hours. For the most part, we have a choice how we spend it. In Psalm 90:12 Moses wrote, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Each day, each moment we make a choice how we will spend our time. As I watch how quickly our children are growing up right before my eyes, I am reminded of the importance of investing well. We can either spend our days wisely investing in people and things of eternal consequence, or we can … [Read more...]
Graham: Racism called the world’s greatest problem
By Billy Graham, Christian Evangelist EDITOR’S NOTE: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip others to do the same. Billy Graham was asked in 2006 what he thought was the greatest social problem in the world. His answer, which appeared at billygraham.org, is still applicable today in 2015. Here is the question and Dr. Graham’s answer. QUESTION: What do you think is the greatest social problem in the world today? Some friends and I were talking about this recently, but we didn’t come to any agreement. Whatever it is, do you think churches should be doing anything about it, or is it best left to governments? GRAHAM RESPONDS: I’ve often said that in my view, racism is the biggest social problem that we face in the world today, and I believe it still is. Not only do we have continuing problems with racism in our own country, but racism is a worldwide problem that leads to countless wars and conflicts. It also is at the root of much of the world’s injustice and poverty. Governments have their part to play in solving society’s ills, of course – not just racism, but other social problems as well. We need fair laws that will fight … [Read more...]
Living in the worst of times
By Waylon Bailey, pastor of First Baptist Church in Covington What do you do when you live in the worst of times? I was a preteen and teenager in the 1960s. Those were very difficult times. I remember well the horror of the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. I lived in the state of Alabama during the Selma march and the turmoil in Birmingham. Those were two tumultuous times. I also saw friends serve in Vietnam and watched the protests on television. Even in those times, we had a feeling that better days were coming. We knew if we could just get through these times we would be better off on the other side. Many, many people feel today we are living in the worst of times in America, but it doesn’t seem that there is something better on the other side. What do you do when you feel you are living in the worst of times? First, you recognize who’s in control. This world belongs to the prince of the power of the air. It is his world and his chaos. But, he’s not in control. The Lord God reigns, and He is in control. God has a plan, and He is working His plan. The Book of Revelation teaches many things. The most important lesson of this great book is that all earthly … [Read more...]
The Supreme Court has ruled, so how should Christians respond?
By Will Hall, Baptist Message Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. – Already, leaders have made public calls for prayer, and more than one has mentioned possible civil disobedience, too. Churches are phoning their denominations and contacting faith-based organizations for answers about what the ruling means regarding weddings, hiring staff and whether it affects what they can teach and preach on the subjects of marriage and homosexuality. Certainly prayer is a must. Civil disobedience might be in order, too — but who, what, when and where? Until the ruling is applied, it’s hard to know how to marshal such an effort. To be sure, despite Justice Kennedy’s assurances that those with religious convictions “may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned,” Christians already have seen the many ways governments can force compliance, or else. President Obama’s executive order regarding government contractors means Christians can hold their beliefs about the sanctity of marriage, but Christian-run businesses and faith-based groups need not apply if they don’t hire homosexuals. Likewise, states like Washington, Oregon and New Mexico contain constitutional … [Read more...]
Gay marriage is too dangerous
By Will Hall, Message Editor EDITOR’S NOTE: Warning this editorial contains excerpts of statements by the FDA which pointedly describe homosexual behavior. Despite Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy’s statement in 2013 that there is “no legitimate purpose” for denying gay marriage, his legal opinion in United States v. Windsor (which set off a spate of federal judicial activism that overturned 26 voter-approved state protections for traditional marriage) ignored the preponderance of research showing that same-sex relationships are just “too dangerous” to legalize. EXTREME STD RATES For six years, President Obama’s Food and Drug Administration alerted the public about the dangers of the very behavior which defines homosexuality. Until mid-March 2014, the FDA website warned that anal intercourse “is simply too dangerous to practice” – even when wearing condoms – “because it can cause tissue in the rectum to tear and bleed” and allow diseases to pass easily from one partner to the next. Even now, data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention backs up this claim, revealing that men who have sex with men have the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases than any other demographic … [Read more...]
Is Christianity a ‘lost cause?’
By Will Hall, Baptist Message Editor There’s been a lot of talk about the recent Pew report announcing the growth of “nones” in the United States during 2007-2014. Overall, the number of adults in the nation grew by nearly 18 million during that seven-year span, expanding from 227 million to 245 million, and the “unaffiliated” segment (atheists, agnostics, and those who named “nothing in particular” as their religious preference) picked up all this gain and then some, growing from an estimated 36.6 million to 55.8 million. At the same time, those who claimed a Christian identity fell in actual numbers, 178.1 million to 172.8 million, dropping from 78.4 percent to 70.6 percent of the adult population. The mainstream press played up the angle that this decline points to signs Christianity is dying in our country, and evangelical commentators were quick to object: -- Some dismissed the sweeping changes as nothing more than “nominals” – those who are Christian in name only, and not committed to the faith – finally being honest that they really are “nones.” -- Others took solace in the fact the actual number of evangelicals increased by an estimated 2 million new members, even if “market share” possibly dropped by … [Read more...]
