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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Questions We’ve Pondered

By Bill Warren, Professor of New Testament and Greek at NOBTS   Question: In the passage about a spear being stabbed into Jesus’ side, what is the significance of that act?   Bill Warren responds: John 19:34 mentions that “one of the soldiers stabbed his side with his spear, and blood and water immediately came out.”   The context has Pilate ordering the speeding up of the deaths of the crucified men by breaking their legs, thereby taking away their ability to sustain their bodies and breath. When the soldiers came to Jesus, however, he was already dead and so they didn’t break his legs, thus fulfilling Scripture (see verse 36).   Instead, a soldier stabbed Jesus in the side, with blood and water coming out, most likely due to Jesus’ lung being pierced (also a Scripture fulfillment, see verse 37).   The spear piercing also showed that Jesus was clearly dead, a truth that had become more controversial by the time John was writing.   Some were denying the humanity of Jesus in the late first century, a belief known as Docetism (Jesus only seemed to be human). John notes in 1 John 4:2, however, that belief in the humanity of Jesus is essential, and in 2 John 7 he warns … [Read more...]

Evangelism conference speakers reach out with impassioned messages

KAREN L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   SHREVEPORT – Eight men from Louisiana preached during the 2011 annual Evangelism Conference, which took place Jan. 24-25 at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, where Chuck Pourciau is pastor.   Despite being the pastor of one of the largest Southern Baptist churches in the state, and one of the largest givers to Southern Baptist mission causes in the state, Pourciau sat in a side pew during the evangelism conference and during times of greeting, shook hands with as many people nearby as possible.   “Hi; I’m Chuck,” he’d say with a wide, friendly, folksy grin.   The warm fellowship that’s always part of the evangelism conference deepened into “something more,” many participants said, especially after the Monday evening service, when Charles Billingsley and the Broadmoor choir and orchestra led in an extended time of worship, which was followed by the heartfelt preaching of Rod Masteller, pastor of Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport, and president for a second one-year term of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.[img_assist|nid=7033|title=Spirit-filled moment|desc=In the Monday evening service, LBC President Rod Masteller’s call for “Louisiana … [Read more...]

Irresponsibility on parade: Nutty Berkeley strikes again

KELLY BOGGS   Currently in Western culture, whenever there is a disagreement between a person’s mind and his or her body, we are told by "experts" that psychology must trump physiology. This is especially true, but not limited to, sexuality and gender.   If a person believes that he or she was born the wrong sex – in the wrong body – "experts" say we must accept the individual’s psychological self-determination. In other words, no matter how male an individual’s body may be, if the person believes "he" should have been born a "she" then he (or is it she?) is correct. The person’s mind, what he thinks about himself, trumps his body.   … [Read more...]

You should always choose life

DAVID CROSBY, Pastor First Baptist Church New Orleans   A woman came to see me recently who was struggling with guilt about an abortion she had many years ago. She was worried that this might be an unforgivable sin. She also wondered if current events of great difficulty in her life might be punishment from God for the abortion.   Some things are very hard to get out of our heads and hearts. Some things stay there forever.   … [Read more...]

The church, as an institution, must also be vigilant

  Chester Quarles, Professor Emeritus Criminal Justice at the University of Mississippi   Individual victims may be significantly harmed in any crime.   When the crime occurs at church, however, the danger is that the fellowship may be harmed, along with attendance.   Folks don’t ordinarily worship at sites they are afraid to visit. There is also a strong liability issue. When a civil suit results from a harm at your site, the usual claim is that the church "did not exercise ordinary care."   … [Read more...]

But Sister Cindy is a better preacher than Brother Bob

JAMES LAW,   Pastor First Baptist Church Gonzales I remember well my first year at the University of Kentucky walking through the free speech area and hearing a woman with a high shrill voice waxing eloquent in open air.   I remember her name was "Sister Cindy," and she was quite skilled in enumerating the sexual sins of college co-eds.   Her voice took me back to childhood, when one of the neighborhood moms would yell at her son early in the morning to get the trash to curb before the garbage truck passed.   … [Read more...]

NAMB’s Ezell explains his proposed strategy

STAFF, Baptist Press   ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell plans to propose new strategy, new vice presidents and a staff reorganization when he meets with NAMB trustees at a board meeting scheduled for Feb. 9 in Alpharetta, Ga.     … [Read more...]

Computers add new dimension to Global Maritime Ministries Center

MARILYN STEWART, Regional Reporter   NEW ORLEANS – What does it take to impact the world? Just how far is the other side of the globe?   For New Orleans Port Chaplain (and NOBTS student) Norman Mangum, the answer is 12,296 steps. That’s the distance he covers each Sunday as he walks nine floors of the Norwegian cruise ship Spirit, ministering to crewmembers from 67 countries.   … [Read more...]

Living Waters hosts annual DR roundtable, banquet

STAN STATHAM, Special to the Message   Loranger – Camp Living Waters welcomed more than 85 Louisiana Baptists to the annual Disaster Relief Roundtable Friday night, Jan. 21.   "We are committed to disaster relief," said Keith Maddox, director of the camp in southeastern Louisiana. "Our assistant director, Tom Long, is the state coordinator for the Southeast region." Camp Living Waters houses several disaster units owned by churches and associations throughout southeast Louisiana.   … [Read more...]