Category: Baptist Press

Friday Afternoon

There is no fear in love;

instead, perfect love drives out fear,

because fear involves punishment.

So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.

We love because he first loved us.

~1 John 4:18-19 HCSB~

 

 

 

KOMpray

 

Kids on Mission Pray

Prayer Requests

 

“Let the little children come to me

and don’t stop them,

because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,”

Luke 18:16b

Friends of Jesus…

There is a special club in South Africa for children. It’s called Friends of Jesus. Please pray for the grown-up leaders—some of them are missionaries and some are South Africans. They are starting new groups so pray that children will be eager to come. They will learn about the best friend they can ever have: Jesus!

A Club at School…

Some children of missionaries attend a large, public high school in Cape Town, South Africa. Many of the children are not from Christian homes. You can guess—there are many problems like smoking and alcohol at the school. The school principal is not a Christian, but the government wants schools to let children meet in a Christian club if they want. There isn’t a club meeting right now. Please pray for a teacher to plan activities and meetings. Ask God to help missionary kids who will go to the club. They can invite their friends and tell them about Jesus. Pray for the principal to become a Christian too!

MORE PRAYER REQUESTS FROM MISSIONARY KIDS

My prayer is that more people may love Jesus, my sister may get better, and my brother may grow big. JL, age 8 (East Asia)

Please pray that I would be kind to others when they are mean to me. PE, age 9 (East Asia)

Kenji is one of my best friends and he doesn’t know the Lord. We have been praying for him for a while and I wanted to ask you to pray for him too. Pray that he will come to know Christ and that he will be able to share Jesus with his family once he becomes a Christian. Please pray for me to have lots of chances to witness to him. ADAM, age 12 (Pacific Rim)

Please pray for the country of Venezuela. There are problems with a bordering country, Colombia; and it is getting worse every day. There are soldiers on the border and even trouble in Ecuador. Please pray that the leaders of Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador will find a peaceful answer to their argument and that these countries will not go to war. Ask God to give peace of mind to the foreigners living in these countries. KIERA, age 17 (South America)

(Note: I was unable to complete posting this morning because of the satellite and the bad weather, but others have been praying. I just heard this problem has been resolved in the last hour. I think Kiera’s request and many people praying was part of the bring about a solution!)

 

 

 

KneEmail

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” (Philippians 2:10).

Mike Benson, Editor

As I listen to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, my emotions are greatly stirred. But since there are no words that accompany the work, I receive no understanding from it. Any ideas that come into my mind as I listen were there before hearing the music.

When I listen to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The USA,” my emotions are again stirred powerfully. This time words have communicated ideas that led to my emotions. If the listener has no loyalty to the USA, perhaps their emotions are aroused in a different direction, if at all.

All will agree that music has the power to stir emotions. But does it also communicate understanding? That depends on (a) whether there are words that accompany the tune, and (b) whether the singers focus on the words or on the melody.

God’s desire for those under the new covenant is understanding as the result of our worship. Paul made this clear in 1 Corinthians 14 as he dealt with abuses of miraculous gifts. Some were “showing off” their ability to speak in languages they had never studied. They experienced a rush of emotions as they delivered a message in another language. Even those who didn’t understand the language being spoken likely also felt that rush, if they knew a miracle was unfolding before them.

As Paul contemplated such a scene, his advice was simple: Don’t do it.

“What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. … yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:15,19, NKJV). Verse 28 brings to a close Paul’s remarks on the subject: “But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.”

God’s instructions on music for the assembled church of Christ is that praise be offered through singing. This is obvious from passages such as Colossians 3:16 where the emphasis is not on beautiful melodies but understanding: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Careful students will note that every mention of music in the Christian covenant specifies singing.

Worship in many churches has become emotion-driven. Some trust their feelings above what God has revealed. Granted, emotions are from God; they can be useful in many realms of life. But unless they come through the channel of understanding, emotions may not be appropriate. Our first priority is to understand God’s will, and then to obey (Matthew 7:21-23). Only then will the emotions of joy and gladness be valid. (Tim Hall)

KneEmail: “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

Easter “08

 

Community Outreach

 

  • Saturday, March 8 @ 10 A.M.
  • Give away a New Testament, a FBC brochure, a list of local churches, and an invitation to the Easter musical presentation

Daylight Savings

 

Time Returns

 

Set your clock forward one hour when you go to bed Saturday, March 8th.

 

 

Missions

 

Luncheon

 

 

  • Church-wide
  • “Foods across America”
  • Sunday, March 9 after worship
  • Kick-off for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering

Nursery Volunteers – March 9th

 

Ora Lee Wilson

Sonya Brouillette

Stephanie McKenzie

Jimmy Tolar

 

 

 

Deacon Hospital Ministry – March 9-15

Tom Tolar and Raymond Cutrer

 

 

WMU

Monthly Meeting

Monday, March 10 @ 6:30

Fellowship Hall

 

 

Easter Worship Musical

“The Risen Christ”

FBC, Kentwood

Sanctuary Choir

Sunday, March 16 @ 6 P.M.

Monday, March 17 @ 7 P.M.

 

 

 

 

First Baptist Church of Arcola

 

“The Celebration of Easter”

  • i-55 Frontage Road, Arcola
  • No admission charge
  • March 14-15, 2008
  • 7:30 – 9:00 P.M.
  • Twelve live drive-through scenes of the life of Christ

(Note: I have been going since they began this ministry. You will be blessed if you take the time to go.)

 

 

Easter Schedule

FBC, Kentwood

8:15 – Worship
9:15 – Sunday School
10:30 – Worship

 

AWANA

 

March 16 & March 23 – Will not meet

March 30 – Surprise Easter Egg Hunt

 

 

 


Check out the Baptist Press articles for today. I think you’ll find several that are worthy of your time and effort. You’ll find a link in the column to the right.

Thursday – Baptist Press

Some of the articles from Baptist Press

March 5, 2008

TEXAS–McCain seals nomination; Huckabee drops out. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27549

TENNESSEE–Study: 1 in 100 Americans are in prison. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27550

ZAMBIA–Cornmeal outreach aids flooded Zambians. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27554

TENNESSEE–EDITORIAL (Will Hall): Obama lacks trust in the whole Word of God. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27556

Wednesday

NBA’s Wade Pays for Homes in New Orleans
By Michael McCormack

Baptist Press
Mar 4, 2008

When the NBA came to New Orleans for the All-Star break, thousands of eager recovery volunteers came as well.

One of those volunteers was Miami Heat All-Star Guard Dwyane Wade, who, in advance of the All-Star game, had heard of what the Baptist Crossroads Project is doing in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans. He wanted to help. Wade’s Christianity is well-known around the league; he chose to wear the No. 3 because it represents the Trinity.

The Baptist Crossroads Project is an ongoing partnership between the Baptist Crossroads Foundation and New Orleans-area Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing in the Upper Ninth Ward neighborhood. Crossroads is also targeting the 75-block area around the site for long-term recovery.

Carmen Wilson, who once worked for the Miami Heat, contacted Baptist Crossroads Project volunteer coordinator Jared Pryer in early January. Wade partners with Wilson’s company, 4 Survival to Go, to distribute survival kits to people threatened by natural disasters.

“At that point, she just told me there was an NBA player who was going to be in town for the All-Star game,” Pryer said. “She asked me what we were doing. I told her about the Baptist Crossroads Project, and at that point, she talked to me about passing out hurricane emergency kits to homeowners.”

The 4 Survival to Go kits are packed with items to help a family survive the first 72 hours after a disaster: emergency food and water, phone card, flashlight/radio/siren/phone charger, poncho, sleeping bag, survival tools, first aid kit and other items.

Not long after that, though, another of Wade’s associates and his sister stopped by Pryer’s office while the Heat were in town for a regular season game.

“They told me that Dwyane really wanted to do something that was more permanent than just the emergency kits,” Pryer said. “I mentioned home sponsorship as an option.”

Before construction on a new Habitat house can begin, $20,000 must be raised. That $20,000 can come from a single sponsor or from multiple sponsors. A great way to participate in what Baptist Crossroads is doing in New Orleans, Pryer said, is to sponsor a house.

“The called me back a few weeks later and said they’d like to sponsor three houses,” Pryer said. “They like to do things in threes, because that’s his number.”

Wade, a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, partnered with Converse on Saturday, Feb. 16, to host a brunch that was emceed by ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith. At the brunch, First Baptist Church of New Orleans Pastor David Crosby spoke about the Baptist Crossroads Project. Then, Wade described what he was doing the next day at the Crossroads site. Part of the proceeds from the event will go to the Baptist Crossroads Project.

The next day, Wade took a driving tour of New Orleans that ended at the Baptist Crossroads site. Wade’s interaction with neighbors around the Crossroads site, Pryer said, marked the whole experience.

“Dwyane personally went up, knocked on doors, gave the kits to families, talked to parents and their kids for a little bit and took pictures,” Pryer recalled.

Wade “got to meet all the families of the homes he’s co-sponsoring with Baptist Crossroads Project, Prayer said.

One of the homeowners even gave him a tour.

“The homeowner just wanted him to go in the house to show him where things were going to be,” Pryer said. “He told him, ‘This is going to be my living room. This is the kitchen. This is where my daughter’s going to sleep.'”

After a long series of heart-felt hugs and pictures, Wade had to leave to prepare for the All-Star Game, played downtown later that day.

Although several famous people have visited the Baptist Crossroads Project, Wade is the first to personally sponsor a house.

“Once we knew the All-Star game was going to be in New Orleans, we really wanted to find a way to leave something behind,” Wade said in a statement. “One of the main things you can do is give someone a home –- and we accomplished that today.

“Although I’m here to play in the All-Star game, my purpose was to come to New Orleans and be a blessing to as many people as possible, and we’ve done that. I feel whole.”

And it didn’t stop there. Wade’s sponsor, Converse, outfitted a hotel ballroom with Converse gear during All-Star week. Organizers didn’t want to have to pack anything up, so they called Pryer to see if he wanted it.

In the end, Pryer got an office full of Converse shoes and the three homeowners –- already blessed by Wade’s generosity –- each now have furniture for their house.

(For more information about how to volunteer with Baptist Crossroads Project or about sponsoring a house email Pryer at jared@fbno.org, or visit www.baptistcrossroads.org. Michael McCormack is a writer for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.)

Thursday – Baptist Press

February 27, 2008

Articles I found interesting:


Wednesday – Baptist Press

February 25, 2008

TENNESSEE–LifeBoxes show soldiers that churches care. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27486

TENNESSEE–Soldier: LifeBox made a difference. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27487

TEXAS–ELECTION 08: Huckabee’s hopes in Texas no joke. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27488

TENNESSEE–Drought-stricken farmers get Baptist hay lift. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27489

VIRGINIA–Discipleship fuels new mestizo churches. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27490

TENNESSEE–FIRST-PERSON (Thom S. Rainer): When ‘Kindle’ comes to church. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27491

February 26, 2008

GEORGIA–Church takes action after refinery explosion. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27492

GEORGIA–One disaster, many responders. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27493

GEORGIA–Memorial service honors sugar refinery victims. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27494

MASSACHUSETTS–Mother speaks for life after daughter’s death during abortion. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27495

WASHINGTON–Abortion doctor gives up license. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27496

INDIANA–NFL reversal shows value of taking a stand, pastors say. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27497

KENTUCKY–Mohler: Pew study should challenge evangelicals. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27498

LOUISIANA–FIRST-PERSON (Keith Manuel): Praying for the unbeliever. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27499

Friday – Baptist Press

If you have been keeping up with Union University, you will enjoy reading these articles. I especially enjoyed the fourth one.

February 21, 2008

TENNESSEE–Union classes restart with optimism. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27463

TENNESSEE–Union to break ground for student housing. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27464

TENNESSEE–Union service marks new beginning. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27465

TENNESSEE–Precious possession recovered from rubble. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27466

TENNESSEE–Tornado unites Lady Bulldogs, rivals. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27467

TENNESSEE–Textbook donations exceed expectations. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27468

TENNESSEE–Collegians nationwide rally to help Union. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27469

TENNESSEE–FIRST-PERSON: ‘Union’ speaks truth in its name. http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=27470

Wednesday Baptist Press

IMB Worker Dies from Bus Mishap Injuries

Posted on Feb 20, 2008 | by Dea Davidson

BANGKOK, Thailand (BP)

Linda Lipscomb, an International Mission Board worker known for her ability to bridge cultural divides, died Feb. 14 in Bangkok, Thailand, from complications following a bus accident. She was 63.

The former nurse and her husband J.P. Lipscomb were spending their retirement years serving God overseas.

Four weeks before her death, in another part of Asia, Linda stood just inside the door of a bus, preparing to step off and walk to a coffee shop. Without warning, the brakes released and the bus rolled forward, throwing the 115-pound, 4-foot-11-inch woman to the ground. The fall broke her left femur and wrist.

Hours later in a clinic, the red-faced bus driver hunched over in his seat and squeezed his hands as he and a bus company representative waited to see her.

“He needs to lose his job,” the supervisor said to the Lipscombs. “How much money does he need to pay?”

“Nothing. We forgive you,” the Lipscombs said. “We forgive you because God forgave us. Please do not take his job away from him.”

In tears, the driver could not believe they did not want revenge. The police report noted: “Victim forgave bus driver.”

“You fall off a bus and witness to half the city,” J.P. teased his wife.

Linda was medically evacuated to Bangkok the day after the accident.

Her craving for coffee became a joke between her and her nurses. She would laughingly ask J.P. for his when he came into her room with a cup. As her condition worsened and she was placed on a ventilator to assist her breathing, she continued to request coffee. Dipping a finger into his cup, J.P. would place a drop in her mouth.

During the next four weeks complications set in and she took a turn for the worse.

“Linda knew she was dying,” J.P. said. “We never had any respect for death. Death is given too much respect. … The only way you can get to heaven is to die.”

Linda accepted Christ as her Savior at 13. Five years later, she met J.P. at a drive-in. Four weeks later, they were married.

God had called Linda to missions at 16, but she did not go overseas full time until decades later.

The Lipscombs were retirement age and members of James Memorial Baptist Church in Gadsden, Ala., when they responded to a call to serve overseas. They first did medical work in the Philippines, sharing food and water with people while telling them about Jesus.

Over four years, they saw more than 300 Filipinos accept Christ, 39 churches planted and more than 40 pastors trained. Yet that was not enough.

“Send us someplace nobody wants to go,” J.P. said.

A fellow overseas worker had been looking for a couple to take on the challenge of evangelizing an unreached city. The worker knew the search was over when he discovered the Lipscombs, with their straightforward evangelistic presentation and their gray hair — a symbol of age that commands respect in Asia.

“Guys, this is difficult,” the worker told them.

The Lipscombs responded enthusiastically over the prospect of being “in a hard place.”

Every weekday students poured into the Lipscomb home in their new city, crowding around their kitchen table as they studied English. J.P. always emphasized, “We teach from the Bible,” using it as a textbook to start discussions that often led to eternal decisions.

Friends remember Linda swinging her short legs over the back of a friend’s motorbike, heading down the road to eat at a street-side noodle shop or taking a trip to the countryside to visit a student’s family.

“We would get a text message from them: ‘Another member added to the family today,'” said Julie McClendon*, a friend in their area.

The fruit of Linda’s life backed up the advice she gave Julie to be unselfish, embrace every relationship and to keep telling “The Story.”

Being unable to speak the local language didn’t inhibit Linda or J.P. They frequented local markets, businesses and homes. In their southern drawl, they bridged the cultural divide through their dependence on God. Someone asked J.P. what language he and Linda spoke. His answer was “love.”

Friends said it was fitting that Linda died on Valentine’s Day. From her eyes that showed how much she cared to the effort she made to befriend local shopkeepers, she embodied love.

“Her idea was not to sit on the front porch,” McClendon said. “I think many in retirement think, ‘Now it’s my time.’ I don’t think it was about that for her. All of her time would be His, to give it to His service. That is how she lived.”

*Name changed for security reasons. Dea Davidson is a writer for the International Mission Board.

Wednesday – Baptist Press


2-19-08

 

I found these two articles very informative. They enlighten our hearts and minds concerning prayer needs for the Kenyans and the missionaries ministering to them.

 

KENYA–Displaced Kenyans wish for return to normal.

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27448

 

KENYA–Missionaries open home to displaced Kenyans. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27449

Tuesday – Baptist Press

All the articles published yesterday were very good. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

February 18, 2008

ALABAMA–Ala. town hit hard by tornado. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27434

TENNESSEE–ELECTION 08: Calls for unity increase within GOP. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27435

TENNESSEE–Criswell ‘share-a-thon’: $50,000 for Union. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27436

TENNESSEE–Jewish folk singer to Christian music matriarch, Lily Isaacs’ journey of faith. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27437

LOUISIANA–‘Invest in New Orleans’: Plant a church. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27438

LOUISIANA–Snow in New Orleans? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27439

LOUISIANA–New Orleans woman a beacon of the hope she received. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27440

LOUISIANA–N.O. evangelism: Hardest thing is first ‘knock.’ http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27441

LOUISIANA–Personal trials prepare couple for N.O. missions. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27442

GEORGIA–FIRST-PERSON (Henry Blackaby): Ambassadors for Christ. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27443