Category: Featured Articles

by: Jason William

Lately, I have been hearing the term “born this way” a lot, as professional athletes and other celebrities come out to a media induced and hyped heroes welcome. But, what does that mean? Are certain people born gay? The answer may surprise people on both sides of the argument.

Romans 5:12 – “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Psalms 51:5 – “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Psalms 58:3 – “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Romans 5:19 – “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Romans 5:14 – “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”

These verses make it very clear that we are all born sinners. So, in a sense yes people are born gay, just like people are born liars. We are all born with the same propensity to sin. Some people simply make choices along the way that bring those sins to the surface. Consider Adolph Hitler, he was born a sinner, but he was not a mass murderer until he gave in to hatred and pride. So, while he was born a sinner, just like you and I, he was not born a murderer.

The problem is that we are asking the wrong question. The real question is not are people born gay, but rather did God create people to be gay. The answer is, NO! Sin came into the world through our own choosing, and so through that choice came sin and through that sin came death. God created us in Him image to be holy like Him, but when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden we became sinners, and ever since then every one who is born is born a sinner.

There is hope! Jesus Christ (God’s only begotten Son) came to this Earth, lived a perfect, sinless, life and died to pay the price for all of our sins. Through Him we can all go to Heaven, because when we accept Him we are made back into His image which is the image of God. That my friends is the best news I have ever heard. I was born a sinner, but God redeemed me. If He redeemed me, then I know He can definitely redeem you. After all He loves you so much that He created you in His perfect image.

Jason Williams
Assistant Pastor
High Street Baptist Church
Columbus, OH
churchonhigh.wordpress.com

by: William Tyson

As I read the news, I see story after story of an NBA player who has “come out.” Institutions and organizations are being bullied into supporting deviant behavior. Any individual who dares to speak out about the sin of sodomy is threatened and branded a bigot and called “intolerant.”

Later in the week we find out that our military is considering a court martial for any soldier who shares their faith. Let’s be blunt, Christianity is under attack. Bible-believing Christians are being branded as potential terrorist because we have been labeled “intolerant.”

In Philadelphia, the truth about the horrors of abortion are on trial. Yet, the main stream media refuses to cover the holocaust that occurred in Philadelphia and frankly is occurring all over the country. The truth is that Americans don’t want the truth, we want convenience and those who do raise their voices against “pro-choice” causes are labeled “intolerant” of a woman’s right to choose.

If you are a sports figure and you are open about your faith, you are told to shut up and keep your faith to yourself. But, if you “come out” you are hailed a hero and get a call from the president. God help our nation when we celebrate sin! Let me say, a man getting into bed with another man isn’t bravery, it’s not courage, it is sin and depravity. The world calls me “intolerant” for my views. Say what they will, but we shall all give account to God! On a daily basis we are bombarded with a concerted effort by the media and Hollywood to shut the mouths of those who would raise their voice against sin. I am frankly sick and tired of it.

It’s time for Christians to get their head out of the sand and let their voices be heard. For far too long we have allowed Hollywood to define what is right and wrong. We have allowed our public schools to indoctrinate our children and water down their morality. Just this week a story came out about a school teacher who required two girls in class to kiss each other. Raise your voice in disagreement, and you are “intolerant!” When are we going to wake up? When are we going to realize there is a war for the very soul of America happening before our eyes?

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

The Bible says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34) We are not only inviting the judgment of God on our nation, I believe we are beginning to experience the judgment of God. We have shed innocent blood, we have embraced the sodomite agenda, and we are turning our back on our friends in Israel all under the umbrella of tolerance.

So, this begs the question, “What is intolerance?” The word “intolerance’ is defined in the dictionary as, “not tolerating or respecting beliefs, opinions, usages, manners, etc., different from one’s own, as in political or religious matters; bigoted.” With that definition in hand, let me give you a few thoughts on “intolerance.”

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First, as a child of God, we should be intolerant of sin. Psalm 97:10 says, “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil…” This does not mean we hate people. We hate their sin. We hate what sin does to the individual and to society. Too many preachers today have gotten afraid of preaching against sin because they are afraid to offend. Romans 10:14 says, “…how shall they hear without a preacher?” A preacher is to preach the Word of God in season and out of season, not put his finger to the wind to determine what is popular. We see the men of God in the Bible who preached with a fervency and directness that is often missing in our day. John the Baptist preached to Herod, Peter preached to the Sadducees of the day, and Paul, in chains, preached a salvation message to Agrippa. Where are the men who preach in season and out of season? Where are the men of God who stand against sodomy? Where are the men of God who stand against abortion? Where are the men of God who stand with Israel? It’s about time for Christians to be heard. We must pray for our nation and our leaders. We must participate in the process.

I was at an event at the Capitol earlier this year and the comment was made to me by a man that their pastor doesn’t get involved in politics. This is a shame! I believe we should not only let our voices be heard, but we should encourage our people to be actively involved in the political process. We must preach God’s Word and take a stand on the moral issues of the day. God ordained human government, and somehow we have walked away from this institution. Re-engage! Is it intolerance to preach against sin? Sure is! We do not tolerant sinful behavior because God is against it.

Let me also say that there is quite an air of hypocrisy amongst those on the left. It seems that they cling to the first amendment only when it suits their cause. Speak out about homosexuality and you are slandered and belittled as hateful. Yet, they can spew the most vial and hateful accusations and innuendo they wish. True tolerance is for those who speak against us in regards to these issues to recognize for themselves our right to believe and practice our faith in freedom. You can’t have it both ways! Frankly, I believe the most intolerant ones are those who try to squelch dialogue and public debate about these moral issues. Share your beliefs that sodomy is sinful, and you are labeled bigoted, intolerant and a homophobe. The truth of the matter is the bigotry and phobia is most prevalent on the left. Let me also say the very term phobia engenders the connotation of fear. I am not afraid of homosexuals, I am against their lifestyle because of their sinful behavior.

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Finally, what do we do from here? I believe as I have said often; the answer to the problems in America is simple. It is, and always has been, Jesus Christ. He is the answer to the morality problem in our nation. He is the answer to the alcohol problems we face. He is the answer to the gang problem, the teen suicide epidemic and the deterioration of the family. It’s time to take action. We must pray fervently for this nation and our leaders. We must be vocal and let our voices be heard. If you are waiting for someone else to make the call, to make their move, to lead, then you have missed the point. God has placed you here “for such a time as this.” This generation is our responsibility. We are critical (and rightly so) of our Congress for “punting” our financial issues on to the next generation, yet we are doing the same thing spiritually. We are living on yesterday’s manna and spending tomorrow’s potential. I echo the words of David as he stood on the battle field looking at impossible odds and say, “Is there not cause?” It’s time to fight for this nation again! For if God be for us, who can be against us!

William Tyson
Pastor
Woodlawn Baptist Church
Bowie, MD

By: Emily Carstens & Joshua Rarrick

This year’s Teen Convention at Longview Baptist Temple has been a complete success, with many young men and women renewing their commitment to serve God. More than 10 people were saved through the hard preaching and heavy conviction that was presented by the Holy Spirit.

God moved in every service, convicting hearts of sin, bringing people to repentance, and encouraging young adults to step up and become the leaders of tomorrow’s church. The youths who came forward to announce God’s calling on their lives, accept Christ as their Saviour, and put aside sins that were hindering them will forever be changed by the experience they shared at the altar here this year.

Some of the stories we were able to watch unfold are simply amazing! Bro. Jonathan Painter is a Texas Baptist College graduate, a ministry of Longview Baptist Temple, from the class of 2013, and he is now the Youth Pastor of Lincoln Baptist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.

He and some of his youth group have shared their thoughts and experiences with us:

Bro. Painter, on the right, is very proud of his youth group, and says he expects to see changes in each of the members’ lives thanks to the hard preaching they heard here this year. He said he is looking forward to letting the Holy Spirit continue to work in the lives of the young men and women in his charge. Bro. Painter also noted that the sessions for the youth leaders were extremely helpful, and will help shape his leadership plans going forward. The lesson that most captured his attention was Bro. Danny Ortiz’ message on the prodigal son, and how it should have been named the story of the loving father. His favorite activity is dodgeball, and it’s probably a good thing the men and women play separately, or Elizabeth may have left a few marks on him.

Jennifer, the young lady on the right, told us that each message during the conference left her continually convicted. She says that she has realized that no one is too good to be convicted of sin in their life. She also mentioned that the kickball games organized for the young ladies were her favorite activity aside from the preaching.

Michelle, seen in the middle of the photograph, said that Bro. Bob’s sermon on, “What Does Your Donkey See?” left her strongly convicted regarding her treatment of authority figures in her life. She made a decision to improve her attitude towards those God places in authority over her. She also mentioned that kickball was her favorite sport during the convention.

Elizabeth, pictured on the far left, also credited Bro. Bob’s sermon with leaving her heart pierced with the knowledge that she needed to improve her attitude towards her leaders. Her favorite activity was dodgeball, which is hard to believe as she appears so non-threatening in this photo. Bro. Jonathan had better not make her mad when she has something small enough to throw in her hand!

Emily Carstens, seen in this photo proudly holding her uncle’s hand in “The Hole”, a place where people can have people sent during the service for the price of $5, has more on the rest of the day:

The final day of Teen Convention came too fast for most people. The 9:00 AM service started out with a few choruses led by Bro. John Robinson. He then handed the service over to Bro. Bob who gave a few announcements then allowed the teen ladies trio to sing, “Sweet Jesus.”

Bro. Forgy then came up and orchestrated the contest. The contest involved a guy putting his bare foot in a pan of ice water and picking up gummy worms with his toes one at a time. After they did that, Bro. Forgy offered points to anyone who would eat the same gummy worms. Surprisingly, it was mostly girls who ate the gummy worms.

After the contest, the youth workers were dismissed to the youth workers session in the fellowship hall with Dr. Bob Gray, Sr. The teenagers remained in the auditorium to listen to a message from Bro. Forgy. Dr. Gray preached a message entitled, “The Causes of Failure.” He pointed out that for every thing that happens there is a cause and effect. He listed ten items that can cause someone to fail.

Dr. Gray first mentioned that a lack of self-restraint, which is caused by a lack of confidence, can cause failure. He next said that wrong associations can cause failure as well as a know-it-all attitude. Laziness, excuses, and meddling in others business will also cause someone to fail. Gossiping, hatred, and an inability to face your own fault will lead someone to fail. Last of all, hoping someone else will fail is a cause of failure.

Next, Dr. Gray suggested six things when dealing with teenagers who are trying, but sometimes failing. He said to first of all pray for all of the teenagers in the youth group. Have a plan for them. Prepare answers for any questions the teenagers may have. Push them at the right time. Make sure that they understand the difference between a purpose and a position. Last of all, a youth leader needs to praise his teenagers at the right time.

After a short break, the second service started in the auditorium. After a few choruses, the teen ensemble sang for the last time. They sang, “Lord Lead Me.” The last contest of the conference was then played. Two people from each team were needed. One person had to break an egg on the other person’s forehead. The twist being that all the eggs would be hard-boiled, except for one which was raw. The person that kept from picking the raw egg won points for his team.

After the contest the Men of Revival sang, “He’s Still on the Throne” and “Just Pray.” Dr. Gray then approached the platform to preach the final sermon of Teen Conviction 2013. Using the story of Gideon as his basis, he preached a powerful sermon on, “Let Baal Speak for Baal.”

In the sermon, Baal was used to symbolize the things of the world that the children of God get caught up in. It was emphasized that the children of God should not defend Baal when Baal is attacked. Instead, they should let Baal speak for himself.

Many decisions were made the entire week of teen convention, as was evidenced by the tiny slips of paper lodged in the fence at the front of the auditorium. The different decisions included people trusting Christ as their personal Saviour, surrendering to be a man of God, and just simply making things right with parents and leaders. The most important thing for every person who made a decision to do is to stick to their decision and not let their friends at home make light of the decisions that were made. It was a great teen convention and everyone is looking forward to next year’s conference. The leaders of tomorrow are being groomed and prepared today, and Teen Convention is proof that the teaching of God’s Word is still alive and well in America.

For information on next years conference visit: http://teenconventionlbt.com/

by: Emily Carstens & Joshua Rarrick

Wednesday marked a turning point in Teen Convention. The final evening service of the convention was held, and decisions were made throughout the day that many people had been putting off.

The 9:00 AM service for the teens included great music, fun contests, and hard preaching. Bro. Jeff Lines brought a message on building walls to keep out enemies. This further builds on the messages brought earlier in the week by Dr. Allen Domelle and Dr. Bob Gray II.

Bro. Lines had a load of bricks delivered to help illustrate his point to the teens. He stated that each time you are tempted in life, you are handed a brick. The title of his message was “Build a Wall, Not a Bridge.” He said that when you’re handed a brick in life, you have the option to either use it to build a wall or a bridge.

The story he used to illustrate his point was of a small island settlement. One night, the island was attacked by an evil king from the mainland. An old man in the village had foreseen the attack and had secretly built boats and planned an escape for the entire village. He brought the villagers to the boats, and saved their lives.

Once the king was gone, they returned to their village. Several months later, the lookout spotted a single boat with one man in it approaching their island. He was waving a flag of truce, so they welcomed him to the village. He explained that he was an emissary of the king, and that the king had a change of heart regarding the tiny village.

The man said that the king wanted to help the villagers market the tools they knew how to make. He offered to supply them with bricks to build a bridge to the mainland, so they could easily move their wares. The old man warned the village not to accept the offer, but the leaders felt that it would benefit them.

So, construction on the bridge began. The old man watched the young men work as he warned them to use the bricks to build a wall, not a bridge. Shortly after the bridge was completed, the king marched his army across and took the whole village captive. The old man watched as all the able bodied people were chained and led away.

Bro. Lines asked the teens to take the bricks that they were handed in life and use them to build a wall to protect themselves, rather than a bridge to justify doing wrong. Many decisions were made, and God began to work in a mighty way among the hearts in the room.

The rest of the day also held much more, as Emily Carstens points out for us:

9:00 AM, once again, came too early for most people. Noisemakers were given away for the second day in a row. Bro. Bob started out the service with a few choruses before the teen guys trio sang. Following their special, Bro. Forgy hosted a game in which there were two participants from each team. One person in each pair was blindfolded. The person who was not blindfolded had to eat a specific type of food, then blow in the face of the blindfolded person. The blindfolded person was to tell what kind of food it was by the smell of the person’s breath.

At 9:30, the youth workers were dismissed from the auditorium to the youth workers session to hear Bro. Danny Ortiz, the pastor of Iglesia Bautista Fundamental in Lewisville, Texas, while the teenagers enjoyed a sermon presented by Bro. Jeff Lines.

Bro. Ortiz shed new light on a familiar parable, the parable of the prodigal son. He explained that parable as the parable of the loving father, not of the disobedient son. In his message, Bro. Ortiz emphasized that if a youth leader still has the heart strings of a wayward teenager, that teenager may be brought back by something as simple as sweet memories.

Bro. Ortiz had three main points. First, the rebellion of a teenager starts in the heart. Second, the repentance of the child was shown. When the teenager looks back on what he has done, he will realize that he did something that he never thought he would do. Third, the father rejoiced to see his prodigal son home. Bro. Ortiz ended by stating that youth leaders must be willing to accept any stones thrown at them for accepting back the wayward teenager.

At 10:30, Bro. Ortiz preached to mainly the men in the auditorium. He preached on, “The Call of a Man of God.” He stated that it is their responsibility to answer God’s call, and that great responsibility will come with the call. God moved and thirteen teenagers and young adults surrendered to the call of being a preacher.

A special invitation was held for only those thirteen men. Bro. Bob had all the men kneel at the altar. He then asked the youth pastors and pastors who were present to pray with each of the men in a pre-ordination service setting.

The 7:00 service started off with the Teen Ensemble singing a song called, “A Prisoner of Hope”, illustrating that once someone is freed from the bondage of sin that he will be bound by the prison of hope from which he can never escape. After the contest and a few choruses, the Wednesday night offering was taken up. After the offering the chorale came out and sang “Jesus is my Joy.” The Men of Revival then sang two songs, “Hymn Praise Medley” and “The Next Step.” Mrs. Kelly Gray continued singing about Jesus with the songs, “Never the Same” and “The Reason I Sing.”

Bro. Bob presented the thirteen men who surrendered to God’s call to preach with a Certificate of Intent. This is meant to be a reminder that they have been set apart by God for a purpose.

After the singing, Bro. Bob got up to deliver the night’s message. He preached a powerful message on, “My Spirit shall not always Strive with Man.” He first mentioned that the Spirit will strive with man for two reasons. One reason is that the person needs to be saved. The other reason is that the person is saved, but he needs to get right.

Bro. Bob then outlined the progression a person goes through for the Spirit to stop striving with that person’s spirit through the preaching he hears. He fights through someone trying to be personal. Concluding that a person will reject wisdom, and wisdom will reject that person.

Bro. Bob then gave two simple points. The first point was that if the Spirit was striving with you to not fight Him. The second point he drove home was to always be a Christian who yields. God worked and people made many decisions. Approximately 10 people made the most important decision of their life. That decision was to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.

His simple illustration of a rope tied to a young man to explain the tugging of the Holy Spirit on our hearts was compelling. By using the illustration and fully explaining how God works through our hearts, he was able to show everyone in the auditorium exactly how we can either be pulled closer to God, or struggle to move away from Him.

One testimony was shared by Frantzlou Daphnis of the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia. This was his first Teen Convention to attend. He said that the week has been great. He also was able to meet new people and make new friends. He has made many decisions this week that will impact his life forever. The biggest decision being that he surrendered to the call to be a man of God.

Many lives have been changed this week. With only two more services to go, the week is winding down. Many life-changing decisions were made today. Please pray that many more decisions are made on the final day and that if anyone is resisting God’s leading to make the decision and yield to the Spirit.

By: Emily Carstens & Joshua C. Rarrick

Today is the second day of the nineteenth annual teen convention at Longview Baptist Temple in Longview, Texas. Speakers so far have included great names, such as Dr. Bob Gray II, Dr. Allen Domelle, and the “Beloved” Tim Forgy. With tonight being the final night that Alvin Martinez would be able to attend, he and his daughter, Brooke, performed several songs, touching every heart in the building. The messages and music have definitely hit home with both the youth and their leaders and pastors who have brought them to attend.

Churches from as far as Nebraska, Georgia, and California have been represented this year. The young people have been touched by each message that has been delivered so far, and if the influence of the preaching they hear over the course of this event reaches beyond the walls of the auditorium, America could see a generation rise up and bring revival to our churches.

Tim Forgy brought the message in the 9:30 AM meeting on Tuesday, and using the well known story of Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he drove home his message hard. Building on the foundation laid by Pastor Bob Gray II from the night before, regarding enemies that haunt future generations, Bro. Forgy illustrated how eating of forbidden fruit does not bring benefits, but only death.

As the service came to a close, the altar was flooded with young people vowing to remove the things in their lives that should not be there. They placed slips of paper with their decisions written on them in the fence to signify the publicity of their choices. The honesty and sincerity was evident in many of the youth’s faces as they returned to their seats. If only adults would be so repentant when confronted with sin in their lives, we might see a true revival across this country.

Emily Carstens is on the scene to give us more in depth insight as to exactly what is happening behind the scenes of the convention:

The 9:00 service came bright and early, a little too early for some people. The delegates were offered a noisemaker, a teenage favorite, as they entered the building. The service started off with Bro. Bob singing a few choruses. The LBT teen ladies group sang, “Jesus is Coming Soon” reminding the crowd that Jesus could come back at any time.

The morning contest involved bobbing for marshmallows in a bowl of water while the person is blindfolded. A lady from each team went first, and the guys, who had to use the same marshmallows as the girls, bravely represented their team. After the contest, the youth workers were dismissed to the youth workers session in the Fellowship Hall with Bro. Domelle, while the teenagers stayed in the auditorium for a wonderful message from Bro. Forgy.

In the youth workers session, Bro. Domelle emphasized that to have a stable youth group and to turn out teenagers who are all they can be for God, several things are needed. He started out by saying that if teenagers in the youth group do not turn out for God, the youth pastor should accept the blame.

Bro. Domelle, first of all, said that the youth group needs a stable leader. They also need a spiritual leader. He pointed out that the youth pastor should support the decisions of the teenager’s parents. He shared that the youth group needs a challenge. Also, the youth group needs to be pure. Another item that the youth group needs to have for success is involvement. Last of all, the youth pastor needs to have a vision for the youth department. He ended with this question, “What’s the Purpose?”

The youth workers rejoined the teenagers in the auditorium for the 10:30 service. The Teen Ensemble opened up with singing, “Ain’t God Good,” which pushed the crowd to reminisce about how good God really is. In this service Bro. Domelle spoke to the teenagers about, “Changing Their World.”  He said that if they wanted the world to be changed, then they must first change their own little world. Rallies and petitions do not change worlds, but standing for right will. Bro. Domelle stated that there are three things that a Christian teenager, or any Christian for that matter, needs to do to change their world.

They must first believe in God’s way, which is better than any other way. Also, they cannot be concerned with what the populace thinks and that they will probably end up standing alone. Last of all, they must be willing to do right at all cost.

The 7:00 service started off with the LBT Teen Ensemble backing up the Gray II family singing, “God Wants to hear You Sing.” The very singing of the song brought tears to the eyes of many people, including the singers. The contest for the service involved duct tape and many balloons, getting the crowd very much involved with the contest. Bro. Bob then led the crowd in a few choruses. The TBC Chorale sang, “Tho It’s Midnight,” followed by the Men of Revival singing, “God on the Mountain.”

Bro. Bob preaching a powerful sermon on, “What Does Your Donkey See?” Using the story of Balaam and his talking donkey, Bro. Bob correlated how that teenagers act just like Balaam did. He illustrated how teenagers will beat up on their leaders with their words and actions.

Bro. Bob stated there would be no conflict with the leader if the teenagers would just obey the Bible. He also pointed out that their donkeys have carried them all this way safely. He said that temporary hurt is better than permanent death. Last of all, just like Balaam’s donkey, their donkeys are willing to take the beating until they see the Lord.

Many decisions were made before the sermon was even halfway over. By the invitation time, the altar was flooded with teenagers and even youth workers, and the fence was littered with decision slips. Bro. Alvin Martinez ended out the service singing several songs, ending with a song about God’s mercy toward sinners.

NaQuisha Monmouth of Tyler, Texas has allowed us to share her story and the decision she has made this year. She is a faithful bus rider at LBT and recently graduated high school. She was moved by God during the evening service to make a decision concerning her mom. By NaQuisha’s testimony, her mom essentially raised her and her brother by herself. She made a decision to treat her mom better and to stop verbally beating her mom. She has decided to make her relationship with her mom the best it can be. She called her mom after the service and apologized for what she had been doing.

Many more decisions were made and will be made. Please pray that God will continue working in people’s lives, and that when God moves on their heart they will respond and make the decision needed.

 

By: Emily Carstens & Joshua C. Rarrick

Longview Baptist Temple kicked off Teen Convention 2013 with a bang this year. With the theme being, “Teen Conviction” based around Ephesians 4:1, “I…the prisoner of the Lord…” there is no doubt this convention will be unlike any in the history of LBT Ministries.

Pastor Bob Gray II opened the meeting with prayer, and then amid shouts of, “Amen” and “Hallelujah” the convention was off to a running start. Youth groups from around the country lifted their voices in praise to Jesus, and before the message had even begun hearts were stirred towards God.

As the activities began to wind down and the crowd settled into the message, “Brother Bob” shared his heart with the teens and youth leaders from around the country.

Emily Carstens of Longview Baptist Temple has more on the story:

The nineteenth annual Teen Convention started off with the LBT Teen Ensemble singing the theme song for the week, “I’m a Prisoner of the Lord.” The LBT teens looked like convicts in their mock prison outfits, and the theme was met with great enthusiasm from all in attendance. The question presented was whether they would be a prisoner of the Devil, or a prisoner of the Lord. There were youth groups from all over the United States present for the opening service.

The different teen groups were divided into four teams: green, orange, red, and yellow. Everyone was given a colored bandana and prisoner’s hat. T-shirt contests and familiar choruses aroused the crowd helping to calm any nerves.

The Texas Baptist College Chorale sang one song, “The King and the Beggar,” before the TBC men’s tour group. The Men of Revival, also sang two songs, “Thank God I Am Free” and “Mansion over the Hilltop.”

Before the preaching started, decision slips were handed out, and people were instructed that if the Lord spoke to their heart during the service, they were to fill out the decision slip and place it inside the fence at the front when He spoke and not to wait until the invitation time. Also, before the preaching, Pastor Gray asked all the teenage men to kneel at the altar to pray for hearts to be touched and decisions to be made.

Pastor Bob Gray II preached a sermon on, “There Arose a Generation Who Knew not the Lord.” The sermon emphasized the need for teenagers who want to have generations following them to know the Lord, and that to have this happen they will need to do several things.

First, they need not to make peace with the enemies in their generation. Secondly, they need to realize that they have an influence on the people around them. Third, through that influence the generations following them will use the enemies they made peace with as an excuse for their lifestyle. Finally Bro. Gray emphasized that their enemies of today will become their children’s religion tomorrow.

The crowd was receptive to the truth, and many decisions were made which were evident by the many people at the altar and the decision slips in the fence. Teenagers were not the only ones who made decisions, but also many youth workers and church members.

The rest of the week is planned with activities, more singing, and above all, great preaching from great men of God such as Bro. Danny Ortiz, Bro. Allen Domelle, and Dr. Bob Gray, Sr. Please pray that God will touch many more hearts this week and many more decisions will be made.

SHAMING INTO SILENCE
ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO PUSH THE SODOMITE AGENDA
by: Allen Domelle

The headline of April 29, 2013, was that NBA veteran, Jason Collins, was setting aside years of worry and silence to announce that he was gay. He is the first active player of the four major professional sports leagues to make his gay lifestyle public. He announced it through an article in Sports Illustrated where he wrote, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.”

The news media was in a frenzy about this news. All over ESPN analysts were praising Collins for his “courage” to come out. Even former President Bill Clinton had to give his input when he called Collins’ announcement “an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community.”

Friend, make no mistake about this announcement. For months the news media has been trying to shame us into accepting the gay lifestyle and gay marriage. They know that Collins is at the end of his career and that his current contract is up. So, if he doesn’t get another contract, which is likely because he is at the end of his career, they will certainly try to use this as leverage to continue their push for gay marriage and acceptance of the sodomite lifestyle. They are aware that in July the Supreme Court will make a decision as to whether gay marriage should be considered constitutionally acceptable. For two weeks ESPN has been reporting that four NFL players are going to come out and proclaim they are gay. The liberal media is only using this to try to shame you into accepting this lifestyle as normal.

However, it is interesting that ESPN’s own wording explains that the gay lifestyle is not normal. ESPN wrote in an article that Collins “realized he needed to make his sexual orientation public when his former roommate at Stanford, Massachusetts congressman Joe Kennedy, who is straight, marched in Boston’s Gay Pride Parade last year.” Hold on! If Kennedy is straight, then that would mean Collins’ lifestyle is not straight. That would mean that Collins’ lifestyle is crooked, or should we say sinful.

ESPN analyst, Christ Broussard, commented on a segment of Outside the Lines, “Personally I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly premarital sex between heterosexuals,” Broussard said. “If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that’s a sin. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, adultery, fornication, premarital sex between heterosexuals, whatever it may be. I think that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the Bible would characterize them as a Christian.” Since he made this statement, he retracted a bit by releasing a statement, “I believe Jason Collins displayed bravery with his announcement today…” One wonders how much pressure ESPN put on him to say this.

Friend, God’s Word is still true, and sodomy is still an abomination against God. Leviticus 18:22 says, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” It doesn’t matter who proclaims they are gay, the lifestyle is still a sin against God. Just like adultery, fornication and any type of sex outside of marriage is a sin, sodomy is also a sin against God.

Don’t just accept that this is an isolated incident that is going to go away. The liberal media will continue to bombard us with these stories to shame us into accepting this lifestyle. It is not an alternative lifestyle, it is a sinful lifestyle. People are not born sodomites; they choose to be sodomites. They want us to stay silent so they can pressure the justices of the Supreme Court into ruling that gay marriage is recognized in the United States.

What should we do? Jude 1:3 says that we should “earnestly contend for the faith.” If you stay silent, then we will have to deal with sodomite marriages the same way we have to deal with abortion. Let your beliefs be known! Don’t cower to the pressure of the liberal media. Preachers should not be silent on this issue. For a preacher to be silent on this issue is simply compromise. I’m tired of preachers saying they don’t want to be political. This has nothing to do with politics, this has to do with the Word of God. If you’re a preacher who won’t strongly take a stand on this issue, then hand in your ordination papers and go get another job. These are not times to be silent, these are times when we need to take a strong and vocal stand. If we are silent, then proponents of gay marriage and the gay lifestyle will win. By the way, it is not a matter of winning or losing, it is a matter of right or wrong, having God’s blessings or His judgment.

As a Christian you should write your political representatives and let them know you believe they should stand behind marriage as only between a man and woman. You should commit this to prayer on a daily basis and ask God to intervene in the heart of the Justices of the Supreme Court to make a decision against gay marriage that would support what God’s Word teaches. Finally, you should pray that those who practice this wicked lifestyle would get saved and have their life changed. Only God can change a person who lives this lifestyle. Violence is not the answer, but neither is silence. Make your belief known and stand strong. Don’t let your voice be shamed to silence.

THE DEVIL’S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET: THE 10/40 WINDOW
by: Johnny Esposito

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

“To preach the gospel in the regions beyond…” (2 Corinthians 10:16)

After nearly thirty years of ministry here in the United States, my wife and I have surrendered to go to the mission field. We have surrendered to go to a “restricted” nation, which means we cannot get a visa as missionaries; we have to find creative ways to get into the country. We will be leaving America, our five children, our nine grandchildren for the other side of the world on March, 14, 2013!

Why would we do this?

As a Bible-believing people, we all recognize – or should – that God has called each of us to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission. It was the great William Booth who once said, “’Not called!’ did you say? ’Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of Hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.”

Of course, that call to fulfill the Great Commission begins in our Jerusalem, and it extends “unto the uttermost part of the earth.” We must not, and we cannot, stop in our Jerusalem! We must not, and we cannot, stop in our Judea! We must not, and we cannot, stop in our Samaria! Unfortunately, whether we admit it or not, in many ways we have!

The great Baptist missionary, William Carey has been quoted often throughout the years. Such statements as, “Is not the commission of our Lord still binding upon us? Can we not do more than now we are doing?” or “Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God” have inspired many through the ages.  One of Carey’s quotes, which is not quite as well known as the others, are his words, “To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map.” I think William Carey was basically saying to us, “Do you want to know the will of God for your life? If so, search the Scriptures to see the heart of God, and search for the neediest areas of the world.”

This is why my wife and I have chosen to leave America!

Far too often, this is NOT what we do! I am afraid in far too many cases, we do quite the opposite. Did you know that 95% of the Christian workers worldwide are serving 5% of the people? CAN THAT POSSIBLY BE GOD’S PURPOSE? As I have been on deputation now for a year, I am always amazed – possibly alarmed, at how many churches, often good churches are found within just a few miles of one another.

Talking about needy areas, one matter that I am continually asked about at nearly every church that I have been in is the 10/40 Window. To be honest with you, I have often been somewhat surprised at the lack of knowledge of so many concerning this very needy part of our world by those of us who call ourselves New Testament Christians with a heart for the Great Commission.

Then again, this should not surprise us. Dr. Charles Keen of First Bible International has written, “I find our average church member and his pastor still without a working knowledge of its location, demographics, origin and reason for its existence in its present religious state. This is not to be a criticism, for two or three years ago most had NO KNOWLEDGE of even the existence of the Window.”  Here are a few simple tidbits about the 10/40 Window:

• While America has one full-time Christian worker for every 250 people, the 10/40 Window has one for every one-million people, and in some parts of the 10/40 Window the disparity is even much greater.
• Less than $.05 out of every $100 spent on missions is directed towards the 10/40 Window.
• The 10/40 Window is the imaginary rectangular box that extends 10 degrees to 40 degrees North of the equator.
• The 10/40 Window constitutes one-third of the Earth’s total land mass, and over half (4.5 billion people) of the world’s population.
• The 10/40 Window is often referred to as the Resistance Belt and includes the majority of the world’s Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Communists.
• There are 66 different nations found in the 10/40 Window, and 45 of these are on the list of top 50 nations where persecution of Christians is most prevalent.
• The vast majority of the world’s least evangelized countries and major cities are found in the 10/40 Window.
• The top 50 least evangelized mega-cities are all located in the 10/40 Window.
• The 10/40 Window includes 97% of the over 6,000 unreached people groups of the world.
• Over 2.4 billion of the world’s poorest people (40% of the world’s population) live in the 10/40 Window.
• Hunger, disease, lack of drinkable water, child prostitution, and the abuse of women and children and other social ills are rampant in the 10/40 Window.
• Of the more than 6,000 languages and dialects in the world, less than 400 of these have the entire Bible translated and published in their language. The majority of the people groups that do not have the Bible available can be found in the 10/40 Window.

Yes, for far too long the 10/40 Window has been the Devil’s little secret. It is high time that we awake from our sleep and recognize the heart of God for these “regions beyond.” As New Testament Christians, committed to the Great Commission with a heart for the harvest, we must be concerned with the 10/40 Window. Our concern must become compassion, for it is compassion that makes a difference (Jude 22). We must all be willing to pray for, give to, and many of us should be willing to go if God would so allow.

Are you looking for somewhere to go? Are you looking for somewhere to bring the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ? If so, open up your Bible, see the heart of God, and get out a map. You might be surprised to see where God leads if you are willing!

Pray for the 10/40 Window

Johnny and Denise Esposito will be going to one of the “closed countries” that is found in the 10/40 Window. For security purposes the country will not be named. This country is one of the 66 countries found in the 10/40 Window. It ranks in the top ten countries in the world in persecution of Christians, and also one of the poorest countries in the world with an average income of UNDER $1,000.00 per year (less than three dollars per day). The population of this country is just under seven million people, consisting of 148 different people groups of which 132 of them are considered UNREACHED people groups. Depending on what statistics you read, only 1 to 3 percent of the people of this country profess any form of Christianity. At the present time there are only four independent (one man and three women) Baptist missionaries from the United States of America in this country, and only one independent Baptist church that is made up of the nationals in the entire country. These people are desperately in need of the Gospel message.

Johnny and Denise Esposito: Missionaries to the 10/40 Window sent out of Pacific Baptist Church in Long Beach, CA. You may contact them at seasia4him@psmail.net or on Bro. Esposito’s cell 562-209-2110.

THE PROBLEM WITH AMERICA
by: Jason Williams

Like most of you, I have been watching the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage with extreme interest. I have prayed and worked so that our leaders will uphold the sanctity of God’s divine plan for a family. While all that was going on, I have seen other things happening all across America. It seems like every day our country is in turmoil, and like many of you, I have sat and wondered who to blame for what is wrong with this world. God then reminded me, that it was me.

See, I have been looking at all of this the wrong way. I have been reading my Bible and seeing what it says about everyone else’s problems, except mine! Believe me, I have plenty of problems (yes, even pastors sin). So, I turned to the book of Daniel for guidance and what I found was this simple truth.

If I am going to make a difference, then I must be different.

While I was looking at what was wrong with America, Daniel was changing what was wrong with him. The truth is, I am nothing more than a hypocrite. There it is, I said it. The truth is, I am what is wrong with America. This is not easy to write, but it is life changing. Can I ask you a question? Why did God destroy Sodom? Why did God flood the Earth? The truth is painful. He destroyed Sodom and flooded the Earth because of a lack of righteous people. After looking at myself for a long, long time, I have to admit I am not a righteous person. So, while I am all for working within our political system to stand up for right, I must never again lose track of how important it is that I am right with God while I work. I am asking all of you to join me in asking God to show us any area where we are not right with Him and with our fellow man.

You say, “Well, I am not a pastor. I am not a famous or rich person, I am a nobody.” But I say, many small people in many small places do many small things that alter the face of the world everyday. There is nothing greater we can do for America than to fall on our knees and ask God to forgive America. Not for the sins of others, but for our sins. Then, wake up and be the difference for which the world is desperately searching.

Your world will be different when you are different. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV)

Jason Williams
Assistant Pastor
High Street Baptist Church
Columbus, OH
churchonhigh.wordpress.com

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS OF THE HEART
by: Lonnie Mattingly

YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART

America’s families are in trouble today. With an ever increasing divorce rate and many others choosing to live together without the adult responsibility of marriage, our youth are growing up without a moral compass. Those of us who believe the Bible and know Christ as our personal Saviour have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility.

I want to give you an acrostic that spells the word “heart” and ask you to make the application to your family. I believe it could be life changing and may well save a marriage and salvage some young people for the cause of Christ.

Honor One Another

Proverbs 20:3 says, “It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.” We are so quick to pick and pull at one another. Our old nature is so prone to criticize and tear down. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if our families and those we are trying to influence for the Lord would see and hear us overlooking one another’s faults and bragging on one another as we honor one another?

Enthusiasm – (In Theos – in God)

Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all God’s people got excited about the family. We need to be excited about family opportunities and not always be down and discouraged. We all have times when we “visit” those difficult places, but we should decide we will not live there.

Having family devotions and prayer will do a lot toward chasing away the negative when done in the right way.  Don’t forget, you produce what you are, not what you want.

Affectionate  –  Expressing Your Love

Romans 12:9-10 says, “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”

Even a government agency will do things right on occasion. A few years back the Department of Human Resources put out bumper stickers that asked the question, “Have you hugged your kid today?” Because of the failure of many families to show any affection we are raising sociopaths with no feelings or emotions. We have kids killing parents, teachers and other kids.

It’s OK to be affectionate.  Don’t tell me, “It’s just not my personality.” Change your personality!  God never instructs us to do something that is outside of our ability. The greatest gift (outside of the message of salvation) that you can give your children is a set of parents who are madly in love with one another and it shows.

Responsibility … Responsiveness

Ephesians 5:21-25 says, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

A wife needs to be submissive to and aware of her husband’s desires and needs.  At the same time, the husband is instructed to love his wife and consider her needs. We should be alert and aware of signals and symptoms that telegraph deeper needs.

Don’t react, respond.

Don’t take each other for granted.

Tenderhearted

Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” The word “tenderhearted” comes from a Greek word that means easily moved. We must work at a family relationship that is forgiving and trusting. True love “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

Someone said the two most difficult words to say are “I’m sorry.”  Someone else said they are, “I forgive.” I don’t know how difficult they are to say, but I know they are sometimes very hard to really mean. Why not start today. Aren’t you glad that Christ forgave you?

Let’s put real HEART back in our homes. Let’s have genuine revival in our homes. Let’s fall in love with Christ all over again, and let’s fall in love with our family again and let it show.

Lonnie Mattingly
Pastor Emeritus – Shawnee Baptist Church
Founder – Shawnee Baptist College
www.loniemattingly.com