JOURNAL OF THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION OF MISSISSIPPI

March 15, 2014 VOL. 68 NO. 6www.bmaofmississippi.com

Major Changes at DiscipleGuide and Literature Ministryby Scott Attebery, Directorby Scott Attebery, Directorby Scott Attebery, Directorby Scott Attebery, Directorby Scott Attebery, DirectorThe challenges facing print-

ing companies and ministriescontinue to exist and are accel-erating. Digital platforms arecausing those who make theirliving by the printed page toexamine every option availableto remain competitive and vi-able. DiscipleGuide is no ex-ception. As a result of decreas-ing sales in 2013 and becauseof our responsibility to be goodstewards, we are examining alloptions to continue to bring youthe finest Bible studies at aprice that our churches can af-

ford.Because every church is im-

portant to us, we want you tofully understand any transi-tions we make. Please note thefollowing changes as you arepreparing to order for the Sum-mer 2014 quarter:

Outside Publisher OrderingOutside Publisher OrderingOutside Publisher OrderingOutside Publisher OrderingOutside Publisher OrderingIn the past, we have served

as a “middle man” for otherpublishers by offering theirproducts to our churches. Inmany cases, this has causedlonger wait times and highershipping rates for our churches.

To help your church enjoy fasterservice and lower shippingrates, we are passing along thedirect ordering contacts foreach publisher to you. A list ofdirect-ordering information perpublisher is posted ondiscipleguide.org.

DiscipleKidsDiscipleKidsDiscipleKidsDiscipleKidsDiscipleKidsStarting with this summer

quarter, our DiscipleKids Ac-tivity Sheets & Leader Guidewill be bundled together as adownload-and-print product.Instead of paying $2.30 for theActivity Sheets and $5.95 for

the Leader Guide, you will getboth for only $2 per child. Thevisual packs, DVD, and en-hanced CD will still be avail-able as physical products.

Compass PointCompass PointCompass PointCompass PointCompass PointWe are discontinuing Com-

pass Point due to low demand.Please consider asking yourclasses who use Compass Pointto transition to Compass forthis summer quarter.

Return Policy ChangesReturn Policy ChangesReturn Policy ChangesReturn Policy ChangesReturn Policy ChangesEffective May 1, all sales will

be considered final.

DiscipleGuide will gladly cor-rect shipments and/or processexchanges for orders arrivingwith incorrect contents or quan-tities. All exchanges must in-clude an authorization num-ber from DiscipleGuide cus-tomer service (800-333-1442,info@discipleguide.org).

Thank you in advance foryour understanding. Your con-tinued investment intoDiscipleGuide helps us con-tinue investing in your church.

If you have questions, pleasecontact us atinfo@discipleguide.org.

Kellar Award AnnouncedSeminary DinnerSeminary DinnerSeminary DinnerSeminary DinnerSeminary Dinner

The BMA Seminary will holdits annual Seminary FriendsDinner on Tuesday, April 29,2014 at 5:30 p.m. at the sixty-fifth annual meeting of theBMA of America. The 2014 din-ner will be in Salon C of theMarriott (Headquarters) Ho-tel in Little Rock, Arkansas. Itis approximately a 5-minutewalk (indoors through hallwayswith elevators or escalators) tothe headquarters hotel. Onceagain, the cost of the dinnerwill be $25 per person.

The 2014 Kellar Award willbe presented to Dr. JoelSlayton. Dr. Slayton is the elev-enth Kellar Award recipient.This award, named in honor ofthe late Dr. Gerald Kellar, thefounding president of BMASeminary, recognizes a semi-nary alumnus for outstandingcontributions in ministry typi-fying the legacy of Dr. Kellar.

Kellar Award HonoreeKellar Award HonoreeKellar Award HonoreeKellar Award HonoreeKellar Award HonoreeThe Kellar Award honoree,

Dr. Joel Slayton, was converted

at the age of12 and was or-dained at theage of 19. Heearned aBachelor ofArts degreef r o mO u a c h i t aBaptist Uni-versity in

Arkadelphia, Arkansas, a Mas-ter of Divinity from BMA Semi-nary, Jacksonville, Texas, anda Doctor of Theology at Mid-America Baptist TheologicalSeminary in Memphis, Tennes-see. He also did post-doctoratestudies at Fuller TheologicalSeminary in Pasadena, Cali-fornia and Jerusalem Univer-sity College in Jerusalem, Is-rael.

Dr. Slayton is married toDianne (Kelly) Slayton andthey have two children, Joeyand Amy Slayton South. Theyalso have 5 grandchildren,Casey and Candyce Slayton

Dr. Joel Slayton

continued on page 3continued on page 3continued on page 3continued on page 3continued on page 3

Deadline For Hotel ReservationsFor BMAA Meeting Approaching

The deadlines to reserve rooms at the discounted rate for theupcoming BMA of America meeting in Little Rock are as follows:

Marriott- March 28, 2014Call 501-906-4000

Holiday Inn Presidential- March 28, 2014Call 501-375-2100

Comfort Inn & Suites-Downtown- April 13, 2014Call 501-687-7700

You are encouraged to make your reservation as early aspossible. Please indicate you are with the Baptist Missionary

Association of America to receive the discounted rate.BMAA Committee on Arrangements

EEEEEVERVERVERVERVERYBODYYBODYYBODYYBODYYBODY’’’’’SSSSS GOINGGOINGGOINGGOINGGOING TOTOTOTOTO S S S S SENIORENIORENIORENIORENIOR J J J J JUBILEEUBILEEUBILEEUBILEEUBILEEAll roads lead to Big Creek

Baptist Church Tuesday,March 25, 2014 for a great dayof senior fellowship and youdon’t want to miss it! Save thedate for this special occasion.

Registration begins at 9:00a.m. Meal tickets will be issuedupon registering and ticketsfor door prizes will be given. A$15.00 registration fee coversan entire day of blessings, plusthe noon meal catered byMack’s Fish Camp. Take allyou want, but eat all you take.

Call in the number attend-ing from your church to 601-763-8100 or 601-428-8616.Churches are encouraged topay the registration fee for se-nior members attending. If youfail to call the number in, comeon anyway. This Senior Con-ference is for anyone whowished to attend, regardless ofage.

The Justin Cameron Triowill open the services of theday. Door prizes will be pre-sented.

Bro. Travis Plumlee will be

speaking at the11:00 hour.Many of youhave heard himas he ministersto the heart’s ofpeople.

Gaither styleh o m e c o m i n gmusic will bepresented by an assembledchoir being joined by the con-gregation. Bryson Haden will

once again lead in this specialprogram.

Everybody’s going to SeniorJubilee! Join us at Big CreekBaptist Church for the SouthSenior Adult Conference!

During the next couple ofmonths we will keep you in-formed on the upcoming NorthSenior Adult Conference to behosted by East Fulton BaptistChurch, Fulton, and PastorGary Smith.

Kenneth FlyntDirector

2 March 15, 2014 • Mississippi Baptist

Baptist Missionary Associationof Mississippi

www.bmaofmississippi.com

DEPARTMENTS & COMMISSIONS

Mississippi Baptist PaperP.O. Box 8181, Laurel, MS 39441

601-426-3293

Southeastern Baptist College4229 Highway 15 North Laurel, MS

39440 - 601-426-6346

State Youth DepartmentP.O. Box 4247, Laurel, MS 39441

662-397-6832

Baptist Children's Home118 Lowe Rd., Laurel, MS 39443

601-426-3928

Missions & Revolving Loan Fund4226 Highway 15 North, Laurel, MS

39440 - 601-428-8616

Commission on Senior Adults4226 Highway 15 North

Laurel, MS 39440601-729-2613

History & Archives Commission4229 Highway 15 North

Laurel, MS 39440601-729-8098

Moral ActionP.O. Box 88, Mantachie, MS 38855

Don J. Brown, EditorE-Mail - editor@msbaptist.orgWeb site www.msbaptist.org

USPS 353-960P.O. Box 8181

Laurel, Mississippi 39441-8000

Phone 601-426-3293

PRICE$20.00 Per Year by Mail

$10.00 Per Year by EmailCHURCH PLAN$ 1.30 Per Month

Published on the 1st and 15thof each month by the Baptist Mis-sionary Association of Mississippi.Periodical postage paid atHattiesburg, Mississippi 39402.

Postmaster: Send addresschanges to the Mississippi BaptistPaper, P.O. Box 8181, Laurel, MS39441-8000.

Opinion PageJournal of the Baptist Missionary Association of Mississippi

Don Brown - EditorDon Brown

Guest Opinion

America - Crumbling From Within; Who Is To Blame?by Paul Gaunttby Paul Gaunttby Paul Gaunttby Paul Gaunttby Paul Gauntt

Gauntt is the former BMA of TexasDepartment of Church Ministries di-rector. He has served several churchesas pastor, and is a correspondent andfeatured article writer for BaptistProgress. Contact him atpaul.gauntt@att.net.

Throughout my growing up years,we seemed to live with the notion thatif our nation is taken down, it would beby a button being pushed from with-out. Protest anthems (i.e. Eve of De-struction) prophesied the impendingdoom of our great nation.

Over a generation ago, Soviet Pre-miere Nikita Kruschev made his infa-mous declaration that ,"We'll takeAmerica without firing a shot."

Although Kruschev wasn't the oneto do it, it's systematically being done,with great success. But it might startleus if we recognized who the real cul-prits are.

In these days of political upheaval,the unleashing of the political correct-ness police, and an all-out concertedeffort on the part of the secular pro-gressive movement to undermine ev-erything biblical and moral, it's re-freshing to see some unlikely person-alities (like members of the Hollywood

set) taking a stand for truth and Ameri-canism, including Steven Segal andJeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber).

While these two may not necessar-ily be coming from a Christian stand-point, their assessments of what isconsidered to be a sinister movementagainst our culture, could, ironically,signal a new burst of moral and spiri-tual courage on the part of believers -including myself.

I'm afraid the New TestamentChurch - as a whole - has rolled overtoday and has played dead. We have,for the most part, acquiesced to pro-gressivism and the shrill whines of the

godless who voice their "offense" be-cause a kid wears red, white and blue,or a "What Would Jesus Do" braceletto school? I'm so afraid we have restedon the laurels of ourLaodicean increasewith goods, havingneed of nothing.Why? If we standfor what's right,and just -- and bib-lical, why shouldwe fret over theIRS taking our 501C 3 away? Who are we - as people ofGod, who proclaim Christ as the Sav-ior of the world, - to refuse to comeagainst abortion, same-sex marriage,legalization of marijuana, and a gov-ernment bent on taking down everyprinciple and precept of our Constitu-tion, which was developed and pennedby men who bathed it in prayer? Whydo we seem to behunkering in the cornerof our sanctuary, trem-bling and intimidated bya hell-immersed culture?

Folks, our nation maywell become the late, greatUnited States of America,but she won't become that

way because of awayward adminis-tration, a spinelessCongress or be-cause a completestate legalizes mari-juana, or the pass-ing of Roe v. Wadein 1973, or thedogma that appearson the silver screen,compliments of Hol-

lywood. She won't be de-stroyed because atheism, new-age mys-ticism, and a push for a wide diversityof sexual orientations, and the assaulton the traditional family. It won't bebecause of the godless spewings ofliberal professors in institutions ofhigher learning or a media that turnsand looks the other way when ourculture is assaulted. No! It will bebecause we, as God's people just sim-ply live as though he that is in theworld is greater than He who lives inus. Surely we don't believe that.

On the eve of God's decimatingSodom and Gomorrah, Abraham ". .

.drew near and said, Wilt thou alsodestroy the righteous with the wicked?Peradventure there be fifty righteouswithin the city: wilt thou also destroyand not spare the place for the fiftyrighteous that are therein?" Genesis18:23-24.

God's answer was, "If I find in Sodomfifty righteous within the city, then Iwill spare all the place for their sakes."

Why would that not apply to God'speople today? Could it be the NewTestament Church has become dis-tracted - yea, even blinded? Are we'reso busy building our own little king-doms, preaching feel-good sermons,and essentially welcoming, with opendoors and arms, the world into ourmidst?

Have we turned II Chronicles 7:14into nothing but a cliche? Oh, but wepreach it and it's easy to preach be-

cause God outlined thesermon for us. Buthave we really takenseriously the promisethat if we, who arecalled by His name,would humble our-selves, and pray, andseek His face, and turnfrom our wicked ways,then He would hearour cries, and forgiveus and heal our land?Is it just a nice sermonor is it a command,with promise, that wecan count on?What if every NewTestament Church inAmerica, set aside ev-ery weekday for anentire month, opened

her doors, and encouraged God's peopleto come fall on our faces on the altarand do what II Chronicles 7:14 says?No singing, no sermon, no announce-ments, no potluck, no refreshments,no coffee, and no visiting.

If our nation crumbles from within,as it appears to be doing right now, itwon't be because of nationalizedhealthcare or an IRS leader who purg-ers herself before Congress, or aBenghazi cover up, or a 20 trilliondollar deficit - she will crumble be-cause of the apathy of God's called outones.

Paul Gauntt

If my people, whichare called by my

name, shall humblethemselves, and

pray, and seek myface, and turn fromtheir wicked ways;

then will I hear fromheaven, and will

forgive their sin, andwill heal their land.

3March 15, 2014 • Mississippi Baptist

Church of the Covered Dish BY THOMAS TAPP

"If we could harness the power of apathyour church would have a chance!"

and Connor, Claire, and Chris-topher South.

Dr. Slayton has pastored andserved as interim pastor ofBMA churches in Arkansas,Texas, and Alabama and is cur-rently interim pastor of OakPark Baptist Church in LittleRock, Arkansas. During hisministry he has preached inten states and four foreigncountries. In addition, he hastraveled in Asia, Europe, Af-rica, North and South America.

Dr. Slayton has served theBMA in several areas: writingapproximately twenty quarter-lies for the Baptist PublishingHouse, serving as editor of theAlabama Baptist Banner, serv-

ing on committees for the BMAof America and the BMA ofArkansas, in addition to re-sponsibilities in local associa-tions. He has been a commence-ment speaker, a Bible confer-ence speaker, a guest lecturerfor the Fall Lecture Series atBMA Seminary and deliveredannual messages at both theBMA of Alabama and BMA ofArkansas.

Dr. Slayton has been ateacher at Central Baptist Col-lege in Conway, Arkansas,since 1976 and has served asinstructor, professor, Chair ofthe Bible Department, VicePresident of Graduate Affairs,Graduate Dean, Vice Presidentfor Academic Affairs, and In-terim President, as well as serv-ing on numerous committees.He states that he enjoys theclassroom experience the most.

Kellar Awardfrom page 1from page 1from page 1from page 1from page 1

Big Creek Big Creek Big Creek Big Creek Big Creek AssociationAssociationAssociationAssociationAssociationWWWWWide Revivalide Revivalide Revivalide Revivalide Revival

March 23-26, 2014March 23-26, 2014March 23-26, 2014March 23-26, 2014March 23-26, 2014Sunday - Wednesday

Speaker - Bro. Travis PlumleeMusic Director - Bro. Brandon Wilson

The following is a schedule of times and meeting places:23rd at 6:00 PM with Parkview Baptist Church24th at 7:00 PM with Lebanon Baptist Church

25th at 7:00 PM with Southeastern Baptist College(youth emphasis)

26th at 7:00 PM with Big Creek Baptist ChurchWe're excited about what the Lord is going to do among us!

Leave ItTo Cleaver

Tony Cleaver

The ExpertThe ExpertThe ExpertThe ExpertThe ExpertI was intrigued by an ad I

read this past week. The adwas about a conference and/orseminar with the title (changedto protect the innocent and me)“Secrets to the Powerful LifeThat You Can Get Only at ThisMeeting.” The leader was aperson who billed herself as(again titles and designationschanged) something like “ex-pert in Christian living andmiraculously empowered spiri-tual life coach.” The ad went onto give the contact points forreservations, tickets, and howto have your group representedand empowered at this gather-ing.

Wow! Who wouldn’t want tosit at the feet of this expert?Who wouldn’t want to get all inone swoop the total secrets ofhistoric and contemporaryChristianity? I hope all thepastors from my area will signup, and I hope all the SundaySchool teachers in the countywill be on the front row. I knowI would be there except for myimperative and unalterableappointment at the barber shopto have my eyebrows trimmed.

Perhaps I have misunder-stood how to become a Chris-tian. I thought that one cameto know Christ, or better cameto be known by Christ, withrepentance and faith. I wasconvinced through the Word ofGod and the Holy Spirit my lifewas on the road to ruin. I askedChrist to save me - make meHis. He did at that time andplace. He did this through His

death, burial, and resurrection.He provides me with His HolySpirit as teacher, guide, com-forter, and intercessor in thevery presence of God.

Perhaps I have misunder-stood the Scriptures. I thoughtthey were the very words of

God. They are given me as lightto walk in His steps. They guideme in the way of right andpositive Christian living—in allthings. The Bible speaks to me,my generation, and to my com-munity.

Perhaps I have misunder-stood the Church. I thought it

was a community of faith wheresinners gathered because oftheir redemption, congregantsworshiped, and mission (thework of Christ and His Church)was attended.

After reading the advertise-ment again, I really don’t thinkI have misunderstood how tobecome a Christian, the Scrip-tures, or the Church and itsmission. Come to think of it, Iwish the spiritual expert well,but I don’t think I will be en-rolling in the gathering thisweek. There is no “expert” togive me the “secrets” of historicand contemporary Christian-ity other than the mainstays ofthe Spirit of God, the Scrip-tures, and the Lord’s peoplegathered in His Church. I al-ready have these very well-known secrets from the Expertwho died 2000 years ago for mysins.

CHURCH NEWSChurch Seeking Pastor

Midway First BaptistChurch of Sumrall, Mississippiis seeking a pastor. Those in-terested may send a resume tothe church at 77 MidwayChurch Rd, Sumrall, MS 39482or email tomidwayfirstbaptist@hotmail.com.

Harmony AssociationHarmony AssociationHarmony AssociationHarmony AssociationHarmony AssociationThe Harmony Association

met March 7, at Forked OakBaptist Church. After the mealprovided by the host church,

Bro. Roger Akers introducedthe speaker for the evening.Jamshab Hodyag, who recentlyimmigrated to the USA fromPakistan due to persecution,resulting from his Christianfaith. The message gave a verygrave outlook for this nationand the world as a whole, dueto the Islamic faith and theirbelief and goals.

There were 6 churches rep-resented, with 45 in attendanceand 5 visitors. Our next meet-ing will be at New Hope inMantachie. Bro. Bobby Elliottreported on the work at Free-dom Hill Church.

The churches of the Har-mony Association would like tooffer their deepest sympathyto the Claude Wilemon family.Bro Wilemon was faithful inattending our meetings and willbe deeply missed. His nieceLisa Wilemon is the clerk forthe Harmony Association..

Bro, Mike Smith, ModeratorTony Marolt, Reporter

Former Arkansas Pastor DiesFormer Arkansas Pastor DiesFormer Arkansas Pastor DiesFormer Arkansas Pastor DiesFormer Arkansas Pastor DiesJames W. Goodwin, 92, of

Conway, Arkansas, died onTuesday, March 4, 2014 at hishome. He is a retired BaptistMinister of fifty-six years and athirty year U.S. Army Veteran.He pastored churches in Ar-kansas, Indiana, Missouri andCalifornia.

Funeral Services were heldMarch 10, in Greenbrier.

4 March 15, 2014 • Mississippi Baptist

Baptist Missionary Associationof Mississippi

Department of Missions and Revolving Loan FundState Missionaries and Wives

601.428.8616 www.bmams.org

Bob & Edie Burch Kenneth & CarolePollock

Bobby & LesaElliott

Danny & BrendaBartlett

Sidney & BeckyFarmer

Ray & JoAnnBoone

Kelby & JessieJohnson

Phillip & DawnBurns

Estuardo &Yasmine Marroquin

Elvis & WendyGarcia

Ed & PatriciaDuVall

Larry GeraldsonDirector

Update from The FieldUpdate from The FieldUpdate from The FieldUpdate from The FieldUpdate from The Field“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news

from a far country.” Proverbs 25:25 God is good andgracious and I praise Him for the opportunity to serveas your Director of Missions. I have enjoyed a verybusy time of praying, preaching, promoting, andparticipating in our missions’ efforts throughout thestate, this past month. I can report to you that wehave an outstanding group of missionaries that areworking hard to reach people and plant churches. Wealso have a number of opportunities that are develop-ing and I look forward to sharing more about thesewith you in the near future. Special Emphasis forSpecial Emphasis forSpecial Emphasis forSpecial Emphasis forSpecial Emphasis forState Missions is April - MayState Missions is April - MayState Missions is April - MayState Missions is April - MayState Missions is April - May

We will be mailing promotional material to all ofour churches in the next week. This year, we will beallocating our Special Emphasis offering into threeareas: Disaster Relief, Church Ministry (to help strug-gling churches with supplemental pastoral support),and General Missions. The percentages to each ofthese areas will be announced in an upcoming issue.We need to have a great Special Emphasis this yearand I hope you will plan to help us. Caledonia BaptistCaledonia BaptistCaledonia BaptistCaledonia BaptistCaledonia Baptist - Bro. Bob Burch’s wife, Ediehad surgery to remove her Thyroid and the remain-der of her lymph nodes. Please pray with us forEdie. As we visited during the almost 6 hours ofsurgery, Bob expressed again and again his apprecia-tion for all those who have lifted them up in prayer. Ihave to tell you that I am impressed by the persever-ance of Bro. Bob. Edie’s surgery was on a Thursday inJackson, she went home on Friday and Bob was backin the pulpit on Sunday. Recently, we asked you topray that God would provide people to help in themusic ministry at Caledonia Baptist, and alreadyGod has sent them a new pianist. Please pray thatGod will continue to shower them with blessings. South ForrestSouth ForrestSouth ForrestSouth ForrestSouth Forrest - Bro. Sidney Farmer called recently,to tell me that both of his vehicles were broken downand the plumbing was backed up…Needless to say,missionaries deal with normal everydaysituations just like everyone else. These and otherchallenges were already water under the bridge bythe time we visited for Worship recently. Bro. Farmerpreached an outstanding message and received oneby letter and one on profession of faith as a candidatefor baptism.

I am extremely impressed by the dedication anddevotion of this group. My heart went out to Bro. VicEllis who recently lost his wife, Faye. But his dedica-tion and devotion to the Lord and to the mission isunwavering. This same dedication and devotion canbe seen on all the folks who are a part of this mission. Such dedication and devotion is passed on from themissionary to the people, and none are more dedi-cated and devoted than the Farmer family. They

face challenges in the upcoming months. Please prayfor them. Freedom Baptist at Burnsville Freedom Baptist at Burnsville Freedom Baptist at Burnsville Freedom Baptist at Burnsville Freedom Baptist at Burnsville – By the time youread this, Bro. Bobby Elliott and the folks of FreedomBaptist Mission should have held their first officialservice in their new building. It has been a lot of worksince they began last summer but Bro. Bobby

and Ms Lesa and many of the Freedomfolks have worked non-stop to see this task com-pleted. Building projects are not fun and are oftendifficult to navigate through. But most folks whoknow Bro. Bobby would agree with me that hissweet spirit provides a calming, yet guided approachto getting the job done.

They continue to express their appreciation to allthose who have volunteered time, money and energyto help with this project. Bro. Bobby is blessed withtenacity and I believe we will see the Lord bless thiswork as they move from their closed-in garage to thenew Freedom Baptist meeting facility just outsideBurnsville, Mississippi. Bro. Kenneth Pollock hasdone an outstanding job coming alongside of Bro.Bobby to provide much needed support. Please prayfor Freedom Baptist mission and the Elliotts duringthis time of transition. Grace Baptist at Clinton Grace Baptist at Clinton Grace Baptist at Clinton Grace Baptist at Clinton Grace Baptist at Clinton (Crossway) Bro. DannyBartlett shared with me recently the decision of themission at Clinton to change their name from Cross-way to Grace. We welcome the change andlook forward to assist-ing them with thetransition. Bro.Bartlett continues topursue an open doorto relocate the mis-sion. It is vital that this mission relocate so that theycan enlarge their ministry footprint in the commu-nity. We need you to pray with us about this. As Ivisited this mission recently, I was again impressedwith the diversity of the core group. Every age groupis represented and the talent and ability of the peopleto serve is not limited. Under the humble and gra-cious leadership of Bro. Bartlett, this mission, I be-lieve, will grow into a strong and influential presencein Clinton, Mississippi.

Grace Baptist at New AlbanyGrace Baptist at New AlbanyGrace Baptist at New AlbanyGrace Baptist at New AlbanyGrace Baptist at New Albany - Bro. KelbyJohnson reports that they have had visitors the past5 or 6 weeks and he is presently talking with someabout membership. This comes as they continue toexplore opportunities to enlarge their group throughoutreach. Recently, two men in the mission, surren-dered to the ministry, and Bro. Kelby is already usingthem to help with Bible study during the pre-worshiptime on Sunday mornings. The Wednesday eveningservice continues to focus on Baptist doctrine andattendance is consistent. Day Star Baptist at Sumrall Day Star Baptist at Sumrall Day Star Baptist at Sumrall Day Star Baptist at Sumrall Day Star Baptist at Sumrall – I have enjoyed visit-ing in the Bible study with Bro. Phillip Burns atSumrall on Tuesday evenings. He has secured atemporary meeting location in the Bobcat Plaza on N.Rayburn Rd, in Sumrall. Bro. Phillip and his familyare actively engaging the Sumrall community and weare beginning to see some response. It is just a matterof time before the group begins to grow and the needfor Sunday services increases. Bro. Burns is workinghard to contact, witness to, and invite others to join in. These first steps in the life of a mission are alwayschallenging. Please pray that God will bless hisefforts and ultimately people will come to Christ. New Heart Baptist Mission ChurchNew Heart Baptist Mission ChurchNew Heart Baptist Mission ChurchNew Heart Baptist Mission ChurchNew Heart Baptist Mission Church – Saturday,March 8th, 2014, we vis-ited the organization ser-vice of New Heart BaptistChurch. Bro. RayBoone welcomed those inattendance and called forthe ordained ministerspresent to participate inthe presbytery. Bro. Eu-gene Anderson was electedby the presbytery to serveas the moderator. PineGrove Baptist Church ofPurvis, the mother church,granted the authority andtransferred the chartermembers to New Heart toorganize. Bro. Chuck Lee, Pastor of Pine Grove,

preached the orga-nization sermon. Afterward, a time

of fellowship wasenjoyed, hosted byNew Heart. Bro.Boone expressed,on behalf of NewHeart, apprecia-tion for all the sup-port they had re-ceived and com-mended the mem-

New Bujilding of Freedon Baptist Church

continued on page 8continued on page 8continued on page 8continued on page 8continued on page 8

Eugene Anderson served as modera-tor and Sidney Farmer as clerk of

presbetery

Ray Boone atNew Heart organization

5March 15, 2014 • Mississippi Baptist

Sofilthy'sAttic

by Barbara White

The Gamutof Emotions

I was listening to a programfrom a Master Gardener the otherday on the radio and he wasexplaining how to grow potatoesin a five-gallon bucket. Now that'smy kind of gardening so I'm think-ing I might try it. But that's not thepoint of this little ditty. What I wasmeaning to say was this; He playeda song that I hadn't heard in avery loooooong time. It said,"Everybody hates me, nobodyloves me. I'm going to the gardenand eat worms, bit fat juicy worms,long scrawny, skinny worms......"I'm thinking to myself, "now thatguy is in a negative mood" - butthen he redeemed himself by play-ing Tiny Tim's "Tiptoe Throughthe Tulips." To me that's thegamut of emotions!

We don't have many days thatour emotions don't run the fullgamut. But I've learned from mymany years of inexperience thatthis is pretty normal for us mor-tals. I've also learned that onegood scripture to help us out of a"down time" is Philippians 4:8,"Finally, brethren, whatsoeverthings are true, whatsoever thingsare honest, whatsoever things arejust, whatsoever things are pure,whatsoever things are lovely,whatsoever things are of goodreport; if there be any virtue, andif there be any praise, think onthese things."

Works for me every time!

CONSIDER

THIS

That which has

been decreed

by heaven

cannot be

annulled

by hell

6 March 15, 2014 • Mississippi Baptist

Mississippi WMAPresident - Jessica Hayden

3208 Hwy 29 NorthSoso, MS 39480662-251-0455

Email: blhaden@gmail.com

Corresponding SecretaryMrs. Shirlene Smith

730 Hwy 533, Laurel, MS 39443601-729-5638

Northeast District WMA February ReportNortheast District WMA February ReportNortheast District WMA February ReportNortheast District WMA February ReportNortheast District WMA February ReportThe Northeast District WMA met February 25, at South

Green Baptist Church. South Green provided a delicious arrayof soups for the meal and gave away some terrific door prizes.After the meal, the meeting moved to the sanctuary whereAssistant Song Leader Anita Akers started off by leading theattendees in “Love Lifted Me”. President Teresa Taylor openedup the business meeting. The minutes and treasurer’s reportswere read and approved. There was discussion concerning thisyear’s retreat at Bethel on May 3. We encourage all ladies toattend. Every retreat is uplifting and not to be missed.

President Teresa Taylor asked for nominations for the newdistrict project. We approved a motion to give five hundreddollars, along with project money raised, to a couple in India whoare building a safe haven for victims of trafficking in India. Someof the Youth from Bethel spoke of this couple they met on asummer mission trip to India at our November meeting. Themoney will go to help build this safe haven and provide food,healthcare, and education to victims of human trafficking andslavery in India.

After a special in song, Bro. Blake McCain, pastor of SouthGreen, gave a message on “Loving Out Loud” from Luke 10:30-37 using the story of the Good Samaritan to show us how to loveothers God’s way. It was announced that the group UgandanThunder will be at Bethel Baptist.

There were forty-three present with seven churches repre-sented. Wehope to see many at our retreat at Bethel BaptistChurch May 3.

Standard of ExcellenceStandard of ExcellenceStandard of ExcellenceStandard of ExcellenceStandard of Excellencesubmitted by Janet Widgersubmitted by Janet Widgersubmitted by Janet Widgersubmitted by Janet Widgersubmitted by Janet WidgerWMA First Vice PresidentWMA First Vice PresidentWMA First Vice PresidentWMA First Vice PresidentWMA First Vice President

“But let each one examine his own work, then he will haverejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” Galations 6:4

The following suggestions are given as criteria for each localWomen’s Missionary Auxiliary to attain as a Standard of Excel-lence.1) That a local WMA hold at least 75 percent of the total meetingsscheduled each quarter.2) That the average attendance be at least 75 percent of theenrollment each quarter.3) That at least 75 percent of the enrollment be Daily BibleReaders each quarter.4) Financial reports: prepare four copies per quarter (localrecords, district secretary-treasurer, stated corresponding sec-retary and national corresponding secretary.)5) That the auxiliary be represented in at least four associationalmeetings each year, either district, state or national. (If thereare fewer that four in the area, they may be represented in asmany as are available.)6) Financial support: support the district, state and nationalWMA each quarter by completing the national financial reportand sending it with money to each respective auxiliary: district,state and national.7) That the WMA promote and sponsor youth auxiliaries in thelocal church (if there are children of auxiliary ages), as well as inthe district, state and national levels.8) That the auxiliary follow the WMA Plan of Work, and/or thesuggested Alternate Study in the Women’s Missionary AuxiliaryManual and Guidebook, or a plan of activities and study appro-priate to your local group.

Ladies, if your group has met the above standards over thepast twelve months, please send your name and address in orderto receive a certificate at the 2014 meeting of the WMA of theBMAA, no later than April 21, 2014 to: Janet Widger, First VicePresident, 7409 Rupert Ave., Richmond Heights, MO 63117.

National Brotherhood ProjectThai Missions (65%) • Galileans (25%) • General Fund (10%)

Although the books are closing on this project, offerings for theproject and the Arthur Smith Scholarship Fund may still be brought

to the national meeting or sent to:Robert Bynum, 43 Bear Pen Creek Rd., Laurel, MS 39440.

How THow THow THow THow To Point Others to Christo Point Others to Christo Point Others to Christo Point Others to Christo Point Others to Christby Danny Pitts, Pastorby Danny Pitts, Pastorby Danny Pitts, Pastorby Danny Pitts, Pastorby Danny Pitts, Pastor

First Baptist Church of Shady Grove, Laurel, MississippiJohn 20:30-31 John 20:30-31 John 20:30-31 John 20:30-31 John 20:30-31 And many othersigns truly did Jesus in thepresence of his disciples, whichare not written in this book:But these are written, that yemight believe that Jesus is theChrist, the Son of God; andthat believing ye might havelife through his name.

Most pastors have had theexperience of being approachedby someone who is concernedabout a friend or relative whois an unbeliever. That personwants to know what he or shecan do that will bring theirloved one to Christ. A commonanswer is to suggest that theyencourage the person to readthe account of the Gospel ofJohn in the New Testament.Since the stated purpose forthe writing of this book is tohelp folks believe in Jesus andhave Eternal Life, it surelywould be a great choice to rec-ommend.

The wisdom of trying to getthe unbeliever into the Scrip-tures is evident. The Psalmistspeaks about what the Biblewill do for a person. He writes,"The law of the LORD is per-fect, converting the soul: thetestimony of the LORD is sure,making wise the simple"(Psalm 19:7). Paul declares that"So then faith cometh by hear-

ing, and hearing by the word ofGod" Romans 10:17. In someform theu n s a v e dmust be ex-posed to theWord be-fore theycan receiveC h r i s t .That formhas beenthe Bible,t h ePreachedWord, and the Word lived outbefore the unbeliever. God hasused each to draw people untoHim.

Since He is not limited, wemust submit the means to HisProvidence. Many have giventestimony to being savedthrough texts that we wouldnot consider to be evangelisticpassages of Scripture, includ-ing the genealogies. CharlesSpurgeon told of his conver-sion as he slipped in at a Primi-tive Methodist Church in whicha layman was speaking to adozen people for about ten min-utes. The text was: "Look untome, and be ye saved, all theends of the earth: for I am God,and there is none else" (Isaiah45:22). The conclusion of thesermon was a personal appeal

to Charles as a young man thathe look to Jesus. Even thoughhe had sought Jesus and salva-tion for years, he had neverreached peace until that day.Even though he had a brilliantmind and recognized the gram-mar and speech failures of thespeaker, he was drawn toChrist. Even though he hadstudied enough to recognize theTheological failures of thatArminian Church which un-doubtedly denied Security ofthe Believer, he left knowingthat he had eternal life. Wemust pray for God to work andthen let Him do it His way.

A variety of witnessingmethods could be suggested tothose burdened about unbeliev-ers. The sharing of tracts hasresulted in many coming toChrist through the years. Afriend in the ministry told methat he often used them to setthe stage for soul talks. He gavea tract to a worker at a storewhere he purchased gas. Whenhe returned the next week, heplanned to ask the man if hehad read the tract. Regardlessof the answer, he would usethat as his opening to questionthe man about his relationshipwith the Lord. He said that thisapproach made him more com

Danny Pitts

continued on page 7continued on page 7continued on page 7continued on page 7continued on page 7

2013 Regional W2013 Regional W2013 Regional W2013 Regional W2013 Regional Walk Walk Walk Walk Walk WinnersinnersinnersinnersinnersBy Holly Meriweather – BMA DevelopmentBy Holly Meriweather – BMA DevelopmentBy Holly Meriweather – BMA DevelopmentBy Holly Meriweather – BMA DevelopmentBy Holly Meriweather – BMA Development

Lifeword Media Ministries ispleased to announce the 2013Walk for the World regionalwinners. The highest-givingchurches from each of the four-teen regions are listed below,with the overall and per capitawinner for 2013 being Hall Sum-mit Baptist Church in HallSummit, Louisiana (Louisianaregion) who contributed themost to Lifeword through theWalk.There are five churches thatare new to this year’s list: Cal-vary at Fayetteville, Arkansas;Victory at McNeil, Arkansas;East Amory of Amory, Missis-East Amory of Amory, Missis-East Amory of Amory, Missis-East Amory of Amory, Missis-East Amory of Amory, Missis-

sippisippisippisippisippi; Peniel at Bethany, Okla-homa; and New Home at Lan-sing, Michigan. All fourteen ofthese churches are faithful con-tributors year after year, andwe appreciate their support. Itis very humbling for all of us atLifeword to think about andpray for all the walkers/con-tributors from the followingchurches who participated inthe 2013 Walk, enabling theGospel to be further spreadthroughout the world.This year 136 churches officiallyregistered for the walk, downfrom the over 500 who regis-tered in the past. Our goal for

the 2014 Walk is to increasethat number substantially. Wehope you and your church willbe a part of that increase bynaming a contact person to reg-ister your church, order T-shirtsand organize your fund-raiser. Please check out our website(lifeword.org), Facebook andTwitter (LifeWord Media) forthe Walk’s new logo, informa-tion about the new long-sleevedT-shirts and reports from ourbroadcasters and listenersaround the world.Mississippi

Winning Churches:South MississippiSouth MississippiSouth MississippiSouth MississippiSouth MississippiEvergreen Seminary, MSNorth MississippiNorth MississippiNorth MississippiNorth MississippiNorth MississippiEast Amory Amory, MS

7March 15, 2014 • Mississippi Baptist

Phone 662-316-6233 www.facebook.com/bmamsyouth

Kelby JohnsonDirector

Sharpen 2014Theme: The Importance of Family

March 28, 2014 @Springhill Baptist Church (Laurel, MS)

5:30 pm Dinner6:30 pm Session 1 “The Bible & Family”

by Bro. Larry Geraldson (Director of Missions & RLF)7:30 pm Session 2 “The Church & Family”

by Bro. Cliff Jenkins (Pastor, Temple Baptist, Laurel)8:15 pm Discussion led by Bro. Kelby Johnson9:00 pm Dismiss

April 4, 2014 @South Green Baptist Church (Tupelo, MS)5:30 pm Dinner6:30 pm Session 1 “The Bible & Family”

by Bro. Gary O’Neal (Pastor, Greenwood Baptist, Laurel)7:30 pm Session 2 “The Church & Family”

by Bro. Blake McCain (Pastor, South Green, Tupelo)8:15 pm Discussion led by Bro. Kelby Johnson59:00 pm Dismiss

For more information or to registerEmail: kelby@gracechurchna.com or

visit www.facebook.com/bmamsyouth

March 25 and 27, 2014O'Neal To Lead Brand Lectures

The 2014 “Brand Lectures” will be held March 25 and 27, 2014in the Dorman Memorial Chapel on the campus of Baptist

Missionary Association (BMA) Theologi-cal Seminary in Jacksonville, Texas. Guestlecturer will be Dr. Gary O’Neal, pastor ofGreenwood Baptist Church in Fulton,Mississippi and writer of one or two Com-pass Teacher publications each year forDiscipleGuide (formerly Baptist Publish-ing House).The public lectures will be presented in

four sessions:Tuesday, 10:00 a.m., Truth Which Leadsto Godliness; 3:00 p.m., Leadership WhichPromotes Godliness and Thursday, 10:00a.m., Lifestyles Which Become Godliness;

3:00 p.m., Grace Which Produces GodlinessDr. O’Neal grew up in Perkinston, Mississippi, attending

Paramount Baptist Church. In 1972, his pastor, Brother GeorgeReddin, led him to trust Christ as his personal Savior. In 1982after surrendering to the ministry, he earned a bachelor’s degreefrom Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, Florida, and whilethere, he met and married Lynn Smith. Gary and Lynn movedto New Hampshire where they served for ten years beforemoving to Texas to attend the BMA Theological Seminary wherehe earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2000. In 2013, he earneda Ph.D. degree in New Testament Studies from Mid-AmericaBaptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tennessee. Gary andLynn have four adult children and two grandchildren.

The “Brand Lectures” are named in honor of the late Dr. andMrs. Ralph A. Brand of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. They werefaithful servants of the Lord for over 50 years.

Mrs. Brand retired as head of the cataloguing department ofthe library at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Brandworked in prison ministries for over 30 years and was Directorof New Directions Prison Ministries until his resignation in1998. Dr. Brand traveled extensively and authored severalarticles and books. Three of his best known works includeSimplified Techniques of Counseling, Analysis of Revelation andTechniques of Counseling: An Aid to Pastoral Efficiency.

Dr. Gary O'Neal

Serving Christ With a Biblical World View In A Christian Atmosphere

Danny Pitts - Interim President4229 Highway 15 North, Laurel, Mississippi 39440, (601) 426-6346

SoutheasternBaptist College

The optimal time for recruit-ing students to attend duringthe 2014 Fall Semester is now.If you have the name of anyonewho would be a good candidatefor college classes at Southeast-ern Baptist, send the contactinformation tointerimpres@gmail.com. Besure you include the email ad-dress if you have it. We wouldlove it if the Pastor, Youth Min-ister, or Church Clerk wouldsend us a list of this year's highschool graduates in yourchurch. This kind of task willnot be done in most churchesunless someone is given theresponsibility.

The Fall Schedule will beout soon. Almost every semes-ter someone waits until the lastminute and cannot completethe registering requirements.Although our staff makes ev-ery effort to accommodate lateapplicants, they sometimescannot confirm the financialand academic informationneeded. Contact SBC about thedetails needed now.

Seminary ClassSeminary ClassSeminary ClassSeminary ClassSeminary ClassLast report we announced

that a BMA Seminary classwould be taught on PastoralMinistries this Summer atSoutheastern Baptist Collegeby Dr. Mark Livingston. Belowis some biographical informa-tion about the professor.

Mark Livingston is the hus-band to Amanda and dad tofour children, Lacy (7), Micah(5), Landon (3), and Savannah(1). In addition to this impor-tant role, Mark has served asthe Senior Pastor to KeltysFirst Baptist Church in Lufkin,Texas since 2006. He is also aprofessor of Church Ministriesat the Baptist Missionary As-sociation Theological Seminaryin Jacksonville, Texas. He hasearned the following degrees: A.A. from Central Baptist Col-lege in Conway, Arkansas. B.A. in Psychology from theUniversity of Mississippi (OleMiss); M.Div. from Mid-America Baptist TheologicalSeminary, and a Doctorate ofMinistry from Covenant Theo-logical Seminary, Saint Louis,Missouri. He was licensed topreach the gospel in 1998 atLiberty Memorial BaptistChurch in Memphis, Tennes-see, and ordained in 2004 as

pastor of Harvest BaptistChurch in Hernando, Missis-sippi.

Early work will be requiredbefore the class days of June 2-3 and June 24-25. Students whoare interested in auditing orreceiving academic credit on adegree at Southeastern shouldcontact Dean Aaron Parker.Everyone who plans to takethe class should contact thedean's office by email atbmatsem@bmats.edu or byphone 1-800-259-5673.

Weeks OffWeeks OffWeeks OffWeeks OffWeeks OffSpring Break was the week

of March 9th. We hope thatSpring weather stays follow-ing the holiday. The school willbe closed from April 28-30 dur-ing the week of our BMAANational Association Meeting.The calendar and schedule re-leased by our school did notrecognize the change in weeksby our national association.

Danny Pitts

fortable with strangers. A simi-lar technique could be effectivein broaching the subject withthose whom we are too close tobe taken seriously.

With the very intelligent orintellectual, the gift of a book,rather than a tract, may behelpful. Although the choice forreading may need to fit theperson, a small book entitledMere Christianity by C. S.Lewis has set the stage for asurprising number of conver-sions to Christ. Lewis was anOxford scholar who earlier hadbeen an atheist. After becom-ing a Christian, he gave talkson the radio during World WarII in which he defended Chris-tianity. A sample of histhoughts are given below:

"I am trying here to prevent

anyone saying the really fool-ish thing that people often sayabout Him: I’m ready to acceptJesus as a great moral teacher,but I don’t accept his claim tobe God. That is the one thingwe must not say. A man whowas merely a man and said thesort of things Jesus said wouldnot be a great moral teacher.He would either be a lunatic —on the level with the man whosays he is a poached egg — orelse he would be the Devil ofHell. You must make yourchoice. Either this man was,and is, the Son of God, or else amadman or something worse.You can shut him up for a fool,you can spit at him and kill himas a demon or you can fall at hisfeet and call him Lord and God,but let us not come with anypatronizing nonsense about hisbeing a great human teacher.He has not left that open to us.He did not intend to."Many have expanded on theview that Jesus is either Lord,Lunatic, or Liar. Few havematched the unapologetic pre-sentation by Lewis which de-

mands a verdict.No magic formula can as-

sure the salvation of your lovedone. Faithfulness in yourlifestyle and showing Christ'slove are important. G.Campbell Morgan told aboutpreaching a series of messagesin order to prove Jesus is theanswer to a skeptic. When heasked the man what pointmoved him to accept Christ,the new believer said that anold lady in the congregationhad tearfully told him that shewas praying for him. We can-not save anyone. Our job is tobe passionate in our hearts forHim. Pray and look for oppor-tunities to share the Saviorwith others. Know that He willbless in ways in which we can-not imagine.

PointingOthers ToChristfrom page 6from page 6from page 6from page 6from page 6

8 March 15, 2014 • Mississippi Baptist

Missions ReportMissions ReportMissions ReportMissions ReportMissions Reportfrom page 4from page 4from page 4from page 4from page 4

Two baptized at Ripley and Cesar Virton joins ministry team

bers of New Heart for their hard work. Bro. Boonefurther expressed appreciation for all those who helped

them reduce their debt which, at the time of themeeting is $42,738.00. Bro. Elvis GarciaBro. Elvis GarciaBro. Elvis GarciaBro. Elvis GarciaBro. Elvis Garcia shared some photos of two peoplethey baptized at Ripley. He also shared that he has

made an initial visit to the Olive Branch area toassess the possibility of starting a new Hispanicmission project in Olive Branch. Bro. Garcia re-ported that he has added Bro. Cesar Virto to theministry staff team with responsibilities in the area

Charter members of New Heart Baptist Church

Gabrial Vasquez

of youth ministry.Bro. Virto will be working directly in the youth

ministry at Ripley and will work indirectly with themission at Tupelo and Oxford to help with the devel-opment of youth ministry in each of themissions. Please pray for Bro. Garcia and his family. Bro. Ed DuVallBro. Ed DuVallBro. Ed DuVallBro. Ed DuVallBro. Ed DuVall reported that Homestretch has be-gun a new mission project in Ruleville, Mississippi,under the leadership of Bro. John Taylor. In additionto consistent and regular support of State Missions,Homestretch is also setting aside funds for futuremission projects of the new local associationcalled “Great River Association.” These are excitingtimes and God is blessing Bro. DuVall as he leads inthe African American work. Please pray for him andhis family and Homestretch Baptist Church. B r o . E s t u a r d o M a r r o q u i nB r o . E s t u a r d o M a r r o q u i nB r o . E s t u a r d o M a r r o q u i nB r o . E s t u a r d o M a r r o q u i nB r o . E s t u a r d o M a r r o q u i n r e p o r t e dthat Bro. Gabrial Vasquez has expressed a desire tostart a new mission project in Canton, Mississippi. B r o . E s t u a r d o a n dBro. Gabrial will be visitingCanton sometime in March toassess the area. Bro. Vasquezhas attended the Bible Instituteat El Camino and has surren-dered to missions. Please con-tinue to pray for Bro. Mendoza. He is relocating from Laurel toBiloxi this month so that he canwork with the mission inBiloxi. He is presently lookingfor a place to live and a job in thearea. Revolving Loan Fund Revolving Loan Fund Revolving Loan Fund Revolving Loan Fund Revolving Loan Fund (as of Mar 12, 2014 and(as of Mar 12, 2014 and(as of Mar 12, 2014 and(as of Mar 12, 2014 and(as of Mar 12, 2014 andsince August 1st, 2013since August 1st, 2013since August 1st, 2013since August 1st, 2013since August 1st, 2013)

Gross assets are now at $18,214,958.00, an in-crease of $748,037.00 since August 1st. Net assetsare now at $3,073,178.00, an increase of$123,938.00 since August 1st. We have 8 newloans totaling $887,172.00 since August 1st. Ourcurrent loan rate is 4.25%. If your church is in needof a loan to expand or build new facilities, we encour-age you to give us a call. Visit Our WebsiteVisit Our WebsiteVisit Our WebsiteVisit Our WebsiteVisit Our Websiteand Facebook Pageand Facebook Pageand Facebook Pageand Facebook Pageand Facebook Page

Our website is www.bmams.org. Like our Facebookpage at https://www.facebook.com/bmamsmissions.

RevivalEast Amory Baptist Church

905 Hatley Road, Amory, MSApril 6-9, 2014

Evangelist

Bro. Kenneth BoboHope, Arkansas

Sunday - 10:45 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.Monday - Wednesday - 7:00 p.m.Noon Meal Services - Mon. - Wed.

FBC, Bay Springs children enjoy outing

On March 8,, a group of our younger children enjoyed atrain ride from Laurel, MS to Meridian, MS. After theride, they had lunch at Chic-fil-a and enjoyed a little playtime. Thanks to all the adults who also participated sothe little ones could spend some time together.

DiscipleGuideScott Attebery, Executive Director

Email: scott@discipleguide.orgFacebook: Facebook.com/scott.attebery

Twitter: @scottattebery

Which Team Is God On?How many times have you caught yourself praying

when your favorite team is down bytwo and has the ball with three seconds left? Maybeit’s just me, but I doubt it. When we get caught up inthe excitement of the moment, we tend to forget that

God has children who are fans of theother team as well!

I imagine it’s that way with justabout everything in life. For instance,after a terrorist attack or act of war,we are less likely to pray for thecitizens of the nation who attackedus. And when your own government’sleaders make policies you disagreewith, it becomes harder to pray for

God to give them wisdom and guidance to do their job.And yet, Jesus has said, “Love your enemies and prayfor those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

God has important purposes for our differences.Specifically, we display what is most important to usby what we will set aside our differences for. Forexample, when fans from rival teams stand togetherfor the National Anthem, you know that they valuetheir mutual allegiance to America more than theirloyalty to their team. Likewise, when believers fromopposing nations worship together, you know thatChrist is more important to them than political inter-ests.

Ultimately, favorite teams, national citizenship,and political affiliation have less importance in theKingdom of God. In Christ, all believers are citizensof Heaven, servants of the King, and members of oneteam (Phil. 3:20, John 12:26, Eph. 4:5). One day, wewill all be together worshipping at His throne!

One way we can express our submission to Christin this life is to begin living in unity with all believers..Instead of waiting until Heaven to worship together,let’s welcome people from all backgrounds into ourChurches. Jesus said, “My house shall be called ahouse of prayer for all nations” (Matt. 21:13). Insteadof harboring anger toward governments and politicalparties, let’s pray for the citizens of all nations (in-cluding our own). Remember, God is over all things,(Col. 1:17), all nations (Psalm 86:9), and all kings(Prov. 21:1).

Now, I know what you’re wondering. Yes, I’m stilla huge fan of my favorite team, –I’m just a bigger fanof Jesus!

Scott Attebery

Liberty Counsel defends Alabamapolice chief from atheist attackOneNewsNow.comOneNewsNow.comOneNewsNow.comOneNewsNow.comOneNewsNow.com - Atheists are on the attack againagainst Birmingham, Alabama's police chief.

The first complaint against Chief A.C. Roper is work-ing with faith groups throughout the city so that minis-ters, rabbis, imams and others could work with crimevictims and minister to them.

Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver suggests thepolice chief has the right to "bring in people that willprovide comfort and counsel to those that need it."

And that's what the police chief has done, he argues.Freedom from Religion Foundation predictably ar-

gues it standard call for "separation of church andstate," but Staver counters that the chief's actions do notrepresent endorsement of religion.

Now FFRF is complaining that Chief Roper, who isalso a Christian minister, is committing an unpardon-able atheist sin: he is praying at police gatherings.

"He certainly has an opportunity to be able to expresshis own faith," Staver says of Roper. "And he doesn't stophaving the right to share his faith with those that are inthe office, or in the police department, when he puts onthe badge."