Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary Newsletter
A Word from the Dean: Dr. Steve Pettey
LOUISIANA BAPTIST July 2010
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! The 234TH birthday of American independence is July 4th. God has blessed the United States as no other country that has ever existed on the
face of
the earth. One public official made this observation about America, “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!”
Those words might sound like the modern-day moralizing of a Baptist Preacher, but in fact they were spoken by an elected official, no less than the President of the United States. Those words were lifted from a Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on March 30, 1863, calling for a National Day of Fasting and Prayer.
As we celebrate this most significant holiday on the patriotic calendar, please join me in praying that the people of America who have “vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of [their] hearts, that all these blessings [we enjoy] were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of [their] own. [those who have become] Intoxicated with unbroken success, [and] become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made [them/us]” will wake up and repent of this damnable pride that has blinded our nation and threatens to destroy us.
We can look to God’s wonderful promise in II Chronicles 7:14, “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.”
Thank you and God bless you,
Matthew 5:16
Dr. Pettey’s Book
Several years ago God impressed upon my heart the need to write a book addressing the underlying cause of the shallowness of contemporary Christianity. The church of today has been characterized often as being a mile wide, but an inch deep. Though many have spoken with great passion about the issue it seems that real, biblical solutions have not been forthcoming.
This book is the result of a lifetime of prayerful study and more than thirty years in full-time ministry. While there is no presumption of divine inspiration, the book does offer a realistic and viable plan for introducing the power of prayer into the frantically busy pace of contemporary church life. The book can be an equally valuable resource for pastors and laymen.
LBU President, Dr. Neal Weaver, said about the book:
This is a book that every Christian should read. Whether we are part of the ministerial staff or a lay person in the pew we all struggle with the issue of personal worship. Dr. Pettey begins by first defining worship and then emphasizing its importance, not only to the individual believer, but also the cumulative effect on the entire church. The sixth chapter on establishing a special time and place to meet with God daily is well worth the cost of the book.
I highly recommend this book. It could be a life changer for the average Christian.
June 8-10 Last day to drop/add classes
July 4 Independence Day
July 26 Early registration for On-campus Fall Semester begins
August 23 Late registration for On-campus Fall semester begins
August 23-27 Week of final exams for On-campus Summer semester
September 6 Labor Day
September 7 On-campus Fall semester begins
The Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary welcomed thefollowing new students during the month of June:
Logan Brock Alan Thomas Benson Douglas Torreno Burgos
Herlans Guerrier Keith Allen Kaufman
The following students are celebrating their Birthday this month:
Russel Bowen Dennis Martin Mark Guilford Michael Miller Marvin Myles
Stephen Smith Regina Robinson David Kirby Sung Yoon Tim Aylor
Jason McBride
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
1 Peter 2:9
Jeff DeLaurentis- Pray for his daughter Sarah who has been suffering from an eating disorder. Pray that the Lord will heal her. Also pray for her family as they support her during this time.
Roy Myers and Family- Pray for him and his family during this time as they are dealing with the loss of his father-in-law. Pray that the Lord will comfort them in this saddened time.
Ronnie Mires- Pray for him as he needs a liver transplant. Pray that the Lord will place everything in order so that he is able to receive a liver very soon.
Mark Norris- Pray for his sister-in-law Monica Richardson. A lesion was found in the brain in a place that is inoperable. The doctor at this time can not tell whether it is benign or malignant.
Jeffrey Stachmus – Pray for his mother Diane Stachmus who is recovering from a leg amputation. Pray that the Lord will comfort her during this healing process.
Bro. Rufus Saripalli (Missionary - INDIA) Please pray for his mom who has both her knees completely worn out and needs knee joint replacement but cannot go for it due to osteoporosis and also other possible complications. Pray that the grace of God will sustain the pain as both she and her husband are senior missionaries in India also.
Rowena Davis- Pray for Robert Davis’ wife Rowena who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Please pray that the Lord will heal her and comfort her during this time.
Alexandra Miles- Pray for her as she is suffering from Stage 3 cancer. Please pray that the Lord will heal her and comfort her during this time.
Eli and Shona Barakat- Pray for the villages in Lebanon that he and his family minister to as there has been some issues involving false miracles by a "Maronite Christian". Also, pray for Shona’s brothers’ mother and father in law. His mother in law Davaa, was in a terrible auto accident and needs healing and his father in law who is not a Christian has stomach cancer.
Richard Frost- Pray for his friend, James Gilbert who has cancer and who is not saved and his wife Amy who is a Christian. Pray for Richard’s sister Jackie for God to give her financial wisdom.
Tony Gregory- Please pray for him as he has recently been diagnosed with a tumor of the brain. Pray for healing and that the treatments he receives will work swiftly.
Ray Wolfe- Pray for him as he is suffering from Crohn’s disease. Pray that the Lord will heal him and that his doctors will be able to treat his flare ups.
Richard GoKool- Pray for him that he will have the courage and discipline to continue his studies without the fear of falling sick of Epilepsy, in order to graduate in May. Pray for him to have the wisdom to purchase a used a car as soon as possible and that the Lord Jesus will bless him the needed finances to accomplish this task. Pray also for him to have spiritual discernment regarding personal decisions.
Brent Mosley- Pray for him as he is has recently gone through yet another critical surgery. He is doing well, but please pray that the Lord will continue to heal him and prevention of any infections.
Kenneth Hood Sr. - Pray for him as he has one last surgery on his right eye. They will replace the lens. He has now been declared legally blind and has had to make some difficult changes in his life. Pray for him that the Lord will strengthen him and will continue to use his life for the glory of His kingdom.
Sally Mullins-- Pray for her as she has recently been diagnosed with Breast cancer. Please pray that the Lord will give her healing and comfort as she is goes through Chemotherapy.
Robert Stramski--- Pray for his mother as she is suffering from Breast cancer. Pray that the Lord will heal her and help her through this time in her life. Pray for Robert as he is grieving over the loss of both his Father and Aunt, and is going through some hardships at this time.
Adam Muilenburg---- Pray for Ginny Muilenburg’s 12 year old son who is suffering from a severe illness. Pray that the Lord will heal him and comfort him and his family.
Ray Rincones--- Richard Perez’s father in law, Ray Rincones is recovering from a recent liver transplant. Please pray that the Lord will continue to heal him.
You can submit prayer requests that you want posted on our newsletter to stillman@lbu.edu. **Please be sure that you tell us how to word your prayer request. If you would like for the staff of LBU to pray for you but do not wish to have your prayer request posted on the website or newsletter, please let us know at the time that you contact us for prayer. -Thanks
