Author: Texas Gospel

The urgency of baptism for new nelievers

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JEFF TURNER

When someone becomes a Christian, an important question comes up: how quickly should they be baptized? I believe the Bible gives us a clear answer through the actions of early believers.

In the book of Acts, we read about Philip meeting an Ethiopian official. After Philip explains the gospel, the man puts his faith in Jesus. Right away, the Ethiopian asks to be baptized, and Philip baptizes him on the spot. This wasn’t unusual in the early church. Getting baptized immediately after believing in Jesus was the normal practice.

The Ethiopian himself made the connection between faith and baptism. He asked what would prevent him from being baptized, showing he understood this was the next step. The apostle Paul later wrote about one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, linking them together as inseparable parts of following Christ. Baptism and faith belonged together in the minds of early Christians.

Some churches in history created long waiting periods before baptism, sometimes lasting months or even years. But this approach doesn’t match what we see in Scripture. On the day of Pentecost, three thousand people believed and were baptized on the same day. The Bible doesn’t suggest any delay between these two events.

For anyone who has trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior but hasn’t been baptized yet, the message is direct: this needs to happen soon.

Les Butler to be inducted into Tri-State Gospel Music Hall of Fame

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TEXAS GOSPEL STAFF

Les Butler, owner of REAL Southern Gospel Radio, will be inducted into the Tri-State Gospel Music Hall of Fame on Aug. 1, 2026. The announcement came during a phone call on March 25 from chairman and CEO Will Dickerson.

The organization honours individuals who have made strong contributions to gospel music across Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Butler’s induction follows a long career in broadcasting and music promotion that has spanned five decades.

Butler said the milestone caused him to reflect on his years in radio. He noted that he began working in Southern Gospel Radio 50 years ago and has spent 48 consecutive years in that field. During that time, he interviewed nearly every member of the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame. His interviews also extended beyond music, including figures such as former U.S. president George W. Bush, former attorney general John Ashcroft, Harlem Globetrotters player Meadowlark Lemon, New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, and the cast of The Waltons.

He also recalled personal moments with well-known figures in gospel music, including time spent with Bill Gaither and Vestal Goodman. Butler said these experiences were meaningful, but he placed greater value on hearing from listeners who said his work made a difference in their lives.

Throughout his career, Butler has held several roles in the industry. He spent 20 years with Singing News Magazine, including serving as publisher. He also worked for 20 years as general manager and daily host on the Solid Gospel Radio Network. In addition, he served on boards connected to the Southern Gospel Music Association, Southern Gospel Music Guild, and the National Quartet Convention.

His work has included hosting the Southern Gospel Channel on Delta Airlines’ radio network and receiving a March of Dimes AIR Award as a disc jockey. Butler founded Butler Music Group and owns Family Music Group. Through FMG Radio Promotions, he helped promote dozens of songs that reached No. 1 in Singing News charts.

As a producer, Butler worked on multiple No. 1 songs, including a run of 10 consecutive chart-topping releases on the Singing News Bluegrass Chart with Heaven’s Mountain Band. He has also performed as a musician on several Top 10 songs, including those that reached No. 1.

Butler is also the founder of the Old Time Preachers Quartet and the REAL Southern Gospel Radio Network. His work has earned multiple Diamond Awards, as well as awards from AGM and SGN, along with several nominations for the Singing News Fan Awards.

In recent days, Butler said he learned that he and his station were named among the Top 10 in the Singing News Fan Awards. He described both that recognition and the upcoming Hall of Fame induction as unexpected developments in a career he said still feels active and ongoing.

Texas Gospel Canada Top 30 – April 2026

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DAVID INGRAM

Welcome to the Texas Gospel Canada Top 30 Songs of April 2026! This list is meticulously compiled based on the actual number of plays each song received in the previous month. The Texas Gospel Top 30 is proudly submitted to top Southern Gospel publications including The Singing News and SGNScoops.

This chart is generated by AI using a scan of our actual airplay numbers for each song and verified by one of our human volunteers.

This MonthLast MonthSong TitleArtistLabel
126That’s Who He Is11th HourSonlite/Crossroads
216Just One Drop Of BloodRight Road QuartetBig Picture Records/New Day
3—What’s It Like At HomeMark Dubbeld FamilyBig Picture Records/New Day
4—I Know The Sweet Voice Of The ShepherdLegacy FiveStowTown/Provident-Sony
5—Forever In HeavenTim LivingstonDiamond Mill Music
6—Expecting A MountainPeach GoldmanStowTown/Provident-Sony
75The ChurchJoseph HabedankDaywind/New Day
8—Put Your Hand In The HandRonnie Booth (with The Blackwood Brothers)Daywind/New Day
928We’ll Understand It Better By And ByCollingsworth FamilyGaither Music/Capitol Christian
10—God Gives Good AnswersKaren Peck & New RiverDaywind/New Day
11—Sea Of ForgetfulnessInspirationsHorizon/Crossroads
12—And ThenTribute QuartetDaywind/New Day
13—What Victory?Paid In FullStowTown/Provident-Sony
14—HomeMark BishopSonlite/Crossroads
15—Life Hurts, God HealsKingdom HeirsSonlite/Crossroads
1613Cleft Of The RockKramersStowTown/Provident-Sony
17—Didn’t Feel Like FaithTodd TilghmanStowTown/Provident-Sony
18—If These Walls Could TalkGreater VisionDaywind/New Day
19—Cause For CelebrationHyssongsARS/New Day
20—He Did It All For MeErnie Haase & Signature Sound (with Duane Allen)StowTown/Provident-Sony
21—NothingSouthboundDaywind/New Day
22—Better Days AheadBrownsStowTown/Provident-Sony
2320Walking Each Other HomeGordon Mote (With Teddy Gentry & Randy Owen)New Haven/Provident-Sony
24—Preach JesusDown East BoysStowTown/Provident-Sony
25—A God ThingChosen RoadThoroughbred Records/New Day
2614The DayHeart 2 HeartARS/New Day
27—Grace Is SufficientJonathan WilburnDaywind/New Day
28—I’m Persuaded To BelieveBinionsStowTown/Provident-Sony
2923Behind My PraiseBrian Free & AssuranceDaywind/New Day
3019Hard Trials Will Soon Be OverGaither Vocal BandSpring House Music Group

Do the dead see and hear us?

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JEFF TURNER

What will heaven will be like? That’s probably a question you ask when they think about loved ones who may not be there. The book of Revelation tells us that God will wipe away every tear and there will be no more mourning, crying, or pain. This raises an important question about whether we will remember those who did not believe.

I believe the answer is clear. In heaven, we will not spend time thinking about what happens on earth. Some people believe their loved ones in heaven watch over them from above, protecting them and hearing their prayers. This is not what scripture teaches. No one in heaven knows what is happening on earth. No saint, including Mary, has ever heard a prayer from anyone on earth. Only God hears our prayers. Heaven exists in a completely different realm, separated by a vast divide from our current world.

If people in heaven could see what happens on earth, they would experience sadness and pain. Would Heaven be the place of complete peace that God promises if this were the case? Instead, heaven is filled with pure happiness, perfect peace, total contentment, and endless joy. Those in heaven focus entirely on being in the presence of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. This is what brings complete fulfillment.

Understanding this helps us grasp how different heaven truly is our earthly experience. The joy of being with God surpasses everything else.

The danger of changing who Jesus is

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AMY TURNER

The Bible warns in 2 Corinthians 11:4 that some will present “another Jesus,” not the true one that was first proclaimed. This is not the Jesus found in history and Scripture but a version shaped to fit the spirit of the times. The idea is that if Jesus can be reshaped to match popular thought, then more people will accept him and follow the faith.

But this approach does not introduce anyone to the real Jesus. Instead, it creates a false image, one that has no power to save or transform. What may seem easier to accept is actually empty and misleading.

Followers of Christ do not accept or support any version of Jesus that is not faithful to who he truly is. The world may prefer a softer or altered picture, but Christians are called to stand firm in the truth that has already been given.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

Galatians 1:8