The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-01/22/2016 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: Jan. 24, 2016 by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum. Bible Passages: Matthew 7:13-21, 24-27 Discussion Questions: What makes it so difficult to live a life that shows a commitment to Christ? Why do you think people fail to recognize the ultimate end of choosing to stay their course, refusing to follow Jesus? Food for Thought: Most of us are fascinated with videos of buses as they traverse a narrow mountain road. One misstep would be disastrous. We can only imagine the concentration needed to drive on such a road, especially when compared to driving on a multi-lane interstate. The broad interstates are much more forgiving. The shoulder of the broad interstate serves as a buffer, making it much more inviting and pleasant. If we had to pick one over the other, most of us would prefer the multi-lane interstate over the narrow twisting road. The problem is only narrow and twisty roads take us to the mountaintops. They are the only way there. As Jesus began to conclude one of His most famous sermons, He told of two roads (see Matthew 7:13-14). The narrow road was less taken and required discipline to travel. The other road was broad and the most used. Not much was required of those who took the broad road except to just keep traveling. Jesus explained that the greatest difference between the two roads was the final destination. Only the narrow road led to life. The other road was easy in that no action was required, but it led to destruction. Sin always leads to destruction. Our world has bought into the idea that the easiest road is the preferred way. We like the promise of heaven but want to avoid taking the difficult road of following Jesus. We have to act. We have to pay attention as we travel. We have to trust the steps He sets in front of us along that road. It would be so much easier to just travel on the multi-lane road and enjoy all that this world has to offer. The only problem is the multi-lane road of this world will not take us to the top of the mountain. Only the narrow road will take us to the throne of the Father. So you pick: the broad way or the narrow way? Explore the Bible Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Everything is different, yet nothing has changed by David Jeremiah Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) -- Steve Jobs didn't have a lot to say. He didn't give a lot of speeches, except for a graduation address at Stanford University. He didn't take to the podium except when unveiling his new products. Yet Jobs was one of history's greatest communicators, for he changed the history of communication itself. He made the world accessible to us, and us to the world. He turned "I" into a lower-case phenomenon and squeezed all our bulky entertainment systems into portable devices. Jobs' mission was delivering as much content possible, to as many people as possible, as quickly, portably and affordably as possible. Steve Jobs wasn't perfect, and I'm not holding him up as a role model except in this way: Perhaps his commitment to his mission will remind us of our commitment to ours. We're to rededicate ourselves every day to deliver the Gospel to as many people possible, as quickly, portably and affordably as possible. Technology through the ages Christians have always used the most advanced technologies of their day for delivering the Gospel. We can illustrate this from the life of the apostle Paul. Though the world had changed little in his day, Paul took advantage of even the smallest technological advancements. He used papyrus instead of parchment, Roman roads instead of self-made trails, Greek in addition to Hebrew. Paul used every means available to him. "I have become all things to all men," he said, "that I might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22b). He didn't compromise his morals or his message, but he did adapt his methods to ensure the greatest possible success. Christians since New Testament days have followed Paul's example in using "all means" to spread the Gospel. In the 1400s, Johannes Gutenberg changed the world with his printing press. And what was the first book that rolled out of its movable type? The Bible, of course. Fast forward to 1992. The first text message ever sent was by British engineer Neil Papworth. It was a two-word greeting: "Merry Christmas." Our expanding technology allows us to reach more people with the message of Christ. Yes, we're aware of the moral dangers of our advancements. But that's all the more reason to harness them for Christ. An ageless Gospel The world is changing, but the more it changes, the more it stays the same. People are still sinners. Judgment is still waiting. The grace of God is still available. And the Gospel of Jesus Christ is still our only hope. I grew up in an era in which people came to the Lord through revival campaigns and door-to-door visitation. Some of those methods are useful today; others less so. But the Gospel I preach is exactly the same as the apostle Paul presented in 1 Corinthians 15: "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand ... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (verses 1-4). The ministry of soul-winning is never out of season. It's the act of one person telling another about the wonderful grace of Jesus. Instead of reduced options or decreased openness, we have more ways than ever to share Christ. Earlier, I referred to Steve Jobs' address to the graduates of Stanford University. His words were poignant: "Your time is limited, so don't waste it," he said. "When I was 17, I read a quote that said something like: 'If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.' It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?'" Steve Jobs is right in saying our time on earth is limited. We should live each day as if it were our last and seek to do things that really matter. Don't be afraid to try something new when it comes to evangelism. Let's say with Paul, "I have become all things to all men that I might by all means save some." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Study: Americans share conflicting views on sports gambling by Lisa Cannon Green Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Wagering on sports isn't morally wrong, most Americans say -- but nearly half think it should be illegal anyway, a newly-released study shows. And as millions nationwide manage their fantasy sports rosters, Americans straddle the fence on whether heavily advertised daily games by companies such as FanDuel Inc. and DraftKings Inc. should be banned. A study released today (Jan. 22) from LifeWay Research shows widespread belief that sports gambling is morally acceptable. Nearly two-thirds of Americans disagree that it's morally wrong to bet on sports. The results are from a survey conducted this past September. Yet 49 percent think sports betting shouldn't be legalized nationwide, while 40 percent say it should be. Eleven percent of Americans aren't sure. They're evenly divided on daily fantasy sports contests, which face heightened scrutiny nationwide as states weigh whether the games constitute illegal gambling. In the survey, 47 percent of Americans say daily fantasy sports should be legal, 46 percent say no, and 7 percent aren't sure. "Throughout history, gambling has invited shady and addictive behavior," said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research. "Clearly, people perceive a harm to society that goes beyond the wager itself." Skill vs. chance In fantasy sports, gamers create hypothetical teams of real college or pro athletes and can win prizes based on the performance of the chosen players. Some fantasy leagues last an entire sports season, but short-term contests have attracted millions of participants -- and billions of dollars -- in recent years. Controversy erupted last fall amid allegations that employees of daily fantasy sports companies were using insider information to win large sums at rival sites. While federal law allows online daily fantasy contests if they meet certain criteria, several states are scrutinizing whether the games run afoul of state gambling laws. The games don't operate in some states because of concerns over their legality. "In gambling, experts -- known as sharks -- can make a lot of money off of novices," McConnell said. "This is certainly true in daily fantasy sports. If you know the sports and you know how the game is played, you can make money off people who say, 'Let me throw 30 bucks in and try this out.'" At issue is whether fantasy contests are primarily games of skill, in which sports knowledge and ability to create hypothetical teams are paramount, or games of chance, in which the outcome is determined by factors beyond players' control. Gambling laws typically allow games of skill but restrict or regulate games of chance. McConnell said daily fantasy contests change the nature of the game. "When you start over each day, there's more skill involved in building a team than games that can be adjusted for a full season," he said. "And instead of spending $50 in entry fees for a four- or five-month commitment, you're spending $50 a day." Age, gender gaps Support for legal sports betting is higher among men (50 percent) than women (30 percent), LifeWay Research found. The survey also shows differences by age, with younger Americans more likely to favor legal sports betting and daily fantasy games than those in middle age or older. A majority of those 18-34 say sports wagering should be legalized nationwide; less than a third of those 55 and older agree. Opposition runs highest among religious Americans. Nearly six in 10 with evangelical beliefs (58 percent) say sports betting should not be legalized throughout the country, and 57 percent believe daily fantasy sports should be illegal. On the question of morality, however, even religious Americans take a softer stance. Only 36 percent of Christians believe betting on sports is morally wrong, the survey shows. Those with evangelical beliefs and those who frequently attend religious services are the most likely to have qualms, but fewer than half (47 percent) of those groups say sports wagers are morally wrong. "We don't see a majority in any group saying it's morally wrong to bet on sports," McConnell said. "For more Americans to want something to be illegal than find it immoral is an interesting situation." Americans recognize sports wagering could affect the integrity of the sport, he said. "For the average American who has a fun rivalry with a friend, it's a way to put your money where your mouth is," McConnell said. "But when people are trying to make money, rather than just back up their claim that their team is better, that's a different kind of wager." Methodology: The phone survey of Americans was conducted Sept. 14-28, 2015. The calling utilized random digit dialing. Fifty percent of completes were among landlines and 50 percent among cell phones. Maximum quotas and slight weights were used for gender, region, age, ethnicity and education to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.6 percent. Margins of error are higher in subgroups. LifeWay Research, based in Nashville, is an evangelical research firm that specializes in surveys about faith in culture and matters that affect the church. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Producer defends ethics of Planned Parenthood videos by Sharayah Colter/Southern Baptist TEXAN Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The process used by the Center for Medical Progress to obtain undercover videos outing Planned Parenthood's sale of aborted baby parts was not morally wrong, CMP founder David Daleiden said at the Evangelicals for Life conference in Washington. Daleiden shared his convictions during the opening day of the Jan. 21-22 conference in an interview with Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family. Co-sponsored by the ERLC and Focus on the Family, Evangelicals for Life is being held as a pre-event to Saturday's annual March for Life in Washington. Moore introduced Daleiden as the man who, through the videos he released last year, "pierced the conscience of the nation." Daleiden received a standing ovation from the crowd gathered at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill hotel. For a full report from the conference, click here. Moore pointed out that many criticize CMP's ethics by contending that Daleiden had to lie while undercover in order to produce the videos, which is among Planned Parenthood's allegations in a lawsuit filed Jan. 14. "Are you kind of making morality relative here by using lying and deception?" Moore asked. Daleiden responded that Moore was asking a valid question. "I think that undercover work is fundamentally different from lying," Daleiden said, "because the purpose of undercover work is to serve the truth and to bring the truth to greater clarity and to communicate the truth more strongly." Daleiden noted, "Certainly in normal everyday life we don't always communicate the truth by a simple one-equals-one mathematical way of speaking. We often use poetry and metaphor and even pretext in order to communicate really important truth in a more clear way. Our Lord did that in the Gospels with the parables; it's often done throughout the Holy Scriptures; and so I see undercover work in that same sort of vein, as a creative way of communicating and speaking that is in service of the truth." Moore and Daly asked Daleiden about his response to critics who contend that the videos are heavily edited, to which Daleiden replied that CMP has been "more transparent than any news agency" in showing what goes into the production of video files that wind up as the final cuts seen by the American public. Moore, citing the extensive time and effort involved in producing the videos, asked Daleiden what shaped his own personal pro-life view. "I myself am actually the child of a crisis pregnancy situation," Daleiden said. "My parents got pregnant with me their junior year of college. They gave birth to me their senior year and got married after graduation. I grew up in a home that was kind of nominally or culturally Catholic ... but I always grew up with the sense really strongly that sometimes people get pregnant and have kids in less than totally perfect situations or less than perfectly planned situations, and that ultimately there is nothing wrong with that, and there is nothing shameful about that because 'now' is always a good time to welcome a new little person into the world. So that was really formative to me in terms of how we treat people and how we respect people." Daly asked Daleiden how he developed the strategy of using undercover investigative videos to address the issue of abortion in America. "I think part of the power of the videos that CMP has put out so far, and part of the power of the whole 'baby body parts' issue, is that it speaks to really core human values and American values that a lot of people share regardless of your political persuasions or regardless of your level of political engagement or even philosophical engagement with issues like abortion or related issues," Daleiden said. "At the heart of the whole baby parts issue," he explained, "there is this really cool paradox that I can never get over, and it's part of what drove me to do a really specific study on it for two and a half years, and it's the fact that unborn children -- the human fetus -- their humanity is not considered to be equal enough to our own in order to be completely protected by law and order, to be completely protected from being killed by abortion. But at the same time it's precisely that equal humanity that is identical to our own that makes them so valuable for scientific experimentation and makes Planned Parenthood and researchers and their allies hunt after their body parts like buried treasure. I think that contradiction throws the whole world of legalized abortion in America into a really stark light, and it highlights that contrast between some of our deepest values about human dignity and human equality as people and as Americans." Moore and Daly discussed the millennial generation and how Daleiden, 27, looks with hope toward the young people of America -- his peers -- in seeing how they've been disturbed by the atrocities still being committed in America in 2016 and their willingness to get involved. Before leaving the stage, Daly and Moore prayed over Daleiden, asking the Lord to continue giving him wisdom and courage. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Evangelicals for Life conf. bolsters 'burden' for unborn by Tammi Reed Ledbetter/Southern Baptist TEXAN Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday WASHINGTON, D.C. (BP) -- The first Evangelicals for Life conference, co-sponsored by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and Focus on the Family, set out to boost increased participation by evangelicals as they joined thousands for the annual March for Life today (Jan. 22) on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. "Our burden was to see the reborn stand up for the unborn and for all of those who were created in the image of God," noted ERLC President Russell Moore in opening remarks at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. The predominantly young audience arrived days ahead of the march to select from presentations by nearly 40 evangelical pro-life leaders who taught how to extend their influence with a broader, more diverse base of support Jan. 21-22. Focus on the Family President Jim Daly praised the creative ways younger evangelicals are illuminating "the difference in light and darkness." After years on the defense "constantly trying to keep them from scoring another touchdown," the former football player appealed for an offensive strategy that recognizes "we have the best news in the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Americans United for Life President Charmaine Yoest described the success of "an under the radar offense that has been very aggressive." "More abortion restrictions across the country have been enacted since the 2010 election than in the entire previous decade." Yoest said, "We've had a tidal wave of pro-life laws sweep across the country," she said, advocating a stealth agenda that has chipped away at the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. Yoest referenced feminists who believe legal abortion is essential to women's equality and their equal dignity lest they fail to achieve personal successes. "Engage the culture where they are rather than where we want them to be." she said. With an opportunity to advocate for both the mother and the child, Yoest said, "The church is the vehicle for creating and defending the dignity that feminists are looking for." She added, "Hold up that alternate vision of being able to be that woman of power as we are created in God's image in a complementary way with our male colleagues in Christ." Focus on the Family's vice president for community outreach turned to 1 Corinthians 13 to remind pro-life advocates to temper their message with love. "A lot of time people who are in advocacy will talk about civility, kindness and even love, and it is done as a tactic," Kelly Rosati said. "Nothing could be worse for us if we decided to embrace love as a tactic instead of having it come deep from our hearts." International Mission Board President David Platt turned to Matthew 13 to relate Jesus' compassion toward children to his Great Commission that is recorded nine chapters later. "Jesus has given his followers a clear commission that has everything to do with the sanctity of human life," Platt told the evening audience. "Christ compels, calls and commands us to go into the culture around us," commissioned to "run toward need, not away from it" and "to engage culture, not to ignore it." Platt said, "In a culture that devalues life and denigrates children, we don't stay silent. We stand up and go wherever we live to women who are struggling to see how life even goes on if they have this baby. We go to men who are encouraging their wives or pregnant girlfriends to have abortions." As new believers publicly declare their faith through baptism, Platt said, "They proclaim the greatest news in all the world." Ultimately, new communities are formed that embody Christ's words as disciplemaking leads men and women to treasure the sanctity of life. "Every child is precious. Every child is cherished by Christ," Platt said. "Let's show his love and spend our lives in obedience to his commission until his kingdom comes. On that day the murder of little children will be no more." Ministry in an abortion culture must keep the cross of Jesus at the forefront, ERLC's Moore noted, basing his message on Hebrews 2. "What we have to offer the world is not our voting bloc, our cultural influence, or our philosophical argument. What we have to offer to the world is the Gospel of freedom from condemnation and if we lose sight of that we have nothing else to offer." He told ministry leaders to identify with the crucified Christ as they stand up for the unborn, the aged, the disabled, the persecuted, the immigrant, the orphan, the widowed, the addicted, those in prison and the poor. "The image of God is more significant and more important than anyone's definition of usefulness," he said. While supporting efforts to reduce abortion through legislation and assisting unwed pregnant mothers with supportive programs, Mennonite ethics professor Ron Sider said he was "disturbed by what seemed like fundamental inconsistency by some parts of the pro-life movement" that fail to protect and defend human life at every stage of development. He encouraged extending the discussion to address the impact on life and death from poverty, environmental degradation, smoking, racism and capital punishment. "The evangelical pro-life movement is rightly and deeply committed to ending abortion," Sider affirmed, urging "a completely pro-life movement that would profoundly reshape American society" by broadening the scope. Samuel Rodriguez, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, warned attendees against separating their responsibly to God and nation by voting one way and preaching another, saying that consistency is crucial to steering the cultural landscape in America toward a greater respect for life. "We must rise up!" Rodriguez said, saying that he will not approach the voting booth based on the color of his skin. "I am not first and foremost black, white, yellow, brown, Hispanic, charismatic or automatic. I am a Christian. I am a Christian above everything else." When approaching the voting booth, Rodriguez reminded that votes have consequences. "I cannot create a schism between what I vote and what I preach and what I believe. There must be continuity, and that's what we call integrity." He added, "I am committed not only to seeing the emergence of the staunchest pro-life demographic in America, but I am likewise committed to building a compassionate, Christ-centered, Bible-based pro-life firewall." Moore and Daly welcomed the Center for Medical Progress founder David Daleiden whose undercover videos released last summer outed Planned Parenthood's sale of aborted baby parts. Introduced by Moore as the man who "pierced the conscience of the nation," the audience rose to offer a standing ovation. Please see related story. Moore asked Daleiden if he was making morality relative by using lying and deception while undercover, a question the 27-year old considered valid. "I think that undercover work is fundamentally different from lying because the purpose of undercover work is to serve the truth and to bring the truth to greater clarity and to communicate the truth more strongly," Daleiden said. "Certainly, in normal every life, we don't always communicate the truth by a simple, one equals one, mathematical way of speaking. We often use poetry and metaphor and even pretext in order to communicate really important truth in a more clear way. Our Lord did that in the Gospels with the parables; it's often done throughout the Holy Scriptures; and so I see undercover work in that same sort of vein, as a creative way of communicating and speaking that is in service of the truth." Daleiden noted, "At the heart of the whole baby parts issue there is this really cool paradox that I can never get over, and it's part of what drove me to do a really specific study on it for two-and-a-half years. And it's the fact that unborn children -- the human fetus -- their humanity is not considered to be equal enough to our own in order to be completely protected by law and order, to be completely protected from being killed by abortion. But at the same time it's precisely that equal humanity that is identical to our own that makes them so valuable for scientific experimentation and makes Planned Parenthood and researchers and their allies hunt after their body parts like buried treasure," Daleiden said. "I think that contradiction throws the whole world of legalized abortion in America in to a really stark light, and it highlights that contrast between some of our deepest values about human dignity and human equality as people and as Americans," he said. In addition to keynote speakers and panel discussion, breakout sessions at the Evangelicals for Life Conference addressed adoption and foster care, disabilities and special needs, pregnancy resource centers, legislative issues, millennials and sanctity of life, church-based pro-life ministries, international threats to human dignity, and bio-ethical concerns. Other sponsors of the conference include Care Net, The Gospel Coalition, 40 Days for Life, Alliance Defending Freedom, Embrace Grace, Christianity Today, The Heritage Foundation, the National Religious Broadcasters and the Institute on Religion and Democracy. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ministry challenges, opportunities abound in Indonesia by Elaine Gaston Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: Indonesia is the current country of focus for Woman's Missionary Union's International Mission Study. International Mission Board workers featured in this study are supported through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering: imb.org/give. Find IMS study resources at imb.org/ims and wmu.com/IMS. INDONESIA (BP) -- It wasn't tropical tourism that first brought Rosemary Brackey* to Indonesia more than a decade ago. It was her desire to offer healing hands to the country after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed an estimated 170,000 Indonesians alone. At the time, Rosemary was a telemetry nurse, monitoring patients' vital signs for Liberty Hospital in a Kansas City, Mo., suburb. She and her husband Howard* had felt called to global missions but were waiting for the Lord's timing. Then, reports of the catastrophic tsunami spurred her to action when she discovered that a local church was sending a disaster relief team to help survivors in Aceh Province. By the time she learned about the trip, however, the team was already complete and the organizer suggested that she volunteer for a later trip. But Rosemary's heart couldn't take "later." That night, during the small group Bible study she led, her group prayed she could be part of the relief effort. She felt strongly that she needed to be on the team leaving in less than two weeks. When she returned home after the study, a message was waiting on her answering machine. One of the nurses had dropped out of the trip for medical reasons and if Rosemary wanted to go, then she had nine days to raise the funds. "In nine days, I got three weeks of [nursing] shifts covered, I found people to watch our kids after school and I raised a ton of money -- $3,600," she said. "It was clearly God's plan for me to go on that trip. I got on the plane, and I didn't even know [exactly] where Indonesia was. I didn't have time to look that up. I knew I was called and I just went." Where in the world The country of more than 250 million people -- fourth in population in the world -- has the largest economy in Southeast Asia and is the most populous Muslim country in the world. Today, international travelers to this archipelago, a collection of islands, straddling the equator often go there for vacation. The island of Bali, since Europeans discovered it centuries ago, has been considered the ultimate island paradise, with its sun-bathed beaches and extravagantly colorful culture. But it wasn't pristine beaches that first brought explorers to Indonesia's shores. Arab and Asian merchants sailed through these island-studded waters as part of the maritime Silk Road to avoid crossing the formidable Himalayas when transporting goods between India and China. The islands were discovered to be the single source in the trade for exotic spices such as nutmeg, mace and cloves, which at that time were found nowhere else in the world. Europeans joined in trade explorations, and by the 17th century, the Dutch controlled the islands as part of the Dutch East India Company, managing a tight monopoly on the spice trade until nearly the 19th century. As ships from afar traveled the trade winds, foreign religions were introduced to the islands by the merchants: Hinduism sprang from India, Buddhism came from China and, a few centuries later, Islam arrived from South Asia. Islam swept down through the archipelago from its northwest tip and took a firm hold that remains today. Islands apart Though nearly 88 percent of Indonesians profess Islam, Indonesia is a mosaic of peoples, cultures and languages throughout its roughly 13,500 islands. The nation's motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), reflects the challenge of a national identity with the educated urban elite and factory workers living in densely populated cities, hunter and forager groups stalking island forests, inland rice farmers harvesting fields by hand and coastal fishermen sailing clear ocean waters. Five major islands are home to most of the population base. Java, about the size of New York State, carries the weight with nearly 60 percent -- about 140 million. However, Java has only 7 percent of the nation's landmass. By contrast, Sumatra, much larger than Java, is home to more than 50 million. Sulawesi, Kalimantan (the southern part of the island of Borneo) and the western part of New Guinea (known as the provinces of Papua and West Papua or collectively known as Irian Jaya) are the other major islands. And though Bali isn't one of the major five islands, it is significant with its economic impact in capturing tourist dollars. In recent years, it has become the new gateway island, routing hundreds of thousands of international visitors through its massive new international airport terminal, rather than the congested capital city of Jakarta. Most of the thousands of smaller islands belong to island groups, of which there are about 30 clusters. Examples include the Moluccas (also known as the Spice Islands) east of Sulawesi and the sparsely populated Banyak Islands off Sumatra's western coast. Many places in Indonesia are tough to reach -- physically and spiritually. So it takes creativity for International Mission Board workers to share the Gospel there. The right time Rosemary doesn't live in Kansas City anymore. Once in her seat for the volunteer team flight to Indonesia, she pulled out the flight magazine, looked at the map in the back pages and suddenly realized just how far this trip would take her. It wasn't just distance, though. It was also the place she and Howard were in their lives. By her third day there, she was deeply touched by the people she was working among. "I just loved it. I loved the work," she said. She sent Howard an email in which she remembers writing something along the lines of: Sell the house and call the IMB because I want to live here. It was that moment in time when God crystalized His call on their lives. Supported through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Rosemary and Howard, with their four children, have been living and working in Indonesia since 2007 to bring spiritual healing, hope and truth to this island nation. *Name changed. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Baptist Press interviews Naghmeh Abedini by Diana Chandler Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP) -- Naghmeh Abedini is making plans to join her husband Saeed Abedini at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove in Asheville, N.C., where he has been resting with his parents and sister since arriving there Thursday (Jan. 21) from Berlin, Germany. She changed earlier plans to fly with the children to meet her husband in Germany, where he was receiving medical treatment after his release from unjust imprisonment in Iran, after the couple determined he needed more time to heal psychologically, she told Baptist Press today (Jan. 22). "When I spoke to him he didn't seem to be in a good state of mind, and so we just had to give it time before our family reunited, especially with the kids," she told BP. "I had a quick conversation with the German doctor and he said overall he was healthy, he was pretty healthy [physically]." The 35-year-old pastor suffered beatings and harsh punishment during three-and-a-half years in prison in Iran, where he had been held due to his Christian faith. His release with three other Americans was announced Jan. 16 in a prisoner swap the Obama Administration negotiated during nuclear disarmament talks. Naghmeh Abedini and their children Rebekka and Jacob will arrive in Asheville early the afternoon of Jan. 25 to spend at least a week with Saeed before returning as a family to their home in Boise, Idaho, she told BP. At the Cove, they will rest and receive counseling, she said. The Abedini marriage is strained by the imprisonment and emails that surfaced, intended only for close friends, in which she accused her husband of spousal abuse and an addiction to pornography. Marital struggle Naghmeh Abedini hasn't been able to determine who in November 2015 leaked to the media emails she had sent only to close friends. In those emails, she revealed her marriage was strained by abuse, but later expressed regrets for sending the emails even to close friends. "It's unfortunate that your family is going through so much pain and people try to profit off of it and put it out there," she said. "Because Saeed was made aware of it, it will make it that much harder for us to pursue healing and reconciliation. So I was very heartbroken." But the revelation of the marital strife has proved to be a blessing that has taught her to rely more heavily on the Lord through prayer and fasting, she told BP today. "That's how God works," she said. "The worst things in our life turn out to be the best blessing." She trusts God to make beauty out of ashes, she said, evoking Isaiah 61:3, and to use the situation as a ministry to others. "For most of my marriage, I'd idolized Saeed, and through my fast I was made aware of that and the importance of putting God first, which seems to be Christianity 101 in action," she said. "This last fast really had me focused on the Lord. It took his imprisonment for me to break that idol and focus on the Lord fully and to see issues that are so hidden." The Lord has taught her to forgive and love her husband, she said, while still establishing boundaries in the relationship. "It was difficult because Saeed was the first person I ever dated, the love of my life, and he still is," she told BP. "But [I've learned] that can't override my relationship with God and my obedience to God. Obedience to my husband is very important, but when it's biblical and when it's healthy.... I'm sure many, many Christians know that, but for me, it was a new lesson to learn." Her husband was converted to Christianity at age 20, she said, and grew up in an Iranian cultural environment that subjugates women. She described herself as a private person who has suffered much pain and anger because the emails were made public, and she chose not to tell BP the details of the alleged abuse. Any further discussion of the abuse would need to come from her husband, she said. "I think when it's time," she told BP, "I think it's a story that needs to be told by Saeed, not me. I think it had better not be anything that I focus on anymore." She has advocated widely for her husband's release, maintaining a Facebook page, meeting with President Obama, and speaking before Congress and in many venues before taking a break from public advocacy last November. "I'm proud of Saeed for having stood for his faith, but we're real people with real issues, and a lot of it is ... from the Middle East and the way women are treated there," she said. "But I'm hearing from a lot of women in this country and I'm just hoping God can use it to show He's bigger than anything and to help other people be set free. "The biggest lesson I learned as a wife is I needed to find my strength in God. I was looking to my husband for everything, for self-worth," she said. "I don't know how to explain it, but he had become my god. That's not a small thing; that's a big deal.... If God is not number one it's bad, and God is jealous. He will have no idols before Him." God has revealed the struggles of His followers for ages, she said, referencing the biblical King David who was described as having a heart for God but was also an adulterer and murderer. "There's a reason God allowed people to see the most intimate part of my family," she said. "I don't want us to be idolized. Maybe part of the blessing of this coming out is that we can't be idolized." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Churches brace for snow cancelations by David Roach Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday PHILADELPHIA (BP) -- Philadelphia is expecting so much snow that some churches may have to cancel worship services not just this Sunday, but the following week too. That's because many of the Greater Philadelphia Baptist Association's 143 congregations have no parking lots, and snow could be piled up in their curbside parking for more than a week, said Peter Yanes, a North American Mission Board church planting catalyst and ethnic church strategist for the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania-South Jersey. The City of Brotherly Love is expecting 12-18 inches of snow Jan. 22-23, according to the National Weather Service, as part of a winter storm that could affect a quarter of the U.S. population, dump two-and-a-half feet of snow on Washington, D.C., and cause thousands of churches to consider cancelling worship services this weekend. Pastors and other ministers in affected areas told Baptist Press church cancelation policies vary, and the financial impact of winter storms can be significant. Churches in Philadelphia "encourage all of our families that if there is closure of streets and you can't make it to our churches, do your own family worship time [at home] and family bonding," Yanes told BP. Believers "will be missing going to church together, but we expect them not to miss worship." On Friday, Yanes said the church he attends had already cancelled a Saturday wedding and was waiting to see whether public transportation would operate Sunday -- since some church members use public transportation to attend worship. Winter weather makes January the most challenging month of the year financially for Philadelphia churches, Yanes said, and some build an expectation of lower offerings into their planning. "Many of our churches are struggling financially, and to remove one collection [of offerings] a month will have a big impact on the income of the church," he said. Farther north in New England, January snow last year decreased churches' giving through the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists' unified channel for funding missions and ministries in North America and across the globe. Terry Dorsett, executive director of the Baptist Convention of New England, told BP in an email, "Last January was brutal and many churches cancelled two or three Sundays in a row. Not only was it devastating to some of those churches financially, but it impacted CP giving and gave us one of our lowest months in years. It took several months for the budget to fully recover." In Charlotte, N.C. -- which CNN said "looked like a ghost town" Friday because residents stayed home to avoid snow and ice -- the pastor of multi-site Hickory Grove Baptist Church said worship will not be cancelled altogether Sunday, though some individual services at the congregation's two campuses may be called off. "We historically have not ever cancelled church on snow and ice days," Hickory Grove pastor Clint Pressley told BP. "...It's the Lord's Day. Our church is pretty close to neighborhoods. There are those who will want to worship, and most of our maintenance guys, including the pastor, have four-wheel-drive vehicles. We can get there." Pressley said sidewalks and parking lots will be salted, and greeters will be stationed at entrances "to make sure people can get in safely." Financially, "varying weather days" always cause Hickory Grove to "take a hit," Pressley said. "You won't really ever make that up. But it's not been something that's ever impacted the budget to the degree we had to make adjustments." Unlike Hickory Grove Baptist Church, which averages 4,000-5,000 in worship, smaller congregations face unique challenges related to snow, said Cliff Woodman, president of the Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network. When he served as a bivocational pastor in the past, Woodman cleared snow off the church parking lot himself. He contrasted that with the situation at larger churches that often pay for snow removal. "I hoped it was going to snow on Saturday night so I could go clean [the parking] then rather than on Sunday morning," said Woodman, currently the fulltime pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Carlinville, Ill. When it comes to finances, small churches and large churches alike are impacted by snow, Woodman said, noting that worship attendees who give on the spur of the moment rather than in a planned fashion typically do not make up for snow days. "I attribute [the financial impact of snow days] to the offering plate and the people who pull out $20 or $10 or $1 and put it in the plate," Woodman said. "They don't have that opportunity to give, and the next week they're not going to give $40 instead of $20." Still, lower offerings in snowy months tend to be balanced by good offerings in other months, he said. When considering whether to cancel church, finances should not be a consideration. A congregation's weather-related decisions should be focused on "the safety of the people and the age of the people you have driving," Woodman said. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: La santidad de la vida by Octavio Esqueda Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a http://www.bpnews.net/espanol LA MIRADA, Calif. (BP) -- Hace un par de semanas estuve en Guatemala para iniciar un curso semestral en un programa doctoral en educación teológica. Este programa es singular en Latinoamérica y enseñar en él me da la oportunidad de convivir con líderes de diferentes países y también aprender de ellos. A pesar de que este doctorado se enfoca principalmente en la educación teológica formal a través de universidades y seminarios, la realidad es que todo nuestro entorno debería tener un enfoque teológico porque Dios es el creador del universo y el centro fundamental de toda la existencia. Por esto el conocimiento de Dios o educación teológica nos debería ayudar a "pensar teológicamente" sobre todas las áreas de la vida. La teología siempre es práctica y relevante porque se centra en un Dios vivo y no meramente en presuposiciones teóricas sobre un ser sobrenatural, pero imaginario. Las palabras del apóstol Pablo ante los sabios de Atenas resumen claramente la centralidad de Dios en nuestra vida: "El Dios que hizo el mundo y todas las cosas que en él hay, siendo Señor del cielo y de la tierra…él es quien da a todos vida y aliento y todas las cosas. Y de una sangre ha hecho todo el linaje de los hombres, para que habiten sobre toda la faz de la tierra; y les ha prefijado el orden de los tiempos, y los límites de su habitación;… Porque en él vivimos, y nos movemos, y somos (Hechos 17:24-28). Sin embargo, he notado que en muchas ocasiones es fácil tener huecos en nuestra manera de pensar teológicamente sobre asuntos importantes. No me refiero a que necesariamente tengamos una teología incorrecta o a una falla intencional de nuestra parte. También es un hecho que nuestro entendimiento de Dios crece con el tiempo y ni la eternidad bastaría para entender completamente al Señor. Estos huecos a veces se acentúan por las presiones sociales, culturales y políticas del mundo en el que vivimos. En los Estados Unidos, por ejemplo, vivimos en una sociedad polarizada en donde los extremos se acentúan durante el periodo electoral. El ser humano es un ser político y es normal tener preferencias entre los partidos y candidatos. Tristemente cada vez noto que las diferencias entre Republicanos y Demócratas se hacen más grandes al mismo tiempo que la habilidad del dialogo disminuye. Como cristianos con frecuencia nos vemos atraídos por esos polos opuestos y esta situación contribuye a que nuestro pensamiento teológico se vea más afectado por una postura política y no por Dios . La Biblia enseña que el ser humano es creado a la imagen y semejanza de Dios (Gen. 1:27). La imago Dei es lo que le da valor, significado y dignidad a los seres humanos. Todos somos importantes sin importar nuestro sexo, cultura, raza, condición física, lenguaje, estatus migratorio, religión o cualquier otra variable. La vida es sagrada porque es un regalo divino. Desde la concepción hasta el final de nuestra vida terrenal todos los seres humanos son valiosos y dignos de respeto. El Salmo 8 es un maravilloso poema que resalta la grandeza de los seres humanos sobre toda la creación. Esta realidad bíblica fundamental es por todos conocida, pero lamentablemente no llevada a la práctica en nuestra manera de pensar y abordar los problemas de nuestra sociedad. Puedo entender que los no creyentes se dejen llevar por sus posturas políticas, pero me entristece ver que muchos cristianos permiten que sus preferencias electorales influyan en su manera de pensar teológicamente de manera que no vean que cualquier sistema o partido político no refleja completamente una cosmovisión cristiana. Si somos coherentes, la imagen de Dios en todos debería ser un punto fundamental para analizar cualquier problema social. Por ejemplo, muchas personas en la sociedad están en completo desacuerdo con el aborto. Para ellos, y para los cristianos que creen que el ser humano es creado a la imagen de Dios y que la vida se origina en la concepción, el aborto es una afrenta fragante contra Dios y contra la santidad de la vida. El aborto no es un asunto que se basa principalmente en la preferencia de la mujer a elegir si desea tener un hijo sino en el regalo divino de la vida. Tanto la madre como el feto son igualmente valiosos al ser creados a la imagen de Dios y el aborto es un crimen al que tenemos que aborrecer. Sin embargo, muchos de los que se oponen al aborto también promueven políticas discriminatorias contra otros seres humanos creados a la imagen de Dios. Ante Dios ningún ser humano es "ilegal" o de segunda categoría. La diversidad racial también es un valor que celebrar y cualquier tipo de discriminación es un pecado y una afrenta contra Dios. El derecho constitucional a portar armas no está por encima del valor de la vida y matar a otra persona creada a la imagen divina siempre es un crimen no importa que sea en defensa propia. Como todos los seres humanos son importantes y valiosos, el derecho a la educación y a los servicios de salud deberían ser parte integral de cualquier sociedad. Todos merecen las mismas oportunidades sin importar sus circunstancias. Muchos que apoyan estas medidas de dignidad a todos los seres humanos inexplicablemente también muestras su apoyo al aborto con el argumento de que cada mujer puede elegir hacer lo que sea con su cuerpo aunque esto incluya matar a un ser humano. Es fácil notar que ningún partido político es completamente consistente con un valor cristiano básico como la imagen de Dios en todos los seres humanos. Esto es normal y predecible. Lo que no está bien es que como cristianos nos dejemos llevar solamente por nuestra preferencia política y no por los valores cristianos. Un candidato que se opone al aborto pero promueve la discriminación está tan equivocado como el que promueve la diversidad y el aborto al mismo tiempo. La santidad humana es global y en todas las circunstancias. En los próximos meses estaremos bombardeados con propaganda política. Independientemente del partido o candidato de su preferencia lo invito a que como cristianos podamos ver la vida con una perspectiva teológica y que seamos consistentes en ella. Nuestra solidaridad final está con el Señor y debemos valorar lo que El valora. Incluso al disentir con las preferencias políticas de otros, recordemos también podemos aprender de sus perspectivas y que la imagen de Dios brilla a través de ellos. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Inmigración: La Corte Suprema de EE.UU. acepta tartar las órdenes ejecutivas de Obama by Por David Roach Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- La Corte Suprema de EE.UU. ha consentido en emitir un fallo sobre la legalidad de las órdenes ejecutivas del presidente Obama que detendrían la deportación de más de 4 millones de inmigrantes indocumentados. Divulgadas en noviembre de 2014, las órdenes buscaban permitir que las personas indocumentadas que sean padres de ciudadanos estadounidenses o de residentes permanentes legales soliciten autorización para trabajar y los beneficios asociados. Texas y otros 25 estados liderados por republicanos demandaron invalidar el programa argumentando que el presidente sí "posee discreción para aplicar la ley" pero carece de "poder inherente para conceder presencia legal y elegibilidad a más de cuatro millones de extranjeros desautorizados," dijo Texas en un sumario. Un juez federal se puso de parte de Texas y de los otros estados demandantes, y la Corte de Apelaciones del Quinto Circuito de EE.UU. en New Orleans mantuvo la decisión. Se espera que la corte alta, la cual anunció el 19 de enero su intención de tomar el caso, emita un fallo para principios del verano, de acuerdo a CNN. Los nueve jueces les pidieron a ambos lados que hablen sobre si las acciones de Obama violan la provisión de la Constitución de que el presidente debe "tener cuidado de que las leyes sean fielmente ejecutadas," reportó el Wall Street Journal. La vocera de la Casa Blanca Brandi Hoffine dijo que la administración está "complacida de que la Corte Suprema haya decidido revisar el caso de inmigración." Ella expresó confianza en que la corte fallará a favor de "los inmigrantes que deseen estar a cuentas, registrarse, pagar impuestos y contribuir a nuestra sociedad abierta y honestamente," reportó el Journal. Los bautistas del sur, reflejando al resto de la nación, difieren sobre el balance apropiado entre seguridad y compasión en la política de inmigración. La última vez que la Convención Bautista del Sur habló de inmigración fue en 2011, cuando una resolución "sobre inmigración y el evangelio" llamó tanto a la compasión hacia los inmigrantes como a la seguridad de la frontera. Los mensajeros a la reunión anual de la CBS en Phoenix ese año adoptaron una resolución a la que Baptist Press estimó en ese tiempo como una mayoría de 70 a 80 por ciento. La resolución señaló que "nuestro Señor Jesucristo vivió sus años de niñez como un emigrante y refugiado" y destacó las exhortaciones de las Escrituras "a mostrar compasión y justicia por los residentes temporales y extranjeros en medio de nosotros." La declaración también pidió a nuestras autoridades gubernamentales darles prioridad a los esfuerzos de asegurar las fronteras." Una moción para enmendar la resolución afectando su llamado "a un camino justo y compasivo al estatus legal" fue derrotada por un margen de 51-48. Los mensajeros sí enmendaron la resolución, a sugerencia del Comité de Resoluciones de la CBS, para establecer: "Esta resolución no debe ser interpretada como apoyo a una amnistía para ningún inmigrante indocumentado." -------------------------------------------------------------------- La JMI cierra su oficina de comunicaciones en Richmond by Por David Roach Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- La Junta de Misiones Internacionales (IMB, por sus siglas en inglés) ha anunciado el cierre de su Centro de Comunicaciones en Richmond, efectivo el 29 de abril; además del despido de 30 miembros del personal en los Estados Unidos, según un boletín de prensa dado a conocer el 14 de enero. Otros diez miembros del personal de comunicaciones serán transferidos a otros puestos. Los despidos fueron el resultado de una "reevaluación de sistemas y estructuras por toda la JMI, no solamente fueron [el resultado de] las realidades financieras de la JMI," dice el boletín, "aunque también fue para ser los mejores mayordomos posibles de los recursos que las iglesias nos han confiado en la JMI para llevar el Evangelio a todas las naciones." Los empleados de comunicaciones afectados representan cerca del 6.5 por ciento de los aproximadamente 450 miembros del personal de la JMI en los Estados Unidos, antes del "reajuste de la organización" que comenzó en agosto cuando se lanzó el incentivo de jubilación voluntaria por adelantado ofrecido al personal mayor de 50 años y que haya estado en servicio 5 años o más. No se eliminarán más equipos, grupos o departamentos durante el reajuste organizacional, dijo la junta. Las noticias sobre los despidos en comunicaciones llegaron cuando la JMI anunció el inicio de la segunda fase de su reajuste: una "oportunidad para levantar la mano" dada a los misioneros y a los miembros del personal en los Estados Unidos "para hacer la transición fuera de la JMI si creen que Dios les está guiando hacia un nuevo lugar de participación en las misiones," según dice su comunicado de prensa. Los individuos que aceptaron esta oferta deben finalizar su decisión antes del 22 de febrero y recibirán "un paquete que va más allá del alcance de una renuncia normal." Aunque los miembros del personal en el extranjero que se quedaron pudieran dejar la JMI voluntariamente para ir a otros campos de servicio, no "se exigirá" a ningún misionero que deje el campo como parte del reajuste organizacional, dijo la JMI. A pesar del cierre del centro de comunicaciones, la junta continuará dando a conocer las noticias y presentar reportajes, fotos y videos producidos por los empleados de la JMI dedicados a los medios de comunicación y que residen en Europa, el Medio Oriente, África, Asia y América Latina. Cuando los editores de los periódicos bautistas estatales solicitaron más detalles sobre los cambios en las comunicaciones, la JMI anunció que tendrá una conferencia de prensa para los medios de comunicación bautistas durante la semana del 18 de enero. A continuación se presenta el comunicado de prensa completo de la JMI: ---------------- La JMI anuncia la fase final del reajuste organizacional Por Julie McGorman RICHMOND, Va. – La Junta de Misiones Internacionales (IMB, por sus siglas en inglés) se encuentra en una posición financiera donde no se exigirá a los misioneros que abandonen el campo mientras la organización completa su reajuste de dos etapas, anunció David Platt, el presidente de la JMI, el 14 de enero. La segunda fase del plan de la JMI para abordar el déficit en sus ingresos y completar un reajuste en la organización y liderazgo, también anunció los detalles de una Oportunidad para Levantar la Mano (OLM) durante sus dos juntas públicas. El plan de la OLM, compartieron los líderes, ofrece a los misioneros y al personal la oportunidad de hacer la transición fuera de la JMI si ellos creen que Dios les está guiando hacia un nuevo lugar de participación en las misiones. "Aunque la mayoría continuarán en sus papeles actuales, algunos harán una reubicación," dijo David Platt, el presidente de la JMI. "Yo uso el término 'reubicación' intencionalmente porque nadie está moviéndose hacia los márgenes de las misiones en este proceso. Estas decisiones se tratan más del lugar, papel, responsabilidad o tarea que la gente tiene en la misión de Dios." Sebastian Traeger, el vicepresidente ejecutivo de la JMI, presentó los detalles específicos del plan, el cual incluye un paquete que va más allá del alcance de una renuncia normal. El personal que elija aceptar el plan OLM finalizará sus decisiones para el 22 de febrero. La información sobre el plan OLM se dio a conocer en dos segmentos durante las juntas públicas: primero ante el personal misionero y después ante el personal de la oficina quienes mayormente tienen su base en Richmond, Va. Ambos grupos asistieron en persona o a través de una conferencia vía internet y tuvieron a su disposición toda la información en el internet (después de la junta pública). El tiempo de las dos juntas públicas permitió al liderazgo comunicar los detalles específicos que eran pertinentes para cada grupo. Los misioneros activos, a largo o corto plazo, pueden solicitar el plan OLM. Los misioneros pueden hacer la transición del campo a su nuevo ministerio durante los próximos meses. Todo el personal contratado a tiempo completo o medio tiempo puede solicitar el plan OLM. "Estos próximos dos meses ponen en nuestras manos la responsabilidad de buscar al Señor en cuanto a Su voluntad para nuestras vidas," dijo Platt, reiterando dos puntos ante los misioneros y el personal de la oficina. "Primero, en un nivel bíblico y teológico, los misioneros de la JMI debemos, cada uno, decidir hacer todo nuestro trabajo por el mundo alegre y sinceramente, concordando con el Mensaje y Fe Bautistas adoptado por las 40,000 iglesias que representamos." "En segundo lugar, de manera similar, estas 40,000 iglesias esperan que cada uno de nosotros individualmente y que todos nosotros colectivamente trabajemos diligentemente y sabiamente para compartir el Evangelio por todo el mundo. En otras palabras, ellos esperan que todos nosotros pongamos el esfuerzo adecuado que esta misión requiere, y esto significa que debemos sostenernos, mutuamente, en un alto nivel en cuanto a nuestro trabajo," Una decisión difícil En medio de este proceso de dos fases, Platt compartió en agosto que los líderes de la JMI estarán reevaluando los sistemas y estructuras de toda la JMI, no solamente debido a las realidades financieras de la JMI, sino también para ser los mejores mayordomos posibles de los recursos que las iglesias han confiado a la JMI para llevar el Evangelio a las naciones. Durante esa evaluación, los líderes tomaron la difícil decisión de eliminar el Centro de Comunicaciones en Richmond de la manera en que éste existe actualmente, siendo efectivo su cierre el 29 de abril. "Estos son algunos de los siervos y líderes más humildes en la oficina de Richmond," dijo Platt. "La JMI está en deuda con ellos en muchos niveles. Es los días venideros, queremos expresar nuestra honra y aprecio por las innumerables maneras en que estos hermanos y hermanas han servido a Cristo a través de la JMI." Treinta empleados en la oficina en EE UU tienen la opción de continuar como empleados hasta que cierre el Centro el 29 de abril; diez empleados están siendo transferidos a otros puestos. El cambio no afecta a ningún puesto misionero. Las funciones del Centro de Comunicaciones en Richmond, incluyendo la promoción de la Ofrenda de Navidad Lottie Moon, continuarán siendo desarrolladas por la red existente de equipos de comunicaciones de la JMI y por otros socios de confianza. Los líderes de la JMI no eliminarán ningún otro equipo, grupo o departamento durante este reajuste de dos fases. Los números finales El plan original de dos fases fue anunciado durante una reunión pública el 27 de agosto del 2015, cuando los líderes de la JMI presentaron una estrategia para abordar el déficit en los ingresos de la JMI y completar un reajuste de la organización. La primera fase del reajuste organizacional fue el Incentivo para la Jubilación Voluntaria (IJV) que terminó en diciembre. Mientras progresaban las dos fases, los líderes de la JMI buscaban proteger la integridad del proceso para evitar influenciar al personal de la JMI mientras tomaban sus decisiones. Los líderes indicaron que deseaban vigorosamente que el personal recibiera claridad de parte de Dios en cuanto a Su liderazgo en sus vidas. En noviembre del 2015, los líderes de la JMI comunicaron que con base en los resultados del Incentivo para la Jubilación Voluntaria, en conjunto con la segunda fase de la Oportunidad para Levantar la Mano, proyectan que la JMI podrá satisfacer su necesidad de reducir 600 puestos del total de su personal. Los líderes planifican compartir las cantidades finales y oficiales al término de este proceso de dos fases, al final de febrero. La JMI continuará comunicando los datos más actualizados, incluyendo las respuestas a las preguntas más frecuentes, en su portal de internet IMB.og. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump en la Universidad Liberty: 'Soy generoso con los evangélicos' by Por andon Pickett/SBC of Virginia Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday LYNCHBURG, Virginia (BP) -- Más de 10.000 estudiantes de Liberty se apiñaron en el Centro Vines de la universidad el 18 de enero para oír al candidato presidencial republicano Donald Trump. El presidente de Liberty, Jerry Falwell Jr. presentó a Trump en la convocación el primer día del semestre de primavera (Trump también habló en la convocación en 2012.) Falwell les dijo a los estudiantes que aunque la universidad no apoyaba oficialmente al hombre de negocios neoyorkino, Trump es un hombre amable que está políticamente equivocado y que le recordaba a su propio padre, Jerry Falwell Sr. -- lo cual Trump dijo que fue el mejor cumplido de todos. Falwell citó Mateo 7:16 ("Por sus frutos los conocerán.") y dijo que la gente puede saber quién es alguien realmente por lo que ha hecho en el pasado. Trump comenzó diciendo que está orgulloso de ser protestante, "presbiteriano para ser exacto." "Los evangélicos me aman -- Soy generoso con los evangélicos," dijo Trump. "No hay nada como la Biblia," dijo. Le dijo a la multitud que "el cristianismo está bajo ataque. Pero vamos a proteger el cristianismo." Trump trató de citar el versículo lema de la universidad, 2 Corintios 3:17: "... donde está el Espíritu del Señor, hay libertad." Pero se encontró con algunas risas cuando dijo: "Escucho que este es un tema importante aquí mismo. Pero dos corintios, ¿cierto?" desviándose de la referencia convencional de "segunda Corintios." "Dos Corintios 3:17. Ese es todo el juego," dijo Trump. Con la prensa internacional mirando, hubo algunos pocos manifestantes afuera del Centro Vines en Lynchburg, Virginia, pero adentro, estudiantes como Noah Soistmann, de primer año, dijo que estaba emocionado de que Donald Trump estuviera ahí. "Estoy contento de obtener la experiencia de los oradores políticos que vienen. Debemos poder aceptar todos los puntos de vista y filtrarlos nosotros mismos a través de una postura bíblica. Podemos mostrar cómo son los verdaderos cristianos cuando oyen diferentes opiniones y ese es un buen testimonio." Rebekah Leybold, estudiante de tercer año en Liberty, ha visto a varios oradores políticos en su tiempo en Liberty. "Un número de estudiantes están protestando porque no querían que él viniera," dijo ella, porque era el día de Martin Luther King, Jr. y los manifestantes decían que Trump tiene posturas racistas. "Pero yo siento que debemos ser respetuosos con los que vienen," dijo Leybold, "y no debemos hacer un gran problema de eso." Trump tocó temas de su discurso de campaña como inmigración, el ejército, Irán, los déficits comerciales y los ganes en tratos alrededor del mundo. Terminó su discurso diciéndoles a los estudiante que "tenemos que dirigirlo [el país] como un negocio, pero con corazón." Después de dejar la plataforma a una multitud animada, Trump saludó a la multitud y dejó Lynchburg con destino a New Hampshire. El contendiente candidato republicano el senador Ted Cruz de Texas anunció su postulación a la presidencia en Liberty el 23 de marzo del año pasado. También hablaron en las convocaciones del año pasado el contendiente republicano y neurocirujano retirado Ben Carson el 11 de noviembre y el contendiente demócrata el senador Bernie Sanders de Vermont el 14 de septiembre. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Corea del Norte ocupa el primer lugar en la lista de persecución por 14º año by Por el personal/Baptist Press Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- Cuando Corea del Norte de nuevo mantiene su puesto el 14º año consecutivo como el país más peligroso para los cristianos, la persecución religiosa en cada continente parece incrementar, de acuerdo a un nuevo reporte. Puertas Abiertas (Open Doors) divulgó el 13 de enero su anual Lista Mundial de Vigilancia de los primeros 50 países en los que es más peligroso y difícil ser cristiano. De acuerdo a la lista, el extremismo islámico "continuó siendo la principal fuerza impelente detrás de la expansión de la persecución, siendo su incremento el principal generador de la persecución en 35 de las 50 naciones de la lista." Los primeros 10 de este año incluyeron a (1) Corea del Norte; (2) Irak; (3) Eritrea; (4) Afganistán; (5) Siria; (6) Pakistán; (7) Somalia; (8) Sudán; (9) Irán; y (10) Libia. El reporte específicamente resaltó Medio Oriente y África Subsahariana, "regiones donde la persecución se ha elevado a un nivel comparable a una limpieza étnica." "Los niveles de exclusión, discriminación y violencia en contra de los cristianos no tienen precedentes y están esparcidos e intensificados," dijo David Curry, presidente y director ejecutivo de Puertas Abiertas EE.UU. en una conferencia de prensa. "Los cristianos, deseosos de quedarse en sus países de origen, están siendo forzados a huir para proteger su vida y la de sus hijos. La Lista Mundial de Vigilancia Puertas Abiertas 2016 demuestra que la persecución no es solamente un problema cristiano; es un problema global." De acuerdo al reporte, más de 7.000 cristianos fueron asesinados a nivel mundial por razones relacionadas con su fe. La pérdida de vidas durante ese período de denuncia, dijo Puertas Abiertas, tiene un incremento de casi 3.000 en comparación con la Lista Mundial de Vigilancia Puertas Abiertas 2015. "Esto excluye a Corea del Norte, y algo de Siria e Irak, donde no existen registros precisos," señaló el reporte. El reporte añadió: "Más de 2.400 iglesias fueron atacadas o dañadas, lo cual es más del doble del número de la lista del año pasado." En 2015, reportó Puertas Abiertas, el conflicto y la persecución continuaron causando desplazamientos en masa en el Medio Oriente lo que dejó 12.5 millones de refugiados en toda la región. "Más de un millón de migrantes viajaron desde el Cuerno de África y el Medio Oriente a Europa con esperanza de una mejor vida y seguridad," dijo el reporte. "En la que era la ciudad cristiana más grande de Siria, Alepo, la población cristiana ha sido reducida de 400.000 a escasos 60.000. Muchos refugiados sirios han abandonado toda esperanza de nunca regresar a su tierra destruida por la guerra." Aunque Corea del Norte sigue ocupando el primer lugar de la lista de este año, Eritrea y Pakistán subieron al tercer y sexto respectivamente, dijo el reporte. Estos fueron los dos países más grandes en subir en la lista, señaló Puertas Abiertas. Libia entró a los primeros 10 por primera vez. El reporte define la persecución cristiana "como cualquier hostilidad experimentada como resultado de la identificación de alguien con Cristo. Ejemplos incluyen encarcelamiento, tortura, decapitación, violación, y la pérdida del hogar y los bienes." Curry dijo: "Para los cristianos en el Occidente, la Lista Mundial de Vigilancia Puertas Abiertas sirve como el toque de trompeta a orar, defender y recordar a sus compañeros cristianos perseguidos." La lista de los 50 países puede ser vista en línea en http://www.worldwatchlist.us/. Puertas Abiertas es una organización que busca fortalecer la iglesia perseguida en el extranjero. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: La santidad de la vida by Por Octavio Esqueda Date: January 22, 2016 - Friday LA MIRADA, Calif. (BP) -- Hace un par de semanas estuve en Guatemala para iniciar un curso semestral en un programa doctoral en educación teológica. Este programa es singular en Latinoamérica y enseñar en él me da la oportunidad de convivir con líderes de diferentes países y también aprender de ellos. A pesar de que este doctorado se enfoca principalmente en la educación teológica formal a través de universidades y seminarios, la realidad es que todo nuestro entorno debería tener un enfoque teológico porque Dios es el creador del universo y el centro fundamental de toda la existencia. Por esto el conocimiento de Dios o educación teológica nos debería ayudar a "pensar teológicamente" sobre todas las áreas de la vida. La teología siempre es práctica y relevante porque se centra en un Dios vivo y no meramente en presuposiciones teóricas sobre un ser sobrenatural, pero imaginario. Las palabras del apóstol Pablo ante los sabios de Atenas resumen claramente la centralidad de Dios en nuestra vida: "El Dios que hizo el mundo y todas las cosas que en él hay, siendo Señor del cielo y de la tierra…él es quien da a todos vida y aliento y todas las cosas. Y de una sangre ha hecho todo el linaje de los hombres, para que habiten sobre toda la faz de la tierra; y les ha prefijado el orden de los tiempos, y los límites de su habitación;… Porque en él vivimos, y nos movemos, y somos (Hechos 17:24-28). Sin embargo, he notado que en muchas ocasiones es fácil tener huecos en nuestra manera de pensar teológicamente sobre asuntos importantes. No me refiero a que necesariamente tengamos una teología incorrecta o a una falla intencional de nuestra parte. También es un hecho que nuestro entendimiento de Dios crece con el tiempo y ni la eternidad bastaría para entender completamente al Señor. Estos huecos a veces se acentúan por las presiones sociales, culturales y políticas del mundo en el que vivimos. En los Estados Unidos, por ejemplo, vivimos en una sociedad polarizada en donde los extremos se acentúan durante el periodo electoral. El ser humano es un ser político y es normal tener preferencias entre los partidos y candidatos. Tristemente cada vez noto que las diferencias entre Republicanos y Demócratas se hacen más grandes al mismo tiempo que la habilidad del dialogo disminuye. Como cristianos con frecuencia nos vemos atraídos por esos polos opuestos y esta situación contribuye a que nuestro pensamiento teológico se vea más afectado por una postura política y no por Dios . La Biblia enseña que el ser humano es creado a la imagen y semejanza de Dios (Gen. 1:27). La imago Dei es lo que le da valor, significado y dignidad a los seres humanos. Todos somos importantes sin importar nuestro sexo, cultura, raza, condición física, lenguaje, estatus migratorio, religión o cualquier otra variable. La vida es sagrada porque es un regalo divino. Desde la concepción hasta el final de nuestra vida terrenal todos los seres humanos son valiosos y dignos de respeto. El Salmo 8 es un maravilloso poema que resalta la grandeza de los seres humanos sobre toda la creación. Esta realidad bíblica fundamental es por todos conocida, pero lamentablemente no llevada a la práctica en nuestra manera de pensar y abordar los problemas de nuestra sociedad. Puedo entender que los no creyentes se dejen llevar por sus posturas políticas, pero me entristece ver que muchos cristianos permiten que sus preferencias electorales influyan en su manera de pensar teológicamente de manera que no vean que cualquier sistema o partido político no refleja completamente una cosmovisión cristiana. Si somos coherentes, la imagen de Dios en todos debería ser un punto fundamental para analizar cualquier problema social. Por ejemplo, muchas personas en la sociedad están en completo desacuerdo con el aborto. Para ellos, y para los cristianos que creen que el ser humano es creado a la imagen de Dios y que la vida se origina en la concepción, el aborto es una afrenta fragante contra Dios y contra la santidad de la vida. El aborto no es un asunto que se basa principalmente en la preferencia de la mujer a elegir si desea tener un hijo sino en el regalo divino de la vida. Tanto la madre como el feto son igualmente valiosos al ser creados a la imagen de Dios y el aborto es un crimen al que tenemos que aborrecer. Sin embargo, muchos de los que se oponen al aborto también promueven políticas discriminatorias contra otros seres humanos creados a la imagen de Dios. Ante Dios ningún ser humano es "ilegal" o de segunda categoría. La diversidad racial también es un valor que celebrar y cualquier tipo de discriminación es un pecado y una afrenta contra Dios. El derecho constitucional a portar armas no está por encima del valor de la vida y matar a otra persona creada a la imagen divina siempre es un crimen no importa que sea en defensa propia. Como todos los seres humanos son importantes y valiosos, el derecho a la educación y a los servicios de salud deberían ser parte integral de cualquier sociedad. Todos merecen las mismas oportunidades sin importar sus circunstancias. Muchos que apoyan estas medidas de dignidad a todos los seres humanos inexplicablemente también muestras su apoyo al aborto con el argumento de que cada mujer puede elegir hacer lo que sea con su cuerpo aunque esto incluya matar a un ser humano. Es fácil notar que ningún partido político es completamente consistente con un valor cristiano básico como la imagen de Dios en todos los seres humanos. Esto es normal y predecible. Lo que no está bien es que como cristianos nos dejemos llevar solamente por nuestra preferencia política y no por los valores cristianos. Un candidato que se opone al aborto pero promueve la discriminación está tan equivocado como el que promueve la diversidad y el aborto al mismo tiempo. La santidad humana es global y en todas las circunstancias. En los próximos meses estaremos bombardeados con propaganda política. Independientemente del partido o candidato de su preferencia lo invito a que como cristianos podamos ver la vida con una perspectiva teológica y que seamos consistentes en ella. Nuestra solidaridad final está con el Señor y debemos valorar lo que El valora. Incluso al disentir con las preferencias políticas de otros, recordemos también podemos aprender de sus perspectivas y que la imagen de Dios brilla a través de ellos.