The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-03/07/2014 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK OF PRAYER: No typical Sunday for church planter by Sara Shelton Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: The annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions, March 2-9, and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering provide support for missionaries who serve on behalf of Southern Baptists across North America. With a goal of $70 million, this year's offering theme is "Firmly Planted." For more information, visit AnnieArmstrong.com. CAMBRIDGE, Md. (BP) -- A typical Sunday for Jose Nater looks anything but typical. As church planter and pastor of not one, not two, but three Spanish-language church plants on the eastern shore of Maryland, Nater and his family spend their Sundays on the road.
The mornings begin early in Cambridge, Md., as Nater, along with his wife, Myra, teaches Sunday School classes, prepares music for praise and worship and leads the morning's service at First Hispanic Baptist Church of Cambridge. As Sunday services close in Cambridge, the family packs up, grabs a quick lunch and makes the 20-mile drive to the nearby city of Easton, Md., where Nater delivers his second sermon of the day, this one at First Hispanic Baptist Church of Easton, also a Spanish-language church planted by Nater. After another quick meal, they are on the road again, this time crossing into Delaware where Nater hosts Bible classes before beginning his third church service of the day for the Hispanic community in the city of Seaford. By the time the family makes it back home, Nater and his wife have just enough time to get to bed before Monday morning comes and takes them both back to their full-time jobs -- his at a local property management company, hers as the director of an after-school program. For many, the grind of a full-time job, the needs of a family and the demands of pastoring three church plants in two states might be too much, but for Nater, it's a calling. "I have a family, a job and three congregations to pastor -- it's a full plate," Nater says. "But I know God is the one who has filled my plate with this work, who called me to these communities and these people. And He is the one who sustains me through it." Nater is one of six missionaries featured this year in the North American Mission Board's (NAMB) 2014 promotion of the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. The church plants he pastors are part of NAMB's effort to help Southern Baptists start 15,000 new churches in 10 years. Half of NAMB's financial support comes from the Annie offering. This hectic life of a bivocational church planter is not what Nater or his family had in mind when they moved to the United States from Puerto Rico in 2002. At the time, he was working for a prominent hotel chain and, with a transfer to Maryland to open a new location, was quickly climbing the corporate ladder. But just months after moving his family and taking the new position, Nater was unexpectedly let go from the company. "It was such a difficult time," Nater recalls. "We didn't see it coming and didn't know what to do. We considered leaving the area, but something in my heart said, 'This is where you're supposed to be.'" And so the family remained in Maryland despite their unexpected hardships. Soon after losing his job, the family of four lost their home as well, moving into a friend's basement. Nater took several part-time jobs and worked around the clock to keep his family from completely going under financially. "We were so unsure of what to do in that season. Looking back now, I see how God provided for us in little ways along the way to reassure us of our decision to stay in Maryland rather than to return home to Puerto Rico. I didn't know it at the time, but it was all part of His plan for our ministry," Nater says. No longer running from ministry Nater had been running from ministry for years. Having been raised in a devoutly Catholic home, Nater didn't come to faith in Christ until he was in high school through a local evangelical church in Puerto Rico. It was there he met his wife. The couple married after Nater's college graduation and quickly set to work building their lives together in Puerto Rico. Though set on climbing the corporate ladder, Nater found himself returning time and again to church work -- taking seminary courses, serving with a church plant in Puerto Rico and even preaching and singing occasionally at Sunday services. "People would often say to me, 'I believe you could be a pastor,' but I would always resist," Nater says. "Still in the back of my mind, I felt like ministry was calling me even if I didn't want it. It's funny because all the time I thought I was running from ministry, God was moving me to exactly where He wanted that ministry to begin." His ministry finally began when a local pastor approached Nater about starting a church specifically designed to reach the growing Hispanic population in Cambridge. "When I was asked about taking on this role of church planter I knew in my heart that this was the time and the place God had been leading me to," Nater says. "I prayed for God to clear the way for us to begin this work, and He did." The Naters opened the doors of First Hispanic Baptist Church of Cambridge in 2006. Three years after planting in Cambridge, Nater and his core team duplicated their work in nearby Easton, starting First Hispanic Baptist Church of Easton. In 2012 they were at it again, this time starting their third work, the church in Seaford. "It's hard to grow a church plant in any area, but I think it's especially difficult to do in the Northeast and for such a specific people group," Nater explains. "God truly blessed us and has been faithful in helping us reach the Hispanic population here." The need for Hispanic ministry is great along the eastern shore. That's why, in addition to the churches he has already started, Nater has a vision to help congregations multiply into at least 10 campuses over the next three years. Though Nater admits the challenge of adding leadership training and church multiplication to his workload is difficult, he believes this, too, is part of the plan. "My heart is in church planting, multiplying churches and leading people to Christ," he says. "I think if you really want to be in that work, you have to fully adopt that 'Whatever it takes' attitude. You work long hours, you drive across state lines, you keep showing up in faith -- and let God do the rest." Nater says it is the network of support he has found in the Southern Baptist Convention and through the giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering that has helped keep churches growing and multiplying. "When I started I didn't know anything about the North American Mission Board or the Easter offering," he says. "I am so thankful to have connected to this convention and for their continued support as we seek to keep planting churches." --30-- Sara Shelton is a writer for the North American Mission Board. To view a video on Jose Nater's ministry and learn about his and others’ work, visit www.anniearmstrong.com or go to vimeo.com/81833941. -------------------------------------------------------------------- BSA closer to gay leadership, Easley says by Diana Chandler Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday ORLANDO, Fla. (BP) -- The Walt Disney Company is playing into the hands of Boy Scouts of America by cutting donations to BSA, giving the Scouts greater public leverage to accept gay leaders, Atlanta area pastor Ernest Easley said today (March 7). Disney in February joined a growing list of companies who have cut financial support to BSA because of the Scouts' ban on openly gay leaders. Such pressure will make it easier for BSA to open Scout leadership to gay men, said Easley, pastor of Roswell Street Baptist Church and chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. "Walt Disney has [apparently] done," what the Boy Scouts wanted, Easley told Baptist Press. "They've done them a favor in putting more pressure out there for the Scouts to come back later on and say, 'Here's the deal. Walt Disney's cut us.... We have no choice than to let the [gay] men be part of this.'" BSA voted last May to allow openly gay youths to become Scouts beginning this year, but retained a Scout prohibition on gay leaders that survived a 2000 Supreme Court challenge. BSA's national membership has dropped 6 percent in the past year, although the group doesn't attribute the numbers to the policy change. "I think it's part of [the Boy Scouts] strategy," Easley said. "... Why open the door to it? They knew that in May it was such a hot issue that they could not go all the way and let [gay] men be leaders in that organization. But they knew it was a matter of time." Disney does not give direct donations to the Scouts, but Disney's VoluntEARS program allows its employees to do volunteer work in exchange for cash donations to the charities of their choice. Employees taking part in the VoluntEARS program will no longer be able to submit the funds to BSA, Disney said Feb. 28. The change goes into effect in January 2015. Disney did not release any data to show how much money has gone to the Scouts through the VoluntEARS program. But Easley, whose church stopped hosting Scout troop meetings because of the inclusion of gay Scouts, said the issue is about promoting the inclusion of gay Scout leaders, not about money. "I don't really think it's a money issue. I think it's the principle of it," Easley said. "I think that you're going to continue seeing an effort from individuals and corporations to pressure them into taking the final step that [BSA] started in May of allowing homosexuals to be adult leaders in their organization. "You're going to have legislation, you're going to have corporations, you're going to have influential individuals continuing to put pressure on them," Easley said. "And my guess is as I said last year, it's going to happen. I think they want it to happen, the Scouts." Companies that have cut funding to BSA because it excludes gay leaders are Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar, Major League Soccer, Merck, Intel and UPS, said Scouts for Equality, a national group fighting for the inclusion of gay Scout leaders. Scouts for Equality applauded Disney. "We're never happy to see Scouting suffer as a result of the BSA's anti-gay policy, but Disney made the right decision to withhold support until Scouting is fully inclusive," said Eagle Scout and Scouts for Equality co-founder Zach Wahls, the son of two lesbian parents. "Scouts for Equality will continue to advocate for a fully inclusive membership policy, to help build a stronger Scouting community that is eligible for the support of Corporate America." Other moves in the fight to open Scouting to gay leaders include the anticipated litigious fight on behalf of Pascal Tessier, a gay 17-year-old Maryland boy who in February was awarded Eagle Scout status, the highest ranking. At 18, he will be ineligible for Scout participation. "On my 18th birthday, I'm planning on applying to be an adult leader for the Boy Scouts so that we push the issue," Tessier has said. --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' general assignment writer/ editor. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- ERLC: Criminalizing homosexuals unjust by Tom Strode Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- A government that criminalizes homosexual behavior "has overstepped its bounds drastically and unjustly," say two leading Southern Baptist ethicists. Russell D. Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), and Andrew Walker, director of policy studies for the same entity, wrote in a March 3 essay they remain aligned with the Bible's view of sexuality while also contending homosexuals should not be targeted by the law. They believe, Moore and Walker said, what the church has affirmed traditionally and universally -- "that sexuality is to be expressed only within the one-flesh union of the marriage of a man to a woman. Anything else is a sin against God. The church has believed this, and will always believe this, because the Bible teaches it. "At the same time, we believe laws criminalizing homosexual activity to be unjust and an affront to the image of God embedded in all persons," they wrote in the commentary, which was posted at the ERLC's "Canon & Culture" blog channel. The comments from Moore and Walker came in the wake of additional countries criminalizing homosexual activity. Uganda enacted a law Feb. 24 that includes life sentences for people convicted of repeated homosexual activity and imprisonment for "aiding and abetting" homosexuality, according to a March 7 article by The Christian Science Monitor. In January, Nigeria approved a similar measure that authorizes 10-year prison sentences for same-sex couples observed kissing publicly and people visiting a gay club, the newspaper reported. The United Nations (U.N.) reports 78 countries either have laws that criminalize homosexual behavior or have prosecuted lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people under other laws. Seven regimes -- mostly Islamic states in Africa and the Middle East -- have authorized capital punishment for homosexual conduct, according to the U.N. Their principal reason for opposing such laws is the Gospel of Jesus, said Moore and Walker, who wrote, "Not everything that is sinful should be a crime." "Yes, we believe that all sexual activity outside of marriage (defined by Jesus, not by the Supreme Court) is wrong," they said. "We also believe that the answer to this sin is found not in some police state, but in the good news that God reconciles sinners like us to himself through the shed blood and the ongoing life of Jesus Christ." The mission of Christians "is not to imprison and persecute those who are walking contrary to the Scriptures, but instead our mission is to love and to persuade," Moore and Walker wrote. "Our mission is to be ambassadors of reconciliation -- a mission that necessitates both defining sin and offering mercy (2 Cor. 5:18-19). That cannot be done by coercion or threats of a police state, but only by the persuasive power of the conviction of the Holy Spirit." Moore and Walker also said, "[T]he American 'spirituality' that pretends as though sexual immorality has no spiritual consequences isn't recognizably Christian at all. The jailing and execution of people for consensual sexual immorality, in contexts like we see in many places around the world, isn't Christian, either. "That's why the global Body of Christ should stand faithful both to a biblical vision of sexuality and at the same time decry laws ... that would mistreat homosexual persons." Their opposition to prison sentences and execution for homosexuals, Moore and Walker wrote, is not based on the view "that governments have no interest in the stability of the family." Instead, they "believe a nation can teach a positive truth in its laws about marriage and sexuality without prohibiting and targeting its opposite," they said. "For example, we believe the role of the state should be to promote the stability of families and to provide appropriate incentives for children to be welcomed into homes with both a mother and a father." The United States and other governments, however, have "too often ignored this function of the state," Moore and Walker wrote. God has given authority to the government, according to the Bible, to "maintain public safety and order according to principles of public justice," they said. "Everywhere in the New Testament, the mission of confronting personal sin is given to the church, not to the state," they wrote, but the church "does not have the coercive power of the sword." The church is to "confront the sexual immorality of those inside" its body, Moore and Walker said, adding, "[E]ven in the worst case of such immorality the ultimate step is excommunication, not the setting up of a police state to execute." They strongly oppose, however, government compulsion of those who disagree with same-sex marriage. The expanding legalization of gay marriage has resulted in the loss of freedom to exercise religious beliefs by people who provide wedding services, including photographers, florists and bakers. "[W]e sharply dissent from the use of state power, as we've seen in American life in recent days, to coerce the consciences of persons -- whether Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or what have you -- to participate in weddings or celebrations of unions we believe to be violations of our consciences," they wrote. Of all groups, Baptists should be "in support of limiting the power of government to see itself as a theological broker," Moore and Walker said. "As Baptist Christians, our own history has shown us what injustice can happen when a state applies the Old Testament Mosaic code -- a code designed to mark out the nation of Israel in redemptive history until the coming of Israel's Messiah -- to the civil state," they wrote. "Our ancestors were whipped, beaten, and exiled from Old England and from New England for refusing to sprinkle infants or to pay taxes for Anglican preaching." The essay by Moore and Walker is available online at http://www.canonandculture.com/what-should-christians-think-of-governments-that-criminalize-homosexuality/. --30-- Tom Strode is Baptist Press' Washington bureau chief. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Green family Bible museum closer to opening by Staff Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- A yet-to-be-named Bible museum owned by Hobby Lobby's Green family moved one step closer to its anticipated 2017 opening in Washington, D.C., with the hiring of two top-level management executives. The Museum of the Bible, a nonprofit organization that will oversee the museum, hired David Trobisch as director of the museum's collections and Steve Bickley as vice president of marketing, finance and administration, according to a March 6 news release. The museum, which will focus on the story, history and impact of the Bible, will be located in a reconstructed 400,000-square-foot space that formerly was the Washington Design Center, just three blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Housed in the museum will be a collection of 40,000 ancient biblical texts and artifacts, including one of the world's largest private collections of Dead Sea Scrolls and the earliest surviving New Testament texts in Jesus' household language. Steve Green, museum chairman and president of the Hobby Lobby arts and crafts retail chain, lauded Trobisch's expertise as an independent Bible scholar who consults with the American and German Bible societies. "When we looked in the academic community for ... a scholar to lead our acquisition and research efforts, David Trobisch was mentioned time and again as someone who is a very skilled, distinguished scholar," Green said. Trobisch will advise on new acquisitions, identify the storylines for the museum's exhibits and supervise a team of 30 scholars and curators. Bickley had been executive vice president of marketing and business development for Bell Media, Canada's largest media company. Developing a museum to educate the world about the Bible is an important move, Green has said. "We have probably the most ignorant population we've ever had in our society [about the Bible] because it's been taken out of our schools," Green said. "We want to be able to, in a simple way, explain to them, 'Here's what the Bible is.' Ultimately, it's about the fact that we are sinners, we need a Savior and Christ was that. And He came to die for us that we might have life." Green is owner of the world's largest private collection of rare biblical texts and artifacts, and he only began the endeavor in 2009. He believes the Bible is "the most incredible book ever written" and that it has "had the greatest impact on our society of any other book." He plans for the museum to tell the story of the Bible in a solid, academic way. Until the museum opens, the Green Collection is featured in the worldwide traveling exhibition "Passages." The 14,000-square-foot interactive multimedia exhibition includes rare biblical manuscripts, printed Bibles and historical items including ancient biblical papyri, portions of the Gutenberg Bible and multiple first editions of the English Bible through the King James Version. A spokesperson for the Green Collection said the family amassed the collection "not to lock it away for safekeeping or tuck into a think tank but to share it with the world. They don't consider themselves collectors. Their goal is to make the history, scholarship and impact of the Bible accessible to everyone." --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Erin Roach. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Missionary loses ALS battle, dies at 43 by Don Graham Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an update to a set of stories about the Harpers* that appeared Dec. 17, 2013, in Baptist Press: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41684, http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41685, http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41683 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (BP) -- Mary Harper* didn't want to fight anymore. For months, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) had gradually robbed her body of muscle and strength. She resisted with exercise, dietary supplements and prayer. But now, sitting in a wheelchair in the family's kitchen near Springfield, Mo., the 43-year-old mother of two was ready to yield. The disease had won. ALS had finally crushed her spirit. "I'm tired," Mary told her husband, John,* as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of y'all seeing me suffer." Until that moment, there had been hope for a miracle. That God would heal Mary, or at least, stop the disease's progression. But as John listened to the weariness in his wife's voice, suddenly he knew -- the woman he had loved for the past 21 years was going to die. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Eight years ago, the Harpers uprooted their family and moved to a spiritually dark corner of Central Asia to spread the Gospel as Southern Baptist missionaries. By 2012, they were entering the prime of their ministry. That's when ALS changed everything. Forced to return to the United States, Mary was given three to five years to live. But she worried she wouldn't last that long. Instead, she asked God for a single "good year" -- enough time to transition her family back to America and teach her teenage daughters, Lindsey* and Jessica,* how to make a home without her. Cruel disease ALS is a cruel disease. It attacks the nerves responsible for muscle movement, gradually paralyzing the body while sparing the mind. Many ALS victims eventually become "trapped" in their own bodies, unable to move, eat or even speak. Mary's symptoms began with twitching in her arm and shoulder. By April 2013, she had lost the use of her right arm completely. She was growing weaker, too, and tired easily. Even small tasks, like putting away dishes, were a challenge. Soon, cooking, cleaning and laundry were all handed over to Lindsey, Jessica and John. "She had such a servant's heart," John said. "But she wasn't able to serve. She had to be served." Mary's condition continued to deteriorate rapidly. It was November 2013 when she told John she was tired of fighting. By then Mary could no longer dress, bathe or even use the bathroom by herself. She wore a scarf to hide the dramatic muscle loss in her neck and chest. "She didn't want to go some places because I would have to feed her," John said. "It was embarrassing to her. She didn't want people to remember her that way." ALS even took away simple pleasures. When they went to bed, Mary would often fall asleep with her head on John's chest and her arm across his waist. But her muscles were now too weak to hold that position without straining. So they held hands instead. "It just killed me. It really hurt [to see her suffer]," he said. "She never complained about her inabilities. She got frustrated at herself ... [but] not mad at God." Mary's homecoming On the morning of Jan. 20, 2014, Mary was having trouble breathing. She couldn't seem to get enough air and felt like she would faint. She began choking sporadically. John was frightened. "I asked her three times, 'Do you want me to call you an ambulance?'" he said. Each time she answered, "Why?" "I think she knew she was going to die that day," he said. Mary's parents were already at the house; John's brother rushed to school to pick up Lindsey and Jessica. John was worried they wouldn't make it in time, but Mary held on. Family and close friends came to say goodbye, too. They held Mary's hand, kissed her forehead and cried as she struggled to breathe. Ahsan* and Iman,* the Harpers' closest friends and ministry partners in Central Asia, called to pray with her. "Go be with your God," John remembers telling Mary through his tears. "Quit fighting. Quit struggling." As more time passed between breaths, her eyes closed. "Heaven is such a beautiful place," she said. Those were Mary's last words. She lost consciousness and died soon after. "Blessed be the name of the Lord. Though He slay me, I will trust in Him," John cried out as he wept over her body. "And I kept saying, 'My sweet Mary. My sweet, sweet, Mary.' Because she was so sweet. Everybody loved her. She was easy to love." People filled the church in Ozark, Mo., for Mary's funeral. Many shared stories with John of how Mary had personally impacted their lives, often with the truth from the Bible. "Great is Thy Faithfulness" was sung at her request. "That was her testimony through all of this; that God had been faithful," John said. "Even in death, she is still sharing the Gospel." Looking ahead Today, the Harpers are learning to live with the hole left by Mary's absence. It's hard, but they've been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support they've received. People they barely know have brought meals, helped clean their house, even given special "love gifts," like a box of shotgun shells so Jessica could go hunting. Not to mention dozens of cards and letters from believers across the country offering encouragement and prayer. John said some of the changes just feel weird -- like sleeping alone or not knowing whether to mark "married" or "single" on the visitor's card at his new church. "I just left it blank," he said. He misses Mary's "beautiful green eyes," practical wisdom and ability to "straighten him out" with a single look. "Every weakness I had was her strength, and every weakness she had was my strength," he said. "And I will miss her until the day I die." What will be hardest, he thinks, will be watching his daughters grow up without Mary by his side. "She won't get to see the godly young ladies they are going to become," he said. But he can't dwell on his grief. He's got a family to raise and a new job to find. He doesn't know whether he'll ever return to Central Asia, but that won't stop him from sharing the Gospel. That calling has not changed. "I have absolutely no idea what the future holds," John said. "I think everybody is going to be amazed at what God can do with a hillbilly like me.... Our story isn't over." --30-- *Name changed. Don Graham is an International Mission Board senior writer. To view additional photos and a message by John Harper, go to: http://www.commissionstories.com/photos/view/tired-of-fighting/1. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Nye debate, 'Noah' film fuel ark project by Diana Chandler Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday PETERSBURG, Ky. (BP) -- A successful bond offering allowing construction to begin in May on a full-scale replica of Noah's ark can be tied to publicity generated by a creationism debate with Bill Nye "The Science Guy" and by Paramount's film "Noah," Answers in Genesis CEO Ken Ham said. Ham's defense of creationism against Nye's evolution arguments was viewed by 7 million people in a Feb. 4 live stream, according to the biblical apologetics ministry Answers in Genesis (AiG). Three weeks later, Ham announced enough money had been raised to fund the $73 million first phase of the Ark Encounter educational park, which includes a 510-foot ark. He credited God for bringing the project to fruition. "The date of my debate with Bill Nye had been on our calendar several months before we knew the final delivery date of the Ark bonds," Ham said in a press release. "But in God's timing, not ours -- and although the bond registration had already closed before Feb. 4 and no more bonds could be purchased -- the high-profile debate prompted some people who had registered for the bonds to make sure they followed through with submitting the necessary, and sometimes complicated, paperwork." The raising of several million dollars in donations and ark memberships prior to the bond paid for the purchase and clearing of land, architectural plans, exhibit designs and other costs, AiG reported. The first phase of the Ark Encounter will include installation of the park infrastructure on 800 acres off I-75 in Grant County, Ky., south of Cincinnati, and the construction of the ark. The ark is slated to open in 2016, Ham said. Noah movie Ham continues to caution people about watching Paramount's upcoming Noah. He described it as not only biblically inaccurate, as Paramount has admitted, but outright "anti-biblical." The official website for the film Noah prominently displays the message that the movie takes artistic license, and that the biblical story can be found in the book of Genesis. That's not enough to redeem the film's inaccuracies, Ham said. While films based on Bible stories have often strayed from Scripture, Paramount's Noah, Hamm said, goes beyond artistic enhancement of Scripture. "The Noah movie is an attack on the Bible," Ham told Baptist Press. "It's not just unbiblical, it's anti-biblical, because the environmentalism is over the top. Noah is more interested in animals than he is in humans (in the movie). "The Bible portrays Noah as a man of great reverence ... and he's a preacher of righteousness, whereas the movie has Noah a very angry man who even wants to kill his grandchild because when his daughter-in-law gets pregnant, he wants to stop the propagation of the human race. I mean, it goes on and on; there are a lot of things like that in it." The Ark Encounter will help people understand the biblical account of Noah's ark, which is crucial to the Gospel, Ham said. "I believe the ark is the greatest reminder of the Gospel," he said. "As Noah and his family had to go through a door to be saved, we need to go through a door to be saved. So it's a reminder of Jesus. He said, 'I am the door.' "We want to build the ark with that emphasis, to lead people to the door, to go through. Whereas the Noah movie is being produced by Hollywood for entertainment." The Paramount production will potentially lead astray youth and Christians of all ages, Ham said. "Unfortunately I think a lot of young people ... they're not going to read their Bibles these days. They're not going to check it out," he said. "And then many Christians don't read their Bibles like they should. So I think even many Christians will probably be led astray by the movie." Ham encourages moviegoers to instead see a biblically solid portrayal of the global flood in a movie directed by Ray Comfort, "Noah -- and the Last Days," available for Internet download ahead of its March 28 release on YouTube and DVD. Comfort, founder, president and CEO of Living Waters Publications, said he directed and produced his Noah film in protest of Paramount's production. For more information on Comfort's production, go to NoahTheMovie.com. --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' general assignment writer/editor. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Abusive content overshadowed Oscar talent by Phil Boatwright Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- The razzle-dazzle 86th Academy Awards ceremony naming "12 Years a Slave" the best film of the year, paraded before viewers a list of movies with abusive content. The technical and artistic qualities of the nominees cannot be debated. Indeed, it must have been difficult to select one nominee over another when it came to the skill and technique represented in each category. But whatever positive messages may be contained in Oscar's choices, their themes were eclipsed by desensitizing content. Content is never considered when Hollywood passes out little golden statues, but cinematic content has become as influential as its artistic merits. While some of last years' films offered a moral or life lesson -- "Gravity," "Captain Phillips," "Saving Mr. Banks" -- far too many took moviegoers down a dark road. Six of the Best Picture nominees were deservedly rated R. And how "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Dallas Buyers Club" escaped the seldom used NC-17 mystifies this film reviewer. Movies are said to be an art form. It follows then, that the art of storytelling is most effective not just when it shows who we are, but when it suggests what we can become. Many of this year's Oscar contenders seem to ignore that challenge. What exactly is the moral of "August: Osage County" or "American Hustle?" So, why does this humble movie correspondent continue to subject himself to such grievous film-going experiences? (Don't think I don't ask that of myself about this time each year.) My answer -- movies are modern man's medium for relating parables to the masses. Like parables, films can teach and uplift as well as entertain. And like every other film buff, I'm always hoping for the next "Friendly Persuasion," "To Kill a Mockingbird," or "It's A Wonderful Life." Sadly, films that uplift the spirit as well as entertain are few and far between. So many of this year's nominees seem to not just reflect our nation's decaying moral standards, but embrace them. If you are troubled by the crudity and profane nature of many films Hollywood considers "art," then you really should read the critiques of those of us who provide the reasons for the ratings. A review is just an opinion, but the synopsis and the film's content should help you when deciding what's appropriate for your family's viewing. --30-- In addition to writing for Baptist Press, Phil Boatwright reviews films for www.previewonline.org and is a regular contributor to "The World and Everything In It," a weekly radio program from WORLD News Group. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL TO PRAYER: The Ukrainian crisis by Roger S. Oldham Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is part of the call to prayer issued by Frank S. Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, to pray for revival and spiritual awakening for our churches, our nation and our world. NASHVILLE (BP) -- My first visits to Eastern Europe in the 1990s were eye-opening events. The process for visiting Ukraine for the first time was quite involved. Securing a visa to visit the country was complicated and expensive. When the plane touched down on that first visit, the first of three passport controls took place while I was still standing on the plane's exit stairs. Armed guards, rifles at the ready position, were fanned out across the tarmac. An army colonel scrutinized each passport and interrogated each deplaning passenger before our foot ever touched Ukrainian soil. My second visit was not quite as intense, although still quite involved. On this trip I was privileged to visit a number of villages away from the major cities. I found small pockets of Baptists anxious to reestablish visible churches in their communities. One village stands out. John, an elderly man, was visibly moved to know that his village would again have a Baptist church. He had experienced the challenges of living as a Christ-follower under Communist rule during the 1930s. His Baptist community of about 400 believers was decimated under Nazi rule when they advanced across Ukraine in fierce fighting in 1941. Others from his church were killed when the Nazis retreated, razing and looting the land of everything with any military value as the advancing Russian army retook Ukraine in 1944. Being "liberated" from Germany, he then spent many years in the gulag under Stalin's cruel rule during the post-WWII communist era. John hosted me in his home for a meal, his extended family crowded around him at the table. Though his aged body was racked from obvious signs of great suffering, his eyes shone with the radiant light of Jesus as he told his story and reveled in the fact that a new church was being established in his village. My most recent visit to Ukraine was altogether different. No visa, no armed guards, no intense scrutiny. I saw open Christian witness and beautiful church houses and experienced vibrant worship services. So, it is with intense interest that I have watched the unfolding events taking place in Ukraine this past month. Oleksandr Turchynov, a Baptist preacher, was elected as Ukraine's interim president in late February. Valery Antonyuk, vice president of the All Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Churches, Baptist, released the following statement at the time of Turchynov's election. It is a powerful commentary on an appropriate Christian response to the changing and challenging political winds that sweep across countries. It is a call to prayer and serves as a prayer guide for us as we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ living in the midst of a nation in crisis. I urge each reader to read it as a prayer to the Lord. "During this time of fateful change in the life of the Ukrainian nation, the Church and each Christian individually cannot remain spectators on the sidelines of the battles and losses. The Church serves society and mourns together with it. We went through difficult days together with the nation -- we served through prayer, evangelism, volunteers, medical help, clothing, and food. Today a time has come for a ministry of active reconciliation, which will help maintain unity in our country and nation. "We supported the nation's demand to put an end to the tyranny of the authorities and repressions by the police. Now it is important to restore justice and due process of law in the country, to form a government that has the people's trust, and provide fair presidential elections. We believe that those guilty of crimes against the people will be justly judged, and that peaceful citizens will be protected. "But on behalf of the Church we must say more, we must speak the whole truth; we must say that which is still hard to accept and fulfill; that, which is a precondition for a better future. "Therefore the Church calls the Ukrainian nation to more than just feelings of human justice -- to Christian forgiveness, grace, and reconciliation. We pray to God for repentance for the guilty. However at the same time we ask victims to forgive those who are already repentant as well as those who are still lost. In order to unite the nation, in order to reconcile its various parts, its various social, cultural, and political groups, laws and justice are not enough. Without repentance, grace, forgiveness and reconciliation, the country will remain divided and in conflict. This is the precondition for a deep spiritual transformation of Ukraine. "The Bible says that there is, 'a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace' (Ecc. 3:7-8). In accordance with these wise words, we declare today to be a time to mend, and not a time to tear the nation apart; a time to seek peace, and not a time to fan the flames of war; a time to learn to love yesterday's enemies, and not a time to continue to hate rivals and those who have hurt us. "We call on the Evangelical churches of Ukraine to serve to bring peace between people and healing to the wounds of war. We do not call black white and do not justify crimes or even mistakes. But we, as Christians, forgive, because we have been forgiven by God. He reconciled us to Himself, and gave us a message of reconciliation. This grace-giving Word to our whole nation should be heard from Lvov to Donetsk, from Kiev to Simferopol. "We also call upon the international Christian community asking for prayer and intercession for the Ukrainian nation and for help with peacemaking. We mourn for the victims, and thank God for His grace toward Ukraine, and pray for peace and spiritual revival in our nation." --30-- Roger S. Oldham is vice president for convention communications and relations with the SBC Executive Committee. For related stories, click here andhere. Click here for story collection. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Alamo courage by Kelly Boggs Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- Students of Texas history understand the significance of the time frame that spans February 23 to March 6 on the calendar. It was during these 13 days in 1836 that the siege of the Alamo took place. The courage displayed by those who sequestered themselves in the former Spanish mission in San Antonio still inspires awe. The same willingness to take a stand in the face of insurmountable odds is needed today if America's moral unraveling is going to be slowed, much less reversed. In response to a rebellion brewing in the Mexican region known as Texas, President Antonio López de Santa Anna, assembled a military force which eventually totaled more than 3000 troops. Mexico's president personally took charge of his army with the expectation of quickly crushing the uprising. In order for Santa Anna to stop the Texian rebellion, his Mexican army had to first deal with a little speed bump in the form of an unimpressive makeshift fortress located in San Antonio. Historical accounts reflect the Mexican president thought taking the Alamo was little more than a formality. The approximately 180 men who manned the rag-tag fort in San Antonio believed reinforcements would at some point join them in their effort to thwart the Mexican army's march into the heart of Texas. For 13 harried days they fought and waited, but eventually word came help would not be coming. The story has long been told that at some point on March 5, Colonel William B. Travis, commander of the Alamo, informed his men that a Mexican attack on the fort was to be expected at any time. He also shared it was very unlikely they would be able to withstand the onslaught. Travis told the men what they already knew; Santa Anna had made it clear no mercy would be extended to the rebels defending the Alamo. All combatants would be killed. The commander of the Alamo gathered his men together and drew a line on the ground with his sword. He then asked those who were willing to stay and fight to the death to cross the line. To those unwilling to make the ultimate sacrifice, Travis told them the time to leave had come. As the story goes, approximately 180 men crossed the line. Among them were Davy Crockett, legendary congressman from Tennessee and famed frontiersman, and fighter Jim Bowie. According to the story, Bowie was suffering from consumption and was confined to a bed. He asked to be carried across the line. Only one man, identified as Moses Rose, did not cross the line. Sometime in the night prior to the Mexican assaults of March 6, he left the fort and slipped through enemy lines to safety. While some historians have dismissed the "line in the sand" story as legend, others believe it to be accurate. James Donovan, in his book "The Blood of Heroes: The 13-Day Struggle for the Alamo and the Sacrifice that Forged a Nation," believes the story to be true. Donovan's take on the "line in the sand" is as follows: "An important point to bear in mind is this: there is not a single event associated with the siege and fall of the Alamo that has been related in so many independent versions by so many different individuals attesting to its fundamental truth." The author continues, "There now exists enough reliable evidence to consider the existence of Moses Rose, his escape from the Alamo, and the line drawn by Travis to be acceptable, factual history." Donovan writes that years after the Alamo siege Rose was asked why he did not cross the line. "By God, I wasn't ready to die," was his reply. The men in the Alamo knew that if they stayed they were going to be killed. Perhaps they would be shot, hit by a cannon ball or skewered by a bayonet, but somehow they were going to die. Yet, all but one stayed. Historians speculate as to what impact the Alamo had on securing Texas independence. The 13-day siege seems to have bought time so Texas' Declaration of Independence could be signed on March 2. Also Sam Houston, who signed the document, began to organize an army to respond to Santa Anna's advance. During the "13 Days of Glory" it is reported that the 180 men defending the Alamo inflicted approximately 600 casualties on the Mexican army. It is certain those who died at the Alamo inspired the Texians who routed Santa Anna's army in 18 minutes on April 21, 1836, at the Battle of San Jacinto; the battle which secured Texas independence. During the Battle of San Jacinto the cry, "Remember the Alamo" was born. The Texians attacking Santa Anna's troops were reported to scream it at the top of their lungs as they assaulted the Mexican army. America's moral fabric is unraveling at breakneck speed. It is proven that those who stand up for Christ and biblical values are going to be metaphorically shot. Liberal activists have even been known to "kill" a reputation from time to time. As a result, we need courageous leaders to stand and take the bullets. Standing and speaking out might help slow America's skid into a moral morass. More than that, getting attacked by the enemies of righteousness might inspire others to stand and speak. Many voices are needed if we are to stem the rising tide of godlessness. Defenders of the Alamo gave their lives for the cause of freedom. Are we willing to suffer metaphorical bullets and attacks on our reputation for the cause of righteousness? For Christ's sake and the future of America, I hope so. --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's office of public affairs, and editor of the Baptist Message (www.baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: El Mensaje de la Cruz by Michael A. Gonzales Date: March 07, 2014 - 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 GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) -- Cuando hablamos de la cruz, estamos hablando de un mensaje de salvación. Cristo vino a este mundo a salvar a los pecadores. Y vemos que la salvación realmente empezó en la cruz. Esa fue la comisión de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Sabemos que Cristo nació en un pesebre y Su madre, llamada María, era una virgen. Ella dio a luz un niño esa noche que iba ser el salvador del mundo. La verdad es que Dios tuvo que penetrar este mundo para darnos a nosotros esta gran salvación eterna. Antes, la vida de Dios estaba encerrada en un templo. En los tiempos antiguos era imposible ver a Dios cara a cara y no se podía estar en la mera presencia del Dios todopoderoso. Pero Dios en Su infinita gracia, mandó a Su unigénito hijo, mandado del cielo a este mundo para darnos salvación eterna. Cristo nació, creció, trabajó, ministró, sanó y mostró la vida de Dios aquí en este mundo. Pero Su final era ir hacía esa cruz porque Cristo iba terminar en un madero y después resucitar al tercer día. I de Corintios 15:1-4 nos da un buen resumen de esa salvación: "Además os declaro, hermanos, el evangelio que os he predicado, el cual también recibisteis, en el cual también perseveráis; por el cual asimismo, retenéis la palabra que os he predicado, sois salvos, si no creísteis en vano. Porque primeramente os he enseñado lo que asimismo recibí: Que Cristo murió por nuestros pecados, conforme a las Escrituras; y que fue sepultado, y que resucitó al tercer día, conforme a las Escrituras." El mensaje de la cruz cambió el curso de toda la humanidad. La experiencia de la cruz nos habla de cambios. Cristo vino para cambiar nuestras vidas y ese cambio se llama ser transformados espiritualmente por medio de Cristo. Vemos varios aspectos sobre el mensaje de la cruz. -- Mientras Cristo estaba sobre esa cruz, vemos el amor de Dios manifestándose a este mundo. La madre de Jesús estaba abandonada porque su hijo estaba sobre esa cruz. Pero estando Cristo en esa cruz mostró Su amor sobre Su madre en ese momento. Juan 19:26-27 –- "Cuando vio Jesús a su madre, y al discípulo a quien él amaba, que estaba presente, dijo a su madre: Mujer, he ahí tu hijo. Después dijo al discípulo: He ahí tu madre. Y desde aquella hora el discípulo la recibió en su casa." Tenedlo por seguro que Cristo nos ama y en Él siempre estamos seguros. -- Mientras Cristo estaba sobre esa cruz, Él comunicó a este mundo perdido un espíritu de perdón. En Lucas 23:34 vemos lo que dijo Cristo: "Y Jesús decía: Padre, perdónalos, porque no saben lo que hacen." Cuando aceptamos a Cristo, Él quita nuestro pecado y somos perdonados. Cristo vino para dar paz y la paz viene cuando somos perdonados de nuestros pecados. -- Mientras Cristo estaba sobre esa cruz al final murió y la victoria se puso en marcha. Lo bajaron sobre esa cruz y fue puesto en una tumba pero al tercer día Cristo resucitó de esa muerte. ¡Ahora nos toca a nosotros compartir mensaje de la cruz a todo el mundo! --30-- Mike Gonzales es director de los Ministerios Multiétnicos de la SBTC. -------------------------------------------------------------------- SEMANA DE ORACIÓN: Ex-pastor iraní agradecido por los by Por Tobin Perry Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: La Semana Anual de Oración por las Misiones Norteamericanas, programada del 2 al 9 de marzo, y la Ofrenda de Resurrección Annie Armstrong proveen apoyo para los misioneros que sirven por toda América del Norte a nombre de los bautistas del sur. Con una meta de $70 millones, la ofrenda de este año se llama "Bien Sembrados." Para obtener más información visite AnnieArmstrong.com. BURBANK, Calif. (BP) –- Durante cuatro años, Aran Torosian, el pastor iraní de una casa culto clandestina, enfrentó abusos físicos y emocionales, esporádicos aunque constantes, a manos de su gobierno. Al ser descubierto intentando contrabandear Biblias dentro del país, Torosian fue presionado constantemente para que revelara la identidad de otros líderes cristianos.
"Intentaron matar mi espíritu," dijo Torosian al referirse a esos años entre el 2005 y el 2009. Ahora es un plantador de iglesias de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas en el sur de California. "Y son buenos para eso. Decidimos salir de Irán por la seguridad y libertad de la familia." Aún así, dice Torosian, el aislamiento que él y su joven esposa enfrentaron durante esos cuatro años de arresto domiciliario y vigilancia constante en Irán fueron, por mucho, la peor parte. Así que cuando Robby Pitt, un pastor del área de Los Ángeles, le dijo que había estado orando por él en su primera reunión en el sur de California en el 2009, Torosian estaba abrumado con gratitud. La Junta de Misiones Internacionales había animado a los bautistas del sur de toda América del Norte a que oraran por Torosian durante su tiempo en arresto domiciliario. "Me di cuenta que los bautistas del sur ya me conocían antes de que llegara aquí," dijo Torosian, cuyo mentor estadounidense en Irán había sido bautista del sur. "Eso me hace sentir tan fuerte. Aprendí que los bautistas del sur son una gran familia que se preocupa el uno por el otro. Ha sido una verdadera bendición. Me di cuenta que no estaba solo." Torosian es uno de los seis misioneros destacados este año por la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas (NAMB, por sus siglas en inglés) como parte de la promoción de su Ofrenda de Resurrección Annie Armstrong 2014. Los Ángeles, donde sirve Torosian, es una de las 32 ciudades de la campaña Send North America que NAMB está enfatizando y llevando recursos especiales como un esfuerzo para ayudar a los bautistas del sur a comenzar 15,000 iglesias nuevas en 10 años. La mitad del apoyo financiero de NAMB proviene de la ofrenda Annie Armstrong. Cuatro años después de haber llegado al sur de California, la familia bautista del sur de Torosian ha sido una compañera clave en múltiples plantaciones de iglesias y esfuerzos ministeriales. En el 2010 Torosian comenzó la que pudiera ser la primera iglesia bautista del sur de habla armenia en los Estados Unidos. La creciente congregación atrae a los hablantes de armenio provenientes de una variedad de países y trasfondos –incluyendo a Armenia, Irán y Rusia. La mayoría de los armenios se consideran cristianos ortodoxos armenios. Históricamente, Armenia fue el primer gobierno en el mundo que hizo el cristianismo su religión oficial. Pero, Torosian dice, el lenguaje oficial de la Iglesia Ortodoxa es antiguo y casi obsoleto. La mayoría de los armenios conocen muy poco sobre el Evangelio. "Ellos hablaban un idioma que no podíamos entender," dice Masis, el cuñado de Torosian, quien se convirtió a la fe en Cristo a través de ministerio de la Armenian Fellowship Church en Burbank. "No sabía nada sobre Jesús o Su historia." Masis y su esposa entregaron sus vidas a Cristo en los últimos años, luego que Torosian había estado compartiendo el Evangelio con ellos por más de 15 años. La pareja finalmente tomó la decisión por Cristo después que Torosian los retó a orar por su largo anhelo de tener hijos. Cuando Dios contestó esa oración, comenzaron a asistir a la Armenian Fellowship Church en Burbank, escucharon el Evangelio y respondieron de manera afirmativa ante él. El mismo Torosian entiende el reto de ir por fe a Cristo teniendo un trasfondo armenio. Cuando cursaba la preparatoria y sufrió una lesión que puso una pausa a una prometedora carrera en futbol soccer, este adolescente comenzó un tiempo de búsqueda en su alma. Miró varias tradiciones religiosas, incluyendo al islam, hinduismo, y finalmente el cristianismo bíblico. Después de darle su vida a Cristo, se involucró en el creciente movimiento de casas culto en Irán, y con el tiempo comenzó su propia casa culto. Cuando regresaba de un viaje a Turquía en el 2005, Torosian y algunos amigos fueron descubiertos intentando pasar Biblias en farsi a Irán. Después de tres días de extrema crueldad física y emocional, el gobierno lo liberó pero pasó los dos años siguientes en arresto domiciliario y otros dos años bajo vigilancia constante. Durante esos cuatro años, dijo, cada conversación era monitoreada cuidadosamente—haciendo casi imposible el testificar y convivir con los demás en la casa culto. "Le dije a mi esposa, 'Esto no es lo que nos llamó a hacer Dios,'" dijo Torosian. "Estoy ganando mucho dinero. Doy dinero a la iglesia. Pero no puedo asistir y no puedo involucrarme en el ministerio. No podemos hacer nada aquí." Así que el el 2009, Torosian renunció a su productivo trabajo en Irán para convertirse en un refugiado en los Estados Unidos. Al poco tiempo que llegó Torosian a los Estados Unidos comenzó Armenian Fellowship en Burbank con la ayuda de los bautistas del sur. Pero este ministerio no termina con la apertura de esta iglesia. Torosian siente un llamado particular para alcanzar a los musulmanes, lo que le llevó a hacer una segunda plantación de iglesia en idioma farsi en el sur de California. "Yo sé que hay libertades aquí –libertad de expresión, libertad de religión," dijo Torosian. "Quiero aprovechar esta oportunidad –cada momento sagrado—para predicar el Evangelio." Torosian cree que puede hacer mucho más de lo que ya hace gracias al apoyo de los bautistas del sur a través de la Ofrenda de Resurrección Annie Armstrong y el Programa Cooperativo. "En mi experiencia en Irán, sé que estar solo puede matar tu espíritu," dijo Torosian. "Sé lo difícil que la soledad puede hacer la vida. Ahora en esta situación que tenemos en los EE UU, me fortalecen la Ofrenda de Resurrección Annie Armstrong y las oraciones. Cualquier día que me despierto y comienzo a trabajar, o predicar o compartir las Buenas Nuevas, me digo, 'Ahora muchas personas, están detrás de mí, orando por mí, orando por el ministerio, ofrendando generosamente a los misioneros a través de Annie Armstrong y de otros ministerios por todo el mundo.'" Aunque Torosian conoce de primera mano las vidas de los cristianos que son perseguidos en el mundo, él cree que vivir como cristiano en los Estados Unidos puede ser más difícil. A diferencia de los lugares donde existe la persecución legalizada, como Irán, la cultura actual de los EE UU incluye ataques constantes a la moralidad y otras formas de persecución. "No me tengan lástima," dice Torosian. "No digan, 'pobre Ara.' Ustedes están pagando un precio por Cristo al ir cada domingo a la iglesia, al ir a sus [grupos pequeños]. Su vida es un gran testigo, cómo sobreviven en este mundo. Así que continúen confiando en Él. Yo no soy el héroe. Ustedes lo son." Para obtener más información sobre Torosian y su ministerio en el sur de California, visite www.anniearmstrong.com. --30-- Tobin Perry escribe para la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas, NAMB. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Momentos cambia vidas conducen a misioneros al extranjero by Por Laura Fielding Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Desde temprana edad, Julie Linfield* pensaba que los misioneros eran "esas" personas -- las de tipo aventurero que les gustaba viajar a lugares interesantes y comer comidas extrañas. Ese tipo de vida no era para ella, pensaba; ella nunca fue de las de comer insectos o nada inusual como eso. Desde que era joven, Aaron,* el futuro esposo de Julie, quería ser misionero internacional -- y él sí había comido insectos. Dios juntó a la pareja y les mostró que las misiones no se trata de experiencias radicales, como comer cosas extrañas, sino acerca de que "Dios junta gente muy diferente para unirla en adoración al pie de la cruz," dijo Aaron. "Ahora nuestra familia va a hacer que Cristo sea conocido por los perdidos en Asia del este." Aaron y Julie Linfield son dos de los 40 nuevos misioneros designados por los directivos de IMB en un servicio el 28 de febrero en Great Hills Baptist Church en Austin, Texas. Si bien Dios llama a muchos al servicio en misiones a través de las iglesias, de los campamentos cristianos o de los viajes de misión de corto tiempo, otros sienten la dirección de Dios a través de circunstancias o influencias curiosas. Otros misioneros nuevos compartieron cómo su peregrinaje –- no importa cuán inusual o atípico -- los guió a ser "totalmente suyos" sirviendo a Dios en el extranjero. Dios llamó a Michael Love* a las misiones a través de una combinación inusual de la banda gospel Blackwood Brothers y una película de aventuras de héroes internacionales, las cuales animaron el interés de Michael en la obra de Dios en diferentes países y culturas. La esposa de Michael, Mary,* dice que Dios "comenzó a atraerme a las misiones cuando las Olimpiadas -- y el mundo -- llegaron a Atlanta." Mientras Mary estaba en la secundaria y trabajaba medio tiempo en un centro comercial en el verano de 1996, conoció a gente de todas partes del mundo, como turistas y participantes de los juegos. Pero las personas que hicieron el mayor impacto en ella fueron los misioneros que intencionadamente habían llegado a Atlanta para compartir el evangelio de Jesucristo. "Y ahora, nosotros vamos a ir con el poder de Dios para ser su corazón para la gente de Asia central," dijo Michael. Aunque Grace Winslow* escuchó el llamado de Dios a las misiones a los 22 años, ella le puso algunas estipulaciones a Dios. "Yo dije: Sudamérica,'" recordó Grace. "Él dijo: 'No.' Yo dije: 'Ni enseñar ni países musulmanes.' Dios dijo que enseñara inglés en el país musulmán más grande del mundo." Fue durante su tiempo como aprendiz en el sudeste de Asia que Dios le dio a Grace un amor por los asiáticos, y ahora ella será la voz de él para los estudiantes universitarios en Asia del este. Un lugar para rendirse Durante el servicio, el presidente de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales, Tom Elliff se dirigió a las familias, amigos y miembros de las iglesias de los nuevos misioneros -- en una divergencia de su típico mensaje se dirigió a los designados. "Quiero contestar esta pregunta que algunos de ustedes están haciendo [a los misioneros]: '¿Por qué van a ir?'" dijo Elliff. Elliff señaló Isaías 6, donde el profeta tuvo una visión del Señor. Si los lectores ahondan en el pasaje, dijo, Elliff, encontrarán que Isaías estaba convencido de la soberanía de Dios, convicto de su pecado y llamado a servir. "Pero lo que quiero que vean, lo que Dios quiere que vean, es que Isaías tuvo una experiencia con Dios que le cambió la vida -- nunca volvería a ser el mismo después de esta experiencia." Dijo Elliff. "Y estas personas sentadas aquí pueden decirles a ustedes: 'Mamá, papa, amigo, he tenido un encuentro cambia vidas con Dios.'" Pero ese encuentro cambia vidas no es "el fin de la oración," dijo Elliff. El encuentro lleva a un lugar de rendición -- no a una rendición reacia, a rastras, sino a una similar a la respuesta inmediata de Isaías a Dios: "Aquí estoy. ¡Envíame a mí!" "Qué gozo tener hijos, tener amigos, tener miembros de la iglesia que hayan tenido tal experiencia cambia vidas con Cristo que los ha llevado a un lugar de ansiosa rendición, de manera que deben ir y compartir la luz del evangelio donde no ha sido esparcida antes," dijo Elliff. "Esa es la respuesta a su pregunta." El próximo servicio de designación será el 14 de mayo en First Baptist Church de Spartanburg, Carolina del Sur. --30-- *Nombre cambiado. Laura Fielding es escritora de IMB. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡Nuevo Estudio Bíblico! Hijo de Dios: La vida de Jesús en ti by Por Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- LifeWay Español anuncia a las iglesias y ministerios el lanzamiento de su nuevo estudio bíblico, Hijo de Dios: La vida de Jesús en ti. Este estudio basado en la película Hijo de Dios y escrito por el pastor, autor y conferencista Rick Warren, ayuda a las personas a tomar pasos prácticos para poder para descubrir y llevar a cabo el maravilloso plan de Dios en sus vidas. El estudio es de seis sesiones y toca temas relevantes como el bautismo, la tentación, el sufrimiento, la muerte, la resurrección y el ministerio de Jesús. Es ideal para ser utilizado en grupos abiertos. Cada sesión es complementada por video enseñanzas en español por el pastor Rick Warren y escenas de la película Hijo de Dios. El paquete del líder incluye un DVD que contiene más de dos horas de enseñanzas y escenas en video. Luis López, Director de LifeWay Español dice, "El estudio bíblico Hijo de Dios" al igual que la película, va a impactar a muchas vidas ayudándoles a acercarse a Jesús y dándoles las herramientas para ser más como el Maestro. Para LifeWay Español es una bendición el poder ofrecer a las iglesias este fabuloso recurso para grupos pequeños. Es una valiosa herramienta que la iglesia puede utilizar para alcanzar a las personas interesadas en estudiar acerca de Jesucristo, ya sea creyente o no. Descubrir al Hijo de Dios o profundizar en sus enseñanzas le bendecirá. El libro para el participante y el paquete para el líder de Hijo de Dios ya están disponibles para la pre-venta. Adicionalmente, LifeWay ofrece una versión en inglés de este estudio titulado, Son of God: The Life of Jesus in You. Para mayor información o para ordenar este estudio favor de llamar al 1.800.257.7744 o visite www.lifeway.com/español. Información sobre LifeWay Español: LifeWay es un ministerio sin fines de lucro y una de las editoriales cristianas más grandes del mundo. Ofrece cientos de títulos de estudios bíblicos en español y desarrolla actividades y talleres acerca de la pedagogía cristiana. Su sede principal está en Nashville, TN, y cuenta con representantes y distribuidores por todo el mundo de habla hispana. LifeWay Español es el ministerio hispano de LifeWay Christian Resources, agencia establecida en 1891. --30-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Restauración, reavivamiento, oración enfoque de la reunión 2014 by Por el personal Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday BALTIMORE (BP) -- "Restauración y reavivamiento a través de la oración," es el tema de la reunión anual de la Convención Bautista del Sur 2014 los días 10 y 11 de junio en Baltimore, ha anunciado el presidente de la CBS Fred Luter. "No hemos tenido un tema que se enfoque en la oración y el reavivamiento durante muchos años," dijo Luter, pastor de Franklin Avenue Baptist Church en New Orleans. "Oro para que Dios envíe reavivamiento a lo largo y ancho de EE.UU. y particularmente entre los bautistas del sur." Salmo 80:18, 19 es la selección de Luter como el texto bíblico para apoyar el tema: " Nosotros no nos apartaremos de ti; reavívanos, e invocaremos tu nombre. Restáuranos, Señor, Dios Todopoderoso; haz resplandecer tu rostro sobre nosotros, y sálvanos (NVI). Luter predicará durante la sesión vespertina el 10 de junio, lo que marcará su última alocución presidencial. No se presentará ni se discutirá ningún negocio en la sesión vespertina adhiriéndose al formato de la reunión anual del año pasado, dijo David Smith, presidente del comité de orden en los negocios y director ejecutivo de la Asociación Bautista Austin en Texas. "Esto obviamente tuvo tan buena respuesta el año pasado que decidimos que queríamos hacerlo de nuevo," dijo Smith sobre la sesión vespertina. "Solamente pensamos que va a traer de nuevo algo por lo que la gente va a la Convención -- a oír la Palabra, a ser inspirado y a adorar. Y lo esperamos con ansia." Luter, quien es miembro del comité, solicitó en la reunión del Comité Ejecutivo de septiembre de 2013 que el formato del culto vespertino continúe, dijo Smith. "[El presidente Luter] dijo: 'Realmente me gustaría recomendar que hiciéramos de nuevo el evento del jueves en la noche.' Y por supuesto nuestro comité sinceramente apoyó eso," dijo Smith. "El jueves en la noche de la convención él estará compartiendo su discurso presidencial y Roger [McGee, pastor de música y alabanza de First Baptist Church de Alexandria, Virginia] dirigirá el tiempo de adoración." --30-- Compilado por el personal de Baptist Press. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 40 Días por la Vida reanudó el 5 de marzo by Por Tom Strode Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- El acontecimiento más enriquecedor en el tiempo de Krysten Haga como directora de la campaña 40 Días por la Vida llegó cuando supo que no era necesario que ella cumpliera con ese papel. Cerca de la conclusión de la campaña pasada de otoño en Lubbock, Texas, la única clínica de abortos de la ciudad -- Planned Parenthood -- cerró el negocio que les había quitado la vida a más de 30.000 bebés nonatos, de acuerdo al personal nacional de 40 Días por la Vida. La instalación no solamente había sido sitio de las vigilias de oración de 40 Días, sino que presuntamente no pudo llenar las nuevas regulaciones del estado para las clínicas de abortos. Como la directora local de campaña, Haga tuvo "el honor de enviar el correo electrónico que anunciaba el cierre de Planned Parenthood permanentemente, lo cual fue hasta ese momento la experiencia más gratificante que hubiera tenido en el tiempo de participación en 40 Días por la Vida," le dijo la estudiante de la Universidad Texas Tech a Baptist Press en una entrevista vía correo electrónico. Cuando Planned Parenthood Lubbock, afiliada del proveedor de abortos más grande del país, dejó de realizar los procedimientos letales, Haga recordó, "Pasé esa tarde de viernes [1º de noviembre] enviando correos electrónicos a todo en el que pudiera pensar para compartir las buenas nuevas, incluyendo al equipo nacional" de 40 Días. Como resultado, no hubo más necesidad de una vigilia de oración afuera de la instalación de abortos en Lubbock cuando 40 Días lanzó su siguiente campaña el 5 de marzo. Durante la campaña, decenas de miles de voluntarios se reúnen afuera de las clínicas de abortos en 251 ciudades diseminadas en 11 países, con la esperanza de un resultado similar al que presenció el equipo de 40 Días en Lubbock. La campaña, que concluye el 13 de abril, se realiza no solo en EE.UU. sino en ciudades en Australia, Canadá, Croacia, República Democrática del Congo, Inglaterra, Nueva Zelandia, Rusia, Sudáfrica, España y Gales. La vigilia de oración de 24 horas al día afuera de las instalaciones de abortos que son la esencia de las campañas semestrales ha provisto un significativo impulso al movimiento pro-vida desde que el esfuerzo se hizo nacional en 2007. En los subsiguientes seis años, 40 Días -- que consiste también de alcances comunitarios, oración y ayuno para terminar el aborto -- ha reportado lo siguiente: -- Más de 8.200 niños nonatos han sido salvados del aborto. -- 44 instalaciones de abortos han cerrado, y 88 trabajadores de las clínicas han dejado su trabajo. -- Cerca de 600.000 personas que representan unas 16.500 iglesias han participado en 522 ciudades a lo largo y ancho de todos los 50 estados y otros 20 países. Haga, 24, se convirtió en una de esas participantes hace cuatro años, a pesar de su edad, "supe que era tiempo de parar la demora y lanzarme de cabeza hacia algo que sabía que Dios me estaba llamando." Ella sirvió como directora de 40 Días durante las últimas cuatro campañas afuera de la instalación de Planned Parenthood de Lubbock. La "mayor motivación" para su trabajo pro-vida es su madre, dijo Haga. "Ella se encontró en un embarazo no planeado a la edad de 16 años y escogió la vida después de visitar Planned Parenthood y considerar un aborto," le dijo Haga a BP. "Ella me tuvo al principio de su último año de secundaria. Cada vez que me encuentro afuera en las aceras aconsejando, veo a mi mamá en esas asustadas y solas muchachas. Le agradezco a Dios que alguien estuviera ahí para mostrarle a ella el amor de Cristo y saber que se me ha dado la oportunidad de hacer lo mismo." En su sitio web, el personal nacional de 40 Días anima a los participantes en cada campaña a orar no solamente por las mujeres que están considerando tener un aborto y por los niños nonatos cuyas vidas están amenazadas sino, entre otras peticiones, por mujeres y hombres pos aborto y por los trabajadores de los centros de aborto. Haga y los otros participantes de 40 Días han sido siempre de una diversidad de religiones, etnias y edades, pero "un notable crecimiento" se produjo en tres áreas en la campaña de otoño de 2013, dijo el director nacional de 40 Días, David Bereit. Esas áreas, dijo, fueron "jóvenes y adultos jóvenes, protestantes y cristianos evangélicos, y minorías -- un incremento más notable y dramático de la participación hispana." Católica romana, Haga es parte del grupo religioso más grande de los participantes de 40 Días. Los católicos constituyen un estimado de un 65 a 70 por ciento de los voluntarios, mientras que los bautistas constituyen la segunda afiliación religiosa más grande y continúa en crecimiento, dijo Bereit. La más reciente campaña internacional de 40 Días estuvo marcada por el continuo crecimiento demostrado en nuevos lugares y un mayor número de participantes en lugares repetidos, le dijo Bereit a BP en una entrevista por correo electrónico. La campaña de otoño de 2013 pareció reflejar "un creciente sentido de esperanza y optimismo cuando números récord de centros de abortos están cerrando, cuando más trabajadores se convierten y se hacen públicos y cuando más leyes locales y estatales son promulgadas," dijo Bereit. "Además de los reportes de vidas salvadas, de más trabajadores de abortos que experimentan cambios de parecer, de números récord de centros de abortos que cierran, yo estaba muy animado por los reportes y fotos de niños que participan en esta campaña de 40 Días por la Vida quienes fueron salvados del aborto durante campañas previas de 40 Días por la Vida -- algunos de ellos ahora de varios años de edad." Junto con las esperanzadoras señales, el desánimo más prominente reportado al personal nacional de 40 Días, escribió Bereit, vino de un voluntario que preguntó: "¿Dónde está el resto de la iglesia de Jesucristo?" Allá todavía hay "una enorme oportunidad de una mayor participación cristiana en los esfuerzos pro-vida," dijo. Las ubicaciones para la campaña 40 Días pueden encontrarse en http://www.40daysforlife.com/location.html. --30-- Tom Strode es el jefe de la oficina de Baptist Press en Washington. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: El Mensaje de la Cruz by Por Michael A. Gonzales Date: March 07, 2014 - Friday GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) -- Cuando hablamos de la cruz, estamos hablando de un mensaje de salvación. Cristo vino a este mundo a salvar a los pecadores. Y vemos que la salvación realmente empezó en la cruz. Esa fue la comisión de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Sabemos que Cristo nació en un pesebre y Su madre, llamada María, era una virgen. Ella dio a luz un niño esa noche que iba ser el salvador del mundo. La verdad es que Dios tuvo que penetrar este mundo para darnos a nosotros esta gran salvación eterna. Antes, la vida de Dios estaba encerrada en un templo. En los tiempos antiguos era imposible ver a Dios cara a cara y no se podía estar en la mera presencia del Dios todopoderoso. Pero Dios en Su infinita gracia, mandó a Su unigénito hijo, mandado del cielo a este mundo para darnos salvación eterna. Cristo nació, creció, trabajó, ministró, sanó y mostró la vida de Dios aquí en este mundo. Pero Su final era ir hacía esa cruz porque Cristo iba terminar en un madero y después resucitar al tercer día. I de Corintios 15:1-4 nos da un buen resumen de esa salvación: "Además os declaro, hermanos, el evangelio que os he predicado, el cual también recibisteis, en el cual también perseveráis; por el cual asimismo, retenéis la palabra que os he predicado, sois salvos, si no creísteis en vano. Porque primeramente os he enseñado lo que asimismo recibí: Que Cristo murió por nuestros pecados, conforme a las Escrituras; y que fue sepultado, y que resucitó al tercer día, conforme a las Escrituras." El mensaje de la cruz cambió el curso de toda la humanidad. La experiencia de la cruz nos habla de cambios. Cristo vino para cambiar nuestras vidas y ese cambio se llama ser transformados espiritualmente por medio de Cristo. Vemos varios aspectos sobre el mensaje de la cruz. -- Mientras Cristo estaba sobre esa cruz, vemos el amor de Dios manifestándose a este mundo. La madre de Jesús estaba abandonada porque su hijo estaba sobre esa cruz. Pero estando Cristo en esa cruz mostró Su amor sobre Su madre en ese momento. Juan 19:26-27 –- "Cuando vio Jesús a su madre, y al discípulo a quien él amaba, que estaba presente, dijo a su madre: Mujer, he ahí tu hijo. Después dijo al discípulo: He ahí tu madre. Y desde aquella hora el discípulo la recibió en su casa." Tenedlo por seguro que Cristo nos ama y en Él siempre estamos seguros. -- Mientras Cristo estaba sobre esa cruz, Él comunicó a este mundo perdido un espíritu de perdón. En Lucas 23:34 vemos lo que dijo Cristo: "Y Jesús decía: Padre, perdónalos, porque no saben lo que hacen." Cuando aceptamos a Cristo, Él quita nuestro pecado y somos perdonados. Cristo vino para dar paz y la paz viene cuando somos perdonados de nuestros pecados. -- Mientras Cristo estaba sobre esa cruz al final murió y la victoria se puso en marcha. Lo bajaron sobre esa cruz y fue puesto en una tumba pero al tercer día Cristo resucitó de esa muerte. ¡Ahora nos toca a nosotros compartir mensaje de la cruz a todo el mundo! --30-- Mike Gonzales es director de los Ministerios Multiétnicos de la SBTC.