The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-03/24/2016 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Easter's enduring grip on a 12-year-old boy by Jim Burton Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday PENSACOLA, Fla. (BP) -- The Easter service drew a packed crowd, so when 12-year-old Steve Davis entered the auditorium, the only seat he found was at the side of the platform. The crowd didn't intimidate Davis; he was the first to respond to the invitation that morning to profess faith in Christ. A few minutes later, he was not alone on the front pew where he sat to fill out paperwork at First Baptist Church in Richmond, Ind. A favorite aunt and uncle also responded to the invitation as did a grandfather whom Davis had only known about a month. The following Sunday, each was baptized. Six weeks later, his grandfather died. Davis has told his Easter testimony for years. Particularly when he was a pastor in Texas, he would announce that it was his birthday. Most assumed he meant his physical birth. "I mean my spiritual birthday," Davis would say. "This is the day I gave my life to Jesus on an Easter Sunday morning." Then he would tell his story. Davis' story includes living in a troubled home where his police officer father never attended church and his mother attended only sporadically. Beginning in the first grade when he could walk to church alone, young Davis was there most Sundays. He simply liked going and enjoyed the male Sunday School teachers, whom he recalls sharing the plan of salvation each week. "To me, church was one of the places where you escape the turmoil in your life," Davis said. By his junior year in high school, even when his parents had divorced and each remarried, Davis felt God calling him to the ministry. For his senior year, Davis moved with his mother and stepfather to Southern California and began attending Euclid Street Baptist Church in Anaheim. Both the pastor, Brian Crow, and youth and music minister, Mark Tullos, encouraged Davis to be faithful to his calling. Davis hadn't come from a family with strong Christian roots and, to some, he was a doubtful candidate for ministry. "If it's God's will," Tullos told Davis, "He will make a way." God's way led Davis to East Texas Baptist University, Dallas Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Eventually, he served churches for 32 years as a pastor before returning to Indiana to lead Southern Baptists as their executive director. An "unforeseen blessing" in returning to his native state was that his father had found a church home at Central Baptist in Richmond "and attended faithfully," Davis said, "until he passed away four years ago at 85." Today Davis is the North American Mission Board vice president for convention relations based in Pensacola, Fla. Easter evangelistic services What came natural for Davis on Easter often is a challenge for some pastors. Having the largest crowd of the year can be intimidating; many attendees are just spectators and preaching something new about Easter each year can be daunting. Families have big lunch plans, so they don't want the service to go late. Add to that any special music and a children's sermon, and the service can become quite crowded and veer off the mark. Davis took a different approach. No matter the crowd size, he made evangelism central to the Easter message. Besides sharing his testimony, he typically conducted baptisms that included each new believer's testimony. During the invitation, he would relate back to the baptism candidates' stories. Inevitably, someone attending could identify. Davis recalls an Easter Sunday in San Antonio when an older gentleman came forward for salvation. The next day when Davis visited him, he learned that the man had been in the used car business. The retiree had heard Davis tell of his grandfather. As the former auto salesman told Davis his life story, he broke down in repentance for having taken advantage of people, even charging as much as 50 percent interest to some customers. "He died suddenly two days later," Davis said. In all the years since that Easter Sunday in Indiana, Davis has never lost the wonder of salvation. "I remember when I went forward, my pastor took my hand and I prayed with him for Jesus to forgive my sins, and I told the Lord that I believed in Him as my pastor had once explained to me, and I asked Jesus to come into my life and save me. Nothing dramatic or earth shattering, just a simple commitment of my life to Jesus. "I do remember that, like Andrew [one of Jesus' disciples], I told my best friend the next day on the way to school what had happened to me and invited him to come with me the next Sunday," Davis added. "As a result, I have always encouraged every person I've ever led to the Lord to do two things immediately: 1) call someone right away who you know would be excited to hear that you have made this decision and 2) call and tell your best friend what has just happened to you." Reflecting on the course of his life, Davis said, "When you come from the kind of background I come from and you see the direction most other family members have taken, frequently I scratched my head and wondered why am I here doing what I'm doing. When you're not a prophet or a son of a prophet, there are times that you just wonder." As a college student in East Texas, God showed Davis that he would always have a family of faith. With only a week left in spring semester, Davis had no work lined up for the summer. He went to his knees and prayed fervently. Within 30 minutes, he got a call to interview for a summer youth position with First Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, Texas. "Those folks took me in and loved me like I was one of their own," Davis said. "When you didn't have a family and they become your family, it gives you a different perspective on the church." As Easter 2016 approaches on March 27, Davis encourages pastors to prepare an evangelistic message -- and don't discount the unaccompanied pre-teen sitting on the side of the church. God might have big plans for him or her just as He did, years ago, for a 12-year-old who was ready to give his life to Christ. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EASTER: The cross -- far more than jewelry by Anthony L. Jordan Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) -- What would you think if people everywhere wore jewelry shaped or imprinted with an electric chair? Think of it -- beautiful and ornate jewelry made of gold or silver and adorned with diamonds or other precious stones. No, fine jewelry, beloved jewelry in the shape of an electric chair -- the symbol of death to murderers -- does not sound appealing at all. Yet over these 2,000 years, the cross -- the place of Roman execution for murderers and hardened criminals -- has become the symbol of hope around the world. I am often astounded by those who wear a cross around their neck as adornment. The cross has become one of the most cherished forms in jewelry. Amazing! What turned a cruel place of execution and death into a worldwide symbol of hope? I contend only one thing and one person -- the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross of Golgotha. He alone changed a harsh, ugly, horrible symbol into a sign of love and hope. For followers of Christ, the cross is much more than a sentimental, heartwarming symbol, and it is more than a piece of jewelry. The cross is the symbol of punishment, wrath and judgment against sin. It is the place where the Savior bled and died to pay the penalty for our sin. While hope springs from the cross, its dark reality of immeasurable physical, emotional and, above all, spiritual suffering cannot be missed. The death of Christ is substitutionary atonement for sin and rebellion against a holy and righteous God. In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve there would be consequences of disobedience and rebellion. From the moment our parents (Adam and Eve) took the fruit, sin placed a mark on all of us. We are like our Genesis parents; we are marred by sin and rebellion against our God. Jesus took the consequences of our sin. He took our death, wrath and judgment. God laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He who knew no sin became sin for us. Jesus gathered up the decrees and sin debt against us, and they were nailed to the cross. The apostle John records that Jesus cried from the cross, "It is finished." There are some powerful word pictures behind the original word translated "finished." I give you only one: This original word was used in accounting to describe a bill that had been paid in full. Jesus drank the last dregs of the wrath of God against sin in our behalf. Stamped across our sin account in heaven is an eternal decree in regard to our debt -- Paid In Full. Hallelujah, what a Savior! Once and for all, Jesus took the sting from sin, death and hell for all who believe when He died on the cross. The operative word is "believe." Ultimately, we receive forgiveness or bear the punishment for our own sins based on one simple reality -- faith. Are we willing to put all our faith in Christ? To reject all other ways and to turn from our sin to trust wholly in Christ turns the cross from a symbol of hope to real hope. To reject Jesus and His death on the cross releases the wrath and judgment of God upon us. The reformers were right. Salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone. For the world, wearing a cross around one's neck stands for hope they do not understand or frankly care much about. They just know the cross is a feel-good symbol of love and hope. You can be a rebellious pagan and wear a cross, but for a follower of Christ, the cross represents the place of suffering and death of our Savior as a substitute for us. The cross is the place where our sin debt was paid in full. I suggest the next time you see someone wearing a cross, ask them what that cross means to them. It may well be a conversation starter to give a witness of the true meaning of the cross. And the next time you place a cross necklace around your neck, breathe a prayer of thanksgiving to your Savior for His great love and sacrifice. Because of Him, your symbol of hope is more than a symbol. You have hope that will not be denied. Eternity awaits and you will spend it in heaven. What a Savior! -------------------------------------------------------------------- EASTER: What about Monday? by Waylan Owens Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- We all know about Easter Sunday (resurrection) and Good Friday (crucifixion). Some know about Maundy Thursday (Last Supper). But do you know about Easter Monday, the day after Easter? Known as "Bright Monday" among the Eastern Orthodox, Easter Monday is regarded in the West as the second day of Eastertide, the 50 days from Easter to Pentecost, and in the East as the second day of Bright Week (or Renewal Week). Easter Monday is observed by many all over the world. Different Christians observe it very differently. For some, it is a most solemn day of remembrance and holy worship. For others, it is a day to be marked by joy and even pranks. Every year, the White House Easter Egg Roll, a tradition dating back to 1878, takes place on Easter Monday. For most Baptists, Easter Monday is unknown or means little. We attend Easter services, we remember and celebrate the resurrection, we go to bed on Easter Sunday night, and on Monday we resume our regularly scheduled programming. By Wednesday, most of us hardly remember the Easter into which we just put so much energy. Do not hear me recommending that we begin Easter Monday observances that follow the traditions of the Catholic or Orthodox churches. Much of the traditions of those churches are not found in Scripture, a good bit could be considered unbiblical, and if nothing else, Baptists are those who seek to live by the Word of God and not beyond it. Yet, a significant portion of the weakness of our churches today can be found in the relegation of Monday to that which is normal, to that which is sub-spiritual, even to that which we consider secular. Many I hear in the church speak of Monday as the first day of the week and of Sunday as the last day of the week. More and more I see calendars that place Monday as the first day. This might be true for those whose true identity is found in their vocation. Everything begins for them anew when they go back to work, which often is seen as a chance for rest after a long, hard weekend. For those, redemption and hope is found in their jobs. Sunday has become the day of fatiguing self-indulgence that precedes the renewal found in service to a boss and to customers. But for those of us whose identity is found in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, Sunday always will be the first day. Our renewal, our beginning, our rest is found in service to the Lord our God and to our neighbors.(1) Monday is our second day of the week. Our jobs are what we do out of the overflow of our love and worship of God and our celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To know this and to live out our resurrection identity is to understand what God means when He says, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."(2) All that we do flows from who we are. Who we are is found in the Jesus of the resurrection. For the Christian, the Scriptures know no separation of our life in Christ from any other part of our life -- no separation of Easter Sunday from Easter Monday. Every day is in Christ. We are in Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Peter 5:14) We are redeemed in Christ. (Romans 3:24) We are alive to God in Christ. (Romans 6:11) We are sanctified in Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:2) We have eternal life in Christ. (Romans 6:23) We have no condemnation in Christ. (Romans 8:1) We are inseparable from the love of God in Christ. (Romans 8:39) We are one body in Christ. (Romans 12:5) We are approved in Christ. (Romans 16:10) We are wise in Christ. (1 Corinthians 4:10) We have hope in Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:19) We will sleep in Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) We shall be made alive in Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:22) We are led in triumph in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14) We sit together in heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 2:6) We receive the salvation that is in Christ. (2 Timothy 2:10) We are new creations in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10) We have liberty in Christ. (Galatians 2:4) We are partakers of God's promise in Christ. (Ephesians 3:6) We have believed in Christ and have been justified by faith in Christ. (Galatians 2:16) We are one in Christ. (Galatians 3:28) We are blessed in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) We receive God's kindness in Christ. (Ephesians 2:7) We are forgiven by God in Christ. (Ephesians 4:32) We are consoled in Christ. (Philippians 2:1) We are family in Christ. (Colossians 1:2) We find the will of God for us in Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) We live godly in Christ. (2 Timothy 3:12) We are workers in Christ. (Romans 16:9) Every good thing is in us in Christ. (Philemon 1:6) So when the special services are over and the eggs are put away, when Easter Sunday fades into Easter Monday, remember that nothing has changed. Every moment of every day of every week of every year for you and for me is to be lived in Christ. --30-- 1 Matthew 22:37-40 2 Colossians 3:17 -------------------------------------------------------------------- MOVIES: 'God's Not Dead 2' by Phil Boatwright Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- "God's Not Dead 2," the sequel to the 2014 film about religious freedom of expression, reminds us that in an age when just about everything of a secular or sexual nature is freely discussed in the classroom, Jesus is not allowed to enter. The dramatic sequel from Pure Flix Entertainment concerns a high school teacher who finds herself in legal hot water merely for answering a student's question about Jesus. Containing a significant insight, God's Not Dead 2 (rated PG) has its main protagonist facing discrimination and oppression, sending the message that at some point we each may be tested for our faith. Just as the New Testament warns Christ's followers of impending persecution (John 15:18-21, 16:1-4; Matthew 5:10-12), so does this motion picture. Though religious discrimination is difficult to comprehend within the land of the free, it's happening … frequently. The movie asks, "What do we do if/when it happens to us?" By film's end, the viewer should be pondering, "What is it I believe? What price am I willing to pay for that belief?" The film is thoughtful, perceptive and enlightening, and may bolster us in our faith and witness. Opening April 1, the film features David A.R. White, Melissa Joan Hart, Ray Wise, Robin Givens, Ernie Hudson, Jesse Metcalfe and Pat Boone. A major theme found in this provocative courtroom drama centers on the infringement of Christian rights outside the classroom. It stresses that Christians need to be vigilant regarding the actions in local town hall meetings. Sadly, while faith-filled people are hustling between work duties and their kids' T-ball games, a hostile takeover bent on discrediting Christian tenets continues in America's local and federal governments. Director Harold Cronk suggests that amid the morass of societal metamorphosis passing for progress, Christians are becoming accepted targets of discrimination. Our faith is being marginalized and our practice demonized. Other films, such as "The Genesis Code" and "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," also offer insight and warning concerning this draconian reconstruction of the culture, which begins with the misuse of "separation of church and state." Cronk points out in his film that the phrase actually doesn't appear within the Constitution, though many claim the document cites the phrase to keep biblical teaching out of law-making. "Separation of church and state" was in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to a Baptist minister, assuring his congregation that government would not intrude on the rights of religious institutions. The corruption of Jefferson's comments has been strategically used by some who not only don't believe in a Higher Power, but don't want anyone else to believe. The movie submits that as magistrates seek true definitions of right and wrong, countless statutes already on the books give evidence that amid a land rife with discontent, civil ordinances are not enough to alter the heart of man. Law, like a house, must have a foundation. This reminded me that in Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart … Love your neighbor as yourself." It can be argued that Christ's command is a foundation of law. Our Savior further instructed us in Matthew 5:44: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Is that not the material used to make the foundation? Christ's teachings, when implemented, solidify documents designed to seek justice for all. Without His instructions, indeed without Jesus himself, laws cannot bring agreement or compatibility or equality. And this love from on high, it is harder to hold a union together than to "pass through the eye of a needle." It does appear that God has been dismissed from the schoolroom, vetoed from government, and canceled from most entertainment venues. But what do we do about this spiritual battle? The first step is to be informed. Study God's Word. Exalt Him. Reverence Him. Then discuss the secularization of our nation with fellow followers and seek ways to cause nonbelievers to question their own concepts. After all, that's what the opposing army is doing to us. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: March 27, 2016 by staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday 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 Passage: Luke 24:1-12 Discussion Questions: What situations have brought to your memory words or phrases of advice spoken by your parents or grandparents? How have those same situations caused you to reflect on something said by Jesus? Food for Thought: Most of us received words of wisdom from our parents, grandparents or some other significant person in our life. Most of us also let those words go in one ear and out the other. We had other things on our minds at the time that were much more pressing in our estimation. Their advice just didn’t fit our agendas. The disciples were no different as they walked and talked with Jesus. No doubt many things He said just did not make sense, especially when Jesus said things that did not match their agenda for Him and “their” kingdom. The death, burial and resurrection changed their agenda as well as how they responded to what Jesus had said. Life has a way of doing that. We have our expectations for life and then things happen that cause us to remember the words we had once ignored. Standing next to our car as we wait for a tow truck will suddenly make the phrase “remember to check the oil in your car” take on new meaning. Checking our oil had not been on our agenda, but now it suddenly takes priority. The women approached the tomb of Jesus trying to make sense of what they had witnessed just three days prior. They encountered an angel who pointed them to the words Jesus had spoken. Those words were predictions of His crucifixion and His resurrection. Luke pointed out that the women then remembered the words (Luke 24:8). The words that had once seemed so distant were now alive with meaning. Jesus had told them of God’s plan and now they were the first to witness the reality of that plan. The setting, the people present, and the tone used when He first made those predictions flashed through their memories, bringing understanding and insight. They remembered His words (Luke 24: 8) and doing so made all the difference! 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. --30-- Dwayne McCrary is the Project Team Leader of the adult and young adult Explore the Bible teams. You can follow Explore the Bible on Twitter @ExploreTheBible. -------------------------------------------------------------------- David Crosby to be SBC president nominee by David Roach Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday ST. LOUIS (BP) -- Louisiana pastor David Crosby will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, former SBC President Fred Luter announced today (March 24). "I have watched David the last 10 years here in New Orleans as he has taken the leadership of all the churches and pastors of our city in helping to rebuild New Orleans, which everybody knows was totally destroyed [in 2005] in Hurricane Katrina," Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, said in an interview, telling Baptist Press of his intention to nominate Crosby during the SBC annual meeting June 14-15 in St. Louis. "I saw how he was able to get a lot of things done to get the city back up and running," Luter said, noting Crosby's "passion for the Body of Christ and for our convention." "I can see that same passion he had for our city leading the Southern Baptist Convention." During the 20 years Crosby has pastored First Baptist Church in New Orleans, the congregation has given between 7 and 15 percent of its undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program, Luter said. That level of CP giving persisted despite a major relocation effort and $3.5 million of damages sustained from Katrina, Crosby said. During the fiscal year that began a month following Katrina, First Baptist gave 10.4 percent through CP, according to the SBC's Annual Church Profile. Over the past five years, the congregation has averaged 9.5 percent giving through CP, Southern Baptists' unified program of supporting North American and global missions and ministries. Total missions giving for the congregation has been at least 22 percent of its undesignated receipts each of the past five years, according to ACP. Currently, First Baptist forwards 7 percent of undesignated receipts through CP; 1 percent to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; 1 percent to the New Orleans Baptist Association; .5 percent to Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans (a joint ministry of the North American Mission Board and the New Orleans Baptist Association); and approximately .5 percent to a ministry to seafarers at the Port of New Orleans, Crosby said. A designated gift held in trust also generates funds given through CP each year, Crosby said. The church has averaged 658 in worship and 24 baptisms annually over the past five years, according to ACP. Previously, Crosby pastored churches in Texas and Mississippi. Luter said Crosby has demonstrated "a heart for missions and a heart for people regardless of their skin color or what side of the tracks they were born on." Some 20-25 percent of worship attendees at First Baptist come from non-Anglo ethnic groups, Crosby said. Following Katrina, Franklin Avenue, which is predominantly African American, met at First Baptist's facilities for two and a half years, and the two churches continue to engage in joint ministry and fellowship activities. Total missions participation at First Baptist "may rival" worship attendance, Crosby said, with 4,235 instances of individuals participating in missions projects reported on the 2014 ACP, the most recent year for which data is available. That statistic includes some individuals being counted multiple times because they participated in multiple missions projects, Crosby explained. Each week, First Baptist sends 80-100 adults into New Orleans to perform a variety of ministries, including feeding the homeless, providing weekend food for needy public school students, conducting prison ministry and nursing home ministry, teaching English as a second language and ministering to people in the sex industry. The church has taken 14 trips to Ghana over the past six years in conjunction with its adoption of an unreached people group "through the guidance and encouragement of the International Mission Board," Crosby said. First Baptist sponsors NOLA Baptist Church, a NAMB church plant, and Crosby is a founding board member of New Orleans Baptist Ministries, the umbrella organization which operates Baptist Friendship House on behalf of NAMB and the local association. Crosby has served a variety of leadership roles at the association, state convention and SBC levels, including moderator of the New Orleans Baptist Association, Executive Board member of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and member of the SBC Committees on Committees and Resolutions. He is a trustee at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Crosby told BP, "I really believe in cooperation, and I believe the Southern Baptist Convention exists primarily to facilitate cooperation among our churches for the world mission of the Gospel. Cooperation, to me, has a financial component, and my churches have always been deeply invested in the Cooperative Program and the special missions offerings. Cooperation also has a personal component." He continued, "I also feel strongly about the Gospel being both proclaimed and enfleshed. The Gospel needs proclamation and incarnation. So I'm convicted that our behavior, both individually and collectively, should reflect the Savior and please Him, and that our words are not enough. ... I try to keep both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission on my heart." Crosby's nomination is the third to be announced for the SBC annual meeting. He is married to Janet and has three children and eight grandchildren. Crosby holds a master of divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctor of philosophy from Baylor University. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Baptists, others await ruling on mandate accommodation by Tom Strode Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday WASHINGTON (BP) -- Southern Baptists now wait with a host of other religious adherents for a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could decisively affect their ministries after justices questioned a federal contraceptive policy during oral arguments Wednesday (March 23). Lawyers for GuideStone Financial Resources, the Roman Catholic order known as the Little Sisters of the Poor and other ministries told the high court Wednesday an accommodation for religious nonprofits to the Obama administration's abortion/contraception mandate violates religious freedom rights by coercing complicity in providing potentially abortion-inducing drugs and devices. GuideStone, the Southern Baptist Convention's health and financial benefits entity, and two of the ministries it serves, as well as three Baptist universities, are among the challengers to the accommodation. The Supreme Court is expected to issue an opinion before the end of its term, which normally is in late June. GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins, who attended the arguments, encouraged prayer for the court afterward. "We are thankful for the opportunity to make our case before the High Court and pray for wisdom for the justices and favor in the outcome," Hawkins said in a written release. "We are thankful for the prayers of so many in our Southern Baptist and broader evangelical family; this is the time to continue praying for these men and women who will render the verdict." Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), pointed to the pending decision's importance for the church and the country. "Religious liberty shouldn't be a partisan issue," Moore told Baptist Press in written comments. "It matters to every single American, both to people of faith and to people of no faith, that the government not be empowered to force citizens to act contrary to their conscience. "A state that can intrude on the beliefs of some people is one that can steamroll the rights of all," he said. "That's why this case matters, and that's why getting it right is so important, not just for the church but for the country." The abortion/contraception mandate -- a federal regulation issued to help implement the 2010 health-care reform law -- requires employers to provide for their workers federally approved contraceptives, including ones with mechanisms that can potentially induce abortions. Those who refuse to abide by the requirement face fines in the millions of dollars. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided an exemption to the mandate for churches and their auxiliaries but did not extend it to non-church-related, nonprofit organizations that object. HHS issued an accommodation for religious nonprofits, but many of those ministries or institutions have found it unacceptable. They contend it still makes them complicit in covering contraceptives and potentially abortion-causing drugs. HHS requires them to provide written notification they meet the requirements for an accommodation, which forces the nonprofit's insurer or a third-party administrator to provide contraceptive coverage. The federally approved contraceptives for which coverage is required include the intrauterine device (IUD) and such drugs as Plan B, the "morning-after" pill. Both the IUD and "morning-after" pill possess post-fertilization mechanisms that potentially can cause abortions by preventing implantation of tiny embryos. The rule also covers "ella," which -- in a fashion similar to the abortion drug RU 486 -- can even act after implantation to end the life of the child. While the ideological split between the court's conservatives and liberals seemed to break evenly during oral arguments, lawyers supporting the religious ministries challenging the accommodation observed some encouraging signs inside the courtroom. Some of the liberal associate justices -- Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan -- expressed either uncertainty on where to draw lines on protecting religious freedom or an understanding of the difficulty for the religious organizations, said lawyers for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Meanwhile, justices in the ideological middle or other end of the court -- Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito and even perennial swing vote Anthony Kennedy -- "indicated they understood this is an easy case under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act," said Adele Keim, counsel for the Becket Fund. The justices are seeking to determine if the accommodation violates the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which bars the federal government from substantially burdening free exercise of religion unless it can demonstrate it has a "compelling interest" and is using the "least restrictive means" to further that interest. The federal government "just has no case," since it has exempted plans covering one in three Americans, including its own Tricare plan for military families, Keim told BP outside the Supreme Court building. "If the government is content to let the wives and daughters of service members go without this coverage, why is it trying to force this coverage on the Little Sisters of the Poor, GuideStone, Truett-McConnell, Reaching Souls, the other courageous ministries that have taken a stand against this mandate?" Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga., and Oklahoma City-based Reaching Souls International -- two entities served by GuideStone -- joined in challenging the accommodation. GuideStone is exempt from the mandate and accompanying fines, but it serves ministries that face massive penalties for failure to obey the rule. Other Baptist institutions involved in appeals before the high court are Oklahoma Baptist University, East Texas Baptist University and Houston Baptist University. Given the justices' uneasiness with the difficulty for religious ministries, ADF Senior Counsel Steven Aden said, "I think where the conversation should turn at that point is: Granting this is a substantial burden on religious belief and exercise, has the government shown that it has a compelling interest not just in ensuring access to contraceptives generally but specifically ... a compelling interest in forcing religious employers to utilize their own provided coverage, their own health plan to provide access to abortion pills to their employees? "I don't think that the government can make that case very well," Aden told BP outside the Supreme Court building. "I don't think they made it very well today. And I'm hopeful that in the end the decision will be in our favor and will turn on that failure by the government to make that case for why they have to do it to religious persons in this way" when it has made accommodations for millions of others. The challenge to the accommodation follows by two years the Supreme Court's decision in favor of Hobby Lobby's challenge to the abortion/contraception mandate. In its 5-4 opinion in that case, the justices upheld objections to the requirement by "closely held," for-profit companies, such as family owned businesses. The nonprofit challenge to the accommodation is a "much easier case" than Hobby Lobby, said Keim, a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington. "[I]n Hobby Lobby and really on down the line, the government said, 'Well, of course, we recognize that groups that are religious nonprofits have religious freedom,'" she said. "And in this case, the groups that are standing before the court and asking for relief" -- such as Little Sisters of the Poor and GuideStone -- "there's no question these folks have religious freedom. "And what you saw inside today was you saw the government's lawyer admitting, 'Yeah, [the ministries] believe they're complicit in sin [under the accommodation], and they believe that our system makes them complicit in sin, and we just think that we should be able to force them to do that,'" Keim said. "And I just don't think that they're going to be able to maintain the four votes that they had in Hobby Lobby." ADF's Aden pointed to the distinction between the GuideStone/Little Sisters of the Poor case and the Hobby Lobby case while expressing his wish the court would have focused more on that distinction. "It's different, right, because a large corporation does not necessarily hire employees on the basis of their religious belief," Aden told BP. "A religious organization typically does. A religious school typically does. "And so they select those with whom they minister on the basis of their shared commitment to that ministry, and I just wish that I heard more about that in the arguments today from the justices, more acknowledgment of that." As has been the case since the mid-February death of conservative Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, the high court heard oral arguments with only eight members sitting. It appears the court could split 4-4. If so, the appeals court decisions would stand, leaving only the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals with a ruling in favor of the nonprofits' religious freedom rights. If a deadlock exists, a possibility is a rehearing by the high court after a ninth justice is confirmed. The ERLC and two other SBC entities -- the International Mission Board and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as Southern's president, R. Albert Mohler Jr. -- filed a friend-of-the-court brief in January that urged the high court to rule that the accommodation violates religious freedom. Among the organizations filing friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the federal government's accommodation was the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, which once represented the SBC in Washington on church-state issues. The committee's brief contends the accommodation is not a substantial burden on religious exercise because contraceptive services are delivered with separate funds and communications through secular insurance companies. The case is Zubik v. Burwell. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Comité de Mociones nombrado para CBS 2016 by Por Baptist Press Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday ST. LOUIS (BP) -- El presidente de la Convención Bautista del Sur, Ronnie Floyd ha nombrado a los miembros del Comité de Mociones para la reunión anual de la Convención Bautista del Sur el 14 y 15 de junio en St. Louis. Floyd, pastor sénior de la Iglesia Cross en el noroeste de Arkansas, designó el comité de 10 miembros de acuerdo a la cláusula 20 de los estatutos de la CBS que dice que sus miembros deben ser nombrados por lo menos 75 días antes del inicio de la reunión anual. Floyd nombró a Stephen Rummage de Florida como presidente del comité y a Jason Duesing de Missouri como vicepresidente. Rummage es pastor sénior de la Iglesia Bautista Bell Shoals en Brandon; Duesing es preboste y profesor asociado de teología en el Seminario Teológico Bautista Midwestern en Kansas City. Los otros miembros del comité, en orden alfabético, son: -- Kelvin Cochran, director de estrategias de la Iglesia Bautista Elizabeth en Atlanta. -- Linda Cooper, presidenta nacional de la Unión Femenil Misionera. -- Mark Harris, pastor sénior de la Iglesia Bautista First en Charlotte, North Carolina. -- Brad Jurkovich, pastor sénior de la Iglesia Bautista First Bossier City en Shreveport, Louisiana. -- Shannon Royce, jefa de personal y directora de operaciones del Concejo de Investigación de la Familia en Washington D.C. -- Rolland Slade, pastor sénior de la Iglesia Bautista del Sur Meridian en El Cajon, California. -- Jim Smith, vicepresidente de comunicaciones de Locutores Religiosos Nacionales en Washington, D.C. -- Mat Staver, fundador y presidente del Concejo Libertad, con oficinas en Florida, Virginia y Washington, D.C. Para obtener información expandida de Floyd sobre los miembros del Comité de Mociones haga clic aquí. La composición del comité, de acuerdo al estatuto 20 de la CBS, debe incluir por lo menos dos miembros que sirvieron el año anterior; Rummage, Duesing y Slade reúnen este requisito. El estatuto 20 también estipula que el comité incluya a por lo menos tres miembros del Comité Ejecutivo de la CBS. Este año son Rummage, Slade y Cooper. Presentación de mociones El procedimiento para presentar mociones es como sigue de acuerdo al estatuto 20: -- Las mociones sometidas deben ser presentadas tan pronto como el 15 de abril pero no después de 15 días antes de la reunión anual de la CBS, lo que le da al Comité de Mociones un período de dos semanas en el cual considerar las mociones. Este año la fecha límite es el 30 de mayo. Las mociones no deben ser presentadas durante la reunión anual. -- Las mociones sometidas deben preferiblemente ser presentadas vía correo electrónico a través de la página de presentación de mociones en sbc.net/resolutions/submit o enviadas por correo al Committee on Resolutions in care of the SBC Executive Committee, (Comité de Mociones a la atención del Comité Ejecutivo de la CBS) 901 Commerce St., Nashville, TN 37203. Las mociones propuestas deben ser escritas a máquina, tituladas, fechadas y deben incluir la información completa del contacto para la persona y su iglesia. NOTA: La forma de sumisión en la página web estará disponible a partir del 15 de abril. -- Las mociones propuestas deben estar acompañadas de una fórmula de credenciales para someter mociones (descargable en la página web de sumisión de mociones) o por carta con membrete de la iglesia; cualquiera de las dos debe ser firmada por el pastor u otro oficial de la iglesia calificado para enviar un mensajero a la reunión anual de la CBS, certificando que el individuo que presenta la moción es un miembro activo en buen compañerismo. -- A ninguna persona se le permitirá presentar más de tres mociones al año. -- El Comité de Mociones presenta a la convención solamente aquellas mociones que el comité recomienda adoptar. Tales mociones deben estar basadas en propuestas recibidas por el comité o pueden ser originadas con el comité. --Si una moción no es presentada por el Comité de Mociones a los mensajeros en la reunión anual de la CBS, una votación de dos tercios es requerida para llevar la moción propuesta a votación para su consideración. -------------------------------------------------------------------- PASCUA DE RESURRECCIÓN: La cruz -- mucho más que joyería by Por Anthony L. Jordan Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) -- ¿Qué pensarían si la gente en todo lado usara joyería en forma de silla eléctrica? Piensen en eso -- hermosa y ornamentada joyería hecha de oro o plata y adornada con diamantes u otras piedras preciosas. No, joyería fina, joyería estimada en la forma de una silla eléctrica -- el símbolo de muerte para los asesinos -- no suena para nada atractivo. Sin embargo durante estos 2.000 años, la cruz -- el lugar romano de ejecución para asesinos y criminales curtidos -- se ha vuelto un símbolo de esperanza alrededor del mundo. Con frecuencia me sorprende ver personas con una cruz en el cuello como adorno. La cruz se ha convertido en una de las formas más apreciadas en la joyería. ¡Asombroso! ¿Qué volvió un cruel lugar de ejecución y muerte en un símbolo mundial de esperanza? Yo asevero solamente una cosa y una persona -- la muerte sacrificial de Cristo en la cruz del Gólgota. Él solo cambió un símbolo escabroso, feo, horrible en una señal de amor y esperanza. Para los seguidores de Cristo, la cruz es mucho más que un símbolo sentimental y reconfortante, y es más que una pieza de joyería. La cruz es el símbolo del castigo, la ira y el juicio en contra del pecado. Es el lugar donde el Salvador vertió su sangre y murió para pagar el castigo de nuestro pecado. Aunque la esperanza brota de la cruz, su oscura realidad de inmensurable sufrimiento físico, emocional, y sobre todo espiritual no puede omitirse. La muerte de Cristo es el castigo expiatorio por el pecado y la rebelión en contra de un Dios santo y justo. En el jardín del Edén, Dios les dijo a Adán y a Eva que habría consecuencias de la desobediencia y la rebelión. Desde el momento en el que nuestros padres (Adán y Eva) tomaron el fruto, el pecado puso una marca en todos nosotros. Somos como nuestros padres de Génesis; estamos dañados por el pecado y la rebelión en contra de nuestro Dios. Jesús tomó las consecuencias de nuestro pecado. Él tomó nuestra muerte, ira y juicio. Dios puso en Jesús la iniquidad de todos nosotros. El que no conoció pecado fue hecho pecado por nosotros. Jesús recogió los decretos y la deuda del pecado en contra nuestra, y fueron clavados en la cruz. El apóstol Juan registra que Jesús gritó desde la cruz, "Todo se ha cumplido." Hay algunas poderosas características detrás de la palabra original traducida como "cumplido." Daré solo una: Esta palabra original era usada en contabilidad para describir una cuenta que había sido pagada totalmente. Jesús bebió los últimos vestigios de la ira de Dios en contra del pecado en nuestro favor. Estampado en nuestra cuenta de pecado en el cielo hay un decreto eterno en relación a nuestro pecado – Pagado por completo. ¡Aleluya! ¡Qué Salvador! De una vez y por todas, cuando Jesús murió en la cruz les quitó el aguijón del pecado, la muerte y el infierno a todos los que creen. La palabra operativa es "creen." Finalmente, recibimos perdón o tener que cargar el castigo por nuestros propios pecados con base en una simple realidad -- fe. ¿Estamos dispuestos a poner toda nuestra fe en Cristo? Rechazar todos los otros caminos y volvernos de nuestro pecado para confiar completamente en Cristo cambia la cruz de un símbolo de esperanza a verdadera esperanza. Rechazar a Jesús y su muerte en la cruz libera la ira y el juicio de Dios sobre nosotros. Los reformadores tenían razón. La salvación es solo por fe, solo en Cristo. Para el mundo, llevar una cruz en el cuello representa una esperanza que no entienden o francamente no les importa mucho. Ellos solamente saben que la cruz es un símbolo agradable de amor y esperanza. Se puede ser un pagano rebelde y llevar una cruz, pero para un seguidor de Cristo, la cruz representa el lugar de sufrimiento y muerte de nuestro Salvador en sustitución por nosotros. La cruz es el lugar donde nuestra deuda de pecado fue pagada por completo. Sugiero que la próxima vez que vea a alguien que lleva puesta una cruz, le pregunte qué significa esa cruz para él o ella. Bien podría ser un inicio de conversación para dar testimonio del verdadero significado de la cruz. Y la próxima vez que se ponga una cadena con una cruz en el cuello, exhale una oración de gratitud a su Salvador por su gran amor y sacrificio. Debido a él, su símbolo de esperanza es más que un símbolo. Ustedes tienen una esperanza que no puede ser negada. La eternidad espera y la pasarán en el cielo. ¡Qué Salvador! -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Las Otras Heridas de Jesus by Por Patrick Regalado Enríquez Date: March 24, 2016 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- La semana Santa o Mayor como la conocemos en nuestro contexto Hispanoamericano, nos lleva a recordar y a reflexionar sobre la persona de Jesús. El séptimo arte, el cine en los últimos años, ha tomado a Jesús y su pasión en todo el sentido de la palabra, como el principal personaje o actor de la historia bíblica, que nos narran los evangelios acerca de su vida, muerte y resurrección. Recuerdo hace unos cuantos años atrás la película Jesús, producida por Campus Crusade, basada en el evangelio de Lucas, donde nos presentan a un Jesús bíblico, con un mensaje singular de solidaridad con los menos afortunados, pero a la vez un mensaje integral para toda la humanidad de salvación. En contraste, la película Pasión , que fue estrenada con mucha controversia, por el énfasis al presentarnos a un Jesús sangriento y donde la violencia hacia estremecer nuestros corazones, mostrándonos que las heridas físicas de carácter mortal, resaltaba en el mensaje que trasmitía este película. Sin negar las heridas físicas que sufrió Jesús y que narran los evangelios, debemos mirar más cerca y con mas intencionalidad Las Otras Heridas de Jesus. La Herida de la Indiferencia, Mateo en capitulo 23:37; nos señala de manera contundente en la entrada a Jerusalén, como Jesús siente esta herida profunda de su propia gente, de manera punzante, al decir: "¡Jerusalén, Jerusalén, que matas a los profetas, y apedreas a los que te son enviados! ¡Cuántas veces quise juntar a tus hijos, como la gallina junta sus polluelos debajo de las alas, y no quisiste!" Realmente la herida de la indiferencia al mensaje de libertad, de salvación, de regeneración continúan hasta el día hoy lamentablemente, sin entender que la apatía del parte del mundo judío y gentil, marcaron una profunda herida en la vida de Jesús. La Herida del Rechazo, El Apóstol Juan, en capitulo 6:63-66, recoge de manera acertada esta otra herida a Jesús, en el contexto de la disertación de algunos discípulos, que la duda los había ganado. "63 El espíritu es el que da vida; la carne para nada aprovecha; las palabras que yo os he hablado son espíritu y son vida.64 Pero hay algunos de vosotros que no creen. Porque Jesús sabía desde el principio quiénes eran los que no creían, y quién le había de entregar.65 Y dijo: Por eso os he dicho que ninguno puede venir a mí, si no le fuere dado del Padre.66 Desde entonces muchos de sus discípulos volvieron atrás, y ya no andaban con él." El rechazo a las demandas y verdades del evangelio en la persona de Jesús son más hirientes que las heridas físicas que el sufrió. La Herida de la Traición, Mateo una vez más nos revela esta otra herida que sufrió Jesús, en el capitulo 26:14-16 "14 Entonces Judas Iscariote, uno de los doce discípulos, fue a ver a los principales sacerdotes 15 y preguntó: ¿Cuánto me pagarán por traicionar a Jesús?. Y ellos le dieron treinta piezas de plata. 16"A partir de ese momento, Judas comenzó a buscar una oportunidad para traicionar a Jesús. NTV." Judas era parte del equipo ministerial y una persona cercana, que había convivido con Jesús, sin embargo, se cegó y clavo la estaca de la traición, de la cobardía hacia su maestro. Todavía el día de hoy, traicionamos al maestro con nuestras actitudes y conductas. Finalmente, la Herida de la Negación, En el evangelio de Juan 18:15-18, nos presenta una de las otras heridas de Jesús, que seguramente causaron en el Jesús humano, la mayor tristeza y decepción, cuando alguien nos paga con la ingratitud y deslealtad. No habían pasado 24 horas de que Pedro, había prometido toda la lealtad y amor del mundo hacia su maestro. Pedro había negado al Mesías, es decir su propia salvación. Hay gente que aunque han escuchado, crecido, han visto milagros, con su manera de vivir niegan, que Jesús sea su Señor y salvador. En esta semana Mayor, les invito a que reflexionamos en las otras heridas de Jesús, y proclamemos al Cristo resucitado, como la única alternativa a otro estilo de vida saludable y de carácter eterno. Una bendecida Semana Santa.