The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-06/27/2014 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Never too late for sexual purity, author says by Diana Chandler Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday HOUSTON (BP) -- Sexual purity isn't taught in the homes of many teens Leah Holder addresses through Going Higher Ministries, an outreach she founded to teach Bible-based sexual abstinence to singles. But the 25-year-old virgin believes it's never too late to learn. The University of Texas law student and member of Fallbrook Church in Houston wrote the 2013 book, "No Trespassing: I'm God's Property," and speaks at churches, youth camps, schools, libraries and other venues. Holder has been disappointed to discover, she said, that many in her audiences have not witnessed good examples of sexual purity at church. "I found that most of them came from homes where that was not even factored in, really. A lot of them had young mothers," Holder told Baptist Press regarding a youth camp group she addressed early in her ministry. "For some of them it had been like a generational thing, where some of their grandmothers had had children early, out of wedlock, and their mothers had them early out of wedlock, and [it was] kind of like a cycle in a lot of their families. "That's when I just began to see the importance of" focusing on purity to reach current and future generations, she said. "Sadly, for those who were in church, a lot of them didn't really see people living it out in their churches. So, that was another sad component." Sexual purity requires a daily commitment and cannot be achieved outside of a personal relationship with Jesus, Holder teaches. "I have wrestled with sexual purity, but I find victory through Christ Jesus," Holder wrote in her book. "By His grace, I am a virgin who has not even kissed a guy." "One thing I try to communicate to people is that even though I might be a virgin, that doesn't mean I've always been sexually pure. I haven't," Holder told BP. "There are times I had no discipline in my thoughts.... Even now that I've made it to this point, I'm 25, I don't just feel like I've graduated from sexual purity. It's a daily thing." Holder defines sexual purity as a physical and psychological state. "If you and I are sexually pure, that means we do not provoke or please our sexual desires outside of God's will," Holder said. "In other words, we do not read, watch, listen to, or do things that will stir up our sexual desires. Even more importantly, we don't do anything that will satisfy our sexual desires.... God's will for sex is that we enjoy it only within marriage." Those who are no longer virgins can repent, turn to the Lord and begin living sexually pure lives, Holder said. "One thing I really, really like to communicate every time I talk is that no matter what your background may be, even if you've been with a lot of different guys, even if you were a prostitute, you know, it's never too late to decide to live God's way, period, particularly in this area of sexual purity. I think sometimes that's a lie the enemy can use to try to get people to stay in their lives of sexual sin," she said. "No, it's not too late. "I was at a book signing and a guy he got like four books and then he put one back down and he just got three. And he said, 'Yeah, I was going to get one for my sister, but you know it's too late for her.' And I said, 'Oh, did she pass away?' He said, 'Oh no, but she just has all these kids by these different guys.' And I said it's never too late to commit to a sexually pure life, until you die." Both women and men especially need Christian role models encouraging sexual abstinence, Holder has found. "I definitely think there's a need for more men to speak out, for men to stand up in that area," she said. "I would think some [men receive the message], but I do believe that that is a piece that is much needed in the church." Holder's message and her book have been well received in Southern Baptist life. She has appeared on LifeWay Research director Ed Stetzer's blog, The Exchange. Jimmy Draper, president emeritus of LifeWay Christian Resources, has endorsed her book as both refreshing and compelling. "Read this book to gain insight into how you can counsel others. Apply these principles that she has so clearly stated and you will find the blessings of God upon your life," Draper said. "God wants you to know joy and satisfaction, and He has given us instructions in His Word. It begins with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who loves you more than anyone else in this world. What He instructs you to do, He enables you to do! This book is a must read for every single person in America today!" Holder's senior pastor, Michael Pender, endorsed the book in its foreword. "Leah writes as clearly and concisely as she speaks, getting both into your mind and your spirit, and leaving you with an impact that will touch you to the core of your being," Pender wrote. "My prayer is that No Trespassing: I'm God's Property will encourage you to evaluate your lifestyle and help you realize who you really belong to." Holder has spoken at many churches in Texas, and upcoming venues include Urban Camp at Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Houston, an outreach to at-risk youth; Girls' Night Out at Sagemont Church in Houston; the Equip Mega Conference at North Richland Hills Baptist Church in North Richland Hills, Texas; and a women's retreat at Mt. Pisgah "The Rock" Church in Dallas. --30-- Diana Chandler is general assignment writer/editor for Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention's news service. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Panel: Diversity for the sake of Kingdom by Joni B. Hannigan Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday BALTIMORE (BP) -- While economic woes have slowed the growing ethnic diversity at state levels in the Southern Baptist Convention, panelists at the Cooperative Program exhibit, held during the SBC annual meeting in Baltimore, discussed intentional efforts to include ethnics in Convention leadership. The economy has caused a large number of individuals to lose their jobs at state conventions across America, including many Hispanics and African Americans, Frank Page, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, told panelists. At the same time, lackluster Cooperative Program giving percentages by many ethnic churches has excluded many from being elected to serve on boards of state or national agencies and entities, he said. "That has kept many from even being considered. We are working to change that." Many ethnics give very strongly to their own ethnic fellowships and lack understanding of how the Cooperative Program works, Page told Ed Stetzer, who moderated the panel, "Ethnicity and Diversity in the SBC." One of the "untold stories" of the SBC is the work of four ethnic advisory councils he has appointed to suggest ways to increase involvement, education, and understanding of ethnics in the SBC toward a goal of reaching every racial and ethnic group in America with the Gospel, Page said as Southern Baptists gathered for their June 10-11 annual meeting. Edgar Aponte, a professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., told the panel some first generation Hispanics know only Spanish, while the second generation might know English and not Spanish, "but know the culture." "We don't want to see diversity for the sake of diversity," Aponte said. "We want to see diversity for the sake of the Kingdom.... We want to see that reflected in our churches." Panelists, which included A.B. Vines, president of the National African American Fellowship, agreed the downsizing taking place in many state conventions is a block between the grassroots leadership and national leadership. "The middle is blocking the grassroots," Vines said. He said the issue is not "racism, it's being racial. A lot of it is fear. We are not trying to take over. We are just trying to have a balanced convention." To be able to reach "the masses" people need to be willing to move on and reach past their comfort zones and beyond who they know, panelists agreed. Ethnics shouldn't be lumped together either, Aponte said, because, for example, "the Latino population may have a different mindset on how they approach different issues." Page said there are many issues remaining to be addressed in looking at diversity in the SBC. One he touched on was when people make casual comments like, "he's gonna be elected whether he's white or black." For an African American, that comment "just took away his blackness," Page said, admitting that while Anglos may have been taught to be "colorblind," they must continue to ask entities to hire ethnics. In church planting and revitalization, it would be damaging to be culturally insensitive, he said, particularly in urban areas. "I'm always going to be a white guy, but I'm learning," Page said. Vines said it takes everyone being intentional to make a difference. "We are family -- embrace the whole family, and we all win," he said. 'Gospelization' of America's urban core With an increase in immigrant populations coming to America's urban core, "gospelization" -- a term often used to imply Gospel penetration -- is a natural strategy, panelists told Micah Fries who led a discussion on "Urban Pastoring," with H.B. Charles and Rich Johnstone. This movement of people to the core of many of our major cities provides hands-on opportunities for pastors to lead their people to be on mission in their own cities, said Johnstone, North American Mission Board's Send North America leader in San Francisco, which will naturally lead to urban diversity. Noting Google is centered in urban San Francisco, Johnstone said it has a high level of influence reaching the people there and can potentially make a difference worldwide. H.B. Charles, pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., said he was reminded of "the importance of the church having a faithful witness" when he moved to the growing downtown area where there is a great need for the Gospel. As the reality of how large the task is set in, Charles, who pastors a large African American congregation, was grateful to receive a call from the pastor of a nearby, predominantly white church offering a ministry partnership. "We are seeing great progress," Charles said. "We are intentionally beginning [in the urban core] and [plan] multicultural and cross-race ministry," he said. The role of corporate prayer Bobby Sena, the newly appointed Hispanic Relations consultant to the SBC Executive Committee, told a panel on prayer, that although it is great to be bilingual and Spanish, that "when you are praying with others, that brings oneness of mind." Unity and prayer go "hand in hand," Sena said. "It's not an either/or, it's a both/and." K. Marshall Williams, chairman of the SBC Executive Committee's African American Advisory Council, said greater diversity can be achieved intentionally by joining for prayer meetings and mission trips, good soul food, dinner get-togethers, and email. Williams, who serves as pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa., envisioned what he said only God can do. "I know that prayer is the unifying factor that God in the person of the Holy Spirit might be able to use to usher this nation into a great spiritual awakening," he said. --30-- Joni B. Hannigan is a freelance writer based in Houston. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Court protects free speech of pro-lifers by Tom Strode Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a unanimous and encouraging victory for the free-speech rights of peaceful pro-life advocates outside abortion clinics. The high court struck down Thursday (June 26) a Massachusetts law mandating a 35-foot buffer zone around abortion center entrances and driveways in which pro-life activity was barred. In their 9-0 decision, the justices ruled the 2007 law violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, thereby reversing a federal appeals court opinion. The opinion came on what is apparently the Supreme Court's next-to-last day to issue opinions in this term. The justices are scheduled to release their final decisions June 30, when it is expected to announce its much-anticipated ruling in Hobby Lobby's challenge of the Obama administration's abortion/contraception mandate. That regulation requires employers to provide for their workers drugs and devices that potentially can cause abortions. In the court's opinion June 26, Chief Justice John Roberts said Massachusetts took "the extreme step of closing a substantial portion of a traditional public forum to all speakers" in enacting the buffer zones. The law -- which was a wide ban on entrance into the zones with exceptions for specified groups, such as abortion clinic employees -- "imposed serious burdens" on the speech of pro-lifers, he wrote. For pro-life leaders, the unanimous ruling signaled that even justices who support abortion rights agree the free speech of sidewalk counselors and others seeking to help women in crisis pregnancies is constitutionally protected. It also appears to thwart ideas other states might entertain of instituting clinic buffer zones like those that resulted from the Massachusetts law. Russell D. Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), described the ruling as "a good decision," adding he was "cheered that it was a unanimous decision." "I'm thankful for the Supreme Court doing the right thing, recognizing freedom of speech and freedom of dissent," Moore said in a written statement. "Those of us who are pro-life have constitutional guarantees embedded in the First Amendment, along with everyone else." Mark Rienzi -- who argued in January before the justices on behalf of Eleanor McCullen, a grandmother who does sidewalk counseling in Boston -- said the court's opinion "has affirmed a critical freedom that has been an essential part of American life since the nation's founding." "Americans have the freedom to talk to whomever they please on public sidewalks," Rienzi, who is allied with the Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a written release. "That includes peaceful pro-lifers like Eleanor McCullen, who just wants to offer information and help to women who would like it." Shawn Carney, campaign director of 40 Days for Life, said the decision should encourage his organization's efforts in Massachusetts. Its campaigns focus on peaceful prayer vigils outside abortion facilities and have resulted in reports of nearly 9,000 unborn children being spared from abortion and about 100 clinic workers leaving their jobs. The risk produced by the Massachusetts law "has not only reduced the number of campaigns in Massachusetts but also reduced the number of volunteers participating at the locations where vigils were held," Carney said in a written statement. "We are hopeful that the chilling effect this law has had -- not only in Massachusetts but also in other areas where such legislation has been proposed -- will quickly begin to thaw in the wake of" the decision, he said. Meanwhile, abortion rights advocates decried the Supreme Court's opinion. The National Abortion Federation called it "an incredibly disappointing ruling." Martha Coakley, attorney general of Massachusetts, said, "We are not going to give up our fight to make sure women have safe access to reproductive health care." Coakley said she would work with the governor and legislature "to explore additional legislative tools that also meet the court's requirements. The high court refused to go as far in its opinion as pro-life advocates desired. The justices failed to reverse their 2000 opinion upholding a Colorado law that established a 100-foot zone around abortion clinic entrances. Inside that zone, a pro-lifer needs permission in order to get within eight feet of a person to counsel or distribute a handout. The ERLC joined in a brief by the Christian Legal Society that not only urged the Supreme Court to strike down the Massachusetts law but rescind its 2000 ruling. The Supreme Court also rejected in its opinion the assertion by some justices the law was "viewpoint based." Associate Justice Antonin Scalia agreed with the court's judgment but disagreed sharply with its reasoning in refusing to go further in its decision. "Today's opinion carries forward this Court's practice of giving abortion-rights advocates a pass when it comes to suppressing the free-speech rights of their opponents," wrote Scalia, who was joined by Associate Justices Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas in his concurring opinion. "There is an entirely separate, abridged edition of the First Amendment applicable to speech against abortion." The law is "unconstitutional root and branch and cannot be saved," Scalia said. Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote a concurring opinion also disagreeing with part of the court's reasoning. For the court, however, Roberts said the buffer zones serve "legitimate interests" by Massachusetts in preserving public safety and access to abortion facilities. Massachusetts, which instituted a type of abortion clinic buffer zone that is unique among the states, could have attempted other means to promote its interests, the chief justice wrote. "[T]he Commonwealth has too readily forgone options that could serve its interests just as well, without substantially burdening the kind of speech in which petitioners wish to engage," Roberts wrote. "In short, the Commonwealth has not shown that it seriously undertook to address the problem with less intrusive tools readily available to it," he said. "Nor has it shown that it considered different methods that other jurisdictions have found effective." The Obama administration's Justice Department sided with Massachusetts before the Supreme Court in defense of the buffer zones. The court's opinion came in McCullen v. Coakley. --30-- Tom Strode is the Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd VIEW: Abortion protest buffer zone struck down by Gregory Tomlin Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: 2nd VIEW is a key Baptist Press story that has been posted within the past several days. For a listing of additional key stories in Baptist Press in recent days, always take a look at the daily RECENT NEWS listing. Originally posted June 26, 2014 NASHVILLE (BP) -- The Supreme Court on Thursday (June 26) unanimously struck down a Massachusetts law which prohibited anti-abortion protests on public sidewalks within 35 feet of an abortion clinic or hospital. According to the Court's ruling in McCullen v. Coakley, the 35-foot "buffer zone" became law in 2007 without evidence abortion protesters had impeded access to abortion clinics and with the particular purpose of silencing the political, religious or moral viewpoint of those who oppose abortion. Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the Court's opinion, wrote Massachusetts had violated the First Amendment by "the extreme step of closing a substantial portion of a traditional public forum to all speakers. It has done so without seriously addressing the problem through alternatives that leave the forum open for its time-honored purposes." Russell D. Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Commission said he was thankful the Court made the right decision, "recognizing freedom of speech and freedom of dissent." "Those of us who are pro-life have constitutional guarantees embedded in the First Amendment, along with everyone else," Moore said. "This was a good decision, and I am cheered that it was a unanimous decision." Massachusetts amended its Reproductive Health Care Facilities Act in 2007 to criminalize the protests near a "public way or sidewalk," but the act exempted multiple classes of citizens, including employees or agents of the facility "acting within the scope of their employment." They were allowed to express opinions within the buffer zone, such as telling potential patients to ignore the protesters. Abortion protestors sued, claiming violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Eleanor McCullen, who filed the case, saw the challenge to the law dismissed by the District Court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. When the case reached the Supreme Court, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts argued the "frenetic activity" caused by abortion protesters threatened public safety. The Court, even while acknowledging the need for public order, rejected that notion citing the few arrests over the years since the law has been in effect. Roberts also noted the non-confrontational nature of distributing anti-abortion literature. The Court ruled constitutional protections of speech could not be extended to some citizens and not others who, in this case, conducted "side-walk counseling" in an effort to change women's opinions on abortion before a procedure. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor joined Roberts in his opinion. Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony M. Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia filed concurring opinions. In his concurring opinion, Justice Scalia wrote "the obvious purpose of the challenged portion of the Massachusetts Reproductive Health Care Facilities Act is to 'protect' prospective clients of abortion clinics from having to hear abortion-opposing speech on public streets and sidewalks. The provision is thus unconstitutional root and branch and cannot be saved, as the majority suggests, by limiting its application to the single facility that has experienced the safety and access problems to which it is quite obviously not addressed." --30-- Gregory Tomlin is a writer based in Fort Worth, Texas. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Survey: Domestic violence rarely addressed by Bob Smietana Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- A new survey from LifeWay Research found most Protestant senior pastors say they know victims of domestic violence and believe stopping abuse is a pro-life issue. But, according to the study, those pastors seldom address domestic violence from the pulpit -- and less than half have been trained in how to help victims. Those are among the findings of a new telephone survey of 1,000 senior pastors of Protestant churches from LifeWay Research. The survey was co-sponsored by two Christian nonprofits: Washington, D.C.-based Sojourners and Maryland-based IMA World Health. Sojourners president Jim Wallis said the survey shows churches can do more to address domestic violence. "This is a conversation the church needs to be having but isn't," he said. "We cannot remain silent when our brothers and sisters live under the threat of violence in their homes and communities." The recent LifeWay Research pastor's survey is one of the first of its kind on the topic of domestic violence. Researchers found about 4 in 10 (42 percent) pastors "rarely" or "never" speak about domestic violence. Less than a quarter (22 percent) speak to their church about the issue once a year. "When two-thirds of pastors address the issue of domestic violence in church one time a year or less, we have a serious disconnect with the realities of American life," Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research Division, said. "Pastors cannot ignore or downplay the issue, when lives are being ruined -- and sometimes lost -- through sexual and domestic violence right in their own communities and churches." "The church needs to be part of the solution here," Stetzer said. "This is an issue where people of faith, across theological lines, can speak together that it matters, we care, and it must change." Pastors also tend to downplay the possibility domestic violence can affect their congregation. For pastors who don't address the issue, about 3 in 10 (29 percent) believe domestic violence is not a problem in their church. Pastors who do speak about domestic violence are more likely to say it is a problem for their community (72 percent) than their church (25 percent). "I think many pastors still don't think it exists in their congregation," said Yvonne DeVaughn, director of Advocacy for Victims of Abuse (AVA), which trains church leaders to assist victims. According to a 2010 national survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 3 (35.6 percent) women and 1 in 4 men (28.5 percent) have "experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime." That same survey found 1 in 4 women (24.3 percent) and 1 in 7 men (13.8 percent) have been "hit with a fist or something hard, beaten, slammed against something at some point in their lifetime" by an intimate partner. DeVaughn said victims often feel trapped. They may feel their lives are in danger. But they also may fear leaving an abusive spouse is a sin. Stetzer said, "The Gospel sets prisoners free -- and that includes victims of domestic violence, who often feel like prisoners in their own homes. Pastors can do more to proclaim that message."  Justin Holcomb, co-author of "Is It My Fault?: Hope and Healing for Those Suffering Domestic Violence," said victims of abuse often blame themselves. But hearing sermons about stopping domestic violence reminds victims that God cares about their suffering. And it gives them hope that God can deliver them from the evil of domestic violence. Some abusers, Holcomb said, use scriptures like Malachi 2:16 -- which says God hates divorce in some translations -- against their victims. He believes pastors can counteract that message. "God says He hates divorce -- He also hates the abuse of women," Holcomb said. LifeWay Research also found half of senior pastors (52 percent) don't have sufficient training to address cases of domestic or sexual violence. About 8 in 10 (81 percent) say they would take action to reduce domestic violence if they had more training. Most pastors (74 percent) know of a friend, family member, or church member who has experienced domestic violence. And most (83 percent) say they would turn to outside experts in order to address cases of domestic violence. But more than half (62 percent) have also provided "couples or marriage counseling" to those experiencing domestic violence. Advocates for victims say that's a dangerous practice, especially for women who are victims of abuse. A counseling session may actually lead to more violence, Holcomb said. "She's going back home with that guy," he said. "And if she made him look bad in front of a pastor -- she will pay for it when she gets back home." Methodology: The telephone survey of Protestant pastors was conducted in May 7-31, 2014. The calling list was randomly drawn from a list of all Protestant churches in three size categories. Up to 10 calls were made to reach a sampled phone number. Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister or priest of the church called. Responses were weighted to reflect the size and geographic distribution of Protestant churches. The completed sample is 1,000 phone interviews. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed +3.1 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. --30-- Bob Smietana is senior writer for LifeWay Christian Resources. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Former thief finds forgiveness and new life as ordained pastor by Dana Williamson/The Baptist Messenger Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (BP) -- When George Aguilar broke into and vandalized a Baptist church, the last thing he expected to find was love and forgiveness. But that November night in 2004 changed the 20-year-old man's life forever. That year, Aguilar, a native of El Salvador -- who at age 10 came to live with his father in the U.S. as a legal resident -- found himself without a place to live. He moved in with some young men in Tulsa who were involved in stealing items and converting them to cash. An impressionable young man who lost his job and needed to send money to help support his mother and younger brother back in El Salvador, Aguilar said he thought the only thing he could do under his circumstances was to steal. Aguilar and two other men robbed and vandalized 11 churches in the Broken Arrow/Tulsa, Okla., area during a span of four months. They took cameras, computer modems, guitars, amps and other electronic equipment. They damaged approximately $250,000 worth of church property. At First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, the men caused about $25,000 in damages to the building and trashed what they didn't take. The church had just completed a debt-free multi-purpose building that included the worship center. "All of us were angry that anyone would do that to a church," Pastor Nick Garland said. "It was especially painful for us because we had worked so long to see the completed structure so soon damaged senselessly. I wanted the person(s) caught who did that and wanted them punished." After the thieves were apprehended, Aguilar wrote a letter of apology to each of the churches he had vandalized. "His letter broke my heart," Garland said. "He conveyed a genuine repentant spirit and requested that he be forgiven. I felt ashamed that I had been quick to want to condemn him without knowing anything about him. When I read his letter, God moved my heart to show me how poorly I had responded to George's actions." Through the help of a police officer who was a member of the church, Aguilar was brought to Garland's office to meet with him. "When I walked in, he was seated at a conference table with his head in his hands," Garland said. "He impressed me with his demeanor and decorum." Garland said Aguilar stated in his letter that he did not think the pastor could forgive him, that the church could forgive him or that God could forgive him for what he had done. Garland began the conversation by asking Aguilar to look at him. Then the pastor asked the young man to forgive him for the harsh feelings he had against Aguilar without even knowing him. "George, I forgave you when I read your letter," Garland told him. He added, "And I know God can forgive you for He has forgiven me, not only for what I felt toward you, but a long time ago. He forgave me for what I was and gave me a new life in Christ." Garland shared about redemption in Jesus, and Aguilar prayed and confessed his need of being forgiven. That day, Aguilar asked the Lord to come into his life and transform him. Garland told Aguilar the only thing remaining on his list was to ask the church for forgiveness. The pastor said he could not speak for the church, but he arranged for a day release for Aguilar to attend a worship service. "On that morning, I told the congregation that the young man who had broken into our church had been apprehended and had written a letter asking for forgiveness," Garland said. "I read his letter, told them George and I had met, that I had forgiven him and that George had asked God to forgive him, but I did not know if the church would." Garland asked Aguilar to come to the platform and stand with him. Then he told the church they would have to let him know if they forgave him. "Suddenly, it looked like a stampede of folks coming to hug his neck, weep tears of joy with him, express their love for him and to truly embrace him," Garland said. "He got offers for lunch, money given to him to help his mother, three job offers and a host of other clear affirmations." Although Aguilar had the forgiveness of God, Garland and the Broken Arrow congregation, he still faced charges for his actions. Per his attorney's counsel, Aguilar pleaded guilty to two felony second-degree burglary charges and received a deferred sentence. This meant if he stayed out of trouble for five years and paid the court-ordered fines and restitution, the charges would be expunged. He met all the conditions, and his criminal record was cleared. He was adopted by a family in the church, given a room in their home, a job, help to buy a car and begin a new life. Garland said Aguilar "became the best of what we love to tell when we boast of the greatness of America. "He became responsible, earned a living, did not look for handouts, never again was involved in any misconduct, became active in church, worked with students, went on mission trips, taught English to internationals and gave his testimony many times." However, despite having a clean state record, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not recognize deferred sentences and expungements. Aguilar's guilty plea meant he could have his legal residency stripped and be deported from the U.S. ICE sent a notice to Aguilar in 2009 for him to appear in immigration court for possible deportation. A prosecutor in an administrative court based in Dallas exercised discretion and terminated the case without prejudice in March, 2010. However, a new prosecutor reversed that decision a month later. On Feb. 14, 2011, an immigration judge ordered Aguilar be removed from the U.S., and he was held in custody until his deportation Dec. 9. Although Aguilar said he was happy to be out of prison, when he arrived in El Salvador, he felt defeated. "Being in El Salvador was hard, because everything was taken away from me, and I had to start over in a country where I did not grow up," he said. "Even though it was my native country, I did not know how to fit into the culture." Things began to turn around for Aguilar when he received an unexpected email from a ministry that works in Central and South America, which had heard about Aguilar's story and his deportation. He was invited to go on a mission with them in Honduras, and while there, he received additional training in evangelism. And he had the opportunity to tell his story on television and radio, and then he was invited to do the same type of ministry in Colombia. "When I got back to El Salvador, I knew I wanted to be an independent missionary, a pastor, sent by my church to minister here," Aguilar said. His mother operated a small bar in the back of her home to make a living. When Aguilar moved in to live with her, she realized that his preaching would conflict with an open bar in her home. A few months after Aguilar prayed for God to close the bar, his mother agreed to shut it down and allowed Aguilar's church to meet in that space. The church attracts between 60-70 people each week for worship and helps provide food for the poor. Although Aguilar says he has hopes of returning to the United States one day with a testimony of God's goodness in his life, it would be hard for him to leave. "I am falling in love with the people that I am ministering to, and I have adjusted again to a new lifestyle," he said. "One long-term goal I have is to graduate from seminary and be an ordained pastor." Part of that dream came true May 21 when pastor Garland and Kevin Cottrell, First Baptist of Broken Arrow's mission pastor, traveled to a chapel in San Marcos to lead in the ordination of George Aguilar to the gospel ministry. "What a night that was," Garland said. "To ordain a young man who broke into our church and found Jesus 10 years ago and today is a missionary of the Gospel that changed his life forever." --30-- Dana Williamson is a special correspondent for The Baptist Messenger, newsjournal of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, where this story first appeared. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: The faith of Patrick Henry by Kelly Boggs Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- On July 4 the United States will celebrate its 238th birthday. Dedicated secularists and some atheists continue to push the idea that a preponderance of America's founders were, at best, only nominally religious. It is true they were not all Christians. Some were deists who believed in a Creator, though not one interested in relating personally to His creatures. But choose at random any man considered one of our nation's founders and examine his life and personal writings. You are almost sure to find a man deeply influenced by faith in a Creator God. Consider Patrick Henry, my favorite personality from among the founders. A Virginia attorney and eloquent orator, Henry helped motivate the move toward independence with his inspirational speeches. Henry was a follower of Christ and a man of faith. A variety of sources confirm the following incidents from his life. He once said to a neighbor: "This book [the Bible] is worth all the books that ever were printed, and it has been my misfortune that I never found time to read it with the proper attention and feeling till lately. I trust in the mercy of heaven that it is not too late." In a letter to his daughter dated August 20, 1796, he wrote: "Amongst other strange things said of me, I hear it is said by the deists that I am one of their number; and indeed, that some good people think I am no Christian. This thought gives me much more pain than the appellation of Tory; because I think religion of infinitely higher importance than politics; and I find much cause to reproach myself that I have lived so long, and have given no decided and public proofs of my being a Christian. But, indeed, my dear child, this is a character which I prize far above all this world has, or can boast." On his deathbed, Patrick Henry was reported to have said: "Doctor, I wish you to observe how real and beneficial the religion of Christ is to a man about to die.... I am ... much consoled by reflecting that the religion of Christ has, from its first appearance in the world, been attacked in vain by all the wits, philosophers, and wise ones, aided by every power of man, and its triumphs have been complete." On November 20, 1798, in his Last Will and Testament, Patrick Henry wrote: "This is all the inheritance I give to my dear family. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed." Henry is best known for the speech he made on March 23, 1775, in Saint John's Church in Richmond, Va., more than a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The Virginia House was undecided on whether to organize for military action against the encroaching British army. Henry argued in favor of mobilizing for war. Henry rarely, if ever, utilized notes for his speeches. As a result, his first biographer, William Wirt, worked diligently from oral histories to reconstruct a text of Henry's most memorable and perhaps most influential speech. Consider some excerpts from Wirt's reconstruction of Henry's address: "They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? "Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? "Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. "Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. "It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! "Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" On July 4 remember that those who laid the foundation for our nation were very much like Patrick Henry -- men who believed that liberty was a precious right that flowed from God. And in Henry's life God was preeminent, personal and the provider of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. --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). -------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL TO PRAYER: Sweet hour of prayer by Ralph Tone Date: June 27, 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. PHOENIX (BP) -- While ministering as a missionary in Argentina, I had the privilege of facilitating prayer vigils in the province of Buenos Aires. These prayer vigils would sometimes last all night. But it's not necessary to pray all night to have a powerful prayer vigil. You can start with a one- or two-hour vigil in your Bible study, church or even better, in union with another local church. Like no other book in the Bible, Acts provides a dynamic picture of what God can accomplish through His praying church. -- In chapter 2, the church waited on God for power. -- In chapter 4, the church prayed for boldness to proclaim the Gospel in the face of mounting political and religious opposition. -- Acts 12 shows the church in constant prayer for the wellbeing of Peter, their imprisoned leader. -- And chapter 13 reveals united prayer as the God-ordained context for launching new ministry initiatives. Are any of these first century prayer concerns relevant to the church today? Does the 21st century church need heaven-sent power? Does the church need boldness to remain true to its calling against contrary social and political currents? Are church and denominational leaders in need of prayer? What about wisdom to undertake new ministry ventures; is there an urgent need to hear from God in that area? The answers to these questions are obvious. The challenges that drove the church to its knees in prayer more than 2000 years ago have not gone away; if anything, they have become more urgent. God marvelously answered the cries of His people in each of these prayer meetings in Acts. -- Three thousand people came to Christ and were baptized as a result of God's promised gift of power sent on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41). -- Those who fearfully prayed for God's intervention in the face of a political crackdown were "filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God's message with boldness" (Acts 4:31). -- As the church prayed, God sent an angel to miraculously deliver Peter from prison just hours before the apostle's planned execution (Acts 12:5-15). -- In another prayer meeting, Paul and Barnabas were "sent out by the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:2-4) on a missionary trip that changed the world. The following is a sample one-hour prayer vigil program based on these four prayer meetings in Acts. If you can pray longer than an hour, this outline can be modified to fit two hours of prayer by making each segment 20 minutes instead of 10. The focus of this particular prayer vigil is the health of the church, the bride of Christ. -- 7 p.m.: Praise and worship; -- 7:10 p.m.: Prayer for God to empower His church for revival (Acts 2); -- 7:20 p.m.: Prayer in the face of political, religious and other threats to the church (Acts 4); -- 7:30 p.m.: Prayer for the leadership of the church (Acts 12); -- 7:40 p.m.: Prayer for release of God-ordained ministries in the church (Acts 13), and -- 7:50 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Praise, thanksgiving, testimonies and benediction. A final logistical word about this sample prayer program: you'll notice there is no message or devotional. One of the great hindrances to prayer is the propensity to talk about prayer without actually praying. Neither is there a coffee break, intermission or any other break that would distract from the main task of prayer. A 15-minute break often turns to 25, making it very difficult to regain a focused attitude of prayer. If your heart is stirred to prayer by this sample prayer program, call one or two other likeminded believers and set a time and place to lift your voices to heaven. It will be an hour well spent. In fact, it may be an hour that changes your heart forever. --30-- Ralph Tone is a Phoenix-based church partner for LifeWay Christian Resources and blogs at RalphTone.com. Baptist Press reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sena nombrado asesor de relaciones hispanas by Por el personal Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- El por largo tiempo evangelista y líder Bob Sena ha sido nombrado asesor de relaciones hispanas del Comité Ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur, ha anunciado el presidente del Comité Ejecutivo, Frank S. Page. Page designó a Sena en respuesta al reporte final del Consejo Asesor Hispano designado por Page en 2011. El reporte, presentado a Page por los copresidentes Sena y Daniel Sánchez del Seminario Teológico Bautista Southwestern durante la reunión final del consejo en marzo, destacó y detalló el rápido crecimiento de los hispanos en cada región de Norte América. En su nuevo puesto, Sena trabajará como asesor en la oficina de avance de la convención para representar a las iglesias hispanas y promover el Programa Cooperativo. Ken Weathersby, vicepresidente del Comité Ejecutivo para el avance de la convención, le dio la bienvenida a Sena al puesto. "Estoy emocionado de tener al doctor Bob Sena como miembro de nuestro equipo," le dijo Weathersby a Baptist Press. "Él tiene una riqueza de experiencias y relaciones en la CBS. Es nuestra esperanza y deseo que el Reino de Dios sea expandido debido a su designación. Por favor, únanse a mí en oración por él y su familia." Sena trabajará exhaustivamente en fortalecer la participación de las iglesias hispanas en la vida bautista del sur, dijo Weathersby. "Él será responsable de ayudar a la convención a establecer mejores relaciones entre los hispanos, promover el Programa Cooperativo y administrar el desarrollo entre las iglesias hispanas, ayudar a animar a los líderes hispanos a servir en comités y juntas directivas, y ayudar en las relaciones evangélicas globales dentro de las culturas hispano hablantes en Norte América y alrededor del mundo," dijo Weathersby. Sena continuará como director del programa de Doctorado en Ministerio Hispano en el Seminario Teológico Bautista Midwestern en Kansas City, Missouri. Él se retiró en 2011 como director del Grupo de Plantación de Iglesias de Desarrollo de Recursos Hispanos y el Equipo de Preparación de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas y ha servido como misionero nacional hispano de NAMB. Sus más de 50 años de liderazgo en la vida bautista del sur incluye pastorear iglesias hispanas pequeñas y grandes en Texas y Georgia, y trabajar como misionero plantador de iglesias en New Mexico, como asesor nacional de evangelismo multiétnico de NAMB cuando era conocida como Home Mission Board, y como asociado en evangelismo hispano en la Convención General Bautista de Texas. Sena tiene un bachillerato de la Universidad Bautista Wayland en Plainview, Texas; una maestría en educación religiosa del Seminario Teológico Bautista Southwestern en Fort Worth, Texas, y un doctorado en ministerio del Seminario Teológico Bautista Golden Gate en Mill Valley, California. Sena es hispano de cuarta generación nacido en EE.UU. y segunda generación de bautistas del sur. Ha estado casado durante 48 años con Priscilla (Urquidez) Sena. --30-- Compilado por Diana Chandler, escritora y editora de asignaciones generales de Baptist Press, el servicio de noticias de la Convención Bautista del Sur. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Estudiantes comparten de Cristo durante la Copa Mundial by Por Alan Brant Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday RIO DE JANEIRO (BP) -- No había flashes o cámaras de televisión, solamente compañeros de equipo -- la mayoría niños de la mitad de su estatura y descalzos -- celebrando y rodeando a Dane Van Ryckeghem después de que ayudó a anotar un gol durante el partido. El alboroto del futbol soccer de la Copa Mundial no se comparaba con los jubilosos niños brasileños de los barrios aledaños que jugaban en contra de un equipo de visitantes de los EE UU sobre un empapado campo en las afueras de Rio de Janeiro. Van Ryckenghem, un estudiante de la Universidad de Alabama en Tuscaloosa, viajó a Brasil con un equipo de 12 estudiantes voluntarios cuya misión era compartir el amor de Cristo a la luz del mayor evento deportivo mundial: la Copa Mundial FIFA 2014. "Realmente quería pasar mi verano haciendo algo más que solamente trabajar en algún empleo y luego regresar a la escuela," dijo Van Ryckenghem. "Quería hacer algo que marcara una diferencia, y quería ver el mundo." Después de escuchar durante una conferencia misionera sobre el viaje para estudiantes enfocado en la Copa Mundial –endosado por la Junta de Misiones Internacionales, IMB -- se dio cuenta de inmediato que iba a Brasil. "Me fascina el futbol soccer y me encanta la idea de pasar una parte de mi verano en este ambiente," dijo. "Estar aquí, es un sueño hecho realidad." James Dubuisson, un estudiante de primer año en la Universidad del Norte de Alabama en Florence, tomó el primer avión en su vida para viajar a Brasil con el grupo. Como pastor de jóvenes en First Baptist Church, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., dijo que una gran parte de su decisión para ir a Brasil fue servir como un ejemplo y animar a su grupo de jóvenes. "Le he estado hablando a mis jóvenes sobre ser diferente y mostarle a la gente [que los creyentes] somos diferentes," dijo. "Muy a menudo vamos a la iglesia, pero no actuamos diferente. Siento que este [viaje misionero] soy yo viviendo lo que predico -- mostrando a los muchachos 'así es como se ve el vivir diferente por lo que Cristo ha hecho en tu vida." Después que Dubuisson y el resto del equipo llegaron a Rio de Janeiro, pasaron sus primeros días ministrando en una comunidad pobre. Sirvieron junto con una iglesia bautista brasileña jugando con los niños, ayudando en una clínica médica y caminando por los barrios compartiendo el Evangelio con la ayuda de traductores. "Estamos aquí por la Copa Mundial, pero lo más importante es que estamos aquí para compartir el amor de Jesús con cualquier persona que podamos," dijo el líder del equipo de voluntarios, Lee Dymond, ministro del campus en la Universidad Auburn en Montgomery, Alabama. Jordan O'Donnell, un estudiante voluntario de la Universidad Virginia Tech en Blacksburg, Va., confesó que al principio se sentía nervioso al compartir el Evangelio en los barrios. Pero el nerviosismo rápidamente disminuyó, dijo. "Es un reto compartir a través de un intérprete, pero fue más fácil mientras practicábamos más," dijo O'Donnell. "Disfruté toda la experiencia. Es interesante porque compartir sobre Jesús en los EE UU usualmente suscita una reacción negativa. Pero aquí, caminando por la comunidad, todos respondían que sí querían escuchar sobre Jesús—incluso una pareja que jamás había escuchado sobre Jesús en toda su vida. "Estoy muy emocionado," dijo O´Donnell. "Estoy listo para salir de nuevo y volverlo a hacer." El equipo de estudiantes continuará compartiendo el Evangelio durante su estadia de dos semanas en Rio. En una parte de su campaña evangelística, se unirán con la Junta de Misiones Bautistas de Brasil en una estrategia evangelística relacionada con el futbol soccer para compartir con los fanáticos que llegan al estadio nacional de Brasil para asistir a los partidos de la Copa Mundial. "La Copa Mundial es donde las naciones se reúnen en un solo lugar," dijo Dymond. "Es nuestra oportunidad de compartir el Evangelio y esperar que haya un impacto no sólo en Brasil, si no en todas las naciones que están viniendo a Brasil a la Copa Mundial." Dymond espera que mientras su equipo comparte el Evangelio y vean a la gente aceptar a Cristo, sean fortalecidos con el hecho de que "si puede3n hacerlo aquí durante la Copa Mundial, les animará a [compartir su fe] cuando regresemos a casa." --30-- Alan Brant es un escritor y editor independiente en Texas. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Estrategia tarjeta amarilla' comparte a Cristo en el evento deportivo más grande del mundo by Por Alan Brant Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday RÍO DE JANEIRO (BP) -- Con 64 juegos de futbol disputados por 736 jugadores de 32 equipos en 12 ciudades, la Copa Mundial Brasil de la FIFA de un mes de duración es el evento deportivo más observado en el mundo. Además del billón de personas sintonizadas en todo el mundo, un estimado de 600.000 visitantes convergen en Río de Janeiro y en las otras 11 ciudades anfitrionas de Brasil para mirar y animar al equipo de su país. Otros visitantes, sin embargo, tienen otra meta en mente ---- compartir el mensaje de Jesucristo con aquellos que nunca han oído el evangelio. Un equipo de 11 estudiantes universitarios bautistas del sur y dos líderes de ministerio estudiantil viajaron a Río de Janeiro para la Copa del Mundo como parte de un esfuerzo de movilización estudiantil de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales para unirse a bautistas brasileños en el alcance durante el mundialmente famoso torneo de futbol. Los estudiantes, sus compañeros brasileños y algunos misioneros de IMB están pasando dos semanas testificando en comunidades alrededor de Río y evangelizando cerca del estadio Maracaná de la ciudad, donde decenas de miles de fanáticos asisten a los juegos de la Copa del Mundo dos veces a la semana durante la competencia del 12 de junio al 13 de julio. "Estrategia tarjeta amarilla" Después de llegar a Río, los estudiantes voluntarios pasaron tiempo aprendiendo sobre una técnica especializada de testificar desarrollada por la Junta de Misiones Bautistas Brasileñas. Diogo da Cunha Carvalho, coordinador de estrategias de evangelismo de los esfuerzos misioneros nacionales de los bautistas brasileños, ayudó a desarrollar la "Estrategia tarjeta amarilla" para que las iglesias brasileñas la usaran en la competencia regional de futbol en 2013. En futbol, explicó Carvalho, una tarjeta amarilla es mostrada por un árbitro como advertencia o amonestación a un jugador en relación a una conducta que lo podría llevar a expulsión del juego (representada por una tarjeta roja). "Es una señal para el jugador de que se está acercando mucho a consecuencias severas por sus acciones," dijo Carvalho. Este entendimiento visual es el acercamiento directo perfecto para testificar en contra del telón de fondo de un juego de futbol, añadió. Carvalho demostró la técnica de testificar, la cual comienza acercándose a alguien y mostrándole una tarjeta amarilla al tiempo que toca un silbato ---- exactamente como un árbitro de futbol. Esta advertencia, sin embargo, es un mensaje de Dios, le dice el voluntario bautista a la persona. "En Brasil, probablemente el 90 por ciento de las personas dirán 'sí' cuando se les pregunte si quieren oír el evangelio," dijo Carvalho. "Con tal interés en la Palabra, podemos tener un acercamiento directo como este de la tarjeta amarilla." Luego de haber recibido permiso para explicar el mensaje, el acercamiento lleva a una prueba de "bondad," explicó Carvalho. Aquí, el presentador muestra, a través de una serie de preguntas, cómo todos los pecadores de acuerdo a la Biblia no cumplen con los requisitos para ser "una buena persona." Entonces, el creyente comparte la realidad de las Buenas Nuevas. "Hablamos sobre la ley para enfatizar la seriedad del pecado, pero ahora presentamos las Buenas Nuevas a través del acto de amor que Dios hizo por nosotros," dijo Carvalho. En un país como Brasil con una historia de religiosidad, "en este punto puede ser que algunos conecten la frase 'Jesús murió por nuestros pecado,' pero hay una desconexión entre esa frase, su verdadero pecado y la mentalidad 'soy una persona buena," les dijo Carvalho a los estudiantes bautistas del sur. "Ellos no conectan la estatua gigante de Jesús que vigila Río con lo que Jesús hizo por ellos en la cruz -- que él vino a morir y resucitó para vencer la muerte para que ellos tuvieran libertad." En los días de partido en Río, el equipo universitario se divide en grupos de dos o tres, junto con un traductor. Los equipos entonces se dispersan alrededor de las afueras del estadio nacional de Brasil, el cual está cargado de fans que celebran inclusive horas antes de que el estadio abra. Lee Dymond, ministro de campus en la Universidad Auburn en Montgomery (Alabama) y líder del grupo universitario, dijo que los estudiantes "que están aquí en nuestro equipo tienen un gran corazón por el evangelismo y por el evangelio. Hay muy pocas ocasiones en la historia donde tanta gente que viene de tantos lugares diferentes se reúne. Tenemos la oportunidad de estar exactamente aquí con ellos y tenemos la oportunidad de compartir el evangelio con todos cuántos podamos." Bekah Gordon, colíder del viaje universitario, dijo que la atmósfera era exactamente lo que ella esperaba. "¡Es la Copa del Mundo!" dijo Gordon, quien sirve con Dymond en Auburn-Montgomery como misionera del semestre a través de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas. "Crecí jugando futbol, y ahora soy entrenadora de futbol en Montgomery. Tener la capacidad de combinar dos de mis grandes amores -- el evangelio y el futbol -- es maravilloso." De acuerdo a Gordon, evangelizar con el acercamiento tarjeta amarilla "es realmente único porque tienes muchos fans del futbol que saben exactamente lo que significa." Un día en el estadio, Gordon y su compañero se acercaron a un joven que estaba sentado solo. "Ricardo estaba sentado solo [y nosotros] nos acercamos a él y le levantamos la tarjeta amarilla y soplamos el silbato," dijo Gordon. "Él inmediatamente levantó las manos y dijo: '¿Qué hice? ¿Qué hice?' "Esa era la reacción perfecta porque queríamos que él tuviera la idea de que algo estaba mal," dijo ella. "Le dijimos que no era solo lo que él había hecho, era lo que todos habíamos hecho." Al principio Ricardo dijo que era una buena persona, pero reconoció después de los ejemplos de Gordon que realmente era culpable y merecía el castigo y el infierno. Admitió que tenía un trasfondo religioso de cuando era niño, pero lo descartó para disfrutar su propio estilo de vida de diversión y fiesta. "Esto me preocupa mucho," dijo Ricardo a través del traductor. Gordon y su compañero de evangelismo Jordan O'Donnell, estudiante de la Universidad Virginia Tech en Blacksburg, le explicaron a Ricardo "que darle nuestra vida a Dios no es como ir a prisión; no es esclavitud, sino libertad," relató Gordon. "Compartimos que ya no estamos atados al pecado y que la vida con Dios es mejor que el mundo. "Continuamos compartiendo pero nuestro traductor nos interrumpió y dijo: '¡Él está listo para aceptar a Cristo!'" dijo Gordon. "Oramos con él y él dijo: 'Me siento libre ahora.' Lo genial de todo este intercambio es que Ricardo es de Lima, Perú. Dios bendijo a nuestro intérprete [de habla portuguesa] con suficiente español para comunicar el evangelio claramente." James Dubuisson, estudiante de la Universidad de North Alabama en Florence y ministro de jóvenes de la Primera Iglesia Bautista, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, admitió que había tenido alguna aprensión por el acercamiento directo de testificar. "Estaba escéptico ante los métodos que estamos usando aquí porque me siento más cómodo estableciendo relaciones con alguien y luego compartiendo el evangelio," dijo. "Pero acercarse a alguien en la calle y decirle: 'Necesitas saber de Jesús' es nuevo para mí; Dios me ha estado desafiando muchísimo." Dubuisson dijo que fue una gran emoción acercarse a la primera persona y encontrar que era receptivo al evangelio. "Cuando nos íbamos, dijeron que era la mejor cosa que jamás les había sucedido," dijo. Por aquellos que no aceptaron a Cristo luego de la conversación, Dubuisson dijo: "Oro para que Dios continúe trabajando a través de la semilla que hemos plantado aquí." Para obtener una continua cobertura del alcance de la Copa del Mundo, vea la crónica: "The Cross at the Cup," (La Cruz en la Copa) en  commissionstories.com/americas. --30-- Alan Brant es un escritor y editor independiente de Texas. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Una Esperanza Viva by Por Mike Gonzales Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday En este mundo hay muchísimas personas que viven sin esperanza o sin ningún propósito para sus vidas. La Palabra de Dios nos habla de una esperanza viva. 1 Pedro 1:3-4 dice -- "Bendito el Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que según su grande misericordia nos hizo renacer para una esperanza viva, por la resurrección de Jesucristo de los muertos, para una herencia incorruptible, incontaminada e inmarcesible, reservado en los cielos para vosotros." Si ponemos nuestra mirada totalmente en Cristo podemos vivir una vida llena de esperanza. Sabemos que tenemos una vida ahora que no es para la eternidad y esa vida llegara a su fin. Llegará el momento cuando nuestra vida en la tierra se acabará. 1 Pedro 1:24-25 dice -- "Porque: Toda carne es como hierba, y toda la gloria del hombre como flor de la hierba. La hierba se seca y la flor se cae; más la palabra del Señor permanece para siempre. Y esta es la palabra que por el evangelio os ha sido anunciado." Cuando viene la muerte física, la esperanza viva que tenemos en Cristo verdaderamente es la que empieza. Todos hemos experimentado la pérdida de un amigo cercano o un miembro de nuestra familia. Si no haz experimentado ese tipo de pérdida, tenedlo por seguro que ese tiempo vendrá. Así es la vida. Alguien dijo una vez: la vida es corta, la muerte es segura, pero Dios es soberano. Si creemos y confiamos en Cristo, como nuestro único y suficiente Señor y Salvador, entonces vamos a estar preparados para la muerte. Porqué vivir en Cristo nos prepara para la muerte y sabemos que cuando la muerte venga vamos a vivir toda una eternidad con nuestro Dios Padre en el cielo. Colosenses 1:4-6 "…habiendo oído de vuestra fe en Cristo Jesús, y del amor que tenéis a todos los santos, a causa de la esperanza que os está guardada en los cielos, de la cual ya habéis oído por la palabra verdadera del evangelio, que ha llegado hasta vosotros, así como a todo el mundo, y lleva fruto y crece también en vosotros, desde el día que oísteis y conocisteis la gracia de Dios en verdad." En Cristo tenemos esperanza viva y sabemos que si viene la muerte inesperada, en Cristo tenemos plena seguridad que vamos a tener vida eterna con Él en el cielo. En la parte más norte de Rusia hay un pequeño pueblo de pesca que por seis meses al año tienen que vivir en las tinieblas por causa del cambio del sol. Cada día es de noche para ellos durante esos meses. Cuando viene esa temporada, las personas de ese pueblo se cansan de esa oscuridad continua. Por seis largos meses no se ve la luz, ni se siente el calor del sol. Al vivir esos días en oscuridad resulta que hay mucha depresión entre la población y el suicidio sube bastante durante esa temporada. Pero cuando se terminan los seis meses, el sol llega y todo cambia. La luz del sol empieza a brillar. El pueblo se llena de alegría y hay una esperanza viva que todo el mundo siente. Y todos empiezan a celebrar la venida de la luz del sol y el calor que da. Cristo es la luz del mundo y el mensaje de Cristo nos trae esperanza y vida a todos los que creen en Él. La esperanza viva para nosotros es que Cristo vive y mora en nosotros. Cristo no está muerto. Y porque Él vive, nosotros podemos vivir también. Eso es lo que llamamos esperanza viva. ¡Comparta ese mensaje con alguien hoy! --30-- Mike Gonzales, Director de los Ministerios Hispanos de la Convención de los Bautistas del Sur de Texas. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Segunda edición de video musical 'Envíame' por Ingrid Rosario by Par el personal Date: June 27, 2014 - Friday SUR DE ASIA (BP) -- Ingrid Rosario, reconocida cantante cristiana, viajó al Sur de Asia con un equipo del International Mision Board (IMB) para grabar la segunda edición de su video musical "Envíame." Después de 16 años, Ingrid regresó donde escuchó por primera vez el llamado a las misiones. "Estuve muy conmovida al ver a todas esas personas en el Sur de Asia, ver niños en las calles, ver la pobreza espiritual y física en la que viven. Es por eso que debemos llevarles el mensaje redentor y de gracia que pueden encontrar en Jesucristo." Ingrid Rosario cree que este es el tiempo de los hispanos para ir al campo misionero. "Los hispanos somos la llave para evangelizar en la ventana 10/40. Tenemos menos restricciones para llegar a esta parte del mundo, ya que nos parecemos mucho físicamente, nuestras culturas son similares, y además por nuestro calor humano." "Todo esto no es una coincidencia. Es tiempo de levantarnos como hispanos y llevar la Palabra de Dios. Esta es nuestra oportunidad de ir y dar de lo mucho que nos ha dado Dios." Ingrid tuvo la oportunidad de compartir con misioneros de Honduras y de México que se encuentran trabajando desde hace algunos años en el Sur de Asia. "Tomaron el tiempo de de aprender el idioma y se visten como ellos. Los aceptan como son y los aman. La bendición es ver como los hindúes responden a ellos y al mensaje de salvación." El deseo de Ingrid es alcanzar con su voz y su música a millones de personas con el mensaje de restauración, de verdad y de amor en Cristo Jesús. Y ver a más hispanos como pastores, líderes y personas que aman a Cristo yendo por primera vez a un viaje misionero. "Esto los conmoverá para rendirse a la voluntad de Dios, y poner en prioridad el ir a los no alcanzados. No debemos de poner más excusas. Debemos ir; este es nuestro tiempo." Ingrid agradece a Movilización Hispana por darle la oportunidad de compartir con sus hermanos hispanos el sentir de su corazón y animar al pueblo hispano a levantarse e ir. "Estoy dispuesta a continuar trabajando, usando los medios de comunicación con los que cuento, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram y también en mis conciertos para promover el ir a los menos alcanzados, porque este es el llamado que todos hemos recibido." --30--