The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-08/31/2016 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ridgecrest volunteers: 'We're like family' by Lisa Cannon Green Date: August 31, 2016 - Wednesday BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (BP) -- It's like family. Those words come up time and again as volunteers describe serving together at LifeWay's Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina. Now Ridgecrest wants to expand that family. With a deeper pool of volunteers, leaders say, the conference center can be more effective in sharing the joy of the Lord. Volunteers are a vital part of the Ridgecrest ministry, executive director Art Snead said. They work in a variety of areas, from carpentry and gardening to food service and hospitality. "To see them sweating for Jesus, grilling hamburgers, making coffee and folding laundry -- it matters," food service manager Marcus White said. "We really do need them." Chris Fenske, who succeeded longtime volunteer coordinator Cathy Williams when she retired earlier this year, aims to enlist more volunteers with a passion for the Lord. "I want people here who believe in the mission of Ridgecrest," Fenske said. "Ultimately it's to impact lives for God's glory. I want Jesus to be the reason they're coming." Volunteers typically work 30-40 hours a week for at least two weeks, with food and housing provided by Ridgecrest. They live either in conference housing or in their own RVs at a Ridgecrest campground. Some stay for months at a time. "It's amazing people are willing to commit that much of their time to volunteering," Fenske said. Barbara Werner has served at Ridgecrest seven years. A health issue initially brought her from Virginia to be near family. When she started volunteering, she found Ridgecrest's coffee shop too enjoyable to leave. "I got well and did not want to go back home, so here I am, and I love it," she said. Gail Cagle and Mary McBride, friends from Florida, are among those who come for months at a time. Cagle started volunteering nearly 20 years ago after attending conferences at Ridgecrest for several years. "I can't wait when I leave to get back up here each time," she said. "It's like a reunion -- a homecoming." McBride joined her for the first time last year, staying from spring into autumn. "It's so beautiful up here in October," she said. "I loved it so much, I'm back this year." Like Cagle and McBride, many Ridgecrest volunteers are retirees, but younger people are encouraged to serve as well. Fenske would like to recruit more college students and teachers during breaks or time off during the summer. She's also interested in recruiting more local volunteers -- people who live near Ridgecrest and can come once or twice a week. Local volunteers are especially important when Ridgecrest needs extra hands on short notice. Roland and Diane Halbert moved to a home about two miles from Ridgecrest three years ago. When they lived in Georgia, they spent summers volunteering at Ridgecrest. Now they volunteer two or three days a week during the off-season, stepping up to four days a week when it's busy. "We like living closer, because we get to go home at night," Diane said. "And we get to volunteer whenever we're needed." Local volunteers can help overcome a housing limitation, White noted Ridgecrest could use more volunteers than it can fit in the 31 rooms designated to house them. Typically there is plenty of space in the campground for volunteers who own RVs. "It would be a big help to have a huge list of local on-call volunteers who can serve a few hours and then go home," he said. While many volunteers work in food service, Ridgecrest often has projects for people with special trade skills such as carpentry, stonework, electrical or HVAC. White always encourages volunteers to tell their churches about the Ridgecrest volunteer program. A few volunteers can influence many more, he said. "Recruitment so far has been mostly word of mouth -- volunteers sharing their joys and success," White said. That's how it worked for McBride, who'd heard of Ridgecrest as a child but hadn't visited until she came with Cagle to volunteer. "She told me all about Ridgecrest, and I felt like it was somewhere I wanted to come," McBride said. "I love the mountains, and God opened the door for me." She folded towels in the laundry and stripped beds for housekeeping. She wiped tables in the dining room and greeted guests and helped carry trays for children. She mixed fancy coffees in the coffee shop. And McBride couldn't wait to come again. "It's a wonderful opportunity," she said. "You couldn't ask for a better place to serve and take care of people. "And we're like family, you know. We're like a family away from home." For information volunteer needs at Ridgecrest in a variety of areas, visit www.ridgecrestconferencecenter.org/volunteer or call 1-828-669-3589. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE SEMINARIES: Convocations at SBTS, SWBTS, MBTS by SBC Seminary & BP Staff Date: August 31, 2016 - Wednesday In Today's From the Seminaries: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Mohler underscores God's 'settled Word' at SBTS convocation LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- Although contemporary culture embraces continual change and the revision of core beliefs in the name of progress, the church should be marked by faithfulness to the settled Word of the Lord, President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said during Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Aug. 23 fall convocation. Mohler drew from Psalm 119:89 to demonstrate the stable nature of biblical revelation in the face of a transitory cultural view of truth, in an address titled, "Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is Settled in Heaven: The Unchanging Word in an Age of Mega-Change." Change itself is not bad, as the rapid technological change in recent history demonstrates, Mohler said. While for most of human history, change took place very slowly, it leapt forward beginning in the 19th century, perhaps no more obvious than in the progression of the fastest mode of transportation from the horse to the airplane. Change is no stranger to Southern Seminary either, Mohler said, as the school once structured its class schedule around train departures, allowing students to travel to their places of ministry during the weekend. Today, classes are commonly held on Saturdays and weeknights. Mohler also pointed to the seminary's website, which appeared first in 1996 but today features all the markers of the digital age. "As an institution, we are not resolutely opposed to change," Mohler said. "The question is: … How do we know where we should truly let change happen, but then where we must surely make sure change does not happen at all?" The contemporary view of change, Mohler said, is driven by an aggressive, secular ideological commitment to the malleable nature of truth -- there are no fixed principles in matters of culture, anthropology, morality, epistemology and history. Even physics is transitory, Mohler said, as some physicists have admitted recently quantum mechanics and traditional physics are at an "impasse" and the contradictory theories are likely to be eclipsed by a new, dominant system in the near future. For Christian theology, Mohler said, "This imperative of change is now translated such that we are threats to the common good, and we are the enemies of human flourishing, and we are frankly to be written off as intellectual cranks and moral outlaws if we will not join in not only the change, but the revolution that drives the change." The fact that Christians can claim to have unchanging truth is difficult for secular intellectuals to understand, and their incredulity eventually gives way to opposition and hostility, Mohler said. Mohler referenced a 1979 address at Southern Seminary by the late W.A. Criswell on Psalm 119:89 challenging the moderate trajectory of the seminary at the time by emphasizing the King James Version rendering of the text -- "Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven." That claim about Scripture ought to be the foundation for the church's claim about Scripture in every era, Mohler said. "We are here to stand with every faithful teacher throughout the history of the Christian church," ultimately to Christ Himself, from whom "we learn to love and to believe and to obey all of the Scriptures." Christians need to recognize that their ambition should be for steadfast adherence to the timeless truth bestowed by Christ and guarded by generations of faithful believers. "We're beginning this academic year in an act of outright intellectual subversion," he said. "There would be no warrant for it, no excuse for it, no rationale for it, except for one thing: 'Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled.' Prior to Mohler's convocation address, two professors elected to the faculty during the spring trustee meeting signed the Abstract of Principles, the seminary's confession of faith: C. Berry Driver, associate vice president for academic resources, professor of church history and seminary librarian, and Michael S. Wilder, J.M. Frost Associate Professor of Leadership and Discipleship. Mohler said the Abstract of Principles remains a vital part of the seminary's tradition because it represents a commitment to fend off the theological liberalism that claimed historically Christian institutions, as well as Southern Seminary during part of the 20th century. The seminary also installed three academic chairs during the convocation: Randy L. Stinson, senior vice president for academic administration and provost, as Basil Manly Jr. Professor of Leadership and Family Ministry; Gregory A. Wills, dean of the school of theology, as David T. Porter Professor of Church History; and Daniel M. Gurtner, Ernest and Mildred Hogan Professor of New Testament. Matthew J. Hall also was officially recognized as dean of Boyce College. Audio and video of convocation are available at sbts.edu/resources. Be "living sacrifices," Patterson exhorts at SWBTS convocation FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Paige Patterson welcomed new and returning students and faculty to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's fall semester by noting the implications of their decision to serve the Lord. "To serve the Lord means that you're going to give yourself [to Him]," the seminary's president said during fall convocation Aug. 25 in MacGorman Chapel on the Fort Worth, Texas, campus. "You are not going to pursue income; that's going to become relatively unimportant to you. You are not going to pursue a degree; I hope you get one, but it's really not about that, is it? It's not about a career; you don't have a career. If you've chosen to come here, you've given up on a career and, instead, you have a ministry," Patterson said. "You become a slave unto God, to serve Him and Him alone in a very special and unique way." In a message from Romans 12:1-2, Patterson exhorted the audience to offer themselves as "living sacrifices," citing two specific commands from the passage. First, believers are commanded to no longer be conformed to this world and, second, they are commanded to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Crucially, Patterson said, these two commands leave believers with a choice. "You cannot be half of one and half of the other," he said. "You are either going to be schematized (conformed) according to the spirit of this age, or else you're going to be metamorphosed (transformed) by the Spirit of God. There is no halfway. "I want you on this first day in chapel to get it in your mind and heart that you cannot be part of both," Patterson said. "You may deceive a number of people into thinking you're one when you're actually the other, but be sure your sins will find you out. Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. And so you must be one or the other." Patterson concluded with an invitation, and five students came forward in response to a call to salvation, recommitment or missions. Several faculty members were stationed at the front of the chapel to receive them, and they kneeled at the altar in prayer. As Patterson noted, "Every one of our faculty is an evangelist." Also during the convocation, Southwestern's Global Theological Innovation (GTI) formalized its partnership with Word of Life Argentina. GTI partners with mission-minded "Champion Churches" that join in the initiative to enrich the international seminaries' theological programs. Launched in 2012, GTI has nearly 100 partnerships with seminaries around the world. "Word of Life Argentina is one of the most amazing single subjects that I know anything about," Patterson said during the signing. "It is a work of the blessing of God and of the commitment of some very godly men and women that is beyond anything I can talk about successfully. When you go there to the campus -- some hour and 15 minutes south of Buenos Aires -- just the minute you drive on it, you are cognizant of the fact that you have come to holy ground." Representing the Argentine seminary were Joe Jordan, executive director of Word of Life International, and Dan Nuesch, director of Word of Life Argentina. Following the signing, Jordan thanked Southwestern for the partnership. "We count this as an honor," he said, "and we seek to hold forth the Word of Life around the world." The convocation's final event was the welcoming of newly appointed and elected faculty: Brandon Kiesling, instructor in evangelism; Hongyi Yang, assistant professor of systematic theology and director of the Mandarin Translation Project for the master of theological studies program; Mark A. Taylor, professor of conducting; Timothy Deahl, dean of the Southwestern Center for Extension Education and professor of Old Testament; Justin Buchanan, assistant professor of student ministry; Robert Lopez, professor of humanities; and D. Jeffrey Bingham, dean of the school of theology and professor of theology. Allen's charge at MBTS: 'Take Heed to the Ministry' KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) -- Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary began its new academic year with a charge from President Jason Allen and the signing of the institution's Articles of Faith by two new faculty members during fall convocation at the Kansas City, Mo., campus. Allen said he intended to "frame the semester before us and think through where we are in our stage of life and ministry here," exhorting faculty, staff and students to "Take Heed to the Ministry," the title of his message from Colossians 4:17. The brief verse, which says, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it," is addressed to Archippus, an individual about whom little is known, only being mentioned here and in Philemon, verse 2. Allen noted, however, that the Colossians passage is not ultimately about the man but, rather, the charge given to him by the apostle Paul. Taking specific words and phrases from Colossians 4:17, Allen gave seven exhortations to those in attendance. First, Allen emphasized that the seminarians should "understand your calling to ministry as being through and to the church." Counseling against too narrow of a focus on a particular aspect of ministry, he said, "Students, do you understand your calling to ministry as being one marked for accountability to the church? Let me remind you, especially as you are in the age of preparation … to understand that you may or may not know where or what God may call you to do in the church in the years and decades to come." From the phrase, "take heed," Allen next called on the seminarians to guard their ministries. "This calling to take heed," he said, "first and foremost is an inward reality, meaning to guard your character, to guard your heart, to build structures of accountability within your life, healthy barriers and structures to keep you and to help guard you from sin." In his third charge, Allen acknowledged a time for leisure and recreation in a minister's life, but "for the minister, within our innermost being, the great goals of our lives are fundamentally ministerial and family and Gospel." Fourth, Allen noted that one's ministry is to be celebrated. God is doing incredible works throughout the cosmos, and here on earth He's chosen to set apart people for His church. Because God appointed individuals to carry out ministry endeavors, it is a great responsibility but also something that must be celebrated. In his fifth and sixth charges, Allen said to "remember your ultimate accountability in ministry" is to Jesus Christ and that those who are called should "fulfill that ministry." Allen said of the latter, "God does not call a man or woman to serve Him until he or she has stockpiled enough money not to do it anymore. He calls a man or woman to serve him for life." Lastly, Allen charged the seminarians to "clarify their ministry," which is an ongoing process. From the phrase in verse 17, "that you may fulfill it," Allen said, "Be continually thinking about the 'it' in your life. Continue to clarify that with each season of life. You, as one called to ministry, are on a mission to fulfill your ministry. Refine what that 'it' is and proceed to do it with a great sense of stewardship." In addition to Allen's sermon, new faculty members Trey Bechtold and Daniel Chong, signed the institution's Articles of Faith during the Aug. 23 service in the seminary's Daniel Lee Chapel. Bechtold is assistant director of online studies and assistant professor of biblical studies while Daniel Chong is assistant professor of counseling, Korean Studies and director of Korean graduate studies. Both were both elected to the faculty during the trustees' April meeting. Allen noted that Midwestern faculty members undergo a thorough and rigorous process, and the signing of the Articles of Faith is more than a rite of passage for joining the faculty. "The act of signing these Articles of Faith is more than a ceremony," he said. "It is something much deeper and more profound. It is a solemn commitment before these trustees, this faculty, these students and, most importantly, before the Lord to teach in concert with, and not contrary to, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000." To view the fall convocation service message, visit http://www.mbts.edu/news-resources. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Evangelism at the next level by Nathan Lorick Date: August 31, 2016 - Wednesday GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) -- If you're like me, it's rare to go through a single day without seeing a plea on a friend's social media for the latest multilevel marketing health and fitness product. There is no shortage of products for people desperately desiring to make a major change in their lives. A few years ago, my wife and I decided to join the next big health product weight-loss shakes company. I can tell you this, they were the best protein shakes I have ever tasted, especially if you added ice cream. We knew we would need to utilize every opportunity in person and through social media to share of our newfound love. We began to influence people to join our cause. It didn't take long for us to meet our first goal -- get enough people on board to receive our product for free. We were well on our way to influencing people, becoming healthier and having some financial freedom. But that all came to a quick halt because we realized we were spending more time talking to people and posting on social media about these shakes and their benefits than we were talking to people about Jesus. It is so easy to get so consumed with desire, passion and a good thing that we let it overtake the main thing in our lives. We made the decision to make Jesus the subject of our passion in person and online. I know a lot of great people who work for these companies, are passionate about the products and weave their faith into their business, and I am so grateful for that. However, what if we worked that hard to make Jesus known and have the Gospel shared? We must remember that as Christians we are not called to build up to the next level of gold, ruby or platinum, but instead we are to lay our crowns down at the feet of Jesus. I believe that if we were as diligent for the Gospel to advance as these companies are, we could see a fresh movement of God sweep our nation and the world. As Christ-followers, allow us to learn four concepts from these companies about how they get their message out, and let us apply them to our own lives: 1. They believe in their product. Those who invest their lives and money into these companies believe in their product. They are not just heralds but also practitioners. They do whatever it takes to get the product out because the product has made a difference in their own lives. As Christians, we have the best thing to believe in that man has ever known. The Gospel of Christ transforms us from the inside out. Let others know how much you believe in what Jesus has done for you! 2. They are not ashamed of the product. The salespeople are not afraid to tell you about their product. They are proud that they work for these companies and the products that they use. I wonder if that could be said of Christians today. Often our faith is the last thing we want to talk about. The reason these companies grow so rapidly is because the representatives are unashamed in their sharing. This reminds us of the method of the early church we see in the book of Acts -- they were unashamed and active in preaching Jesus. 3. They are not easily discouraged. If you have ever told a proponent of these products that you aren't inclined to join in their journey, you will realize that they do not go away defeated. They believe that if they keep modeling what the products can do and keep asking that eventually you will want to join them. This is a contrast to many evangelicals today. Many who try to share their faith and are rejected walk away feeling defeated and reluctant to try again. What if we continued to model what Christ has done in us and were steadfast to share the Good News of the Gospel? 4. They desire to involve their family, friends and neighbors. These entrepreneurs desire for those closest to them to experience the benefits of the product and participate in their venture. If you are somehow connected to a follower of one of these products, it's only a matter of time before you know all about it. I can only imagine how transformative the Gospel would be if believers would be as passionate for their family, friends and neighbors to hear the Gospel as these folks are about their products. I love seeing before and after pictures of people on their health journeys. However, more than that, I love to see people's lives change through the Gospel. These products and companies are great; however, they are just for a temporary body that will soon wither and fade away. Our passion to advance the Gospel will have eternal ramifications that will outlive and outlast every one of us. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Payday loan rule flawed, say ERLC, others by Tom Strode Date: August 31, 2016 - Wednesday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Convention's ethics entity and other members of a diverse religious coalition have urged the federal government to strengthen a proposed rule to regulate the predatory lending industry. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) united earlier this month with other organizations in the Faith for Just Lending Coalition to call on a federal agency to close what the groups describe as a loophole that violates the entity's own "borrower's ability-to-repay standard." The rule proposed in June by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) would permit a lender to make payday loans of 300 percent interest six times a year. The coalition also appealed for Congress to extend to all Americans an annual percentage rate cap of 36 percent, a limit now in effect for military service members. Payday lending, as it is commonly known, often draws poor people into a debt trap by charging exorbitant, and often misleading, interest rates. For instance, though an interest rate may be portrayed by a lender as 15 percent, it actually is only for a two-week period until a person's next payday. The annual interest rate in payday lending typically is about 400 percent, making it extremely difficult for a borrower to repay the loan. The payday lending industry's "predatory business model" directly violates biblical teaching, said Barrett Duke, the ERLC's vice president for public policy and research, at an Aug. 16 news conference in Washington, D.C. "Scripture makes it clear that God condemns activity that takes advantage of the poor and the desperate." "We must insist -- insist -- that the payday lending industry's predatory behavior is reined in," Duke said. "If the industry won't regulate itself, that's where civil society comes in." In its Aug. 16 statement, the Faith for Just Lending Coalition commended the CFPB's attempt in its proposed rule to protect people in financial crisis from "debt traps designed around their inability -- as opposed to ability -- to repay their loan. We believe that these efforts are a step in the right direction." The bureau's allowance of six, 300 percent interest payday loans annually, however, "not only contradicts our own faith traditions, but also contradicts the CFPB's own reasoning laid out in its proposal," said the Faith for Just Lending Coalition. Willie Gable, chairman of the Housing Commission of the National Baptist Convention USA, said at the news conference, "Such a gaping loophole is, in my opinion, essentially a sanction of these predatory products, not a step forward to rein them in." Sekinah Hamlin, director of the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative, said the CFPB's "six-loan loophole puts states like my home state of North Carolina at risk. North Carolina along with 13 states plus the District of Columbia prohibit these 300 percent interest rates and thankfully, are free of these destructive loan products." In a news release, the Faith for Just Lending Coalition and the Faith & Credit Roundtable, which Gable co-chairs, encouraged religious leaders and organizations to submit comments about the proposed rule by Oct. 7. Comments may be made at lendjustly.com/comment-proposed-rule. In addition to the ERLC, the National Baptist Convention USA and the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative, members of the Faith in Just Lending Coalition that signed the Aug. 16 statement were the National Association of Evangelicals, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Latino Evangelical Coalition, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Center for Public Justice, Catholic Charities and PICO National Network. The Faith & Credit Roundtable is the Center for Responsible Lending's faith-based program. The Southern Baptist Convention addressed the predatory loan industry in a resolution adopted by messengers during its 2014 annual meeting. The resolution denounced predatory payday lending, called for the adoption of just government policies to end the practice and urged churches to provide training in financial stewardship. In April, a survey by LifeWay Research found 86 percent of self-identified Christians in 30 states believe laws and regulations should bar loans at "excessive interest rates." The poll, commissioned by the Faith in Just Lending Coalition, also showed 77 percent of those surveyed said it is a sin to extend a loan that does financial harm to the borrower. The ERLC helped launch the Faith for Just Lending Coalition in May 2015 as a concerted effort by diverse religious organizations to increase awareness of predatory lending and to motivate individuals, lenders, churches and the government to help bring an end to the practice. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Astronaut sees 'an infinite God' from space by Andrew J.W. Smith Date: August 31, 2016 - Wednesday LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- Speeding around Earth at 17,500 mph, U.S. astronaut Jeff Williams spoke through a NASA downlink during Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's chapel Tuesday (Aug. 30). Williams, interviewed by SBTS President R. Albert Mohler Jr., is commander for Expedition 48 of the International Space Station. The astronaut has spoken at the Louisville, Ky., campus previously and regularly listens to Mohler's podcast "The Briefing" in orbit. Williams set the record for the most time spent in space by an American on Aug. 24, passing the 520-day mark set by Scott Kelly. When he returns from orbit after his 172-day mission on Sept. 6, he will set a new standard for an American in space at 534 days, according to NASA's website. During the interview, Williams held a microphone and displayed the station's handheld camera with an 800mm lens, one of the cameras he uses to take his popular high-resolution photos of Earth. The view is one that only deepens his Christian faith. "When I look out the window and I see this -- all of the elements are what you would imagine you would see with a creative work by an infinite God," Williams said. "You see the design, you see the beauty, you see the purpose, you see all of those elements, you see order in all the details." Williams spoke with Mohler for 15 minutes at the beginning of the normal chapel hour from 250 miles above Earth just after the International Space Station had passed North America before trekking over the north Atlantic. The space station orbits the earth every 90 minutes, Williams said. Selected for the NASA astronaut class in 1996, the West Point graduate and retired U.S. Army colonel has taken four spaceflights and has extensive spacewalk experience. "It's one thing to be inside here, look out the window, and view the elements of God's creation in deep space as well as the planet," Williams said of spacewalking. "It's quite another thing to go outside, and now you have set yourself inside this suit that is sustaining your life and you can see through that full-faced visor not only the vastness and the majesty of the globe itself but deep out into space. It just deepens a comprehension, the observation of what we know through Scripture about the amazing creative work of God. It's an incredibly humbling experience." When Mohler asked what he missed most about Earth, Williams spoke of relationships, specifically his wife Anna-Marie, saying she has handled well his 534 cumulative days in space. Williams also has four grandchildren, the youngest of whom was born just before launch and he has yet to meet. "Family is what I miss the most," he said. "That's centered around relationships, our closest relationships, and as believers we understand how central relationship is to the human experience." At the conclusion of the interview, Williams performed a zero-gravity backflip and waved to the chapel audience. Mohler called the astronaut a "dear brother in Christ" and a "friend of the seminary." Mohler also thanked NASA, which went beyond normal protocol, he said, in order to arrange the interview during chapel. Southern Seminary will feature a recorded message from Williams during its fall festival, an annual event for the SBTS community, with the 2016 event featuring a space theme, "The Heavens Declare." Audio and video of the chapel will soon be available at sbts.edu/resources. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Intergalactic missions': planet spurs questions by David Roach Date: August 31, 2016 - Wednesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Discovery of another planet that might support life has given rise to speculation about intelligent life elsewhere in the universe -- and whether such lifeforms would need the Gospel. "Briefly stated, saying that scientists 'think there may be life' on [the newly discovered planet] is greatly overstating what the scientific community is thinking," said Bill Nettles, physics department chair at Union University. But "if there is intelligent life on other planets, we definitely need to tell them Earth's Gospel story and learn what their history is," Nettles told Baptist Press in written comments. Nettles' comments came following the discovery of Proxima b, a potentially earth-like planet 4.24 light-years away whose discovery was announced Aug. 24 in the scientific journal Nature. "Finding a planet around another star which fits in a temperature range where liquid water is possible is a big deal when it comes to supporting Earth-like biological life," Nettles acknowledged. "Having a size and a gravitational field similar to Earth would support the possibility of life bigger than insects. Again, notice that 'possibility' is not granting a high probability." Detected by a telescope in Chile, Proxima b is 1.3 times Earth's mass and orbits Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the sun, according to National Geographic. Scientists are divided on the likelihood of life on Proxima b, Nettles said, noting that life is not the same as intelligent life. While some believe "favorable conditions are no guarantee" of life, others "have the perspective that given the correct conditions, life will, indeed, exist and flourish." Theologically, Nettles believes "there's nothing in the Bible that excludes biology on other planets, just as there's nothing to exclude other planets. The larger theology comes into view when you consider the work of Christ in redeeming mankind, and the extensiveness of that work." "Most conservative Bible scholars" seem to believe "there is only one created universe, one fall, one redemption for all time and space and a glorification of one set of created beings along with their Savior," Nettles said, referencing the theory that humans are sole focus of Christ's atonement. Others, however, speculate there could be parallel sequences of history in other universes that include atonement for other intelligent creatures. 'Geo-centricity' John Laing, a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary theology professor who says he has "long been fascinated by the possibility of life on other planets," told BP that Scripture doesn't rule out the prospect. If God created other intelligent life forms, He likely did so on the fifth or sixth day of creation, "when sea creatures and land creatures were created, respectively," said Laing, associate professor of systematic theology at Southwestern's J. Dalton Havard School of Theological Studies in Houston. Any intelligent extraterrestrials are not likely to be created in God's image, Laing said, noting that possessing intelligence is not the same as being created in the divine image. Humans uniquely are made in God's image and therefore "the apex of creation." "Consider angels: they are more powerful than we and they are intelligent and apparently have free will," Laing said in written comments. "Nevertheless, they are not made in the image of God, and we are. I suspect non-human intelligent physical creatures could exist without being made in the image of God." In considering the possibility of redemption for lifeforms on other planets, Laing said it's important to remember the entire creation was affected by the fall and that "salvation is only available through Jesus Christ." Yet "just because [potential lifeforms on other planets] are subject to the law of sin and death, it is not immediately apparent that they can or need to receive redemption in the same way we do," he said. Perhaps intelligent life forms on other planets "will not sin," Laing speculated, "or if they do, they are not recoverable. Perhaps they ... have no soul." What's certain is that believers "need to reject any notion that the Son may need to incarnate as a different being in order to save" lifeforms on other planets, Laing said. "The union of God and humanity in Christ is indissoluble, even though the two natures are distinct and without mixture." Renewal of the entire fallen universe, including any other intelligent lifeforms, will occur much like the renewal of non-human creatures on Earth: in conjunction with and "through the salvation of humanity" at Christ's second coming, Laing said, citing Romans 8:18-23. "Is this too geo-centric?" he asked. "Perhaps, but the Bible seems to suggest that this kind of geo-centricity is the way God has established the creation." 'The lens of Scripture' David Fannin, pastor of a Houston-area congregation where 10-20 percent of members work at NASA's Johnson Space Center, agreed that earth is the "centerpiece of God's creation." Humanity has been granted "control of the whole universe," he said, citing Psalm 8. That leaves Fannin skeptical of claims any other human-like life exists. "All of time itself revolves around our planet," Fannin, pastor of Nassau Bay (Texas) Baptist Church, told BP. "The concept of the 24-hour day and 365 days in a year -- all of that is found very clearly. God's creation of this planet is the centerpiece of His planet creation." He added, "The Bible really doesn't teach there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe." Fannin encourages exploration of outer space, including the search for other lifeforms. But he cautioned that humans must "look at science through the lens of Scripture. We don't look at Scripture through the lens of science." Sammy Tippit, vice president of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists, said talk of intelligent life on other planets is "very speculative" theologically and scientifically. Even if such life exists, Tippit wonders about its capacity to fellowship with God and its need for evangelism. "To say that there is animal life or even intelligent life on another planet ... does not necessarily mean there would be beings with the capacity to know God as we know God," Tippit told BP. Tippit, who has been a vocational evangelist more than 40 years, has focused his use of technology on sharing the Gospel with earthlings, he said. In the past year, he has seen hundreds profess faith in Christ in India through evangelistic sermons preached via Skype. Tippit is preparing to launch an interactive, multilingual discipleship mobile app that will help believers lead friends to deeper walks with Christ -- even if those friends live on the other side of the globe. "We know" about lostness on earth, Tippit said, "and that has got to be our passion." Laing, despite his enthusiasm for space exploration, agreed. "Intergalactic missions is an interesting prospect," Laing said. "However, I would encourage us believers to begin with more modest goals: share the Gospel with your neighbor, co-worker and friend, and support the missions organizations doing great work here on Earth" like the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Page: God provides spiritual DNA for godliness, power by Annie Corser Date: August 31, 2016 - Wednesday LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- Participation in the divine nature of God leads to a life of spiritual effectiveness and productivity, said Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Frank S. Page during the Aug. 30 chapel message at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. "This divine provision says we are born complete with that which we need for life and godliness," said Page, a former SBC president who has served as president and CEO of the Executive Committee since 2010. "This means that the DNA necessary for spiritual greatness is already present at the moment of your rebirth. … It shows that God never has to do a recall on any Christian and say, 'I need to add back something that I failed to put in in the first place.' It shows this deep, beautiful divine nature that He's given us is already present in our lives." Preaching on 2 Peter 1:3-10, Page said the passage affirms the Gospel, arguing that it is by God's grace, glory and goodness there is salvation. The seven characteristics of godliness listed in 2 Peter 1 build upon each other and continue to reveal the fruit of salvation. "We have been given the spiritual DNA for godliness and power -- by His glory and by His grace -- and for that should we praise His name," Page said. "I believe what this is saying is simple: That when the divine nature that God has given you at your birth grows up in you to a certain kind of knowledge of Him and godliness in Him, that it becomes very clear that you are a child of God. That you belong. It's evident not only to you, but it's evident to those around you." Page challenged students to think through what they pray for and to long for a deeper love for God, partaking in the divine nature and growing the seven characteristics to avoid being short-sighted or forgetful, as the passage warns. William Tyndale After Page's sermon, Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. introduced Bible collector David Parsons, founder of Truth Remains in Seattle, who presented a first-edition 1534 English translation of the New Testament by William Tyndale. A central figure in the Protestant Reformation, Tyndale was the first person to translate the Bible into English from the original languages and laid the groundwork for the King James Version almost a century later. According to its website, Truth Remains exists to teach Christian history through its collection of first-edition English Bibles from the Reformation period. "I want you to know what I hold in front of you this morning is one of the few surviving complete copies [of Tyndale's translation] of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in English, the New Testament, that exists," Parsons said. Saying that it is one of two remaining Tyndale New Testament Bibles in existence, Mohler emphasized that those in attendance would most likely never see one again. "There are no more of these," he said, "And the important thing to recognize is this: William Tyndale so believed in the translation of Scripture into the vernacular, into English, that he became a martyr." While Christians should not venerate a book as a relic, Mohler said, they should honor the Scriptures, recognizing that Tyndale's translation played a vital role in one of the most significant periods in church history. "There would be no Reformation without the translation of Scripture. And in our tradition -- the English-speaking tradition -- there would be no Reformation, there would be no Baptists, without the translation of the Scriptures into English," he said. "Tyndale was at work on his translation before Luther nailed his Theses to the door." The chapel service also featured a live discussion between Mohler and NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, who appeared onscreen through a downlink interview from the International Space Station. Audio and video of the chapel message are available at sbts.edu/resources.