The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-09/15/2016 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: January is coming by Gary Ledbetter Date: September 15, 2016 - Thursday GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) -- The nomination of two unlikeable candidates this year has made previously tedious presidential campaigns seem like the good old days. We know who's going to be on the ticket and the party platforms are available for viewing; the facts are before us. People are asking what we actually should do on Election Day. Within our own Baptist fellowship, the confusion is only slightly less raucous than in the general population. Especially if you watch social media, you'll see caustic remarks and personal attacks from and toward those who, otherwise, would be united for the cause of Christ and Christian citizenship. This division worries me more than the election. Absent a spectacular and merciful act of God, one of two less-than-stellar political specimens is going to be president, and many of us expect the next four years to be harder than the last four, regardless of who wins. I predict increasingly disastrous presidential edicts, court decisions and legislation related to religious liberty, the value of human life and the strength of families. Will Bible-believing Southern Baptists be unified for the building of our heavenly Kingdom and the good of our earthly neighbors? Some things are going to have to change if that is going to happen. It's time to talk less. Adding volume and exclamations points to repetitions of the shortcomings of both candidates and both parties will drive wedges between us but persuade no one of anything. Give it a rest. I've read that philosophy is talking to or about God and faith is listening to God. I like philosophy, but I should like faith more. It's time to pray more. We do not know what God will do between now and Election Day. We do not know what He will do over the next four years. It is presumptuous to speak as if we do. Asking for renewal among God's people, asking for wisdom for ourselves, asking for guidance for all our elected leaders, asking for God's blessings on our pastors and other religious leaders, and asking for His fortifying strength for the coming days is so much more pertinent than my opinion about anything. We must forgive those who are wrong. Some things that are right and wrong, true and false, will become clear as time passes. Because I remember the past six months, I'm certain that six months from now, I'll know some things about which I was certain, and wrong. I may know some of those things about you. There will be no unity in the greatest causes if we remain frustrated with each other over lesser issues, past issues. So yes, I need to forgive you when you are wrong, and I need your forgiveness when I am wrong. The resentment and jeering needs to end. Know and own your convictions. We should have convictions, foundational beliefs that rarely change, as Christians and as citizens. Can you state yours? That's one of my questions about the classic "undecided" voter or "none" Christian (those who believe in Jesus but will not be part of a church). Do they know their own convictions? What is the source of those convictions? Anyway, you will not be ready for Election Day or its aftermath if you do not know your own core beliefs. Vote according to your convictions. Don't be ashamed to do the things that flow out of your convictions. Voting should flow out of your convictions. Perhaps you cannot vote for anyone for president this year. Do you know who else is on the ballot? Most of the best and worst things that have happened in local, state and national government have not been done by the chief executive alone. If you have convictions about this race or that one that prohibit casting a vote, then skip it and make an intentional, wise, convictional decision on the others. Gird up thy loins like a man. That's King James Bible for "brace yourself for what's going to happen next." When January comes, the consequences of the 2016 election will be upon us, within and without the body of Christ. We must be in right fellowship with our brothers, whom we have seen, and with God, whom we have not seen, if we are going to be ready. We should start now. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Insanity of God' ticket sales top $1 million by Marty King Date: September 15, 2016 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Ticket sales for an encore showing of "The Insanity of God" in theaters Tuesday, Sept. 13, pushed box office receipts to $1.1 million. "Due to the success of the film's two one-night theater showings," Trey Reynolds, manager of LifeWay Films, said, "we are planning a church simulcast for the film the first or second week of November, with a consumer DVD and church license DVD to be released Nov. 21." The feature documentary film produced by the International Mission Board and Cooke Pictures and distributed by LifeWay Films tells the story of missionaries Nik and Ruth Ripken. After the death of their son, the couple traveled to 72 countries, into the depths of the persecuted church, to find out if God actually makes a difference in difficult places. The film is based on a best-selling book of the same name from B&H Publishing Group, a division of LifeWay Christian Resources. "Whether an individual or local church watches this film -- at a large event in their church or in the comfort of their homes -- we believe God will use the testimonies to turn hearts and minds of believers to Him," Reynolds said. LifeWay has also released a six-session Bible study based on the documentary and Ripken's book. The Insanity of Obedience Bible Study Book presents Ripken sharing true stories of people who are suffering for the name of Jesus. Watch a trailer of the film at insanityofgodmovie.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Razor wire & steel door give way to layman's heart by Chris Turner/Tennessee Baptist and Reflector Date: September 15, 2016 - Thursday DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (BP) -- It is a familiar routine. First there is the sound of an obnoxious buzzer, then the sudden firing of a heavy deadbolt that unlocks the gray steel door separating freedom from incarceration. The closing slam reverberates down the gray cinderblock hall sending an authoritative reminder that freedom is not an option. Buzz. Fire. Open. Slam. Buzz. Fire. Open. Slam. All day. Buzz. Fire. Open. Slam. The blast of the buzzer has no effect on Dale Lusk, however. The process is routine after hundreds of visits. Lusk's focus lies beyond the door. Like the certainty of God's own mercy, he knows there is a boy waiting for him to enter a world secured by the looping coils of concertina wire. "The boys at this facility range from 13 to 18 years old," Lusk said. "They are brought here after three felonies for whatever types of crimes they've done." The foreigner to this world can't initially comprehend the reality of his statement. One hears the words while looking at pimple-faced teens who appear more like they ought to be at a dance in the school gymnasium after a football game working up enough nerve to awkwardly ask the cute girl standing by the punch bowl if she wants to dance. "Look at them. They're just boys," a visitor whispers with disbelief. "Seriously. Felonies?" Yes, felonies. Serious felonies, like murder and rape. Others not so serious, like being in the wrong place with the wrong people at the wrong time, but felonies nonetheless. So many of these boys don't know their fathers, or maybe they do, but their fathers are incarcerated in an adult facility somewhere. Maybe they were bounced around foster care after being removed from a home where parents cooked crystal meth. Or maybe they are kids who come from good homes but who rebelled against their parents and then made some really bad decisions. "Whatever the case, when they come in they are full of rage, full of anger, full of resentment," Lusk said. "But no matter how tough they may seem, they're scared. They are just boys." Lusk isn't a guard or a warden or even a counselor with the Department of Children's Services evaluating the mental state of those incarcerated by the detention system. He's not even a vocational minister. He's actually retired after 33 years with Norfolk Southern Railroad managing its natural resources. These days he's an active member at Swannsylvania Baptist Church in Dandridge, Tenn., where he and dozens of other volunteers from Swannsylvania and New Market Baptist churches spend about 180 ministry and mentoring hours per month serving the boys behind the gray doors. "There wasn't much ministry going on at the facility when we moved here," Lusk said. He and his wife Judy settled in east Tennessee to be closer to family. "My pastor shared there was a good opportunity at the boys' detention facility. I've always worked with the youth in my church and when I saw the need I just felt like that's what God was calling me to do." Lusk never asks what the boys are "in for." He says he doesn't want to know. "I know me," he said. "And I want to be able to share the love of Christ with these boys without judging them." Lusk slowly gained the trust of the boys and the staff. A Monday night Bible study began, and as boys came to Christ, Lusk added a Tuesday night discipleship training class. Three years later, 76 boys have been reached through the ministry, 30 have completed an 11-week discipleship training class and 30 have been baptized at Swannsylvania Baptist Church. Six more will be baptized in November. Anthony is one of the boys who is glad that wave after wave of church members wash into the facility bearing a flood of Living Water. "When I wound up here I blamed God for everything," Anthony said. Last names are withheld to protect the privacy of minors. "I had real bad hate toward God. But when I started coming to the Bible study, Brother Dale and the others didn't do anything but show me love. It wasn't the kind of love you can explain. It was like a heavenly love. It was like God loved me all at once. He showed it through Dale." The ministry has gained significant traction in the past year. A need for Bibles and discipleship materials quickly emerged. Lusk was faced with the dilemma of rationing Bibles, having to decide who he thought genuinely needed one. However, Tennessee Baptists' giving through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions (www.goldenoffering.org) played a significant part in the ministry by providing funds for the Bibles and discipleship materials Lusk needed. "As Tennessee Baptists give through the Golden Offering, we're seeing lives changed," said Joe Sorah, who heads up the TBC's compassion ministry. "Through their generosity, Tennessee Baptists are able to come alongside ministries like this and offer support that makes a tangible and eternal difference." Anthony is just one of several boys baptized this year, and he didn't miss the symbolism of having his chains removed upon entering Swannsylvania Baptist Church the night of his baptism. "Coming out of that water was something else," Anthony said. "I didn't feel like a human was lifting me up; I felt like God was. It was refreshing. I know God was there with me. The only way I know to describe it is that it was a holy moment -- probably the best time in my life." But it isn't all angels singing and comfortable Christian living when the boys return to the facility, return to their reality. There can be intense verbal and physical persecution. It is certainly a point of prayer for those ministering to the boys, which is why the ladies involved with Swannsylvania's Woman's Missionary Union pray for them. In fact, the WMU and others pray intensely and regularly for God's protection of those who now belong to Him and for those who need an encounter with Christ. And they pray for each of them by name. "We serve a God of second chances," Lusk said. "And these boys need a second chance. God is amazingly wonderful and full of mercy. We just have to be willing to get beyond the walls of our churches and serve." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: Sept. 18, 2016 by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: September 15, 2016 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum. Bible Passage: 1 Peter 2:1-10 Discussion Questions: How would you describe the spiritual nourishment needed for a Christian to live and thrive? Why do believers settle for something less than the pure milk of God's Word when it comes to spiritual nourishment? How can we recognize pure spiritual milk and where do we find it? Food for thought: Endurance athletes turn to a variety of foods to replenish their bodies after a long run, ride, swim or workout, including chocolate milk. While some will eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, yogurt with granola, or a smoothie, there is just something about chugging a bottle of chocolate milk that makes the exercise worth it! But imagine opening that bottle and being greeted by the smell of soured milk. It is even worse if there are things floating in it. Our noses and eyes revolt and we turn instead to that smoothie filled with kale or a simple glass of water. We expect our chocolate milk to be fresh and pure. Peter echoed this same expectation but did so in reference to spiritual milk. He reminded his readers that pure spiritual milk helped them develop from newborn believers to strong followers of Christ (see 1 Peter 2:2). A strong faith was required by his readers since they were facing persecution. In the same passage, Peter identified malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander as things that contaminate spiritual nourishment. He encouraged them to crave the pure spiritual milk of the Gospel as opposed to craving the things that once defined their lives before Christ. These actions would bring spiritual sickness, while the pure milk of the Gospel would bring needed nourishment. Peter questioned why a person might crave these unhealthy things when they have experienced the truth of the Gospel (1 Peter 2:3). Peter's point was simple. If we want to grow into mature believers, we must crave God's truth which is found in His Word and confirmed through His Spirit. The problem is we acquire a taste for other things -- malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. These things feed what we once were: sinners separated from God by our sin. The only way to acquire a taste for something is to eat it. If we are to gain a taste for God's Word, then we must read it, study it and act upon it. God's Word, His pure Word, refreshes us for the endurance race called life. Explore the Bible Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Horse whisperer' proclaims Gospel at state fair by Richard Nations/Missouri Pathway Date: September 15, 2016 - Thursday SEDALIA, Mo. (BP) -- David Frazier doesn't really like the term "horse whisperer." "That's kind of Hollywood. I haven't even seen the movie," Frazier said of a 1998 film starring Robert Redford who played the role of a horse trainer with a gift for understanding horses. "But we use the term here because people understand what it means, and it communicates to the audience that we are going to train a horse in front of them." Frazier did that on the first day of the Missouri State Fair to a crowd of about 400. Organizers said attendance was good considering it was one of the first public events of the Aug. 11-21 fair in Sedalia. Frazier's demonstration was sponsored by the Missouri Baptist Convention and the Missouri Directors of Missions Fellowship. Frazier, 46, from Diamond in the southwest part of Missouri, is a real cowboy, working on a large cattle ranch and feedlot and in a sale barn most weeks. He and his family do several horse whisperer demonstrations each year, including the Missouri State Fair for a second year, as a ministry and an opportunity to share the Gospel. Using a round pen and an unbroken horse, Frazier ropes a horse, gradually gaining its trust. He then saddles the horse, usually causing the horse to buck around the pen a few moments. All this while he speaks to the crowd about issues of life, faith, rebellion, sin and trust. Issues that are of concern to a horse trainer, he said, are issues that people experience in their everyday lives, though "we want to put on a show-face when we go to church." Toward the end of the 45-minute presentation Frazier got a bridle and bits in the horse's mouth. "You can get a saddle on this horse, but you can't ride him if you don't get the bits in his mouth," Frazier said, noting that the horse needs to know who is in control and submit to that authority -- just like God and man. "God knows you are not perfect. What He wants is for us to stand still and know that He is God," Frazier said as he slowly mounted the nervous horse to ride it around the ring a few times. Frazier concluded the demo by climbing up on the pen and speaking to the audience "eyeball to eyeball." He recounted his conversion to Christ and invited the audience to turn their lives over to Jesus. "It may not be working for you," he said, referring to the way people live their lives, "but turn it over to God." A free "cowboy Bible" was offered to the horse whisperer audience at the Missouri Baptist tent. About a dozen people came by to meet the horse whisperer and get a cowboy Bible. One little girl, attired in pink cowboy boots and a white hat, came twice -- once to get a Bible and meet Frazier and then to bring a friend in to also get a copy for her. Jillian Bertz, of Mayview, Mo., one of the audience members, said she had not been to a horse whisperer event before but liked how Frazier shared the Word of God and his testimony. "Lots of horse lovers relate to so many of the things he said," Bertz said. Honce DeHaven, a member of Flat Creek Baptist Church in Smithton, said Frazier's message "will change the U.S. in the way the Lord wants us to change if we will listen. We want government to change things, but God wants Christians to change the world." Jim Wells, a retired Missouri convention staff member and Southern Baptist Convention registration secretary, worked with directors of missions Jim Chilton of Dent County Baptist Association, Paul Posey of Texas County Baptist Association and John Brittain of West Central Baptist Association to arrange the event. Betty Benz-Pulliam, another retired MBC employee, also helped coordinate the event. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Study: Radical Islam looming across African Sahel by Diana Chandler Date: September 15, 2016 - Thursday SAHEL, Africa (BP) -- The poverty- and drought-stricken Sahel region spanning northern Africa is becoming a breeding ground for radical Islamic groups intent on persecuting Christians, according to a study conducted by World Watch Research. The Sahel, a horizontal swath spanning parts of Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia, has become attractive to extremist groups that offer financial security to attract impoverished adherents facing uncertainties in the semi-arid land, reported World Watch Research, a division of the Open Doors International advocacy organization for persecuted Christians. Boko Haram, the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, Ansar Dine and groups loyal to them are growing in the 10-country region with funding from oil-rich Gulf States like Saudi Arabia, the Aug. 25 report said, and will continue to spread across the African continent unless defeated. "The instability and fear these groups create as well as the ideology they propagate are in considerable conflict with such human rights as freedom of religion," the report said. "Even if these groups do not succeed in violently imposing Sharia law at a national level and establishing an Islamic caliphate, they contribute to the overall radicalization of the population and the spread of an extremist and intolerant version of Islam." While the Sahel is historically and predominantly Muslim, more puritanical and militant versions of Islam are now thriving in the region, in particular attracting young men. The groups attack not only Christians but moderate Muslims. "This is a critical time for the future of Christianity in the region," according to the report. "If the instability gets out of control and the militant groups have their way, Christians will be killed and exiled out of the entire region. A similar fate would await not just Christians but also Muslims who do not subscribe to the ideology of the militant Islamic groups." The report pointed to Mali and Niger as prime examples of breeding grounds for Islamic jihad in the region, with both countries facing high illiteracy and poverty. "Niger has also been beset by ethnic rebellion and civil war just like Mali and its considerable mineral resources have also fueled conflict," the report stated. "Just like the rest of the Sahel region, Niger has been affected by a rise in militancy and this development has had a very adverse effect on the freedom of religion of Christians in the country." The report cited a wave of arson attacks conducted by Islamic militants in January 2015 that destroyed 70 churches, a number of Christian orphanages, schools and homes. Countries in the region should join hands militarily to defeat the groups, while also addressing socio-economic ills, the report recommended. "It is only when these underlying realities are improved that Christians and non-Christians will be able to enjoy security and freedom in the region." The full report is at http://theanalytical.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/The-Sahel-Rising-Islamic-militancy-and-the-persecution-of-Christians-in-the-region-2016.pdf. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Kaine cites Genesis 1, pope to support gay marriage by David Roach Date: September 15, 2016 - Thursday WASHINGTON (BP) -- In a speech to America's largest pro-gay lobbying group, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine said the Bible buttresses his support of same-sex marriage. And he predicted the Roman Catholic Church eventually will change its mind on the issue, like he has. Evangelical theologians, however, said Kaine appeared to distort biblical teaching and Catholic doctrine in service of a political agenda. Speaking Sept. 10 at the annual Human Rights Campaign (HRC) dinner in Washington, Kaine called himself a "devout Catholic" and acknowledged the Catholic Church is opposed to same-sex marriage, according to a video of the speech posted online. Virginia's junior senator said he formerly opposed legalizing same-sex marriage but recounted a personal conversion on the issue. As a candidate for Virginia lieutenant governor in 2001, Kaine told the Associated Press he opposed same-sex marriage. Four years later, he opposed granting adoption rights to same-sex couples while running for governor, according to The Washington Post. However, in 2006 he campaigned against Virginia's state constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. Then during his Senate campaign six years later, he supported same-sex adoption when declared by a judge to be in a child's best interest, The Post reported. Kaine's Senate votes have garnered a 90 percent approval rating from the HRC. On Saturday, Kaine told the HRC his change of mind on same-sex marriage stemmed in part from recognizing the dishonorable motives of some Virginia legislators who favored the commonwealth's marriage amendment. Behind the scenes, some lawmakers admitted that amending the state constitution to protect marriage was "a really bad idea" advanced to score political points with conservative voters, Kaine alleged. Moments later, Kaine discussed the relationship between his Catholic faith and his views on marriage. "My full, complete, unconditional support for marriage equality is at odds with the current doctrine of the church I still attend," Kaine said. "But I think that's going to change too." Such change may occur "because my church also teaches me about a creator in the first chapter of Genesis, who surveys the entire world including mankind and [says], 'It is very good,'" Kaine said, referencing Genesis 1:31. "Pope Francis famously said, 'Who am I to judge?' And to that I want to add: Who am I to challenge God for the beautiful diversity of the human family? I think we're supposed to celebrate it, not challenge it." 'Biblically defenseless' Stephen Andrews, professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press Kaine's use of Genesis 1 in support of same-sex marriage is "inaccurate, misleading and inconsistent with the clear teaching of the rest of the Bible." While God's statement that creation was "very good" included human sexuality, it was not focused on sexuality and certainly did not endorse same-sex sexual activity, Andrews said in written comments. Genesis 1-2 states that "God's plan for blessing is through the marriage of a man and a woman," Andrews said. "God created humankind as male and female (Gen. 1:27), not as male and male or female and female. This is significant because humanity is to be 'fruitful and multiply and fill the earth' (Gen. 1:28). This creation mandate could not be accomplished through same-sex marriage." In addition, God's affirmation of creation as "very good" occurred before the fall of humankind into sin and did not endorse any state of affairs that "came about because of man's sinful rebellion." "The idea that Genesis 1:31 covers same-sex marriage or any other form of [sinful] sexual expression," Andrews said, "assumes that God is responsible for whatever humanity has done in the past, present or future." By this same logic, "rape, pedophilia, bestiality and other sexual behavior is 'good.' ... Following this logic, it would also be possible to call the murderous actions of a Hitler or Khmer Rouge 'good.'" Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. made a similar point Sept. 14 in his podcast The Briefing, noting that from the fall forward, "we do see the glory of God revealed, but we also see, as the Scripture makes equally clear, the reality of human sinfulness and its consequences made clear in the creation." "Kaine's argument leaves him absolutely intellectually and morally -- not to say biblically -- defenseless against making any argument against polygamy or, for that matter, virtually anything else," Mohler said. "It is absolute nonsense to look at the world as we see it and say that's exactly what God intended and thus we must bless everything. "Of course, Sen. Kaine won't do that. He just has been selective when speaking to the Human Rights Campaign, selectively citing Genesis 1 where it is convenient for him," Mohler said. 'Far afield' of Catholicism Rex Butler, professor of church history and patristics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told BP that Kaine appeared to misrepresent the trajectory of the Catholic Church on homosexuality. Kaine and certain other Catholic politicians appear to claim "the Catholic label when it suits them politically but [subvert] Catholic teachings when they contradict the politicians' support for same-sex marriage and abortion." Pope Francis has explained, Butler said, that his 2013 comment quoted by Kaine was not intended to condone same-sex sexual activity. "When questioned about his comment, 'Who am I to judge?', Pope Francis affirmed that he supports the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that homosexual acts are 'intrinsically disordered' and contrary to natural law. Accordingly, homosexual acts cannot be approved," Butler said in written comments. "At the same time, the Catholic Church acknowledges that a number of men and women have 'deep-seated homosexual tendencies,' but the Church denies that such tendencies are inborn," Butler said. "The Catechism goes on to instruct the Church to accept such men and women with 'respect, compassion, and sensitivity' and to avoid 'unjust discrimination.' Finally, 'homosexual persons are called to chastity,' with God's support against temptation (1 Cor. 10:13)." The pope's comment "fits well within the Catholic doctrine on homosexuality," Butler said. "Tim Kaine's support of the [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] community and its agenda falls far afield of the Catholic Church to which he claims allegiance." A full video of Kaine's speech is available at hillaryspeeches.com.