Baptist Press Stories for Jan. 2 2013 --------------------------------------- Hobby Lobby apparently will defy gov't on abortion mandate http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39439 Russia's adoption ban penalizes orphans http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39440 WEEK OF PRAYER: Firefighter discovers faith from ashes, now shares faith in Asia http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39441 A year of 'Reading the Bible for Life' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39442 Jason Allen presides over first graduation http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39443 Retired SWBTS missions professor dies http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39444 FIRST-PERSON: The spiritual warfare of family http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39445 FIRST-PERSON: Be Christ's hands & feet http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39446 MOVIES: The best & worst films of 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39438 --------------------------------------- Hobby Lobby apparently will defy gov't on abortion mandate By Michael Foust Jan. 2 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39439 OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) -- Arts and crafts store Hobby Lobby apparently is willing to defy the federal government and face huge fines for not covering abortion-inducing drugs following a string of court losses in December. Hobby Lobby's setbacks in court at the end of the year gained significant media attention, despite the fact that for-profit businesses like the Oklahoma-based business continue to rack up court victories against the mandate. According to a tally by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, nine for-profit businesses -- including three in late December -- have won injunctions in courts protecting them from the mandate. Only three for-profit businesses -- Hobby Lobby among them -- have failed to obtain an injunction. Hobby Lobby is the largest business to file suit against the mandate. Its new health care plan went into effect Jan. 1. "The company will continue to provide health insurance to all qualified employees," said Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund, which is representing Hobby Lobby in court. "To remain true to their faith, it is not their intention, as a company, to pay for abortion-inducing drugs." A Becket spokesman Wednesday (Jan. 2) said the law firm was not commenting further on Hobby Lobby's intentions. But if the company did choose not to cover abortion-inducing drugs mandated by the Department of Health and Human Services, it reportedly could face fines of up to $1.3 million a day. Under the mandate, businesses and even some religious organizations are required to carry employee insurance that covers contraceptives, including emergency contraceptives such as Plan B and ella that can kill an embryo after fertilization and even after implantation. Pro-lifers consider that action a chemical abortion. After a federal judge in November ruled Hobby Lobby must cover the drugs, Becket unsuccessfully appealed to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who oversees emergency appeals from the Tenth Circuit. Sotomayor did say the lawsuit could proceed in the lower court and be appealed back to the high court at the appropriate time. "Hobby Lobby," Duncan said, "will continue their appeal before the Tenth Circuit. The Supreme Court merely decided not to get involved in the case at this time. It left open the possibility of review after their appeal is completed in the Tenth Circuit." The Hobby Lobby suit also includes Mardel, a Christian bookstore chain. The same family -- the Greens -- owns both of them. "These abortion-causing drugs go against our faith, and our family is now being forced to choose between following the laws of the land that we love or maintaining the religious beliefs that have made our business successful," David Green, Hobby Lobby's founder and CEO, said in September. "... We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate." But elsewhere in the federal court system, for-profit businesses are winning. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 decision Dec. 28 handing an Illinois-based business, Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, a victory against the abortion/contraceptive mandate. The injunction currently applies only to the business, which is owned by Catholics. The majority justices said the business owners had "established a reasonable likelihood of success on their claim" that the mandate "imposes a substantial burden on their religious exercise." The burden in court, the justices wrote, "will be on the government" to defend the mandate. Voting in the majority were Reagan nominee Joel M. Flaum and George W. Bush nominee Diane S. Sykes. George H.W. Bush nominee Ilana Rovner dissented. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) represents the Illinois business. "Our argument is clear: the HHS mandate unlawfully compels employers such as our clients to do the following: abandon their faith to comply with the law, or follow their faith and pay significant annual penalties to the federal government," ACLJ attorney Edward White said in a statement. "This mandate violates the conscience rights of our clients, and we're now looking forward to proceeding with our legal challenge." Elsewhere, a federal judge Dec. 20 issued an injunction protecting a Missouri business, American Pulverizer, which is owned by evangelicals. And in Michigan, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Dec. 30 preventing the mandate from applying to Domino's Farms, which is owned by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan, who is Catholic. All total, there have been 43 lawsuits against the mandate. Many of them involve religious organizations such as Christian colleges and universities. The mandate was announced by the Department of Health and Human Services in August 2011 as part of the health care law championed by President Obama. Although the Supreme Court upheld the health care law last June, the justices' ruling did not deal with the religious liberty issues surrounding the abortion/contraceptive mandate. That means the nation's highest court could yet strike down what has been for religious groups and some business owners the most controversial part of the law. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Russia's adoption ban penalizes orphans By Diana Chandler Jan. 2 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39440 NASHVILLE (BP) -- Russia's ban on adoptions by American parents, considered a retaliatory response to U.S. sanctions against Russia for human rights abuses, will instead punish vulnerable orphans languishing in the foreign country, Christians at the forefront of the issue fear. Moreover, the ban halts in mid-stream adoptions already initiated by American families ready to give homes to some of Russia's more than 120,000 orphans, said Southern Baptist Theological Seminary dean and administrator Russell Moore, who with his wife Maria adopted two sons from Russia. "With this awful retaliation against his own nation's orphans, (Russian President) Vladimir Putin has demonstrated once again that he wants to be a tin-pot Stalinist governing a frozen banana republic," Moore told Baptist Press. "And, as it has been since the days of Pharaoh and Herod, when tyrants throw tantrums, children are caught in the crossfire. His action demonstrates the very human rights atrocities the Obama Administration rightly sought to sanction in the first place." Moore, dean of Southern Seminary's School of Theology and senior vice president for academic administration, called on the Russian Orthodox Church to "speak truth to power against the Putin Administration, and to place justice for orphans over nationalistic egoism." CNN reports that Russian backers of the bill say American adoptive parents have been abusive, basing their accusation on a purported 19 deaths of Russian children by their adoptive parents since the 1990s. But the ban is widely viewed as retaliation to the Magnitsky Act, a law President Obama signed in December 2012, barring Russians accused of violating human rights from traveling to the U.S. and from owning real estate or other assets here. Bill Blacquiere, president and chief financial officer of the adoption agency Bethany Christian Services, said the ban is wrongheaded. "While we understand that Russia's intent for this bill is to protect vulnerable children, we believe it will actually end up causing more harm to these already hurting children who are in need of the love and nurturing of a forever family," Blacquiere told BP. "We agree completely that every child adopted in the U.S. and abroad has the right to the utmost measure of safety and protection from harm, but the solution to addressing those issues is through the implementation of higher adoption criteria and standards aimed at ensuring the safety and well-being of all children placed for adoption." Blacquiere expressed optimism that adoptions already initiated might be completed, saying that it is unclear how the ban will affect families in the midst of finalizing adoptions. "We are hopeful that families who have already begun the process of adopting through Russia will be allowed to continue that process through to completion," Blacquiere said. According to adoption agencies in the U.S., 200 to 250 sets of parents are in the middle of adopting children from Russia, The New York Times reported. The U.S. State Department urges American families in the process of adopting from Russia to register with the department for updates and potential assistance, according to The Times. Moore said Russian orphans will suffer from the ban. "It would be one thing if there were an adoption culture in the former Soviet Union, with families willing to receive the orphans languishing in these horrific institutions. Instead, these orphans will age out of the system to a typical life of substance abuse, homelessness, prostitution and sex-trafficking, or suicide," he said. "The Bible tells us that God hears the cries of the orphan, the sojourner, the marginalized, and that He will not hold their oppressors guiltless. Let's pray for the orphans to have mothers and fathers and for the great people of Russia to be governed by just rulers rather than by leftover KGB thugs." From 1999 to 2011, American parents adopted 45,112 children from Russia, according to U.S. State Department statistics. --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- WEEK OF PRAYER: Firefighter discovers faith from ashes, now shares faith in Asia By Don Graham Jan. 2 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39441 EDITOR'S NOTE: This season's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention in December centered on the theme of "BE His heart, His hands, His voice" from Matthew 16:24-25. Each year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support Southern Baptists' 5,000 international missionaries' initiatives in sharing the Gospel. This year's offering goal is $175 million. To find resources about the offering, go to [URL=http://www.imb.org/offering]www.imb.org/offering[/URL]. CENTRAL ASIA (BP) -- His world was going up in flames -- literally. Firefighter Christopher Ryan* was engulfed by pitch-black smoke and scorching heat amid an intense blaze on the second floor of a townhome when he and his partner, a veteran firefighter, realized they couldn't find the way out. "I heard my partner screaming ... [telling] us to get out as fast as we could," Ryan remembers. But he couldn't see a thing. Worse, his fire hose was stuck somewhere in the building and couldn't be freed. Still green from firefighters' school, his instructors' words echoed in Ryan's mind: "Never leave the hose. It's your lifeline." And in that moment, Ryan says, time stood still. "I had [what seemed] like an hour-long conversation right there with God," he says. "He pretty much affirmed that I wasn't saved and that if He were to allow me to die right then in that fire, I would be burning in hell that instant." So Ryan dropped the hose. He and his partner escaped the burning building, their protective gear a charred, molten mess. Ryan was hospitalized for burns on his face, neck and shoulders. Though God would heal his body, Ryan's spirit was broken. He didn't yet understand the divine plan set in motion during that fiery confrontation, one that would lead Ryan to risk his life again -- this time to share the Gospel in Central Asia. Uncertain salvation Ryan grew up in a small North Carolina town deep in the Bible Belt and "got saved" at 15. "One Sunday, my mother and my brother walked down the aisle, and they got saved. I got caught up in the emotion, so I walked down the aisle too. I didn't really know what I was doing," he says. When the pastor visited to talk about their decisions, he was more interested in Ryan's music skills than the teenager's new faith in Jesus. "They talked me into playing drums in this gospel group. There was nothing really shared regarding the Gospel or any questions or affirmation about the decision I had made or why I made it. That started a very long and confusing process for me. "I always heard the pastor say, 'You should know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are saved.' And I never did," Ryan says. No one seemed to offer any real help. He was still questioning his salvation when he married his high school sweetheart Tabitha* and joined the fire department, a job Ryan expected to make his career. "I lived one way during the week at the firehouse, and on the Sundays I wasn't working, I was at church living a different way. It was almost like living two lives," Ryan says. Although he still wondered whether he was saved, he no longer gave the question much thought. That is, until the day he nearly died in that townhouse fire. Still, there was no dramatic conversion experience that followed, just the sobering realization that Ryan did not know the God he claimed to love. "Being the sinful person that I was, it still took me several years to address that," Ryan says. And when that moment came, it echoed the first time Ryan "got saved" -- one Sunday at church. Sitting in his usual back-row pew with Tabitha, Ryan suddenly felt the Holy Spirit pushing him to truly surrender his life to Jesus. As soon as the service ended, Ryan walked forward and grabbed the pastor. "And he pretty much had to grab hold of me because the experience immediately drained me," Ryan says. "I felt like all that sin just washed away from me right then. I could barely stand up." He was 27, and it had been 12 years since he first walked the church's aisle. "God changed so much in me that day -- my language, my desires, my behavior -- everything changed," Ryan says. Surrendered expectations But life was still far from perfect. Ryan's now genuine relationship with Christ was soon tested as he and Tabitha struggled with infertility. Both desperately wanted a child, but a diagnosis of endometriosis meant an uphill battle. "We got married, we built our house ... we had the career we wanted. So according to my timeframe, it was time to have kids," Ryan says. "We even went out and bought a minivan in anticipation of getting pregnant." But six years later, the Ryans still had no children. God was shaking other expectations as well. "We felt like the Lord was leading me to leave the fire department, which is kind of unheard of," Ryan says. "No one ever quit the fire department." But in 2004 he did, and started a general contracting business with a friend. A few months later, Ryan got his first taste of missions work during a short-term trip to Honduras. There was an immediate connection, and two months later, he went back -- this time with Tabitha. "I hadn't seen much of the world, so it was a very eye-opening trip for me," she says. "When we came back, we ... knew that in some way we would be doing missions." A call (and a miracle) The Ryans began praying through the possibilities. It took many months, but God's will was clear. He wanted them overseas full-time, serving as Jesus' heart, hands and voice to a lost world. And there was a surprise, too. In January 2005, the same month they committed to serving through IMB, the Ryans discovered Tabitha was pregnant. No fertility drugs, no surgeries -- just a simple, old-fashioned miracle. "I actually took two [pregnancy] tests because I didn't believe the first one," Tabitha says, because doctors had told her she could never have children. "We were overjoyed and felt like it was a blessing from God for being obedient to His call in our life." In preparation for their move overseas, the Ryans wanted to find a new home church with strong ties to international missions. They settled at The Summit Church in Durham, N.C. "We fell in love with it," Ryan says. By 2006, Summit pastor J.D. Greear began telling the congregation about his vision for sending a team of Summit church members through the International Mission Board to work in Central Asia. "We didn't have any idea where Central Asia was," Ryan admits, but he and Tabitha met with Summit leadership anyway and told them about their passion for missions and their willingness to explore serving in that region of the world. The Ryans didn't waste time. They sold their home plus a spec house that Ryan's contracting business had built, as well as their "toys" -- two campers and an ATV. Scouting trips in 2006 and again in 2007 confirmed the specific Central Asian country where they wanted to serve. It was a dangerous place, very poor and politically unstable, where Christians were frequently persecuted -- cast out of families, jailed, tortured, even murdered. But it also was a place in dire need of the Gospel. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the country's population knows Jesus as Lord and Savior. "I knew that this is where God wanted us to be. We had fallen in love with the country and the people in that short time," Tabitha recalls. "This was the right choice. This was His choice, where He wanted us as a family to go serve these people." Soon the Ryans got another miracle: God placed a second child in Tabitha's womb, another girl. "It's not easy for people to give it all to God," Tabitha says. "... I still find myself every now and then trying to hold onto certain things, or ideas or plans. And then God reminds me of the blessing of handing it all over." Sharing Christ in Central Asia Those blessings have come through people like Omar Khan*. The Ryans met Khan soon after they moved to Central Asia as IMB workers, now more than three years ago. Khan disciples, trains and pastors more than 20 small home groups scattered across four provinces. Ryan serves as Khan's mentor, discipler, theological sounding board, church-planting partner and friend. Once a staunch atheist, Khan became a believer after what he calls a miraculous encounter with Jesus in a dream. He began reading the Bible, repented of his sin and gave his life to Christ. "Every local believer I've met has had dreams and visions regarding God and Christ," Ryan says, explaining that the phenomenon is common to Muslim-background Christians. "Khan's accepted the fact that God's got His hands on him right now." Despite such blessings, living and working in a place like this is a constant challenge -- especially with two little girls. "I lived in three houses my whole life until I came over here, and we are now in our fifth house in three years," Ryan says. Beyond convenience-related hardships like unreliable electricity or the occasional dust storm, Ryan says security precautions are the single greatest challenge, sometimes leaving his family feeling trapped in their home. Getting away on the weekend isn't possible, and one date night might require weeks of planning. Support from Summit has been crucial, through prayer, friendships and even visits from short-term volunteer teams. "I don't think there's one thing that's happened security-wise that makes me think, 'What in the world are we doing here?'" Ryan says. "A lot of times, I feel safer here than I did in the States. I've seen a whole lot less shootings here than I did when I was working on the fire department." The Ryans send their girls to local schools, allowing them to soak up the local language and interact with other children. "Her language is amazing. Sometimes, she's correcting us," Tabitha says of their oldest daughter, 6-year-old Grace*. "We're trying to give them just as normal a life as possible," Ryan says. Dinner that night serves as evidence: cheeseburgers. "These children are a gift from God. They're not ours," Tabitha says. "He lends them to us for a period of time and we are to love them and nurture them, but ultimately, they are still His." Above all, the Ryans say they are in this for the long haul. "We've pretty much decided we want to be here for the next 30 years, plus," Ryan says. "We prayed that God would break our heart for these people, and that's what He's done.... He never told us it was going to be easy, but He's promised to be faithful. And we need to be faithful to the call that He's placed in our life." "This is our home," Tabitha adds. "We wouldn't want to be anywhere else." --30-- *Names changed. Don Graham is a senior writer for IMB. Learn about short- and long-term service opportunities through IMB at [URL=http://www.going.imb.org]going.imb.org[/URL]. Southern Baptists' gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and through the Cooperative Program help Southern Baptist missionaries around the world share the Gospel. Gifts for the offering are received at Southern Baptist churches across the country or can be made online at [URL=http://www.imb.org/offering]www.imb.org/offering[/URL] where there are resources for church leaders to promote the offering. Download related videos at [URL=http://www.imb.org/lmcovideo]www.imb.org/lmcovideo[/URL]. -- End of story -- A year of 'Reading the Bible for Life' By George H. Guthrie Jan. 2 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39442 JACKSON, Tenn. (BP) -- A.J. Jacobs describes himself as Jewish "in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant." Yet, this secular agnostic set out to "follow the Bible as literally as possible" for a year. The product? A 2008 bestseller titled, "The Year of Living Biblically," in which we find example after example of the hilarity and futility of taking passages of Scripture out of their contexts and removing "Bible living" from biblical community. Over the past 18 months hundreds of churches across North America have participated in quite a different kind of "year of living biblically," seeking to immerse their members in a deeper experience of God's Word through a whole-church training and reading program. "Read the Bible for Life" ([URL=http://www.readthebibleforlife.com]www.readthebibleforlife.com[/URL]) was shaped to help churches go deeper in the Word in two ways: 1) by training people to read the Bible better and 2) by offering a whole-church experience of reading through the Bible together. I have had the privilege of walking with many of these churches, and Baptist Press has invited me to reflect on my experiences. First, I have been reminded that the Word, in and of itself, has the power to change lives. I have received so much positive feedback from church leaders about dynamic changes that have taken place in the lives of individuals, small groups and whole congregations as they have simply immersed themselves in God's good Word. Just the other day I heard from First Baptist Church in Salisbury, N.C., which did a whole-church Read the Bible for Life (RBL) training this fall and saw a 30 percent increase in Sunday School over the previous year. This dynamic church also is having an impact on other churches in their region and taking RBL training into various mission contexts. There are many other churches from Upper Marlboro, Md., to Fairfield, Calif., from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to The Woodlands, Texas, that have visionary leadership leading their congregations in a deeper experience of the Word, and this is very, very encouraging. Pastors have told me of people coming to Christ, strengthening their marriages, and moving to a much deeper commitment to discipleship simply by a consistent, personal reading of the Word. I think of Mr. L.B. Hadley, a man with only a sixth-grade education, who read the entire Bible in three months, or a lady from Pennsylvania named Marilyn who had never attended a Bible study but got drawn into her church's small-group experience as they read the Word through together. And I think of a guy named Michael who got drawn into the story of Scripture while his church was reading Leviticus (!) and gave his life to Christ. Second, I have noticed consistent patterns among those churches that are experiencing the greatest impact from Read the Bible for Life. Let me mention four: 1) High-impact churches have leaders who realize biblical discipleship is grounded in a personal engagement with the Word, not passive reception of teaching and preaching. Research of the past 20 years is quite clear: Regular church attenders who read the Bible on a daily basis are those who are most likely to be growing spiritually. Those who are not reading regularly, regardless of the sermons they hear and the Bible studies they attend, are not thriving in their walks with Christ. 2) High-impact churches have leaders who are modeling their own deeper experience of the Word. Pastors who have preached through the story of Scripture as their congregations have read through the Bible share from their own overflow, modeling sound interpretation and personal application. 3) High impact churches have a vision for whole-church training in how to read the Bible better, since people cannot live what they do not understand. (4) High-impact churches have leaders who are thinking beyond a momentary "plug-and-play" model of biblical literacy training to a long-term training process that changes the way people engage the Bible. The great Bible translator William Tyndale, who forfeited his life for rendering the Bible in common English, described his motivation with, "I perceived how that it was impossible to establish the lay people in any truth except the Scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue." In Tyndale's day, God was in the process of reforming the church by making the Bible available to common people. We need another reformation today. Now the issue is not availability of the Bible but the ability of our people to engage the Word at deeper, life-changing levels. God is moving powerfully in churches to that end, but a great deal of work remains to be done. --30-- George H. Guthrie is the Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., and author of the book "Read the Bible for Life." For tools and testimonies related to the Read the Bible for Life initiative, click [URL=http://www.readthebibleforlife.com]here[/URL]. -- End of story -- Jason Allen presides over first graduation By T. Patrick Hudson Jan. 2 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39443 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) -- Proclaiming that the graduation ceremony and group of graduates were like no other on the planet, Jason K. Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, presided over his first commencement exercises as the Kansas City, Mo., campus. Allen said the graduation was altogether different from those in the secular academy because, in addition to being a day of celebration, it was a day of consequence. "For those who are followers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we believe today -- in a very real way -- is a declaration of war on the kingdom of darkness," Allen said Dec. 14. "We believe what is taking place is not the mere credentialing of graduates, but we are casting out into the domain of darkness Gospel warriors against the one who would seek to ruin them, their ministry and this institution." Before an overflow crowd in the seminary’s chapel auditorium, a mix of 36 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students crossed the stage to receive their diplomas. In addition to presiding over the ceremony, Allen delivered the keynote address titled "Leading by Serving: The Paradox of Advancing in the Kingdom of Christ" from Mark 10:32-45. Allen said the passage is unique in that Jesus pulled His disciples aside and spoke to them about what it takes to be servants in His Kingdom. Allen's message focused on four aspects graduates should be mindful of as they become servant leaders for God's Kingdom in the fight against darkness: Be prepared to suffer for the Kingdom; be submitted to the plan of the Kingdom; be focused on the way of the Kingdom; and be imitators of the King of the Kingdom. Noting that the world is full of information about leadership and how everyone desires to be a leader, Allen said the passage from Mark is paradoxical to today's ideal of leadership. The main thrust of the Scripture, Allen said, is that "the way up in the Kingdom is to advance through submission." "The way to climb is to stoop," he said. "The road to success is often marked by sacrifice, service and suffering." Speaking of James and John's request for places of eternal honor after Jesus announced that He would soon be brutally condemned to die, Allen said it was "juvenile, arrogant and insensitive ... one of the most inappropriate requests in human history." He noted, though, that Jesus' response of humility reflects the great contrast between the way of the world and the way of the Kingdom. "I say to you this morning, graduates, that great contrast will dog you as long as you walk this planet: the way of the world, the way of the Kingdom; the mindset of the world, the mindset of the Kingdom; the aspirations of the world, the aspirations of the Kingdom," Allen said. Regarding servants suffering, Allen said graduates can expect to face cruel churches, difficult Christians and hostile unreached people groups. "You must be ready to suffer, and a more sophisticated speaker would stand before you and encourage you to lead a mild-mannered ministry, a cautious life, to make strategic moves, to never do anything to hinder your resume, to never take a Gospel chance if it could come back to look as though you were ineffective in a difficult setting. I say to you 'that's bunk.'" Allen emphatically added, "I say toss your resume to the wind, drink a six-pack of Red Bull, and preach the Gospel to everything that moves! We are here to be a people of God, advancing the Kingdom of Christ and prepared to march and launch [graduates] under the banner of the Gospel of Jesus." About focusing on the way of the Kingdom versus the way of the world, Allen said, "There is an inverted topography in the Kingdom. The world thinks of leadership as a pyramid with the strongest ... on the top. In the Kingdom, the pyramid is inverted. Those who serve and lead are at the bottom and carry a burden of service and sacrifice for others. "These are abiding words for our graduates and our institution," he said. "This is, I declare, the Midwestern way -- that we should be a people whose hearts, attitudes and dispositions are to serve one another and serve the Gospel as we prepare for ministry." Concluding his address, Allen said believers are to be imitators of the King of the Kingdom. In the passage, Jesus said He did not come to be served but to serve. He came to give His life as a ransom for many. Allen told guests at the commencement that this example is what drives the graduates sitting before them. "These graduates aren't going to get a job or career for financial gain," he said. "They are going, in essence, in the words of Bonhoeffer, 'to die.' What is calling them to that? It's because they perceive in their heart what Jesus has done. He has ransomed them from their sin ... and they're going to spread that message to others." Also during the graduation ceremony, Allen commended Robin Hadaway, associate professor of missions, for his service as interim president of Midwestern from February to October. "He led with grace, godliness, wisdom and strength," Allen said, adding of Hadaway and his wife Kathy, "Midwestern Seminary appreciates the two of you more than you can ever know. On behalf of this institution, we love you, thank God for you and we celebrate you this day." --30-- T. Patrick Hudson is director of communications at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Retired SWBTS missions professor dies By Staff Jan. 2 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39444 FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Justice Anderson, a Southern Baptist missionary in Argentina for 17 years who later founded Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's World Missions Center, died Dec. 29. He was 83. Anderson and his wife Mary Ann were Southern Baptist missionaries to Argentina from 1959-74. During that time, Anderson served as professor of church history and homiletics at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Buenos Aires. Additionally, he served as vice president of the Argentine Baptist Convention in 1962 and 1965 and interim president of the seminary from 1968-69. After returning from the mission field, Anderson joined Southwestern's faculty as the George W. Bottoms professor of mission. The World Missions Center he founded in 1980 and led for 20 years continues to be a training site for future missionaries as well as a catalyst for engaging students and faculty on campus in mission trips and missions education. "Justice Anderson left the mission field to come to Southwestern and place the cause of world missions in the hearts of all students," Southwstern's president, Paige Patterson, said of the professor who served 27 years at the seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. "Southwestern honors him for his faithfulness and wishes heaven's comfort for the sweet family." Anderson authored a three-volume Spanish-language Baptist history, along with various other books and articles in both Spanish and English, according to the Baptist Standard newsjournal in Dallas. A native of Bay City, Texas, Anderson earned a divinity degree from Southwestern in 1955 followed by a doctor of theology in 1965 as well as earlier bachelor's and master's degrees at Baylor University. In retirement, Anderson taught at Dallas Baptist University, the B.H. Carroll Theological Institute and Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary. He and his wife Mary Ann also worked with the Karen refugee community at Agape Baptist Church in Fort Worth. The funeral service was this morning (10 a.m., Jan. 2) at Agape Baptist Church. Anderson is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mary Ann; two daughters, Sandi Phillips and Suzie Person, and two sons, Timothy and Brad;11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. --30-- Compiled from reports by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: The spiritual warfare of family By Todd E. Brady Jan. 2 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39445 JACKSON, Tenn. (BP) -- To make themselves tired, the boys got out of the bed on Christmas Eve to run up and down the hallway outside their rooms. Their thinking went like this: If we get up and run, we will get tired. If we get tired, we will go to sleep faster. If we sleep fast, Christmas morning will come quicker. If Christmas morning comes quicker, we will open presents sooner. Oh, the logic of a child on Christmas Eve. Sugarplums had not yet begun to dance in boys' heads when we heard that special ring on the phone. Weeks ago, we programmed a special ring for the person who would be calling us with our referral. As soon as we heard the phone, we knew we were parents for the fifth time. News of our 3-month-old boy came on Christmas Eve. Perfect. They call him Fesseha Adama. We are told "Fesseha" means happy. He was found abandoned in the city of Adama in Ethiopia. While his paperwork says "abandoned," we are confident of God's gracious and sovereignly strategic placement of this child into our family. We have been praying for him. Now we have a face to go with his name -- Miller Elijah Brady. The last three days have been full of joy for us, but we realize that for us to experience our joy, sorrow has had to come on the other side of the world. While we may learn more when we travel to Ethiopia, circumstances surrounding Miller's birth may forever remain a mystery to us. No child should ever have to face the perils of abandonment or fatherlessness or neglect. We'll always remember receiving the phone call on Christmas Eve, pondering the mystery of Miller's birth and waking up on Christmas morning to remember the mystery of our Savior's birth. In the midst of our journey, we are mindful of other families in our faith community who are walking along similar, but different paths. Our friends are personally wrapped up in legislative wrangling concerning Russian adoptions. Who would have thought that we would end the year with Vladimir Putin signing Russia's ban on U.S. adoptions? As families around us struggle with infertility, with the seemingly never-ending waiting process of international adoption and with the wildly jerking emotional roller coaster of domestic adoption, we are realizing more and more that godly family is no walk in the park. God designed the family. When the Bible speaks of salvation, we often hear the language of family. "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:4-5). Since the family is God's design, no wonder Satan desires to prevent it from ever happening. No wonder women kill those living in their wombs. No wonder parents abandon their babies in the dark of night. No wonder nations vote to ban adoptions. No wonder family is a challenge. It is God's design. Satan hates God's design. Therefore, those who desire to lead a family must remember that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). Some think family is admirable. Some think having children is admirable. Some think adoption is admirable. It's all more than admirable. It's spiritual warfare. --30-- Todd E. Brady is vice president for church relations at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Be Christ's hands & feet By Kevin Ezell Jan. 2 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39446 ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- I believe what we do in North America impacts the church's global mission. Historically, North America has sent great numbers of missionaries around the globe. Now we are becoming one of the most ethnically diverse areas on earth. This is no accident. In fact, it's an unprecedented opportunity for Southern Baptists to impact the peoples of the world. But we must remain intentional. The danger we face in North America -- despite its diversity -- is that familiarity can lull us into complacency. Southern Baptists can't let this happen. If your church is successfully reaching people in your community and beyond, you have probably had to shift your methodology and approach over the past two decades. Your community's culture has probably shifted some in ethnic makeup and size. Multiply such changes by hundreds and thousands of communities in the United States and Canada that are experiencing an influx of new business, new immigrant populations and new belief systems. That is today's North American mission field. These new complexities mean Christians have to be the hands and feet of Christ to our communities more than ever before. Our church planters are great examples of this. They leave the familiar to make Christ known in the tough places. From inner city Miami to Canadian provinces, these missionaries are devoting themselves and their families to serve their communities through acts of love as they seek to reconcile people through Gospel truth. Whether you're planting a church in inner city Boston or in the streets of Nairobi, the mission of a long-lasting Gospel community is the result of obedience to the Great Commission. To make disciples of people and connect them with real hope, we first love them in genuine and tangible ways. There should never be a distinction between planting a church and caring for a neglected neighbor, child or community. Biblical evangelism addresses the physical and the spiritual need. We can't make disciples and leave them to their suffering. We take up our cross, the verse commands us, and we follow Christ where He leads, and all of our strategies and endeavors begin here. It's the same spot where our new lives began: at the cross of Christ. --30-- Kevin Ezell is president of the North American Mission Board. Ezell wrote this column in conjunction with this season's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention, centered on the theme of "BE His heart, His hands, His voice" from Matthew 16:24-25. Southern Baptists' gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and through the Cooperative Program help Southern Baptist missionaries around the world share the Gospel. Gifts for the offering are received at Southern Baptist churches across the country or can be made online at [URL=http://www.imb.org/offering]www.imb.org/offering[/URL] where there are resources for church leaders to promote the offering. Download related videos at [URL=http://www.imb.org/lmcovideo]www.imb.org/lmcovideo[/URL]. -- End of story -- MOVIES: The best & worst films of 2012 By By Phil Boatwright Jan. 2 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39438 [IMG=34183@left@90]KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- It's that time of the year when we critique-ers of movies get out our venom-dipped goose quills and take revenge for all those hours stolen by filmmakers who challenged the theory, "Nobody sets out to make a bad movie." And, oh yeah, we also enjoy reminding you of some films that are fine examples of why we love to go to the movies. Let's look at the motion pictures of 2012 that either uplifted the spirit of man or entertained us so well that we forgave the high ticket prices, and the popcorn poppers who offered us that yellowish motor oil-looking substance that passes for butter. My selections are in no particular order. Please read the entire reviews on my site in order to get the content (the reasons for the ratings). -- "The Life of Pi" (Rated PG for thematic content and scary action sequences). Profound and spiritual, The Life of Pi is also the most visually stunning film of the year. Like Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life," The Life of Pi bedazzles with CGI visuals that add to and support the film’s viscerally emotional impact. As with Mr. Malick, filmmaker Ang Lee is unafraid of bringing the subjects of God, faith and the seeking of spiritual fulfillment to the cineplex. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3835 -- "The Impossible" (PG-13 for language and disturbing imagery). This is based on true events surrounding one family who barely survived the 2004 tsunami that struck an unsuspecting coastal area of Thailand. Hollywood's CGI effects at their finest, along with a riveting script and powerful performances from Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and young Tom Holland make this one of the most exciting films of the year. On top of that, it contains uplifting messages about people aiding others in time of need. It shows the compassion of the human spirit that unfortunately often needs a catastrophe to befall before it is awakened. http://moviereporter.com/reviews/display.php?id=2170 -- "Won't Back Down" (PG for thematic elements and language). Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy, two mothers (Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal) look to transform their children's failing inner city school. What's this? Hollywood made a film that challenges the teachers' union?! I thought I was in a different universe watching this movie. Congrats to those who participated in this, one of the most courageous films ever produced in Tinseltown. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3822 -- "The Amazing Spider-Man" (PG-13 for language, action and violence). In IMAX and 3D, with a satisfying script that pays homage to Stan Lee's comic book creation, plus a depth of character and all the trappings of this genre done to perfection, it makes for a fun movie-going adventure. This Spider-Man movie has humor, tenderness, life lessons (don’t be a bully, don't seek revenge, use your abilities for others) and, of course, lots and lots of cool combat. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3795 -- "Brave" (PG for scary action and rude humor). Disney and Pixar still reign as kings of animation. It isn't just that they have all the loot necessary to bring their stories to vivid screen life; they also have most of the creativity found in Hollywood. Their writers and filmmakers possess a winning combination of whimsy and potent storytelling ability that seems to escape most filmmakers of today, no matter the genre. While so many in the film industry are unable to tell today’s stories without crudity and excess, Disney and Pixar, knowing they are aiming at the family, use wit rather than shock value to get our laughs and our involvement. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3791 -- "October Baby" (PG-13 for mature thematic material). A powerful parable about healing, October Baby tenderly reveals the psychological aftermath created by abortion. Perhaps the most effective aspect of the production is how gently Christian philosophy is intertwined within the narrative. No matter their agenda, the filmmakers never preach to the audience. Rather, they astutely import the need for forgiveness. As with the "Pay It Forward" philosophy, which suggests the need to pass on good deeds in order to turn our world from selfish narcissism to one dominated by kindness, the intent here is to propose the need for forgiving others in order to maintain peace within. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3765 -- "Red Tails" (PG-13 for sequences of war violence and language). Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Terrence Howard and Brandon T. Jackson star in this tale of African-American pilots from the experimental Tuskegee training program. Over the years, I've seen quite a few war films that indicated the bravery, compassion and the uniqueness of the American soldier. Sadly, there are few films that spotlight this quality in men of color. There are some, just not that many. Red Tails does. A positive film that ultimately unites us all as Americans, it does contain some language (not much, really), but it also features reverence for God, and a couple of men of faith are depicted and we hear a prayer given. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3748 -- "Unconditional" (PG-13 for some violent content and mature thematic elements). A touching, sensitive, well-constructed drama, Unconditional was a welcomed surprise. Writer/director Brent McCorkle did a fine job with the technical aspects, despite his low budget. He managed to organize a competent team of behind-the-camera folk and was wise to cast Lynn Collins in the lead role. She plays a widow whose whole life was wrapped around her soul mate, but comes to learn that we are not here just to be an attachment to another person, realizing she has purpose and that she isn't really alone. Those who seek to reverence God and acknowledge Christ are never, ever alone. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3823 -- "Les Miserables" (PG-13 for language, suggestive and sexual material, and violence). Les Miserables is an adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France, in which an escaped prisoner named Jean Valjean seeks redemption, while the obsessive Inspector Javert hunts him down. In Victor Hugo’s 1,200 page novel, the villain, Javert, lives by the letter of the law in hopes of salvation, where Jean Valjean has been transformed by mercy and lives by mercy. Les Miserables is a parable that clearly conveys the difference between the Bible's Old Testament, where man is dependent upon the laws of God in order to find deliverance, and the New Testament's revelation of God's sacrifice that paid our sin debt. Though there is some PG-13 content in the film, it is not there to be exploitive. http://moviereporter.com/reviews/display.php?id=2178 AND THE BAD ... In fairness to the motion picture industry, there are many folks who desire to nurture the spiritual aspect of man's nature. Many films aim up. Just not these. -- "The Perfect Family" (PG-13 for mature thematic material and language). We Christians can be a faulty bunch: a fact Hollywood builds quite a few productions upon: "Elmer Gantry," "The Scarlet Letter" and "Easy A." Admittedly, there are some who use religion for other reasons than drawing themselves closer to their Creator. The rest of us sometimes (or often) put His will aside in favor of our own. The Perfect Family perfectly portrays a person caught up in the laws of her church rather than the grace of God. For Believers, this film can be a cautionary tale, one that reminds us to hate the sin, but love the sinner (Jude 1:23). That said, I'm not convinced that aiding Christians in their spiritual walk was the filmmaker's objective. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3776 -- "The Campaign" (R for crude sexual content and language). Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis star in this comedy about opposing contenders for the position of their state's congressman. Though there are some laugh-out-loud scenes featuring the stars at their funniest, the humor routinely strays from bizarre burlesque to raucous rudeness. This gained high marks from many a reviewer, most of whom do little to discourage the acceptance of lewdness and religious ridicule as cinematic entertainment. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3804 -- "21 Jump Street" (R for crude and sexual content, and language). Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum play two immature high school grads who join the police force. It is based on the TV series from the 1980s, with R-rated risqué material used to update the concept. I fear scatological and anatomical humor have become the main ingredients for movie comedies. And like hip hop music, obnoxious content is evidently here to stay. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3763 -- "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" (R for violence and language). Is this film meant as a metaphor, showing how good men can become evil through conditions beyond their control? Or is 20th Century Fox just hedging its bets, worried that a dramatization of the Great Emancipator might have more box office heft if it co-stars children of the night? Either way, this mixing of genres seems disrespectful to the memory of a man who was taller than most. But here he is, in all his manic-depressive, ax-wielding splendor, dispatching doom to bloodsuckers as if he was a bearded version of the Mighty Thor. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3790 -- "Pitch Perfect" (PG-13 for sexual content and language). And speaking of monsters, under the protective auspices of Universal Studios, Dr. Frankenstein is at it again, this time attempting to create an entertainment subgenre by assembling spare parts left over from other cinematic atrocities. He stitches together the song-singing rivalries of Disney's "High School Musical" and NBC's "Glee" with the mean girl comedy of the "Bring It On" franchise, evidently hoping to form a new Hollywood musical. Crudity and obscenity abound. If we peasants had any sense, we'd grab our torches and storm the Universal castle. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3821 -- "Fun Size" (PG-13 for crude and suggestive material and language). On Halloween night, a high schooler's plans go awry when she's made to babysit her 8-year-old brother, who disappears into a sea of trick-or-treaters. It's too lame for anyone who has stopped watching Nickelodeon and far too suggestive for those who tune in daily to Sponge Bob. Did I say suggestive? That doesn't cover it, for this is the crudest teen comedy I've seen since, well, the last teen comedy. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3829 Arguably, there are worst films than those I've spotlighted. The point of this piece is that Hollywood will continue to make films that offend our spiritual nature. And once they get your $10 per ticket, they win. Take a stand. Read a film's content before you hand over that 10 bucks. AND THE MIGHT-HAVE-BEENS... -- "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (PG-13 for sexual content and language). This movie concerns a group of British retirees (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson) who decide to move to India for its exotic culture and cheap prices. It's a gentle, charming film, and for me, a true pleasure as I am always amazed when watching the gifted Judi Dench. The film's theme has to do with people finding worth, satisfaction and peace within themselves. For me, however, this is where the film falters. Though a couple of characters tour the local temples, none seem to be looking for spiritual fulfillment. I understand non-Christians will have little problem with that omission, but for those of us seeking to draw closer to Christ Jesus, this spiritual exclusion when portraying an aging group of life travelers causes the film to lack the depth the story deserved. In a communal this size, you'd think the filmmakers would allow for at least one Christian character. Instead, the producers sought to incorporate a closet homosexual as the production's token figure. Indeed, movies with token gays abounded this year. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3780 -- "Searching for Sugar Man" (PG-13 for brief strong language and some drug references). This is a compelling documentary concerning a 1970s Bob Dylan/Harry Chapin/Jim Croce-type musician named Sixto Rodriguez whose albums failed to sell in the U.S. but who achieved enormous success halfway around the world, completely unbeknownst to him. He was a legend and never knew it, living simply and quietly for the next 40 years as a humble day laborer and family man. Searching for Sugar Man is an absorbing, moving documentary, one that spotlights the positive character of a man at peace with himself. The film doesn’t tell us if he is a man of faith, but it reminds us that peace within is found through the awareness of something outside ourselves. This search, like our trek through life, is a daily one. The picture would have made my "best list" but for the profaning of God's name in a song sung by the central figure, as well as the obvious acceptance of drug use, which also permeated the '70s hippy/dippy music. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3812 -- "Lincoln" (PG-13 for war violence, images of carnage and language). Lincoln stresses the Great Emancipator’s savvy political agility, at times causing us to forget that this is a film by Steven Spielberg, not telestorian Ken Burns. (Burns' lengthy documentary on the Civil War is the quintessential examination of the War Between the States. It is a moving learning experience about the foibles and nobility of the human spirit.) But that’s not to say that Lincoln is a boring history lesson. Though long at 150 minutes (John Ford told his Lincoln story in 100 minutes back in 1939), it reveals the political process of wheeling and dealing within the political community (little has changed). The only fly in the ointment for me is the 12 uses of God's name followed by a curse, two by the lead character. Should we support a resonate salute to a historical figure who helped change the world? Or do we refrain from attending a movie that profanes God's name? Your call. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3832 -- "Arbitrage" (R for brief violent images and language). One of the best morality tales since the first "Wall Street," this intense drama grabs you by the gut and doesn't let go. Sadly, it's full of foul verbiage (a total of 80 obscenities and six profanities). Had the writer and director intended to make a statement about the film's main character's character by having him use such irreverent language, then it could be argued that its inclusion was a use of language. But, everyone in the film is free with the F-word or the uttering of Christ’s name as if it were a mere expletive spoken solely for the purpose of relieving frustration. This causes the stark and draconian language to lose its biting edge. It no longer indicates the darkness of one man's soul, but merely bespeaks of the numbing down of our culture and our society. http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3814 Why speak of R-rated movies? "The Passion of the Christ," "Schindler's List," "Dead Man Walking," "Tsotsi." Each was rated R. But each was profound and ultimately enriched the film viewer. Seldom can this be said of R-rated movies. Too often R-rated motion pictures, and movies in general, ignore the spiritual element that completes mankind's nature. But since this rating category dominates the multiplex theaters, it can't just be ignored. The impact of these films on the culture and therefore the society needs to be addressed. We Christian critics aren’t just being pious by exposing the content of films; we are addressing an issue that Hollywood (who loves to address every other issue) ignores. I've raised this question before: have we evolved into beings capable of processing any amount of abuse Hollywood puts before our eyes and ears? There seems to be no excess moviegoers are willing to walk out on. But is that what our Creator desires for us? The most endearing films, like Bible parables, nourish the spirit as well as entertain, and I maintain that if the cinematic art form is to better the culture and the society, it needs to feed the soul, not just satisfy our baser instincts. And younger generations need to be reminded of what the Bible says concerning what we put in our heads: -- "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things" (Philippians 4:8). -- "I will set before my eyes no vile thing" (Psalms 101:3). -- "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11). --30-- In addition to writing for Baptist Press, Phil Boatwright reviews films for www.previewonline.org. He is also a regular contributor to "The World and Everything In It," a weekly radio program from WORLD News Group. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net